Both direct control and autonomous modes are on offer, with the latter using infra-red sensors to spot objects and scoop them up.  Alternatively Roboscooper can be set to bat them aside, and as with other WowWee ‘bots there’s a variety of sound effects and voice clips which should keep the kids occupied.

Maximum load is apparently around an ounce, and according to Hammacher Schlemmer the Roboscooper can spot objects up to a foot away.  Expected to ship at the end of August 2010, the Roboscooper is up for preorder now at $69.99.

[via RobotsRule - thanks Robert!]

Video demo after the cut

The Epoq headset is billed as an alternative gaming controller, but as the first reviews suggested the experience can be frustrating.  It looks as though Robert’s setup is more usable, however, hooking into the Emotiv SDK with his new Robodance 5 software; bizarrely, that means to move Rovio forward, he has to feel a little stressed and anxious:

“After some experimentation I found a mood that I could easily summon was a combination of worry and sadness, a strong particular brand of feeling squarely behind my eyes” Robert Oschler

Robodance 5 uses Skype to bridge the connection with the (WiFi enabled) Rovio, and so it doesn’t make any difference whether you’re in the same room as the robot or halfway across the world.  It also supports real-time video and audio streaming.  Version 5 of the software should be available in late May.

The Android doll basically involves enlarging the official logo, tracing around it in felt, and then trying to avoid pricking your finger too much as you sew up the edges and squeeze in some stuffing.  It’s the ideal gift for someone who just received a new Android handset over the holidays, or perhaps someone you’re not especially fond of.

As for the dog costume, that’s the handiwork of RoboCommunity forum member quine9, who wanted “something a bit more stealth” in which to dress up his WiFi-enabled robotic webcam.  We’re not quite sure how convincing the disguise would be in a line-up with some real dogs, but we doubt there are many burglars who could face down its glowing eyes.

[Thanks Andrew and Robert!]

Video demo after the cut

Considering e-paper’s inherent page refresh issues, we’re impressed by how smooth the webcam feed updates.  It looks like the ASU team have picked E Ink’s Wacom pen-enabled version, which adds in an active digitizer – you can see the stylus in use in the video below – which is used to control general movement as well as the Rovio’s articulated “neck”

Is there a point to all this?  Arguably no, but we’re hoping someone over at the nookDev team spots this and decides it would make an excellent next hack for Barnes & Noble’s Android-based nook ebook reader.  There’s already a Rovio remote-control app for Android, and we reckon it would be pretty cool to whip out your nook – whether hooked up via AT&T 3G or WiFi – and get a sneaky view of what’s going on back at home.

[via E-Ink-Info]

Video demo after the cut

As you’d expect from a modern toy, there are plenty of wire-ties keeping everything in place; no screws, though, so we’d recommend snipping those ties before an over-eager child accidentally garrottes Joebot in their haste to extract him.  The bipedal walking robot supports various LED facial expressions and, in addition to having a joystick built into his hands, responds to voice commands.

Rudolph reckons that voice-control makes things a lot more straightforward than the original Robosapien’s somewhat confusing button-encrusted remote, which hopefully adds up to a toy with more longevity.  As for the company’s first new ‘bot of the season, that’s the RoboRover; more details here.

The mod uses a basic wireless remote and receiver together with a relay, and is linked in with the Rovio’s integrated “headlights”.  This cluster of LEDs around the webcam assembly can be remotely switched on and off through the web interface (or programmed to come on and off), and as such there’s no tinkering with the core Rovio software itself.

Instead, turning the lights on and off briefly triggers the remote socket, and doing it again shuts it down.  So far Thel has granted his Rovio control over a humble lamp, but it’s probably not long before the roving webcam-bot demands access to first environmental controls and then life support.  Then we’re doomed.

Unlike a proper tank, though, they’re not all that suited for clambering over bumps and the like; RoboRover will manage roughly 1-inch obstacles, but anything higher and he’ll likely topple over.  Thankfully he’s also able to righten himself from most such incidents, as you can see in the video below.

There are still a few issues (and we’re not keen on the amount of crud the tracks seem to pick up, especially if you have pets or thick carpet) but generally this seems a decent toy ‘bot for the price ($69.99).  More videos and photos – plus details of the game modes and other autonomous play – at the full review.

