ROVIN’ AND RAVIN’ WITH MIKE

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Giving Your Computer a Voice and a Face

Robby the Robot, Merlin the Wizard,

Peedy the Parrot, and Genie.

The other morning at work, I was checking e-mail while listening to some news, when the woman at the next desk asked, "What is that?" I had to think a moment before I realized what she was talking about. Then, I laughed and pointed to the little cartoon in the corner of my computer screen seriously monotoning the news. Yes, my computer has a distinct face (the bearded one seen in the middle of the picture above) and voice. It not only reads my news while I read my e-mail, but it also reminds me during the day when I have regularly scheduled tasks.

And, how, you may wonder, does it do all these things... and how much money are we talking about? Remember, not for nothing is this called a free-net. We take freebies seriously around here, and even this week's rave about some almost spooky technology is a rave about free stuff.

The stuff of this particular rave is the Microsoft® Agents, a software technology creating a new kind of user/machine interaction that makes the machine more natural, less threatening--for free. The Agents are characters that move freely, naturally on the monitor, speak aloud (and by displaying text onscreen), and even respond to spoken voice commands. At least, that is my summary of the Microsoft® Agent Page.

So, what am I trying to say? I'm trying to tell you that your computer can talk to you (reading any text you have in your computer) and respond to your commands entered by mouse, keyboard--or microphone! It can remind you of the time, tell you a joke, or even help with your spiritual development. To get started, go to the Agents' download page. Or, you can download the basics here.

For starters, you'll need the Microsoft Agent Core Components. The default language for all of the Agents' applications is English, so if you want your Agent to speak in another language, you'll need to go to the download page for language-specific components. You'll also need a text to speech engine, so the characters can read aloud to you. Check the download page for other materials, such as speech recognition. (All downloads in this paragraph and the next one as well as from the four character buttons below are directly from Microsoft.)

Now, we come to what seems almost like a sort of online dating service. Who do you want to be your new friend? What face and voice do you want your computer to have? Robby, the gravel-voiced man of steel, Merlin the wise old wizard, Genie, or Peedy, the Agent with most options? The good news is, you don't have to choose. You can download any or all of them, either from the download page or by clicking on these buttons:

Rather than ravin' about what you can do with your new friend, I want to give you some starting points for rovin' along with him or it (notice that there are no female Agents in Microsoft's stable?). For starters, The Agentry, "the Definitive Collection of Microsoft Agents and Agent Materials.... Your One-Stop-Shop for all things Microsoft Agents" offers 415 Microsoft Agent Compatible Characters and 153 Microsoft Agent Applications. Note that phrase "Microsoft Agent Compatible Characters." There is a thriving market in characters other than the basic four. Instead of online dating, we move into what seems to be a sort of online slave market, with characters for sale.

Sunfire's Microsoft Agent Pages is my favorite single site for Microsoft Agents. It is a site lovingly maintained on free (Angelfire) webspace, like so many informative, lovingly maintained sites. Heavy on graphics, backgrounds, and fancy fades from page to page, it moves slowly... but it is worth the wait. Sunfire collects, reviews, reports on, and best of all enjoys all the amazing diversity that the Agents allow us. It was on Sunfire's site that I discovered some of my favorite Agent programs (below).

That's a lot of territory covered in just two sites. In the Microsoft Agent Ring, however, those are just two of over a hundred sites. And, I think a word of warning is in order. As you follow these links, your faithful new digital pal in tow, be careful.

Warning: It is hard to imagine a less sexually stimulating quartet than Microsoft's original Agents. You can now find "Microsoft Agent Compatible" female characters, and not just females but voluptuous females, not to mention male exotic dancers. Not exactly what you expect to find on our family-friendly free-net... and not free, either, so I can't report on how exotic any of them get. Stick to Microsoft's Gang of Four, and you won't have any problems.

Let's put the little guys to work. Talking Agent Clock is a great free program that turns your computer into a talking clock with pizzazz and character--characters if you have more than one Agent. I have my clock set on my computer at work to alert me to responsibilities I have throughout the day, and the Agents always add a pleasant break in the monotony before I get into another unpleasant task. Very user-friendly, lots of fun... and practical.

Goace.com, with its motto, "Work Smarter, Not Harder," offers quite an assortment of Agent programs and applications. ACE Talking Reminders and ACE Talking Jokes and Quotes (especially combined with the Clock, already mentioned) give you a fully-functional and fun interface with your computer. Kids (and adults) can practice vocabulary and spelling, enjoy jokes, and have their e-mail and other texts read aloud. There is even a community in the ACE Jokes Forum. Warning: Many of the jokes are for an adult audience. ACE Talking Reminders and ACE Talking Jokes and Quotes bring your Agents to life... for free! Oh, don't forget to download free demo versions of ACE applications for sale.

In case you want to make connections with real, live people, not just digital ones, you can join the Yahoo! group agentcharactors · Microsoft Agents, Animated Characters. Here is the group's description: "This group will help and is for the users and fans of all MS Agent characters and programs for creating applications that use them. either free or shareware or must buy ones. and it has the list of known names of all the MS Agent characters in the database area." You do have to sign up with Yahoo!, but that will open up membership in the wide range of Yahoo! groups. Lots of materials and some good people (real people!) to help you learn more about the Agents.

Finally, here is my favorite Agent application, one of the most fascinating products or productions I've ever seen for use on a computer, the Speaking Bible. Imagine a virtuoso parrot (and you know we take our parrots seriously around here) reading aloud the entire Bible in your choice of three different English versions, as well as Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish translations. Wow! Or, would hallelujah be more appropriate? This application is not free, but at $5.00 for each of the English versions ($8.00 for each of the others), I don't mind recommending this. In other words, if I spent my hard earned lucre on the Speaking Bible and feel happy to have done so, then take the plunge.

Although I prefer Merlin's voice, Peedy has the most complex repertoire of movements, even props, of any of the Agents, and he shows off all his considerable talents in this application, which I can imagine all kinds of uses for. Sir Richard Burton, the 19th century linguist, translator, and adventurer, learned a new language by studying the Bible in that language. Just think how much he could have accomplished if he had had Peedy narrating for him? Religious people might overcome a fear or distrust of computers to watch the birdy share the scriptures with them, and non-religious types might be drawn to the ancient words by their savvy techno-presentation. For those who prefer their readings in a human voice, free audio Bibles are available online, but I hope that Peedy will be around to delight and enlighten with the Speaking Bible for a long time to come.

You can hear a bit of Peedy's performance here (from the Speaking Bible). You can contrast it with Merlin's reading of the same text here (using the "read clipboard function" of ACE Talking Jokes and Quotes). One complaint I have about the Agents is that they do not produce files in which their speech is saved. So, those two bits of speech were recorded with a very useful program, Total Recorder. It has nothing to do with the Agents, but it functions in your computer somewhat like a cassette recorder in a stereo system, recording any sound that comes through the system. Again, not free, but well worth the price if you access streaming audio or other sounds that you would like to save, such as the Agents' voices.

I have very much enjoyed this rave. I've come to feel a genuine affection for these odd little characters and the odd characters who, I imagine, their creators and programmers must be. But, pleasantly odd characters, to be sure! I may sound like an old softy here, ravin' about all these funny and functional applications. But, as when I reviewed films, I would rather write about things I like, share with you things that I hope you will enjoy, than to trash things that I feel are trash in the first place.

Do download some new friends, so that you can, as Goace.com puts it, " Work Smarter, Not Harder." As you rove and rave, keep your feet dry, your heart full of noble thoughts, and your computer crammed with some pleasant digital buddies.