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Hello Kitty has owned the cuteness market with TVs to toasters for over 40 years, and has now decided to join the Skype bandwagon with its Computer Phone. Manufactured by Perfectel, it comes with plug-and-play capabilities and a software disc. The phone will be hitting 7-11 stores throughout Japan and Hong Kong this week for HK $128 (~$17.) If you’re booking a flight just to add this to your Hello Kitty collection, remember to bring along some extra change for a Slurpee.
Read More 
| Sanrio Little Kitty via Skype
Mahru 2 bows, greets you, dances, turns, and walks at a rate of 1.0 km/h. He has voice, obstacle, face, and moving object recognition. The bot is a joint venture of Dr. Bum-Jae You from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and Dr. Kyung Shik Roh of Samsung. Mahru and sister Ahra are network-based intelligence utilizing a network infrastructure. Upgraded from Mahru 1 and expected out in 2009, we’re thinking of giving our Mahru 2 a vacuum cleaner as a companion.
Read More | Mahru Ahra via Aving
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While we’re on the subject of saving energy, Sanyo’s N-SC1S Solar Charger can recharge their eneloops in about 2.5 hours and also features a USB port, enabling you a DC 5V and 500mA output. Eneloops internal lithium ion batteries can be utilized on your iPod, cell phone, PSP, or MP3 player, although it will take an agonizing 6 days to reach a full charge. The Solar Charger was developed as a part of Sanyo’s ongoing “Evolution Project” and will be available in Japan in November for ¥20,000 (~$170.)
Read More | Sanyo (Translated) via engadget
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Can’t keep up with the Gold Rush? Then try Isis, what its creators SonicWarp Limited consider the hardest puzzle in the world. Figure out its combination, and you recieve a 10 digit code that will access you to golden pyramids in the UK that contain thousands of dollars worth of real silver and gold coins. Don’t even think about using an icepick to crack this orb. Not only is it too pretty to mess with, the offer becomes null and void if you do so.
Check out the Isis Adventure, then begin your treasure hunt at SonicWarp. Each Isis comes with its own unique configuration and prices start at £99.00 (~$188.)
Read More | SonicWarp
If you remember the movie “Big” that starred Tom Hanks, this dude started all the chaos. Now you can own your own Zoltar, who stands a full 6 1/2 feet tall in a cabinet of oak and tempered glass and weighs 225 pounds. He is capable of delivering 16 oral fortunes and 23 printed ones at a time. With voice recognition, he nods up and down and his hand moves back and forth over his illuminated crystal ball.
Zoltar comes with 2000 fortune cards and is available at Hammacher at a price of $8,995.95 plus $500 shipping. You can even set Zoltar up for removable coinage, which sounds like an excellent idea to us if you want him to earn his keep.
Read More | Hammacher Schlemmer
We might be too late with this one. Thinking that a robot restaurant would be a cool idea with AIC, the other Robo Waiter, and Winebot, it seems that Hong Kong’s Robot Kitchen has beat us to the punch. Robo Waiter 1 and 2 are the current staff, but aren’t nearly as amiable as the others we have shown you. “We thought robots would be a good gimmick,” said Peter Chow, who built the automatons working at the diner. “Now (that) they have caught on, we are having to upgrade and update them.”
The computer inside Robo Waiter recognizes voice patterns, takes orders, and sends them by infrared to the kitchen. Steered by a video camera, it can detect and avoid things in its path. Chow also says that they need more staff than normal to keep the machines going. Let’s not tell them about our idea and maybe we can still make a go of McRobots here in the States.
Read More | Space Daily
Germany-based company Beschneiung has designed a portable snow machine for those who actually like the white stuff. Designed for hotels, clubs, or even private use, this small lance produces snow with a pump and compressor, and works on 220 V. It can also be used as just a compressor and as a high-pressure cleaner. No word yet on pricing or availability, but it is just comforting to know, if we read the translation correctly, that even Vegas can eventually have a White Christmas.
Read More | Beschneiung
Microchip Implant Gets You Into Baja Beach Nightclub
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Science,
Want to get into your fave nightclub without the wait? The Baha Beach Club in Barcelona has implemented a microchip, about the size of a grain of rice, that can be injected under your skin. A 10-digit personal number then connects directly to your bank account. PR Manager Steve Van Soest says that the chip costs 125 EU (~$158) with 100 EU (~$126) credited to your account. With your VIP status, not only do you not have to wait in line, you don’t have to pay an entrance fee.
So far the chip is available only at The Baha Beach Club, but the European retail market is also looking into biometric payments. Although the UK Institute For Grocery Distribution’s survey claims that one in 10 teenagers and 1 in 20 adults would be willing to go along with this concept, just thinking about injecting that into our arms gives us chills.
Read More | AP Online Video Network
The Rain or Shine Assists Arthritic Pets
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smart Home, Misc. Tech,
From the clever folk who brought us the Hear Now, the pet collar with GPS tracking, comes another product for our furrier friends. The Rain or Shine is a comfortably warm bed that utilizes magnets to relieve arthritic dogs and cats. It features an adjustable umbrella, and food and water trays so that Fido can hang outside and still be covered. It comes in three color combinations and four sizes, and can be ordered online with prices ranging from $89.99 to $159.99. We are thinking of ordering a Rain or Shine just to go with our new G’zOne.
Read More | The Hear Now
This is almost too spooky. A while back we told you about the Winebot that can help you choose your wine and recommend cheese. Then we found the Robo Waiter who can also entertain (sort of.) Now we have uncovered a bot that cooks. With a refrigerator door design, the AIC (Artificial Intelligent Cooking) holds recipe ingredients until you select the dish you want from its instrument panel. Four minutes later, you get a meal.
At a cost of over $2.5 million, Inventor Liu Xinyu explained that it took him, other scientists, and several chefs over four years to create the prototype. As of now, the AIC can only make about 130 dishes, but Liu and his company Pansum foresee thousands of Chinese, Thai, and Western entrees. He is currently looking for partners to help him manufacture his bot, produce ready-made ingredients for it called “Precise Meals,” and market it by 2007. So we’re thinking we’ve got us a bot restaurant. Who’s with us?
Read More | People's Daily