Roborover is the first ‘bot in WowWee’s range to use a tank-track style system, and that allows him to climb over small obstacles rather than falling flat on his face.  Either direct remote-control is possible – including a number of preprogrammed games and verbal content – or you can set Roborover to follow you around.  The arms and waist aren’t motorized, but are poseable, and the ‘bot’s “personality” develops the more you play with him.

As for Joebot, he’s a walking robot with control either by spoken commands or by tapping his arms as joysticks.  Obstacle avoidance is built-in, together with various games and a sentry mode, and you can apparently “shoot” him with any IR remote control.

The Roborover is expected to arrive in October, priced at around $69.99, while the Joebot is $99.99.

[via RoboCommunity]

Video demos after the cut

The Skyhopper has a new design that adds bouncing legs and improved control, while the CrashFX is less about aerial gracefulness and more about staging dogfights.  Back down on the ground, the Hoverpod is a tiny hovercraft; more details here.

Finally, the FlyTech Lightstar is a helicopter similar to the Bladestar we reviewed.  Pricing for the Skyhopper is yet to be confirmed, but the CrashFX is $29.99 while the Hoverpod and Lightstar are each $19.99.

WowWee Skyhopper:

WowWee CrashFX:

WowWee Hoverpod:

WowWee Lightstar:

[via Robocommunity]

There’s also a built-in 0.5W mono speaker and headphones output, while an integrated battery is good for up to 2hrs standalone use.  Any device with a video output is good to go, and WowWee include a USB charging cable, iPhone/iPod adapter and AV composite cables to get you started.

Tech specs confirm a meager brightness of 8 lumens and contrast ratio of 1,000:1, with 480 x 320 HVGA resolution.  The WowWee Cinemin Swivel is available to pre-order now, priced at $349.99 in the US or €350 in Europe.

As well as moving the Rovio around your home or office from wherever you have an internet connection, you’re also able to adjust the height of the webcam-neck, turn on or off the robot’s lights and set home points.  There are also on-screen warnings should the WowWee robot’s IR obstacle detector spot anything in the way, plus you can capture snapshots from the camera and turn on a low-light mode.

A 3G connection is preferred, but AndRovio will work over EDGE if that’s all you’ve got.  AndRovio is currently available to download through the Android Application Market, direct to your smartphone, priced at $0.99.  More screenshots here.

There’s no estimated release date for the Cinemin Swivel – which also seemingly goes by the less-snappy name of the WowWee 8410 – but we’re assuming it’ll be headed for the same Holiday 2009 availability as its UK counterpart.  That would put it arriving late in Q3 or early Q4 2009, later than its original fall schedule.

As well as a battery apparently good for three hours use, buyers get a 90-degree adjustable hinge for projecting onto walls and ceilings, 480 x 360 resolution video and an integrated speaker.  Contrast ratio for the DLP projector is 1:1000, while it apparently musters a mere 10 lumens brightness, just a tenth of the BenQ Joybee GP1 we reviewed yesterday.

[via PicoProjector-info]

The Cinemin Swivel is a compact battery-powered projector capable of 480 x 360 resolution.  Runtime is estimated at three hours, which is good for a pico-projector, and the flexible neck means it can be easily directed at walls or the ceiling. 

Input support includes Apple’s iPod and iPhone, other PMPs and laptops, though it’s unclear if the latter relies on a video output or VGA.  The former seems more likely.  No word on when we can expect to see WowWee’s other projector products – the higher-resolution Cinemin Stick and the iPod-dock-bearing Cinemin Station – reach the market.

A ten minute re-juice from the battery-powered remote is good for five minutes of play, with the Hoverpod apparently capable of venturing off of smooth wooden and tiled floors and up onto short carpet.  The 2-channel digital proportional remote controls the main prop, for drive, and the rudder, for steering.

Crashes should be less than fatal, as the EPP body is tough and the propeller mainly enclosed; that also makes it a little more finger-friendly, we’d imagine.  The WowWee Hoverpod is expected to land in the US in July 2009, with an expected MRSP of $19.99.

The Rovios aren’t actually controlling themselves, but being remotely directed from nearby laptops over their WiFi links.  The software uses an image processing library to recognize the goal posts and plot the best course to get the ball through them; similar to human soccer, only with fewer sex scandals, advertising deals or falling to the floor, rolling about and screaming about how your ankle is broken.

There are plenty of videos over at the project page, and the funnier ones are, inevitably, those in which the robots screw up and crash into each other.  I don’t think David Beckham need worry himself unduly about an electronic takeover.

[Thanks Robert!]

