Listen to email

USTelematics, Inc. recently announced the introduction of a new service designed to read email or text messages to users, particularly while they are driving and otherwise occupied. Dubbed Vivee (Voice Interactive Voice Enhanced Email), the service presents an animated character or ‘avatar’ on the screen of communication devices, which appears to speak incoming messages.

According to the company, Vivee alerts users when they have an incoming message so that they can listen to messages instead of trying to read them. The service connects to the Internet through the Verizon Wireless EVDO high-speed network. When Vivee is fully installed in any compatible device, including laptops and USTelematics Multimedia Car PCs, it brings full wireless Internet connectivity with it, at speeds on par with many DSL services, the company says.

In its first release, Vivee is compatible with all current Windows operating systems and “smart phones.” USTelematics says it plans to release adapting software for the Apple IPhone by late summer and an IPhone compatible version of Vivee by the end of the summer.

“Safety should be our primary concern when driving-that's what makes Vivee such a remarkable and timely development,” says Charlene Montalbano, Product Manager for USTelematics, Inc. “Insurance studies show that distracted drivers cause 80% of all traffic crashes, so several states already have laws banning the use of handheld cell phones while driving. Now, lawmakers are becoming more precise and targeted in the approach to eliminating distractions for drivers by considering laws that specifically ban text messaging and reading email while driving. Vivee will not only keep your focus safely on the road, ultimately, ‘she’ may help you avoid a ticket.