Virtual assistants, with personality; electronic secretaries can be charming, funny and frustrating

Article Abstract:

More people are taking advantage of the electronic secretaries offered by personal communication services Portico, Webley and Wildfire. At the heart of these systems is voice-activated software which responds to commands using a human voice and which carries out instructions more or less as a human secretary would. These systems can be instructed to route telephone calls from some people to voice mail and to patch others directly through, or to hold all calls and transmit information to a pager, giving the user the freedom to decide which calls need immediate attention. The use of a human sounding voice and creative programming causes users and callers to behave as if they were dealing with a real person. Occasionally, however, the systems make errors a human never would. Weak cellular signals are a particular problem. Despite this, their cost and relative reliability are winning them customers. Improvements in technology and services and reductions in cost are expected to make such services more commonplace in the future.

United States, Radiotelephone communications, Social aspects, Innovations, Telecommunications services industry, Telecommunications industry, Telecommunications equipment, Technological innovations, Personal digital assistants, Personal digital assistant, Personal communications services, Wildfire Communications Inc., Webley Systems Inc., Portico (New York, New York)

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A hero who, oddly, doesn't look the part

Article Abstract:

Abe's Exoddus, the new game from Oddworld Inhabitants, is different from typical action hero-themed computer games. The hero, Abe, is an unarmed salamander-like creature upon whom falls the responsibility for saving his people, the Mudokons, from slavery and genocide imposed on them by another race, the Glukkons. Abe cannot do this alone, he needs help from others of his people and they are not always cooperative. Consequently, Abe's social skills are far more important than the eye-hand coordination required by typical shooter games. Gestural communications plays an important role in the mastery of the game. Abe's Exoddus is a continuation of the stories and theme of an earlier game, Abe's Oddysee.

Game, Toy, and Children's Vehicle Manufacturing, Home Video Games, Games, toys, and children's vehicles, Evaluation, Computer software industry, Software industry, Product/Service Evaluation, Product information, Video game industry, Video games industry, Video games, Oddworld Inhabitants Inc., Abe's Exoddus (Adventure game)

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