The modifications are in two parts: firstly, the hardware upgrade, with Rovio getting its own CF2ClBr (aka Halon 1211) flame-retardant fire extinguisher complete with a remote-controlled nozzle.  Sprayed onto a fire, CF2ClBr starves the blaze of oxygen and thus extinguishes it.

Second comes the software side: on its own, Rovio can’t differentiate between normal, not-on-fire objects and flames.  Using a machine vision app and the Rovio API, loaded on the home computer, the robot can now identify fire and automatically spray it with the extinguisher.  It’s likely to only be effective on smaller fires, but coupled with a pre-programmed sentry route, it might be enough to oust flames before anything too serious occurs.

[Thanks Robert!]

That means crashing your R/C plane is no longer a guilty secret but something to be pleased about, and raises the possibility of in-air collision dogfights.  Like other WowWee systems, the CrashFX will use dual-band IR rather than radio for its 2-channel proportional-control remote, which itself is powered by four AA batteries.  Recharges from the remote take 10 minutes and give up to 5 minutes of flight.

No word on pricing as yet, but the WowWee FlyTech CrashFX is expected to hit the market in late September or October of this year.  We’ll let you know more when we hear it officially.

Video after the cut

Among the changes are a new body skin, sewn from reptile-print fabric, and a redesigned head that has fake teeth, a painted mouth and new silicone nose.  Meanwhile several plastic leaves from fake houseplants were used for the spines running down the neck and tail. 

Chompy, as this particular RoboReptile is called, now looks far more lifelike and still has all his limb-flexibility and movement.  Now all they need to do is make him breathe fire.

Video quality is not so much a matter of bandwidth but of technique: currently it uses repeatedly-snapped still jpeg images, hence the low frame rate.  App coder bbrovio is working on an alternative that would use the mjpeg content streamed to remote PCs; that would be a lot smoother, as frames would not have to be individually requested.

Still, it’s free and it works.  We’re waiting for screenshots, so if you’ve a BlackBerry and a WowWee Rovio, try it out and let us know how you get on. 

Update: Screenshots now in the gallery below

[Thanks Peter!]

As for the Cinemin Stick, that loses the poseable neck but gains extra pixels, being as it is capable of 800 x 480 resolution.  It also has an SD slot together with the standard video input.  The Cinemin Station is a larger affair, with integrated stereo speakers and a flap-down iPod dock at the front, headphone jack, audio/video inputs and 4:3 native aspect ratio.  Codec support has not been finalized on the two products, but expect the usual suspects of MPEG, AVI and similar.

The Cinemin Swivel will land in Spring 2009, priced at $299.  As for the Cinemin Stick and Cinemin Station, they’ll arrive come the Fall, priced at $349 and $399 respectively.

According to WowWee, the ball is able to be controlled, ad-hoc, from any Wi-Fi enabled device you have sitting around and, when configured properly, can be controlled over the internet.  From there, you’re set to snap photos and capture video of your unsuspecting targets without them ever knowing – that is, unless they notice the strange looking ball on the floor.

The WowWee Spyball will cost around $149.99 and is set to drop sometime this Fall.  Until then, you’ll just have to spy the old fashioned way.

“By using Skype, the need to expose Rovio’s ports to the Internet (port forwarding) for remote access is eliminated.  Also eliminated is the need for a Dynamic domain forwarding service to create a public URL to get to Rovio externally.  This frees the Rovio owner from having to learn the intricacies of their router in order to forward those ports, and eliminates the need to set up Rovio to interface with a Dynamic domain forwarding service too” Robert Oschler, RoboDance

By using Skype, it also means that all two-way traffic between the remote user and Rovio is encrypted, including the user name & password, video feed and audio feed.  In addition, those media feeds are higher quality than Rovio’s usual fare, thanks to Skype’s more developed compression and bandwidth-tailoring abilities. 

There’s also the ability to have your robot read out Twitter messages, weather forecasts, act as a Skype phone and more.  That’s on top of the existing version of RoboDance, which has Wiimote control, a drag-&-drop script editor, voice control and more.  If you’re a Rovio owner – or have a Robosapien, Robosapien V2, i-SOBOT, Robopet, Roboraptor, Roboreptile, Roboquad and Animatronics T-Rex, as the software (though not all the features) is compatible with them all – then this could be your dream come true.  Plus, it’s free.  Roll on March 2009 for its release.

