GadgetReview

You’ve probably heard of the Pleo by now. It was supposed to be released March ’07 but has been pushed back to Summer ’07 due to some engineering problems (sort of guessing), and Caleb and team’s desire to seek perfection (I think they decided to add yet another sensor). We still don’t have the official release date or price, but this video will no doubt attract even more buyers and knock your socks off at the same time. If you sign up for their newsletter you’ll get preorder rights before the general product.

Video here.

Remember that cute little Nabaztag rabbit that reacts to WiFi signals from your ‘puter? Well, it’s now available for preorder at ThinkGeek for $150. In case you did forget, the Nabaztag rabbit will flash, moves its ears, and even sing and talk to indicate weather, incoming email, stocks and much more.

You all seen iRobot, right? This reminds me of the animated robot faces in the film, but unfortunately this guy, or gal, is all neck up. It works by projecting a real or computer-generated face from the inside out, creating a 3d like appearance. Check the video to see what all the fuss is about.

Chatty, The Facially Animated Mannequin/Robot [OhGizmo]

Wowwee, makers of the many a Xmas hit the Robosapien, has partnered with Philips Electronics to create the SCOTY (Smart Companion Operating Technology).  SCOTY stands about two feet tall, is composed of an ABS plastic frame and has an articulating rectangular head with an embedded camera.  SCOTY is designed to be an intelligent media hub.  He can recognize your presence, play music and even read your email by voice command.  SCOTY can also monitor the room while you are absent and notify you by email if someone enters.  He can also record video at 10 frames per second.  SCOTY’s smarts are largely derived from the included software installed on the attached PC – he can run on a wired or wireless network.  Not due until late 2006 and expected to cost $400.

Wowwee’s Newest Robot: SCOTY [PCMag]

First it was a robot that could vacuum your floor while you were at work. Next people started adding mods to it, such as web cams to watch their house. Now iRobot, the makers of the Roomba vacuum, have designed a robot vacuum that not only sucks up the dirt, but mops and wipes. Apparently, it also dries so your guests won’t slip and sue your ass.

Check the Scooba video Here

Buy the original Roomba at Amazon for $149.99

Sony’s infamous robot dog companion, the AIBO, recently got a software update that will allow the dog to understand Spanish, in addition to many other new features.

The new software, AIBO MIND 3, helps the metal puppy say more than 1,000 English words to communicate with its owner. It now also has the ability for short term memory mapping and news reads through a version of web syndication– RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds.

The new software allows for increased pet-like actions and motions for a more natural body language. The mapping feature enables AIBO’s short term memory to track the locations of its Energy Station, faces, walls, and its favorite place or toys much faster. The entertainment robot can automatically detect the beat of the music and dance along, even to the owner’s favorite song.

The new software comes bundled with any of the new ERS-7M3 and current AIBO owners, upgrade kits can be purchased for previous ERS-7 models. The new models will sell for around $2,000 and the upgrade will cost $100.

From the makers of Furby, we’ll soon have the world’s first Robot DJ toy thingy. What will the nine-inch tall iZ do?

• You can mix your own tunes by pressing iZ’s stomach. By moving the right ear you add rhythm and turn his left ear to find a musical lead.
• The iZ is also a dancing queen. Just hook him up to any source with a headphone jack (MP3 player, CD, radio, etc..) and the iZ can start rocking out to your favorite ABBA tracks.

For just $40, this could be a great gift to your musically-inclined child or a dancing paperweight to put on that executive desk.

We’ll just have to see if Furby creator, Roger Shiffman, can pull off another cultural phenomenon with his new company Zizzle’s first product.

Japanese bridge builder Kawada Industries will enlist the assistance of 5 foot tall robots, the HRP-3P, to work on construction sites and other risky jobs. Kawada and its two partners demonstrated on Thursday the robots ability to walk on ice and in heavy rain. Apparently they will carry out jobs via remote control or preprogrammed instructions.