Chapter 140 New Products
July 12, 1868.
Berlin Electric Power Company presented a latest research result to the world.
Due to the previous warm-up in newspapers, this experiment attracted many people to watch.
The experiment was conducted in Berlin, and many dignitaries came to join in the fun.
Because before this experiment began, the Berlin Electric Company advertised in newspapers that this was an invention no less important than the electric light.
It was a sunny day.
The Berlin Electric Company set up a temporary venue in the city center, with seats reserved in advance for Berlin's dignitaries and reporters from various newspapers.
Morning, ten o'clock.
There was a huge crowd and many Berlin citizens came to join in the fun.
Staff removed the curtain covering the experimental equipment.
Two semi-open pavilions a hundred meters apart appeared in front of people.
“Everyone, welcome to the launch of our latest product from Berlin Electric Company. This time we will definitely give you another shock. Berlin Electric Company was founded in...”
The host held a loudspeaker and introduced the excellent history of Berlin Electric Company and the company's business scope.
"As we all know, science and technology are advancing day by day, and Berlin and Germany are the centers of this civilization, so this experiment will declare that the Germans are once again at the forefront of the world..."
Seeing that the audience was starting to get a little impatient, the host quickly cut off the topic and focused back on the experimental activities.
"Please ask the staff below to lift off the red cloth. We are about to witness history."
The staff waiting on both sides of the pavilion opened the cloth on the table, revealing a set of strange-looking The device appears before people's eyes.
"Can anyone guess what this is?" the host asked the audience.
The pre-arranged caretaker shouted in the crowd: "This thing doesn't seem to have any connection with our lives. Who can tell what it can do from its appearance? This can't be an electric machine. Toys! ”
The conversation between the two really made the audience curious, what can these two strange-looking things do?
"Since everyone is curious about the purpose of this thing, let me tell you first. The name of this machine is 'telephone'. Can you guess its function through this name? "The host asked the audience.
“Telefon, a distant sound? (The English word originates from Greek, here it is German)” the arranger shouted in the crowd.
"Sir, you can actually guess the meaning of this word. It's really amazing. It does come from ancient Greece." The host and Tuo performed impromptu there.
If you look deeper, the words of two people cannot stand up to scrutiny at all, but this is a product launch, no one cares about these details, and the company can be called whatever they like.
"The function of this thing is very similar to that of a telegraph, but the difference is that a telegraph can only send messages, while a telephone can be used for long-distance calls." The host revealed the mystery.
The scene was in an uproar!
“You mean, this thing is for conversation?” Someone asked distrustfully.
“Everyone, the telephone uses lines to transmit people’s voices to distant places, so it can naturally be used to communicate with each other. If you don’t believe it, we can demonstrate it on site. Is there anyone willing to try it for yourself? ”
Someone in the audience raised their hands.
"This gentleman! What do you call me?"
"I am Baron Akela from Saxony."
"Mr. Baron, do you want to try this experiment yourself?"
“Of course!” Baron Akela said politely.
"Sir, please come here!" The staff invited Baron Akela to the phone booth. "This is the receiver. Put it to your ear. The one below is the microphone. Wait a moment after we turn on the phone. , you can think of something and say it into the microphone, and our staff will record what you said." The staff handed the receiver and microphone to Baron Akela.
Then the staff connected the phone to the line. As the switch was pressed, the staff said to Baron Akela: "Your Excellency, Baron, you can start."
Akela The baron thought for a moment and said a string of numbers: "18450214."
After hearing the number said by Baron Akela, the staff at the distant phone booth wrote the number on the drawing board, and then moved the drawing board Show it to everyone.
"Baron Akela! Is this what you said?" the host asked from the side.
"Yes, but I still don't believe it. Only if you can ask the people over there to pass this sentence to me through this machine can I believe it." Akela said.
"Your Excellency, Baron, please hold the receiver!" the staff said to Baron Akela.
Akyla did as she was told.
The staff ran to the phone booth opposite, picked up the phone, and replied to Baron Akela: "Hey, Baron, 18450214, can you hear my voice!"
"Of course. , It’s incredible!” Baron Akela was completely impressed.
Everyone wanted to try it when they saw the shocked expression on Baron Akela's face.
"Gentlemen, you can all come over and try this invention that transcends the times." The host said respectfully to the upper-class people and reporters in the audience.
The powerful people are the next customers of the Berlin Electric Company, and the reporters are responsible for publicizing the emergence of the "telephone".
Similar to electric lights, in this era, only rich people can afford luxuries like telephones.
Of course, electric lights are much cheaper now. Although ordinary people cannot afford them, municipal governments in some big cities can still afford to purchase them.
The dignitaries and reporters who came to the scene were very interested in trying this new thing called a telephone.
Of course, dignitaries are only relative to ordinary people. In fact, the real top nobles were seen a few days ago.
The Prussian and Austrian courts have begun to install relevant system applications.
Especially William I recognized its strategic value the first time he saw this thing and planned to promote it in the Prussian army.
The telegraph also has such a function, but it requires professionals to operate it, while the telephone only needs to be connected by the general to dictate instructions.
When it comes to the invention of the telephone, Ernst took a trick: Antonio Meucci was the actual inventor of the telephone.
Antonio Meucci was an Italian-American. From 1850 to 1862, Antonio Meucci immigrated to the United States and made several different forms of sound transmission instruments, called "long-distance transmission microphones." But Meucci was unable to pay the $250 patent filing fee and was unable to obtain a telephone patent.
Americans obviously did not realize the important role and value of the telephone. Antonio Meucci had already announced his invention in an Italian newspaper in the United States, but apparently no one cared, so that no company bought it. Download his patent.
Ernst sent people to the United States to look for Antonio Meucci based on the information he knew from the Italian newspaper in his previous life. The result was obvious that the audience of Italian newspapers was very small. Antonio Meucci was in Italy. There is also some minor fame among the group.
So Antonio Meucci was quickly found, and the staff of the Hechingen Consortium bought the patent for the telephone from him.
Different from the results of Antonio Meucci's announcement call, Berlin Electric Company's electric lights have full influence in Europe, so the new product launch attracted the attention of the entire society as soon as it was launched.
However, it is a pity that after receiving the money, Antonio Meucci refused the invitation of the Berlin Electric Company. Instead, he planned to take his wife back to Italy and live a pastoral life.
Over the years, Antonio Meucci was tired. In order to study the telephone, the family's life has been very difficult, so in order to compensate his wife, Antonio Meucci decided to return to Italy, return to the countryside, and no longer Made an invention.
(End of this chapter)