The character profile site now features all sorts of stats including tabs that make it easier to keep track of your Achievements. In-game calendars are also included. Pretty much any detail you want to know about your characters or your friend’s characters can be found out here.

Apparently, you can even figure out how many times your character has hugged or waved at other characters, too. Who knows why you’d want to know that, but hey some people are stat happy, and if this appeases them, good for them!

Elsewhere, movement in the netbook and ultraportable segments showed once again that niche has the edge over mainstream notebooks, at least when it comes to interest.  ASUS announced their N20a 12-inch ultraportable amid rumors of a ZX-series of 12-inch “grown up Eee PC” notebooks, while WiBrain’s I1 UMPC put a less-than-pretty face on some serious battery life.  Meanwhile, we reviewed the Sony VAIO TT, more than four grands’ worth of Blu-ray and SSD-toting beauty.

In gaming, Nintendo’s DSi made a huge splash in Japan with just about every one of the 200,000 consoles the company had prepared for launch-weekend selling.  Since everyone else will have to wait until Summer next year to get their hands on the DSi, we attempted to distract ourselves with a preview of the soon-to-released Microsoft New Xbox Experience for the 360, followed by a review of Gateway’s FX6800-01e gaming PC, one of the first machines to use the Intel Core i7 “Nehalem” processor.

Apple was no stranger in the headlines this week, for better and for worse.  In the former category comes confirmation from AT&T’s CEO that an official iPhone tethering solution will be offered soon, together with word from Apple themselves that customers hoping for a new Mac mini should “be patient”.  It won’t be this year, though, as the company is insisting their holiday line-up is complete.  In the more worrying category is news that some new MacBook owners are experiencing issues with their trackpad missing clicks; it’s hoped a software update will address the problem.

Still, Apple are sitting pretty in the financial stakes, which is more than you can say about NVIDIA and Sprint.  Both companies released their Q3 2008 financial reports this week, and both had little to crow about. 

In other reviews, we took a quick look at the AT&T QuickFire, unboxed the Microsoft Zune 120GB Gears of War 2 Special Edition, and enjoyed some serious playtime with WowWee’s Rovio WiFi-enabled webcam.  In fact, we had just enough time left over to make some holiday gift suggestions to TopTechGifts: if you’re stumped for some present ideas, make sure to check out their list.

Onboard, ROVIO has a single USB-connector, self-navigation capabilities, microphone, head-mounted moveable camera, speaker and best of all he’s capable of moving in any direction.  Unfortunately, he’s not able to climb stairs.  He comes with a charging dock to keep him powered up and on track.  The charging dock is ROVIO’s power source, home base and point of reference.  When his juice is running low, the web-based interface will let you know and with a simple click ROVIO returns to his charging dock to recharge.

I received three additional TrueTrack Room Beacons from WowWee to help expand ROVIO’s perimeters.  Unfortunately, the True Tack Room Beacons accessory is sold separately.  ROVIO cost under $300, depending on where you buy him.  Make sure to check out ROVIO on TopTechGifts as a must have tech toy this holiday season!

Full demonstration and review coming shortly, so check back in a few days!

The first prototype, shown above, was simply a WiFi-enabled pan & tilt webcam mounted on top of a hacked together WowWee tri-wheeled base.  Later versions of the design begin to look more similar to the end-product; the first image, above, has the familiar casing shape, but lacks the WiFi.

That was added to the prototype below.  Future versions introduced the NorthStar “internal GPS” navigation system and then explored different casing finishes.  What’s particularly great about Rovio is that WowWee have left plenty of space – and scope – for DIY modders to add their own tweaks.

Meanwhile cellphones have been on the test bench, with Sprint’s pair of new Samsungs – the messaging Rant and the musical HighNote – squaring up against Velocity Mobile’s 103 smartphone.  We had to leave our desks to try out Blackline’s GPS Snitch, however, but were back in before curfew to play with some toys: WowWee’s Bladestar remote control helicopter, for one, and a rather more unusual review of the WowWee Femisapien. 

Elsewhere, Apple took a starring roll among the rumors with shipments of the ageing Mac Mini halted; that sparked talk of a refresh, bringing such goodies as Mini DisplayPort, SATA and a new chunk of RAM.  However undisclosed search records suggest that they might be too busy working on a netbook or UMPC, though as ever take this rumor with the biggest pinch of salt you can, well, pinch.

