The drawbacks of online shopping no longer need to include a lack of thronging crowds and pushy sales help, if the VR-shopping programs introduced today at Comdex are any indication.
First, Tower Records introduced its new VR@TOWER avatar-based shopping space. The store, which runs on NTT's InterSpace VR browser, promises to let visitors sample music and videos as well as chat with the avatars of Tower clerks and fellow shoppers in real time.
For its part, AnimaTek International introduced its line of intelligent salesbot avatars with Jennifer, the race-car-driving pitch-babe for a fictional car company. Jennifer responds to typed input from Web customers with speech and movements rendered in real time, while showing off the cars and giving test rides.
Jennifer will debut on the Web in December, and AnimaTek promises that the system can be adapted for other applications within months. If AnimaTek can program her to compare tattoos with the other salesbots while simultaneously wrinkling her animated nose at customers' musical taste, maybe VR@TOWER will be hiring.
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French take Web TV plunge: The national struggle to turn users of the French Minitel system into Internet users has gotten a boost, with France Telecom's announcement today of market trials for SurfTV. Despite an Anglo name (which sounds funny when said with a French accent), the system is aiming to integrate Web browser, email, and Minitel functions, all on a TV set-top box. (17.Nov.97)
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Geek alert: Anybody who really wants it probably doesn't need it, but Netter Digital is bringing out a CD-ROM guide to its convoluted TV space epic Babylon 5. In addition to the plot-primer disc, the set includes an enhanced music CD featuring theme tunes and interviews with cast and crew. Just the thing to occupy the time in between turning off the B5 reruns on TNT and slipping between the Narn Transport sheets. (17.Nov.97)
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Dune it again: Bantam Books has paid US$3 million for the rights to a trilogy of prequels to Frank Herbert's best-selling 1965 novel Dune, reports Variety. The books will by written by Herbert's son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson. Due out in 1999, the stories are to be based on notes left by the elder Herbert after his death in 1986, as well as on conversations he had with Brian. (17.Nov.97)
