Juniper Foo | Jul 13, 2004
After nearly 30 years of cute, the lipless feline will now be given a limited range of artificial intelligence. The celebrity cat, which nearly led straitlaced Singaporeans to a riot at McDonald's outlets during a Hello Kitty giveaway promotion, will be able to respond to some 20,000 memorized patterns of conversation by nodding its head and moving its arms, and then some, thanks to robot developer
Business Design Laboratory Co. However, only true collectors will likely not bat an eyelash at the US$3,694 price tag.
Price: ¥400,000; US$3,694
Availability: November 1, 2004
Device: Robot
Basic specs: 52cm tall, 6kg, recognizes up to 10 human faces through inbuilt camera, movable arms and head, 20,000 memorized patterns of conversation.
Juniper Foo | Jul 12, 2004
The Singaporean passion for Luo Han and Arowana fish could be given a new spin with these drool-worthy aquariums. Conceptualized by Canadian company ASP Aquarium, these elliptical space-age tanks are suspended using an interesting mounting system that turns your fishy hobby into art décor that can be used as a conversation piece or room divider.
Price: N.A.
Availability: Montreal
Device: Home aquarium
Reuben Lee | Jul 06, 2004
Reading a book may never be the same again, if the new Sony e-Book Reader takes off. A collaboration between Sony, Philips and E Ink, the Librie electronic book reader comes with 10MB of onboard memory--enough to store close to 500 downloaded books, according to Sony. Users can also add more storage via the built-in Memory Stick slot. The four AAA-sized batteries are rated to last you more than 10,000 pages or roughly 40 novels. It also comes with a QWERTY keyboard, preinstalled dictionaries and encyclopedia.
Price: ¥40,000 (US$368)
Availability: Only in Japan
Device: Electronic book reader
Basic specs: 6-inch SVGA display (600x800); 10MB onboard memory; powered by 4 AAA-sized batteries; Memory Stick slot; USB connectivity; 126 x 190 x 13mm; 190g.