Speaking of netbooks, ASUS confirmed (again) that they would be bringing touchscreen models in their Eee PC range to market, together with versions running the Windows 7 OS in 2009.  More imminent, the company announced a November 1st release of the coveted Eee PC S101, which will cost a not-insignificant $699.  The specs scream netbook but the price says otherwise; still, ASUS must be doing something right as even MSI’s healthy Wind netbook sales figures trail far behind that of the Eee.  MSI will be hoping that their Wind U120 – complete with 3.5G WWAN – will lend them some extra momentum when it hits shelves for around $550 in November.

Elsewhere, Google released the open-source code for their Android mobile platform, and a device that would do very nicely running such an OS, the super-skinny USI MID-160 slipped out to grab headlines and prompt drooling.  Meanwhile, in France, carrier SFR proved the rest of the carriers to be all mouth and no pantalons by putting 3.5G versions of the Archos 5g PMP, Eee PC 901 and M! MID on sale.

Finally, the week can’t go by without us mentioning your friend and mine, the lovely Oprah Winfrey, who has happily declared her love for the Amazon Kindle.  The product placement isn’t anything new; what I’m more interested in seeing is how sales of the ebook reader change after the First Lady of daytime television lends her name to it.  Care to make a prediction?

The WowWee Bladestar comes in a transparent plastic carry-case, complete with sturdy latches, with all the individual components supported inside in different sized cavities. Aside from the Bladestar helicopter itself, which is the size of a small egg and clad in polystyrene, the kit contains two sets of lightweight plastic blades, a three-channel infrared remote control, two spare propellor rotors and the “Dogfight” accessory (more on that later). You’ll need to add six AA batteries, which fit into the remote; there’s also clips in the case to store spare batteries, but don’t forget a screwdriver as you’ll need it to open the compartment.

Initially just a little setup is required. The blades snap into pivoted clips mounted on the helicopter body (and can only be fitted one way round) and then an initial recharge is necessary. Like some other WowWee toys, the remote provides the power source; the right end-cap unscrews and a short cable plugs into the helicopter (kids might need some assistance with this, as it’s a relatively fiddly plug & socket). Flick the switch on the bottom of the remote to “Charge” and, in roughly ten minutes, there’s enough juice in the Bladestar’s rechargeable li-ion battery for five minutes of flight.

The central lights on the remote tell you when it’s finished charging, at which point it’s time to flick the Bladestar power switch to ‘on’, set it down on the floor (or a table) and retire to a safe distance. On the remote, the left hand controls the throttle (e.g. the height the helicopter hovers at) with a sliding control, the central LEDs rising and falling accordingly, while the right hand manages the forward, backward, left and right buttons, together with the ‘fire’ button used in “Dogfight” mode. Unlike most other remote control toys, the direction of the Bladestar is in relation to where you are, not where it’s “pointing”; press ‘left’ and it moves to your left, ‘right’ and it moves to your right.

Take off requires a little caution and no animals in close proximity (though they’ll soon scarper; the tiny propellor motors make a surprising amount of noise). Since the remote uses infrared, rather than radio, it requires line of sight to the helicopter. Since you’re unlikely to be piloting from the next room along that’s no great issue, but it does mean that you need to constantly ensure the remote is pointing directly at the Bladestar at all times. Initially it was easy to forget and keep it trained on the ground, where the helicopter had taken off from; after climbing out of reach of the IR LED we confusingly lost control.

In fact, losing control – and subsequent crash landings – were a common occurence at first. The Bladestar has a steeper initial learning curve than ground-based remote control toys, and younger children might find that frustrating. Perservere, however, and there’s a surprising amount of finesse to be had in its flight. It’s also testament to the build-quality, as despite the regular crashes we’re still on our first – scratched, but not broken – wings, and the seemingly flimsy propellor arms are unmarked.

Once you’ve got the hang of keeping the Bladestar airborne, it’s time to focus on bringing it plummiting down. With two or more of the helicopters there’s the “Dogfight” mode to be played with. Screw on the “Dogfight” accessory – which basically narrows the infrared spread so two controllers can be used without interfering with each other – and then attempt to not only pilot your Bladestar but, by momentarily pointing the remote at the opponent helicopter and pressing “fire”, shoot them out of the air. The first two ‘hits’ cause the helicopter to stumble in mid-flight; the third kills the engines and brings it down.

