Abstract: A system may provide for connecting customers with advisers in a flexible manner via connections providing video and audio interfaces while synchronizing customer specific data. The system may be used by a customer having a personal communication device running an application operable to provide for the customer, while in a physical store with one or more products, to select advice on at least one of the products in the store. The system may be operable for queuing a bank of advisers for connection via a video and audio interface on the customer's personal communication device of one of the advisers to the customer in response to the customer's selecting advice on the at least one product. The system may include a management server configured to connect to the customer's personal communication device to receive the customer's selection of advice and a call server connecting to the management server and providing access to the bank of advisers.

Abstract: An interactive apparatus for use with a computer, comprising a transceiver for two-way wireless communication with a plaything, the transceiver having terminals for connection to the computer, and a control device for causing the computer to send and receive information to and from the plaything via the transceiver to enable the plaything to provide interactive fantasy simulation of the behavior of a corresponding real-world object. In another aspect, the invention provides a method for enabling fantasy play using a computer and a plaything, comprising at the plaything, delivering output and receiving input associated with the fantasy play, and generating control signals at the computer for controlling the output based on the input, and by wireless communication sending the control signals from the computer to the plaything and sending the input from the plaything to the computer.