Eensy Weensy Dinosaur!
I first read about Pleo in this Wired Magazine story.
At the time I thought ok, it's a dinosaur-shaped Furby. Sounds kinda cool, and possibly more fun than the Roboraptor. They combined "dinosaur" and "cute" by making it a baby dino. A bit innovative but not that big a deal.
However, ThinkGeek.com has it on preorder status now, and if you go to the product page, there's a little video of the baby dino. For me, I think the sounds it makes are the part that makes me want to pick it up and pet it. (There's also a video in the online version of the Wired article (ok, so saying "online version" was a bit redundant, obviously it's not in the hardcopy.))
Basically if you liked watching Littlefoot in The Land Before Time when you were a kid, you'll like Pleo. I wonder if it was a deliberate decision to make it look like that character, or unconscious.
And then I thought what would be really fun if someone gave me $350 to spend on a non-utilitarian toy: watching my cat play with it =D
Labels: animals, electronics
posted by xenobiologista @ 22:22
3 Comments:
"And then I thought what would be really fun if someone gave me $350 to spend on a non-utilitarian toy: watching my cat play with it =D"
By "play with it," do you mean "get into fights with it?"
I read the article and knew of Caleb Chung from his work with the Furby. He has a real Pygmalion complex, and he's genuinely trying to create artificial life that evoke real emotions from people. I applaud his efforts, but I don't agree. Toys like Aibo and Pleo might teach children some interaction, but the interaction ends when the toy gets turned off. Real pets and real relationships are rarely so cut-and-dried. (As a physics teacher once told me, "virtual reality looks fun and is cool, but people need to work out their issues with reality first.")
Your $350 on a toy could be better spent. :)
I know I'm hard on Caleb Chung after Furby and the Wired article, but the Pleo looks *really* cute.
Engadget's Hands on with the Pleo
Pleo enthusiasts FAQ
...I was almost whining when I saw them pick it up by its tail. I was hoping it would bend around and snap at them. It really does elicit an emotional response watching them play.
I guess better go change the batteries in my cat? :)
Post a Comment
<< Home