It sounds straightforward, but without control input within 5-10 seconds your own Bladestar will cut its engines. Since it’s hovering without user input, too, it’s a prime target for your opponent. Dogfight mode demands two roughly equal (and generally reasonable ability) pilots, as otherwise it can get especially frustrating, and with the further limited infrared spread the need to consistently point the controller at the helicopter is only magnified.

WowWee have also granted the Bladestar an intelligent Autopilot mode, triggered before take-off and which uses infrared sensors built into the helicopter itself to auto-control. Although it will still respond to the remote, in Autopilot the Bladestar will maintain distance from walls and ceilings – you can also guide it around by holding out your hand or a piece of paper. In practice, Autopilot is very room-dependent. It requires clear, light-colored walls and ceilings (hanging pendant lights can’t be seen, and can be inadvertent crash targets), and while the Bladestar is auto-navigating it won’t respond to user input. On several occassions we watched, powerless to intervene, as the helicopter bounced from light fitting to wall to under the bed.

Still, it’s a clever addition and, in the right room, works surprisingly well. Our overiding impression of the WowWee Bladestar is highly positive, not least because of its resilience to the sort of cack-handed control only dubious tech geeks can offer. It’s not perfect – you have to remove the wings, a tricky proceedure, before everything will stow into the carry case, and once you’ve done that the manual has nowhere to go – and it requires a little perseverence to get the most out of it, but that could be the difference between a toy discarded on Christmas afternoon and one that maintains interest for a whole lot longer.

The WowWee Bladestar helicopter is available now, priced at around $49.99 each.

Updated with video review from Tanner McBee himself.

David McBee writes:

Right out of the box, Femisapien got the “big eyes” from my eight-year-old.  What else should I have expected?  This was a robot, and a very cool looking robot at that.

Rushing to get her out of the box, the instruction manual was tossed aside and the experimenting began.  He learnt right away that she would make sounds and movements of her own accord, and that a push on the head would get her moving and grooving in a way one doesn’t usually see from the robot persuasion.  All very cool and exciting to an eight-year-old.

But after a few minutes of dancing and experimenting, it became very clear that we were going to need the instruction book in order to see what else this female robot was capable of.  (BTW, my son did comment that he felt that Femisapien’s rounded chest was “inappropriate”.  You be the judge.)  So, back to the instructions.

Thank goodness my wife was around, because one look at the extensive manual and my head started spinning. But thanks to my wife’s tenacity, we learnt that Femisapien has a learning mode, an attentive mode, and a responsive mode.  She speaks her own language and even detects objects in front of her.  She has a sensor that tells her when she has fallen over and she even “cries” for help or just gives up and goes to sleep.

Each of her hands are joysticks and with a combination of movements of these joysticks, she’ll do a ton of cool stuff.  (I would have liked a remote control better, but unfortunately it’s sold separately). After about thirty minutes with the directions, we had Femisapien walking, dancing, kissing, handing out a business card, following directions, singing and making pirate noises (AAARGH!).

My son even discovered a few tricks that weren’t in the instruction manual, which had the effect of finding an Easter egg.  Okay, so spending some time with the directions opened up several opportunities for Femisapien to impress me and keep my son excited and busy.  I certainly can’t claim that this robot doesn’t live up to expectations.

Cut to a few hours later.  The neighbor boys come over and my son is eager to show off his new toy.  Problem is, he can’t remember all the ways to get Femisapien to do all the cool things she does.  So we go back to the demo dance – again, very fun and impressive.  Then what?  Does he take the time to get the directions out again to show his friends what he’s learnt?

Nope.  Maybe it’s because he’s eight, maybe it’s a short attention span, but even after having the toy in the house for several days, he can’t seem to get her to follow more than one or two commands.  The box says ages eight and up.  Since I don’t have any “and ups” in the house, I can’t say.  Perhaps an older child might remember the different joystick combinations, but heck, even I don’t.

My guess is, despite all the cool things this toy is capable of, she’ll ultimately become a $99 collectible that occasionally shows off her dancing for two minutes at a time every now and then when someone gets the urge to tap on her head.  My son would disagree, saying that she’s totally cool and fun to play with, but he’s too busy playing video games to prove me wrong.

Tanner’s Femisapien Video Review:

The WowWee Femisapien is available now, priced at $99.99; she’s compatible with both the programmable USB WowWee RoboRemote, priced at $19.99, and the original WowWee Robosapien remote, priced at $20.  Our thanks to Tanner and David for their time!

