August 4, 1998 Web posted at: 2:27 PM ET by Matthew Nelson

From...

(IDG) -- For anyone who has ever wondered if the person on the other end of the phone line is lying to them, Seem Software is now shipping Truster, a PC-based lie-detector system.

Truster connects to a standard phone through a PC and can be used to evaluate the truthfulness of people speaking over the phone or in person. The system detects microtremors in a voice to determine deceptions based on an algorithm developed by the Israeli military.

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"It allows you in a face-to-face conversation or on the telephone to determine if a person is lying to you at an approximately 85 percent success rate," said Joel Hudesman, marketing director at Seem Software, in Brooklyn, N.Y. "Just plug it into the phone and it will show you truth, lie, or not sure."

The company is targeting the system at consumers and corporate sales, human resources, and other departments. The system is also being evaluated by the U.S. government, according to the company.

However, the system does not currently work with a cellular phone and the legalities of using such a system have not been determined.

"It's a new product, so people haven't been talking legality about it yet," Hudesman said.

Truster requires Windows 95/98 or NT 4.0, a CD-ROM drive, a sound card, a microphone, and a standard telephone. It is available now for $149.99

Matthew Nelson is an InfoWorld reporter.

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