Qwiki

Qwiki is the Wikipedia that talks to you. It aims to replace static information on the page with an interactive, search engine experience that combines text, images and audio. 

Qwiki was set up by a young Palo Alto entrepreneur Doug Imbruce and AltaVista co-founder Louis Monier. It was launched in September 2010 at TechCrunch Disrupt. 

HOW IT WORKS 

Type in a search query to Qwiki and you are given text and images that appear in the centre of the page. As they roll on by you hear an algorithmic voice telling you all about whatever it is you have searched for. This voice fuses the cold digitalism of Stephen Hawking's computerised tones with the mellifluous inflection of those actors who appear on television adverts lull us into buying thing we don't need. The information presented is the data equivalent of a Worther's Original. Mmmm, you think, that's gone down nicely.    

It also, makes you, want to, speak like it, by, interrupting the natural, rhythm, of the English, language, in order to, put the stress, in, the wrong, place, in, the sentence, but that is, the nature of, such algorithmic attempts, to replicate, the human, voice, and, I suppose, we should not, be, so, critical, of the brave, new, world, of technology.  

2 March 2011