Monday, November 06, 2006
Pleo - PC Magazine's Lance Ulanoff has a new friend!
Pictures, Videos, and more Information on Pleo.
Buy Pleo.
Wherever Ugobe's Pleo goes, the little baby dino never fails to impress. It looks like Pleo has already charmed noted PC Magazine toy and gadget editor Lance Ulanoff. He liked Pleo so much he wrote a post for GearLog that then refers readers to his full write-up on PC Magazine.
(Editor's note: Lance Ulanoff actually oversees all product and review coverage for PC Magazine and PCMag.com so this is a big news event. Also, the PC Magazine review has links to FRESH NEW VIDEOS and pictures!)
I won't go into depth here on the articles, Lance is a top notch writer and does his usual thorough and entertaining job of describing Pleo the robot dinosaur. However, I can't resist highlighting two quotes, one from each article, and giving you an updated feature list (see below).
From his GearLog post:
"I can honestly say that I haven't been this excited about a product demo since Sony brought in the first AIBO."From the full PC Magazine article, and to date, my favorite quote so far:
"During the meeting, Pleo walked, made sounds, pretended to be scared, faked a limp, responded to its name, and batted its baby blue eyes."
UPDATED FEATURE LIST:
- Sensor list: Seven touch sensors including a body-tilt sensor, two infrared sensors, stereo microphones, and 14 force feedback sensors.
- Pleo will not have a remote (what life form does?)
- A built-in camera
- A slot for SD expansion memory
- A USB port which will allow you to download new personalities from the web
- An SDK kit so that developers can design custom personalities. (Editor's note: In another article, Ugobe CEO Bob Christopher did foresee a growing contingent of personality designers for Pleo and the other Ugobe creatures we can only dream of at the moment.)
- An evolving personality that will change over time in response to you, even over a period of years.
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I didn't particularly like reading about a non replaceable battery. Let's hope Ugobe does some rethinking about that.
Otherwise, yes, this waiting is tough and getting tougher every day.
Otherwise, yes, this waiting is tough and getting tougher every day.
Since Lance worried about the same thing in his full PC Magazine write-up, I'd guess the Ugobe folk have that issue pinned to a wall now. :)
There are two posts on "Sci Fi TEch" about Pleo, each with a small video:
http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2006/11/07/pleo_returns_ug.html
and
http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2006/11/08/more_pleo_he_do.html
The reason I bring them here is because the battery issue gets a mention:
It all sounds like great fun… until he dies on you. Since owners can't replace the built-in NiMH battery on their own — and the robot won't work while plugged in — when that battery degrades to the point where it can't hold a charge, Pleo's done.
http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2006/11/07/pleo_returns_ug.html
and
http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2006/11/08/more_pleo_he_do.html
The reason I bring them here is because the battery issue gets a mention:
It all sounds like great fun… until he dies on you. Since owners can't replace the built-in NiMH battery on their own — and the robot won't work while plugged in — when that battery degrades to the point where it can't hold a charge, Pleo's done.
That's a good point about the battery. But that's the nice thing about the point being made now, months before it's release. I sincerely doubt Ugobe isn't aware of the concern. I would guess that they're having active design discussions about the issue right now.
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