News on the Net gets a (virtually) human face

Leading news agency PA News, is giving its online service a facelift in the form of a virtual newsreader, it was announced Monday.

Ananova, a green haired virtual babe, will deliver personalised realtime news via the Web and handheld devices sometime in May.

The technology behind Ananova is a closely guarded secret but Ananova's databases will be kept up to date with news, sports results, share prices and weather.

PA is currently in talks with telcoms companies and hardware manufacturers to put Ananova on a variety of mobile devices by the end of 2001.

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