Chapter 140 New Products
July 12, 1868.
Berlin Electric Company presented its latest research results to the world.
Due to the previous promotion in newspapers, this experiment attracted many people to watch.
The experiment was carried out in Berlin, and many dignitaries came to join in the fun.
Because before the experiment began, the Berlin Electric Company advertised in newspapers that this was an invention no less important than the electric light.
It was a nice day.
The Berlin Electric Company built a temporary venue in the city center and reserved space for Berlin's dignitaries and reporters from various newspapers.
Morning, ten o'clock.
The place was bustling with people, and many Berlin citizens came to join in the fun.
The staff removed the curtains covering the experimental equipment.
Two semi-open pavilions, a hundred meters apart, appeared before people's eyes.
"Everyone, welcome to the launch of our Berlin Electric Company's latest product. This time we will definitely shock you again. 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 center 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 beginning to get impatient, the host quickly cut off the topic and focused the attention back on the experimental activities.
"Now please ask the staff to unveil the red cloth. We are about to witness history."
The staff waiting on both sides of the pavilion pulled back the cloth on the table, and a set of strange-looking equipment appeared in front of people.
"Can anyone guess what this is?" the host asked the audience.
The pre-arranged agent shouted in the crowd: "This thing doesn't seem to have any connection with our lives. Who can tell from the appearance what it can do? This can't be an electric toy!"
The conversation between the two did make the audience curious. What could these two strange-looking things do?
"Since everyone is curious about what this thing is used for, let me reveal it to you first. The name of this machine is 'telephone'. Can you guess its function from this name?" the host asked the audience.
"telefon, a distant voice?" the arranger called out in the crowd.
"Sir, it's amazing that you can guess the meaning of this word. It does come from ancient Greece." The host and To were improvising there.
If you look deeper, what the two people said does not stand up to scrutiny at all, but this is a product launch conference and no one cares about these details. Just call it whatever the company likes.
"The function of this thing is very similar to that of a telegraph, but the difference is that a telegraph can only send text messages, while a telephone can be used for long-distance conversations." The host revealed the mystery.
There was an uproar at the scene!
"You mean, this thing is used for conversation?" someone asked distrustfully.
"Everyone, the telephone uses wires 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 the spot. Is there anyone here who is willing to try it for themselves?"
Someone in the audience raised their hand.
"This sir! What's your name?"
"I am Baron Akela of Saxony."
"Mr. Baron, do you want to try this experiment yourself?"
"Of course!" Baron Akela said politely.
"Sir, please come this way!" The staff invited Baron Akela to the telephone booth.
"This is the receiver, put it to your ear. The one below is the microphone. When we turn on the power, you can think of a sentence and speak it into the microphone. Our staff over there will record what you say." The staff handed the receiver and microphone to Baron Akela.
Then, the staff connected the phone to the line, and as the switch was pressed, the staff said to Baron Akela: "Your Excellency Baron, you can start now."
Baron Akela thought for a moment and said a string of numbers: "18450214."
After hearing the number said by Baron Akela, the staff in the distant telephone booth wrote the number on the drawing board and then showed the drawing board to everyone.
"Baron Akela! Is this what you said?" the host asked.
"That's right, but I still don't quite believe it. I will only believe it if you can let the people over there pass this message to me through this machine," Akela said.
"Your Excellency Baron, please hold the receiver!" the staff member said to Baron Akela.
Akela did so.
The staff member ran to the telephone booth opposite, picked up the phone, and called Baron Akela: "Hello, Baron, 18450214, can you hear me?"
"Of course, it's incredible!" Baron Akela was completely convinced.
Seeing Baron Akela’s shocked expression, everyone also wanted to try it.
"Gentlemen, please come and try this epoch-making invention." The host said respectfully to the upper-class people and reporters in the audience.
The rich and powerful will be the next customers of the Berlin Electric Company, and the journalists will be responsible for publicizing the emergence of the "telephone".
Just like electric lights, in this era, only rich people can afford luxury items like telephones.
Of course, electric lights are much cheaper now. Although ordinary people cannot afford them, municipalities in some large cities are still able to purchase them.
The dignitaries and reporters who came to the scene were very interested in trying out this new thing called a telephone.
Of course, dignitaries are only relative to ordinary people. In fact, the real top aristocrats were met a few days ago.
The Prussian and Austrian courts have already begun installing related system applications.
William I, in particular, recognized the strategic value of this thing at first sight and planned to promote part of it in the Prussian army.
The telegraph also has this function, but it requires professionals to operate it, while the telephone only requires the general to pick up the call and then dictate instructions.
When it comes to the invention of the telephone, Ernst took a shortcut and Antonio Meucci was the actual inventor of the telephone.
Antonio Meucci was an Italian-American who immigrated to the United States from 1850 to 1862 and created several different forms of sound transmission instruments, called "long-distance microphones." However, Meucci was unable to pay the $250 patent application fee and was unable to obtain a patent for the telephone.
Americans obviously did not realize the importance and value of the telephone. Antonio Meucci had already announced his invention in Italian newspapers in the United States, but apparently no one cared, so no company bought his patent.
Based on the information he knew from the Italian newspaper in his previous life, Ernst sent people to the United States to look for Antonio Meucci. The result was obvious that the Italian newspaper had a very small audience and Antonio Meucci had some fame among the Italian community.
So they quickly found Antonio Meucci, and the staff of the Hechingen Consortium bought the telephone patent from him.
Unlike the result of Antonio Meucci's phone call, the Berlin Electric Company's new product launch attracted the attention of the entire society as soon as it was launched because of the great influence of electric lights in Europe.
Unfortunately, after getting the money, Antonio Meucci rejected the invitation of the Berlin Electric Company and instead planned to take his wife back to Italy to live a pastoral life.
Antonio Meucci was exhausted over the years. Because of his research on the telephone, his family had been living in poverty. So in order to compensate his wife, Antonio Meucci decided to return to Italy, return to the countryside, and stop inventing.
(End of this chapter)
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