CallGenie

CallGenie: television-based video calling for older and disabled users

CallGenie is a device that connects to a television and turns it into an auto-answer video phone. It is designed for older adults, people with disabilities, people with dementia and care settings. The person receiving a call does not need to pick up a device, open an app, remember a password or press small buttons. Family, friends and carers make the call through Microsoft Teams on a smartphone, tablet or computer, and the call appears on the television screen.

The product is sold by Smart Life Solutions Ltd, the company behind the CallGenie brand. The device is intended to remove barriers associated with smartphones, tablets and apps for people who are not comfortable using them.

How the system works

When a family member or friend calls through Microsoft Teams, CallGenie turns on the television and switches automatically to the correct input, even if the television is on standby. No interaction is required from the user. When the call ends on the caller's device, CallGenie returns the television to its previous state, whether that was a channel or standby.

CallGenie uses HDMI-CEC to know the television's state before a call and to restore it afterwards. The appliance includes a Mini PC, a webcam and video calling software. A Flirc USB IR Receiver is shipped with the appliances to send infrared commands to televisions that do not respond to certain HDMI-CEC commands.

Optional outbound calling

Receiving a call requires no action from the user. For those who also want to make outbound calls, an optional button can be added. Each button calls one person and carries that person's name. The buttons plug into the unit behind the television, so they sit by the television rather than by the chair, which makes this option better suited to someone who can get up and cross the room. Pressing a button calls the assigned person, and when that person hangs up, the television returns to whatever was on before.

The buttons do not beep, so the confirmation is the television coming on. The name is printed, so the button only helps if the user can read it. If reading is difficult, the recommendation is to start with a single button that can be found by touch. Buttons are an optional extra; users who only want to receive calls do not need to add any.

Features and accessibility

• Real-time subtitles built into the software, with configurable text size.
• Auto-answering video calls that turn on the television and select the right input.
• Calls can be made from a phone, tablet or PC using Microsoft Teams.
• Group calls are supported, allowing a second person to join the same call.
• Only known contacts can make incoming calls; family and friends are added to a contacts list.
• No monthly fees: the product is paid once and includes twelve months of full support and warranty.

For callers who use British Sign Language, the guidance suggests propping up the phone or using a laptop so both hands are free and the signing stays in frame. At the receiving end, the caller appears at full television size.

Who it is designed for

CallGenie is aimed at people who have never used or are not comfortable using a smartphone, people with dementia or cognitive conditions, families who live far apart, people with visual or hearing impairments, people with limited mobility or motor skills, and anyone who wants a simple face-to-face conversation without the fuss.

Products and pricing

The catalogue lists three pre-configured appliances, with ratings shown on the site at the time of writing:

• CallGenie (Zoom) for larger rooms, rated 4.88 out of 5, £541.66.
• CallGenie (Wide) for bed and chair, rated 4.84 out of 5, £499.99.
• CallGenie (Standard) for older people, rated 4.96 out of 5, £458.33.

The site also offers an outbound call button as an optional extra.

Origins and company background

CallGenie began as a project in early 2017. Graham, the founder of Smart Life Solutions, wanted a way to make video calls to his elderly mother, Jean, who had dementia and mobility issues. She could use a phone and a television remote control but did not use mobile phones or tablets. Graham drew on his IT background and looked for a solution among emerging smart home technologies, but found nothing that would automatically answer video calls and display them on a television without interaction. He decided that his mother's television would be the display and speakers for CallGenie.

The main components came together as an inexpensive Mini PC, a webcam and video calling software. The next step was to control the television from the Mini PC. After experimenting with several smart home solutions, including the Logitech Harmony Hub, Graham integrated HDMI-CEC into CallGenie. This allowed the device to know the television's state before a call and to return it to its original state afterwards, which is important for an elderly person who might struggle to switch inputs.

CallGenie became a product in the summer of 2019, with the first customers in the United Kingdom and Norway. Initially, a Harmony Hub was shipped with CallGenie to send infrared commands to televisions that did not respond to certain HDMI-CEC commands. The Harmony Hub was replaced by the Flirc USB IR Receiver later in 2019, and that receiver is now shipped with all appliances. Interest increased sharply in March 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, and the business has continued to grow since then.

Sales territories and support

Pre-configured appliances are sold in the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States and Canada. Outside these territories, the company sells CallGenie Software and supports customers in building their own video calling systems. The team is distributed, with people in the UK supporting customers in the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia, and a similar team at the US distributor supporting customers in the US and Canada. Everyone involved with CallGenie, including staff and associates, has real experience of supporting a relative with a cognitive or physical disability.

Customer feedback

The site displays reviews from users. One reviewer in Switzerland described the product as a great solution for keeping close ties with seniors and mentioned uncomplicated and flexible support from Graham. Another reviewer said CallGenie was great for enabling family members to make video calls to an elderly father, noting that the caller finds it easy to use and that the father does not have to press any buttons because the television reverts to its previous state at the end of the call. A third reviewer uses the product daily to stay in touch with a 97-year-old father in a care home and said the product works so smoothly that the support service has never been needed; the extended warranty provides peace of mind.