Dr. Who Gets Charitable December 01, 2006

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It’s that time of year when [almost] washed up TV celebs and big technology companies get together to launch new services under the guise of charity.

Cynicism aside, Shelter is as good a cause as any, and the idea of former Dr. Who, Tom Baker, turning text messages into voice is strangely appealing.

BT is offering a remixed, download-only version of The Kinks and Tom Baker doing that 1960s hit, You Really Got Me. Most of the proceeds go to the charity. Even better, BT will be using Baker as the voice of its text-to-landline service.

“Customers who send a text message to a fixed line or home phone will have it read out by Tom’s voice. BT will donate 2p to Shelter from every text message sent to a landline from now until January 8, 2007 and all of its proceeds from the download track. Tom Baker’s voice is on BT Text from December 1. The Text Aid track can be pre-ordered now from 7Digital and will be officially on sale from December 18 from a range of online retailers including eMusic and iTunes.”

So, if you want Dr. Who to voice some very rude texts this Silly Season, you can take refuge in the knowledge that as you destroy some relationships you’ll be helping needy others. Makes me feel warm all over.

Find out more about Text Aid here and pre-order the track here.-Martin Lynch

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