Past experience has shown that online destinations intended for consumers quickly become ports of call for business too. Think YouTube, blogs and social networking sites such as bebo.com and MySpace.com
The next must have item, he says sticking out his neck, is a gizmo. A photo realistic animated avatar that you create online by uploading your mug shot, or a picture of your dog even, and recording a message. (See the gizmoz.com web site and find out how to reinvent yourself as a cartoon talking head.)
Aimed in the first instance at the social networking scene, gizmoz are “virtual selves” or avatars. Explains the site, “Gizmoz is a new innovative way for you to communicate through 3D talking characters, animated by text, voice and emotion. You can express yourself through talking characters, friends and online buddies will come to know you through these amazing emotional online representations.”
Being easy to share in email, to insert into a web site to welcome visitors and offer advice, or as a personalised on-site answering machine, gizmoz should have appeal for the business user as well. A number of celebrities have already been signed up and are among a number of gizmo creations being showcased on the site.
Still in start-up beta mode, the site is occasionally unavailable for short periods. A broadband connection is also recommended to get the best out of the gizmoz.com site and for uploading images and voice recording. Should a business wish to use gizmoz on a company web site, consult the Commercial Use Note, which is linked from the foot of the gizmoz.com home page, for further details.
