Intel is getting into voice instant messaging with a smartphone app that uses facial tracking technology to caricature a sender’s expressions.
Pocket Avatars was launched on Thursday by Mike Bell, an Intel senior executive whose job is to make sure the world’s largest semiconductor maker is at the front of future technology trends after arriving disastrously late to smartphones and tablets.
The app uses a smartphone’s camera and microphone to record a short message while mapping the speaker’s facial expressions onto one of several cartoon characters. The message is then sent to the recipient, who can play it, complete with the avatar’s head movements, smiles and blinks.
