As a special treat to our valued customers, we'd like to present the Cepstral ClockBot, a Yahoo widget which makes use of our voices under Mac OS X and Windows.

The ClockBot (or "Ceppy" as we call him around the office) can announce the time, tell you when to be somewhere, and even read your favorite RSS newsfeed, all while keeping you company on your desktop. You can change the way he sounds, looks, and moves, using a variety of options in the preference pane. He makes use of our voice's special effects capabilities, adding personality to your chimes, alarms, and newsfeeds. The ClockBot will be updated frequently as features are added and bugs are fixed, so be sure to check back often by using Ceppy's built-in "Check for Updates" function.

System Requirements:

• For Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.3 (or higher)
• For PC: Microsoft Windows XP or 2000
• Yahoo Widget Engine 2.1.1 or higher (free download)
• Your favorite Cepstral Voices

v1.02
• Added support for new Cepstral voices

v1.01
• Added "Hush" function to stop speaking - it can be activated by clicking on the clock display, or in the context menu (Note: Does not currently work under Windows)
• Added "Pout" option in the Motion tab - when active, Ceppy will frown and run to the opposite corner when he's told to hush.

• If you install voices *after* installing the Yahoo Widget Engine, you may have to restart the Yahoo Widget Engine before Ceppy can use the voices.
• The speak-indicator lamp occasionally continues blinking even after the ClockBot stops talking
• Mac OS X only: The clock display drifts out of sync for a second after using the motivator
• Windows Only: There is currently no way to tell the ClockBot to stop talking. While this isn't really an issue for the chime or the alarm, it can get a little annoying on long news feeds, so be sure to set your news preferences accordingly.
• The hover and motivator effect can be CPU intensive on older hardware. If necessary, both features can be disabled from the "Motion" tab in the preferences pane.

We are currently investigating the possibility of creating a Dashboard compatible version of the ClockBot. In the meantime, you'll need the Yahoo Widget Engine to use the ClockBot.