I know the web has advantages over print in terms of delivering news in a timely manner, but I never thought the colour of my shirt would determine the online headlines I receive.
MSNBC.com’s Spectra news visualisation tool links to a webcam to read the colour of your clothing and serve up headlines from matching news categories. It also delivers them as a 3-D customisable whirlwind of stories that can be clicked on.
The application is part of the service’s NewsWare platform of digital tools launched this week.
It also includes NewsBlaster, an online game where players can shoot and explode orbs that release headlines to be captured and read, and NewsScroller, a build-your-own news ticker.
Personally, I don’t have the patience nor the shirt wardrobe to consume news in this gimmicky way, although I have taken to the NewsSkimmer headlines screensaver, now that my Realtime.com one has closed down, without a word from its RealNetworks parent.
