October 31, 2006
Everyday Is Hallowe'en: CrazyTalk For Skype
Today is Hallowe'en in North America, so maybe this is as good a time as any to bring up CrazyTalk for Skype, an add-on for the video-calling mode that lets you put on an animated mask. A number of VoIP bloggers, including myself, have joked about how having video-calling in SightSpeed and Skype means having to shave/ do your face, put in your teeth, or what have you.
Well CrazyTalk lets you pick up an an animated avatar, human or animal. When it's installed and you run video mode calls, your other party will see the avatar. The crazy part is that it will talk; it's lips will move in sync with whatever you say. If you don't like the choices, you can create your own using additional software that they sell.
I downloaded and tested it (Windows XP, 2000 only), and it works after a fashion. If you use an animal avatar, such as the frog prince, the cat or dog, it'll be hard to tell what someone is saying. The animated mouths don't open wide enough to shape properly. The human animations are a bit better.
In all, it's a bit of fun for when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed for video calls. And it's free. Give it some time, and maybe a few versions from now, with a few avatars created from Poser, maybe you won't be able to tell the difference between an animation and a real person. [If you decide you want to show your mug, Emily Post has her own video conferencing etiquette rules - via VoIP.com]
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