Wednesday, November 5, 2008

CNN's virtual correspondent

Nov 5, 2008


NEW YORK - CNN viewers saw double on Tuesday when the cable news giant used a hologram to 'beam up' a reporter from Chicago to New York for election analysis.

Like a character out of the science fiction movie Star Wars, veteran political anchor Wolf Blitzer used a 3D hologram system to transport correspondent Jessica Yellin into his studio.

Yellin, a little fuzzy and appearing to glow, conducted a brief discussion with Blitzer before vanishing again.

'You're a terrific hologram,' Blitzer told the image.

Yellin explained to viewers that her body was actually still in Chicago, with 35 cameras filming her inside a special tent.

'They shoot my body at different angles and I'm told that's what transmits my entire body image back to New York,' she said.

'It's like I follow the tradition of Princess Leia', she said, referring to the Star Wars heroine.

Underneath - for what CNN said was the first time in television history - the screen announced: 'Jessica Yellin via hologram from Chicago. Live.'

They chose to unveil the technology in the midst of CNN's wall-to-wall coverage of the historic US election on Tuesday pitting underdog Republican John McCain against Democrat Barack Obama, who is bidding to become the nation's first African-American president. -- AFP

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