Before telephones and text messages came along, the way to communicate was via letters and telegrams. But now there's something on the market that can get your message across with exactly the right tone.

Texting "I luv u" hardly captures the true emotion of love, while many are put off by the idea of letter writing.

Pre.vu believe they may have come up with the perfect solution in the form of the world's first talking message tag.

The talking message tags is the shape of a credit card and the thickness of about three cards together: a comfortable size which can slip into a handbag, purse or wallet.

The idea is to send the tag with a gift or even on its own as a special voice message for any occasion.

You can personalise your feelings to a best mate or a new date by sending a pre-recorded pre.vu Talking Message Tag. The tag lets you record your message of up to 60 seconds, anywhere on the planet, which can then be replayed hundreds of times by the recipient.

Pre.vu Talking Message Tags can be used to cheer a friend in hospital or a distant relative who feels out of touch. The novelty behind the message tags lies in the fact that pre-recorded sentiments will last long after the bouquet of flowers has withered or the chocolates have been eaten.

In fact, pre.vu Talking Message Tags let you personalise your feelings for almost every occasion from Valentines to Mothers Day and new arrivals to new home moves. Use them to surprise, say sorry or set the record straight. Their uses are as creative as your imagination.

You can either record the message on an automated phone line or direct from your computer. As soon as you are happy with your recording, you press the order button and the recorded tag is sent to your address or directly to the chosen recipient.

Messages can even be recorded over backing music and sound effects, as long as you have a microphone connected to your PC, and your sound card supports it. However, you can't do this if you are recording a message over the phone.

Pre.vu also offers the opportunity to purchase a talking CD case, adding a personal touch to a home made music play list or a special photograph album.

It remains to be seen whether this novel idea will be another flash in the pan, or a genuinely innovative personalised message service.

The article World's first talking message tag originally appeared on 999 Today