While Rovio does have headlights (which you can remotely switch on and off to save power) they’re mounted in the front bumper.  No problem if what you want to look at is at floor-level, but if you’re peering upward into the darkness then they’re less effective.  Rudolph’s hack basically fits two bright white LEDs either side of the camera lens, wired in with the original lights so they can be switched on and off at command.

As an aside, in one of the photos below you can see just how much spare space there appears to be inside of Rovio.  Plenty of room for lots more mobile equipment, and since Rovio can find its own way back to the recharging station extra power draw isn’t as much a concern as if you were footing the bill for standard AA’s. 

[thanks Peter!]

Video demo of the RoboDance Rovio Wiimote control in action, after the cut

Since the Wiimote connects to your PC via Bluetooth, you don’t actually need a Wii to be able to use the software.  In fact, all you need is a Windows PC (with Bluetooth, obviously) that can connect via WiFi to the Rovio.  The full Rovio control set is supported, including directional movement, camera control, automatic docking, picture taking and more.

The only bad news is that this new version of RoboDance won’t be released until Q1 2009.  However Robert is looking for beta testers on his user group, so if you fancy an early preview it might be worth signing up. 

Update: Robert points out that, as the Wiimote communicates with the Rovio via the PC and WiFi connection, you’re not limited to using it locally to the robot.  Throw it in your laptop bag and you can use the intuitive gesture-control to operate the Rovio from wherever you have internet access.

Normally when you hear the word “robot,” people tend to think of something with exposed wires, a bunch of metal parts and super strength. However, this Panda is fuzzy and cute. What a contrast, eh?

This robot is super huggable and is meant for kids and adults alike. It’s interactive and has a lot of lifelike qualities. But I know from personal experience that some cuddly robots are scary to kids. Remember Teddy Rupskin? Yeah. Terrifying. And the Alive Panda Cub might just fall into that cute but might come alive at night and eat you category.

[via SlipperyBrick]

In netbooks, ASUS slipped in a few new models at both the low and high-end of the market, with the Eee PC 900HA and 904HA offering bargain 160GB storage while the S101 corners the more-fashionable (and expensive) end.  That’s a niche the ASUS N10 already occupies; that netbook ran the review gauntlet this week, proving “technologically clever” but simply too expensive.  ASUS – and MSI, whose Wind U90 was panned too – must be looking enviably at Gigabyte’s M912M convertible touchscreen netbook, which was good enough to pull a credit card from the wallet of one reviewer.

Moving from small screens to large, Panasonic wheeled out their 150-inch plasma prototype and promptly gave every child within a forty mile radius square eyes.  At $140,000 it’s even more expensive than the new Lamborghini Estoque concept – the company’s first four-door saloon, and a 170mph one at that – I know which I’d prefer.

On smaller wheels, but then with a smaller price-tag, WowWee’s Rovio WiFi robot came out shining in reviews this week, and could just be the toy to beat come the holidays. 

In cellphones, Nokia finally debuted their S60 Touch OS in the shape of the 5800 XpressMusic.  A touchscreen multimedia device with HSDPA and, from next year, Comes With Music – offering unlimited audio downloads for 12 months – it’s not going to challenge the iPhone but the consensus is that it’s a sign of good things to come from the Finns.

Speaking of good things to come, how about Denon’s flagship SACD player?  It looks to be hewn almost from solid aluminum and should have equally reliable audio performance.  Less convincing is the recently-leaked Amazon Kindle 2 ebook; has the retail giant taken a step backward with ergonomics, in mistakenly chasing aesthetics?

SlashGear also brought you an interview with the Sleek Audio guys, on the eve of their lossless wireless system; we’ll have the full review of their SA6 earphones this coming week.  We also featured a hands-on report of ShopSavvy, the award winning Android app running live on the T-Mobile G1.  Finally, because it’s always fun to see expensive things falling great heights, check out this Samsung SSD drop-test demo.  A three-story fall and yet it still works?  I’m not sure we could say the same about anything else from this week.

Video demo of Rovio in action after the cut

Getting particular kudos is the painless setup – five minutes from box to play – and “unparallelled mobility”, courtesy of the three omnidirectional wheels.  Re-entering the charging dock, something you really don’t want to go wrong if you’re halfway across the world, is similarly slick.

There are a couple of caveats, possibly the biggest being the lack of support for WPA WiFi encryption in the current firmware build, only WEP.  Apparently WowWee are working on an upgrade.  There’s also no audio functionality in browsers other than Internet Explorer.

