How a digital “you” can sit through your agonizing web conference calls

Now you can appear to be on a Zoom call in your office, even when you’re sipping a margarita in a hammock far, far away. Courtesy of a months-old startup called Pickle, its pitch is simple: just submit a five-minute-long training video of yourself to create an avatar, and within 24 hours, you’re ready to go. Want to call your colleagues from the car? No problem. Too lazy to get out of bed? No problem. At a beach club? You’re probably pushing it, though judging by the demo video, it’s also ideal if no one on the call is paying close attention to “you.” (The service currently comes in basic, standard, and pro versions, from roughly $300 per year to $1,150 per year.)

Backed by the nascent L.A. venture firm, Krew Capital, the tech only works right now with MacOS, says Pickle, though it says a Windows version is coming next month. As for the conferencing apps from which users can choose, these include Zoom, Google Meet and Teams, says Pickle, adding on its site that “due to high demand, clone generation is currently delayed.”