More Sony AIBOs On the Way

An anonymous reader wrote in to say that Sony is gonna release 10,000 more AIBOs onto the world. Orders will be taken early next month. No available in Black or Silver with some other subtle changes and huge pricetag. Someone at Sony needs to send me a demo model dammit! I have one of the originals, these things are crazy: they actually age and mature like those tamagotchi things that were so popular awhile back. Course Hemos keeps punishing mine for no reason so I think mine is mentally stunted from having an abused childhood.

Comments

Gee, no iAibo's

[Szoup]

They way the industry is right now, you'd think they'd offer transculent Aibo's in 5 various (but sickly) colors. I really would like to see those gears a'turnin.

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aibo Specs

[Money__]

(ERS-111) "AIBO" Technical Specifications

CPU 64-bit RISC processor

Main Memory 16MB

Program Memory 8MB Memory Stick(TM) (accessory)

Moving Parts Mouth: 1 degree-of-freedom Head: 3 degrees-of-freedom Legs: 3 degrees-of-freedom(x 4) Tail: 2 degrees-of-freedom Total: 18

Video Input 180,000 pixel color CCD camera (x 1) Head

Audio Input Stereo microphone(one on each side) Head

Internal Audio Output Speaker (x 1)Head

Sensors Heat Detector Heat sensor (x 2) Torso Range Finder Infra-red range finding sensor (x 1)Head

Acceleration Detector Spatial acceleration sensor (x 1) Torso

Rotation Detector Angular velocity sensor (x 1) Torso

Contact Detectors Touch sensor (x 1), switch (x4)Head, Legs

Power Source DC7.2V (Lithium ion battery)

Power Consumption 12.6W (autonomous mode)

Operating Time Approx. 1.5 hours (using fully charged battery)

Dimensions l x w x h Approx. 274 x 156 x 266mm (not including tail)

Weight About 1.4kg (body only) About 1.6kg (Including Memory Stick media and battery)

(ERF-511) "AIBO Performer Kit" Main Features

Motion Editing Functions 1) Exchange of motions (3 Types) 2) Editing of motions 3) Creation of original motions

Simulation Functions 1) Ensure compliance with angular limitations of limbs 2) Confirm non-collision of moving parts 3) Check speed of moving parts

Others Timeline editing function, Memory Stick data check, etc.

-------------------------------------- (ERF-511) "AIBO Performer Kit" System Requirements

Computing Platform IBM PC/AT compatible or NEC PC98-NX Series

CPU Pentium®200Mhz equivalent or above

OS Windows®95 or Windows®98

Memory 32MB or greater

PC Card Slot Type II PC card

Display Mode 800x600 resolution or greater

Display Color Capability 16-bit High color or greater

Other CD-ROM drive (for Installation)

Available in Japanese, English, French, and German

Bill Gates Tamigatchi?

[Signal 11]

I can just see it now - Microsoft gets in on this and release MS-Tami. Upon starting it up... "By using this product, you are consenting to be bound..." upon which you promptly just hit YES anyway without reading any further. After it starts up, it demands to be fed. And fed. And fed. It bloats out and weighs about 60 lbs. Then for some reason it falls asleep, asphyxiates and dies. You just accept this and reinitialize it.

Then you have the RMSiatchi... it doesn't need to be fed. Instead it harvests the collective IQ of computer geeks everywhere and syntesizes food out of ambient light. Unfortunately it won't stop beeping at you and insisting that "I'm not open source, I'm FREE I tell you! FREEeeeeeeee!" It may also occasionally bust a beat and start singing.

Lastly you have Robiatchi. It likes to drink beer. Lots of beer. Then it writes funny symbols across the screen. Half the time it writes them really slow, and half the time really fast. Sometimes Robiatchi becomes non-responsive for several minutes. Don't worry though - it's growing quickly and will get out of this mode. Someday.

=)

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Dear AIBO dev team

[gad_zuki!]

I know you're trying real hard to create a realistic dog-driod and, as a dog owner, I'd like to recommend some upgrades.

Slobber: you have to make some slobber shoot out of the CCD camera hole. Something a little big filtheir than drinking water and make sure it gets everywhere. I recommend making it suck and shoot toilet water as it is almost as germ ridden as dog saliva.

Loud incessant annoying barking: these things are too quiet. It makes a rabbit seem loud. Make it bark at neighbors, family, other pets, and sometimes nothing at all.

Poop instinct: I know it won't produce poop, but you could at least make it search out the poop of other animals and then roll in it when it finds it.

Dig: Being a robotic dog, it should bury your needed electronics. Things like keyboards, remotes, backup tapes, laptops, etc.

Staring: Bored dogs love to stare at crap, sometimes ever your neighbors. Why not let it broadcast its CCD output to TV channel 4 so I can watch that cute blonde. "Oh hi little dog!"

Smell: Personaly I can't believe you guys are making much effort without even trying to make it fart. Show me a dog that doesn't fart and I'll show you roadkill.

Chew: I know it doesn't have a mouth but you could at least make a garbage disposal interface so he can drop stuff in there.

Jealousy Instinct: It would be kinda cute to watch it try to kill your children.

Mating: Just as cute to watch it mount the toaster.

Anti-Mailman program: except make my AIBO shoot mace at HIM.

If you follow my suggestions you'll have either an incredible best-seller or a few thousand terrible lawsuits.