Still, neither of those facts are enough to dissuade Robots-Dreams in their opinion that the WowWee Rovio is likely to be “the hottest robot for the upcoming holiday season, and for a long time to come”:

“This robots functionality, usefulness, styling, and ease of use sets new standards. Not only is it a fantastic mobile webcam platform, it also lends itself to other applications. We can easily imagine colleges and research labs using ROVIO as a robotic platform to investigate swarming, or, on the lighter side, a new robot soccer league” Robots-Dreams

[Thanks Robert!]

Originally the pre-order delivery date was listed as September 26th.  Rovio has not yet been added to Amazon, Target, Radio Shack, but it is up for pre-order at Sears (for $349.99), Scientifics (for $299), PC Mall (for $317.99) and Buy (for $349.99).  None of those sites gives an estimated ship date.

WowWee’s own online store lists the Rovio for $299.99, with availability quoted as “2 to 4 weeks”.  It’s uncertain, then, when US buyers will see their robots arrive; until then, hopefully the new site will keep them satisfied. 

Check out the demo videos of Rovio in action here.

Update: According to the WowWee Rovio blog, the delayed ship date is because all the initial Rovio stock has sold out.  Buyers are now having to wait until the next shippments come in, which if Hammacher Schlemmer is to be believed will be shortly before Christmas.  Those who pre-ordered their Rovio have been receiving them.

[via RoboCommunity]

The robot comes with a pre-programmed personality, but you can replace that with newly downloaded personas via the SD slot.  There’s also a USB port to hook him up to your PC.  Both autonomous and remote control modes are supported, with the former letting Mr Personality run riot – telling jokes, playing games – while with the latter you can direct him into the nearest cupboard.

Mr Personality is currently listed as “coming soon” on the WowWee online store, where he’ll retail for $299.  You can see the demo video of Mr Personality here.

[via RoboCommunity]

Unlike existing WowWee robots, which are either controlled from a remote handset in the same room, or have autonomous play modes, the Rovio is intended to be used while you are away from home.  Two way communication is possible, courtesy of built-in speakers and a microphone, and the robot can be instructed either to follow one of up to ten pre-programmed patrol routes or, alternatively, to activate once movement is detected.

Rovio is available to pre-order now, priced at $299.  It’s expected to ship on September 26th, which is this Friday.

‘Meet Rovio’:

‘Get to Know Rovio’:

‘Experience Rovio’:

[via RoboCommunity]

As with the Tri-Bot, the Rovio uses three omni-directional wheels – basically a number of free-rotating rollers embedded into a main wheel – to allow for tight turns and nimble movement.  NorthStar – here called True Track – uses a series of projected infra-red dots, splayed across the ceiling, to tell the Rovio exactly where it is.  This helps with independent tracking; alternatively you can manually control it, either locally or across an internet connection.

It remains to be seen how straightforward the internet and networking setup is, but for that we’ll have to wait for Robert’s full review.  The Rovio will be available next Friday, priced at $299.

Amazon also have a record for the Rovio, although it is listed as unavailable with neither price nor shipment date.  Other retailers that commonly stock WowWee products, such as Target and WalMart, are yet to list it, and the company’s own e-store still makes no mention.

The Rovio uses the same omni-directional three-wheeled base as seen on other WowWee robots, but rather than a “personality” ‘bot, tops it with a movable arm bearing a webcam.  Connecting to your router via WiFi b/g, it can be set to follow up to ten pre-programmed routes, detecting movement using infrared sensors and streaming footage (with audio) in VGA-resolution MPEG4 format over your broadband.  It also has a built-in speaker for two-way conversations.  Battery life is stated as two hours, with the Rovio able to locate its charging station and automatically dock.

The charging station also includes Evolution Robotic’s Northstar technology, which can create a virtual map of the room for Rovio to follow.  The video below demonstrates how Rovio can return to its preset path even if distracted.

[Thanks Robert!]

Tri-Bot, meanwhile, eschews legs and uses a three-wheeled, omni-directional base that has already got ‘bot tinkerers salivating.  It uses a tilt-sensor remote control, similar in concept to the Nintendo Wiimote, to guide Tri-Bot around obstacles and/or directly into walls, depending on what you find funny.

Femisapien is available from WowWee’s online store, Amazon and Target, priced at around $99.99. Tri-Bot is also available from the WowWee online store, Amazon and Target, again priced at around $99.99.

Thanks Robert!