BOSTON — Picture an electronic billboard on the move and changing its message minute by minute, depending on who's looking at it.

        In the financial district, stock prices scroll across the screen. In Chinatown, pedestrians would see ads in Chinese. During late nights near city hot spots, the billboard will show singles ads.

        This new type of communication, created by Vert Inc. in Sommerville, Mass., debuted this month on a cab in downtown Boston. The company hopes soon to expand into the taxi capital of the world — New York City.

        Color messages can change block by block, depending on the time of day and location, using a satellite feed and wireless Internet link.

        “It's taking a staid (advertising) environment and busting it up,” said Brad Harkavy, Vert chief executive officer.

        Internet company Terra Lycos is Vert's first client, paying for several rotating ads during a two-month pilot run that started last week. Lycos hopes the billboards not only trumpet its name, but get people talking.

        “We wanted something that would create a buzz,” said Kim Patrick, a vice president at Hill Holliday Inc., which handles advertising for Lycos.

        Pedestrians do notice. On a recent ride through down town Boston, heads turned and harried businesspeople did double takes.

        “It's very cool. It's eye-catching,” said Janice Johnson, 42, stopping in downtown Boston for a look.

        Essentially, Vert has created a sort of Web browser that can be mounted on a taxi roof. Vert's software enables a Web server to read the taxi location through a satellite tracking system, and transmit ads appropriate to the time and place to the billboard screens.

        Vert plans to have billboards on 100 Boston cabs by August.

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