Gizmoz Launches Free Service to Bring a Real Face and Voice to Digital Communications

Gizmoz Launches Free Service to Bring a Real Face and Voice to Digital Communications

Service Allows Consumers to Create and Post Lifelike Talking Characters across All Digital Platforms

Top Artists Use Gizmoz to Communicate with Fans

MENLO PARK, Calif., and HERZLIYA, Israel, May 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Gizmoz, http://www.gizmoz.com/, a social expression and user generated media service, today launched a free online service that allows consumers to create animated, talking Gizmoz characters for use across their digital communications. Each Gizmoz sports a 3D lifelike head and body and delivers a consumer's personalized, lip-synched message. Characters can be fashioned as a self-portrait, using a digital photograph, or customized using images from the extensive Gizmoz Library. The characters can be used to generate video clips and other forms of original content and can be posted to any blog or social networking profile, sent via email to family or friends, or uploaded to video sites.

"Gizmoz is all about self-expression," said Eyal Gever, founder and chief executive officer of Gizmoz. "In this social digital world, consumers constantly search for ways to express themselves and establish an online identity, much as they do in the offline world. With Gizmoz' simple to use, high-quality characters, everybody can put a fun and entertaining face and voice to their digital communications, demonstrating a unique attitude, style, personality or mood, while expressing their personal point of view for the entire world to see and hear."

Additionally, Gizmoz today unveiled new free tools that allow consumers to showcase their customized characters. The company also announced a $6.3 million Series A funding round from Benchmark Capital and Columbia Capital. (See separate press release: Gizmoz Raises $6.3 Million from Benchmark Capital and Columbia Capital.)

Eye-popping Gizmoz Characters Created in Under One Minute.

The Gizmoz service makes it easy for consumers to create animated digital characters that represent themselves in realistic or imaginative ways. To build a character, consumers can visit http://www.gizmoz.com/ and select from hundreds of preexisting characters, or they can create a Gizmoz self-portrait by simply uploading a personal photograph. Once the 3D head and body are automatically constructed, they can choose from a variety of hairstyles, clothing and accessories to fashion a one-of-a-kind character. As a final step, consumers can create a personal message by making a voice recording or choose from a text-to-speech option. The entire process of making a unique, customized Gizmoz character takes less than one minute.

Free Gizmoz Tools Allow Characters to Live on Virtual Venues

Gizmoz released new widgets that let consumers communicate with each other in a graphically rich and uniquely compelling way.

   -- Gizmoz Stickers allows consumers to "stick" their Gizmoz character on      any blog or profile page leaving their personalized mark and message      behind. They can use Stickers to greet visitors or to comment on      another site.  Posting takes just two clicks.    -- Gizmoz Answering Machine enables consumers to create a message center      on their blog or profile page.  Consumers use the Answering Machine to      post their Gizmoz message on their site, and visitors can use the tool      to instantly create their own Gizmoz character and leave a message,      which can be made private or reviewed and rated by others.   

Top recording artists have designed their own Gizmoz characters that feature their likeness and voice and are using the Answering Machine to communicate with their fans. Celebrity Gizmoz characters and their Answering Machines can be found by visiting:

   -- 50Cent -- http://www.myspace.com/50cent   -- Kelly Clarkson -- http://www.myspace.com/kellyclarkson   -- Scott Ian -- http://myspace.com/scottian   -- Kelly Rowland -- http://www.myspace.com/kellyrowland   -- Lil Mama -- http://www.myspace.com/lilmamaonline   

Consumers can access Gizmoz Stickers and the Gizmoz Answering Machine at http://www.gizmoz.com/ or through Gizmoz' distribution partners, RockYou! (http://www.rockyou.com/) and Freewebs (http://www.freewebs.com/).

Gizmoz Service Built on Advanced Technology Platform

The Gizmoz technology platform combines behavioral animation, digital puppetry and 3D rendering to deliver animated characters that behave in a natural and believable manner. They appear to have lifelike movements, including eye blinks, breathing and a range of facial expressions constructed from nearly 100 morph targets. Live voice-driven lip-syncing, text-to-speech and advanced phoneme recognition provide a range of voice tones and dialects for optimal sound quality.

Because Gizmoz incorporates Flash throughout its service, it can be played on any Web browser, and it's compatible with mobile devices that support MMS (Multimedia Messaging Services) or WAP (Wireless Application Protocol). The footprint is small enough for mobile devices, yet delivers the graphics quality required for broadcast TV. Gizmoz has four patents in place and one pending.

About Gizmoz

Founded in 2003, Gizmoz offers consumers a new generation of character-based visual expression for use across their digital lives. The Gizmoz service makes it easy to create, customize, animate and share photorealistic 3D talking characters and videos that allow consumers to communicate and express themselves in more realistic and imaginative ways. Gizmoz is funded by Benchmark Capital, Columbia Capital and Jagen, with offices in Menlo Park, CA and Israel. For more information, visit http://www.gizmoz.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Gizmoz

CONTACT: Stephanie Gnibus of GMK Communications, +1-408-776-9727,
stephanie@gmkcommunications.com, for Gizmoz

Web site: http://www.gizmoz.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment