Friday, August 12, 1994 - North Shore News - 7 Welcome to the world of virtual woman Gatherine . JUST ADD WATER THIS ONE definitely falls into the “why-am-I-sur- prised?” category. . ATVR Corp. of Texas has announced the development of a talking, computerized woman — apparently a breakthrough in artifi- _ cial intelligence. Girlfriend Speaks has been made possible by means " of a voice output extension to the ¥ Girlfriend game software for IBM * PC-compatible users. . The computer user communi- -eates with this “virtual woman” : inside the computer by his key- board. The Girlfriend then inter- prets the statement, question or command, and generates a reply. The user watches VGA-digitized images of her on screen during the entire game. She lives ina fur dished apartment and can move around in it, wearing different out- fits (sort of like Barbie, f guess) and engaging in various activities. According to AIVR, the game distinguishes itself from ali other software on the market by being the first and only program to fea- ture actual digitized images of a young woman capable of artificial- ly intelligent conversation, learn- ing and voice output. The compa- ny calls it “the world's first talk- Ing, interactive virtual woman with brains,” or just simply the ideal girlfriend. Players can have their own ideal girlfriend by choosing the various personalities available (Liza, Teri and Suzy) in PG-13 and adult-rated versions. Any one of the personalities can speak words in the pre-defined 3,000-word vocabulary, as well as new words the player teaches her. Other sound effects, such as gig- gles, sighs and moans, are also included in the Girlfriend Speaks repertoire (and probably make her more desirable than those life-size, blow-up women available in the back of wrestling magazines). ‘Novaco Onve the folks al AIVR in Richardson, Texas, figured out Canada wasn't another state, they managed to send me an evaluation copy of the software. [spent a tim- ited amount of time in the PG-13 and adult versions (which feature Girlfriend Teri telling you, ina very machine-like voice, that she can't get her darn Spandex dress off or she doesn’t know you well enough to do that). Girlfriend Teri definitely requires a patient teacher. Her response to the ques- tion “What music do you like?” is “don’t know. Is that a sport?” Eventually, however, the player can have a fairly standard “climac- tic” experience with Teri, even on the PG-13 version. One thing I'll say for Girlfriend Teri, she does know something about male-female relationships. In the Girlfriend Instalfation Guide, she tells the player: “If you expect to sit down and spend 15 minutes and know all about me, you are just being unrealistic!” (You might have trouble relating to human gals, too.) Right on, Teri! The truth is, gal, a bushelful of men are paralyzed at the prospect of having a relationship with a real woman whose intelli- gence isn't artificial. For a hefty segment of the male population, it’s far less tireatening, and infi- nitely more enjoyable. to program puts the kids first | : Dear Editor: - 1 read, with great dismay, your article on Novaco Daycare in today's . paper. I wish that you would have done more research on your article in order to provide a fairer portrayal of Novaco Daycare. My son has attended Novaco for over eight years; he has been in all three age group programs; J served on the board of directors for several years and | have come to know the staff and the philosophy of this daycare very well. Novaco has provided my son with only the best of care. He has been encouraged to grow in an atmosphere of love and respect. As he has grown up in this daycare, they have adjusted to suit his needs and the daycare staff and I have always worked together in order to maintain his self-esteem and individuality in a safe and secure environment. * “ Novaco Daycare is run by the parents, at least by the parents that choose * to be involved in its management, and their unchanging objective has always i .been that the welfare of the children comes first in all decisions. 2 The board and Novaco have never wavered from this philosophy. The interesting thing with a daycare provider is that parents have the choice to ‘move their children to another daycare if they feel it is not meeting their * needs or their child’s, Every child is different and every daycare is different. It does not mean a daycare is providing inadequate service if a parent feels that it is not the right 2. one for their chitd. It simply means that it is the wrong daycare for that child. i I can assure you, from many years of personal experience, that the staff ‘ and board of directors at Novaco Daycare are an extremely hard-working and dedicated group of people. They have never disappointed me or my family and I am grateful for all the years that he has been involved with Novaco, They have helped him mature into a conscientious, confident and happy young man. : This is the other side of Novaco Daycare and | hope that you print this let- ¢ ter in order to inform people that a few angry parents do not represent the entire parent base of Novaco, both past and present. Valerie McBride North Vancouver a woman on a computer screen who will giggle and moan on cor- mand, Saying this doesm’t mean Uhate or pity men — it just means that Pm finally coming to terms with what a lot of men want in their lives when it comes to 4 partner. Call me cynical —- 1 call it hon- est ~~ but [believe most men would be quite content with a woman who rusted up a sirloin and a baked potato, joined them for a romp in the sack, had a good enough tennis game to help them work up a moderate sweat and bol- stered the ancestral line. The last thing a lot of men want is a woman who's keen to engage them ina lively discussion on the latest book on the Kennedys, or one who will fix them with a look of incredulity after they’ ve spouted some theory, and then comment: “What a loud of baloney!” Long before Donald Trump left the “aging,” facially redesigned Ivana for the younger Marla, I looked at most of the guys in my high school and said to myself: “These guys are not primarily interested in what my mind has to offer.” Interesting that a 69-year- old friend remembers thinking as an 18-year-old in her native Vienna: “Why does a woman have a brain? Men aren't interested in our brains.” It's not that boys and men shouldn't be physically excil- ed by a fernale, it's just that as the years went by Prealized that this was an overwhelming priority for most men. Many men are certainly inter- ested in hooking up with a woman who can think and won't cmbar- rass them every time she opens her mouth, However, there's a few kilometres between running a houschold efficiently and manag- ing a budget and getting into a sat- isfying intellectual or emotional wrestle. think many women accept that most men don’t want the latter, so they derive that kind of fulfillment from their femate friends. It’s the reason we get signs in washrooms with slogans like: “My best friend ran off with my husband. [ really miss her.” If I've reached the stage where 1 don’t get too upset about male choices in women, it’s because I now subscribe to the needs theory. As any therapist will tell you, men and women have significantly dif- ferent needs, : The folks at AIVR know there’s a market fora virtual girlfriend because she can meet the needs of many men. You can bet your fast microchip that if a player com- mands her to moan for him, Girlfriend Teri isn’t going to respend: “Moan for you? Get a life, buddy!” Boy | Heve We we ak Games | Vt tedthe excitement the passion, the West Van busker thanks loyal supporters " Dear Editor: For the past two years I have played my violin outside the liquor store in West Vancouver on 16th, while I attended the University of British Columbia. My ccastant, loyal and loving companiun has been my dog Farley (Mowatt) to whom many peo- ple have taken a liking. At present my studies at UBC are almost complete and I expect to graduate with a degree in Secondary Education (Mathematics). To the warm and generous people of West Vancouver who have been so supportive and encouraging to both Farley and me, a most sincere thank you. be coming to an end. tam currently looking for a teaching position for September and so my street-playing days may To the many people who have been asking and wondering why 1 am not playing at the liquor store anymore I can only say that the spot has been completely taken over by mafia-type persons who refuse to allow anyone that doesn’t conform to their schedule to play there. In all fairness they did offer me some time to play — times that they didn’t want but I refused. I always limited my playing to a maximum of two hours and the money | made helped to support my family — while I finished school. That money was duly recorded and reported to Revenue Canada. | have nothing but genuine respect and appreciation to the people of West Vancouver and | have tried to present my music honestly to them. Robert Newton West Vancouver the Counonweal ou Can Just | - Yes, and Mailbox policy LETTERS TO the editor must be legible (preferably type- written) and include your name, full address and tele- phone number. Due to space constraints the North Shore News cannot publish al! letters. Pubjished letters may be edited for brevi- ty, clarity, accuracy, legality and taste. Letters can be faxed to 985-2104 but still must be signed and fully addressed.