Here is a little something from the folks at Oddcast to keep us amused while at the same time giving us a glimpse at what are undoubtedly things to come... the Virtual Host.

Or as they like to put it "Technology that Talks".
Upon visiting their website and after the page loads, we are presented with a customizable male or female character who, with a few clicks of the mouse can be transformed from a straight laced business type to a punk rocker. Once you have your Virtual Host looking the way you want, you can go to the list of speakable phrases and bring your host or hostess to life. The lips move as the words are spoken, the eyes follow your mouse pointer and the general facial expressions change. The over all effect is quite impressive.

Here is what Oddcast has to say about their latest venture...

"MISSION: Personalize User-Site interaction through intelligent technologies. The Virtual Host engages users through "smart" dialogs, welcoming each site visitor with a greeting unique to the user. Can guide users through a download, direct them to an online store, or deliver breaking news. Requires only Flash 5 and weighs in at an amazing 30K. Equipped with a personalizable AI, data mining capabilities, and dynamic voices with lip syncing. Fully customizable by users and/or web administrator."