The Daily Slash: June 18th 2010

Well, here we are. At the end of the week, looking ahead to the weekend. Two days of good, old-fashioned relaxation. Unless you have to work. Then, well, ignore all of that. Either way though, welcome to tonight's edition of The Daily Slash. While we're not going to officially give it a nickname, but you could call tonight's Slash the Robot Night. In the Best of R3 Media, we've got an eReader app launching on Android, some miserable numbers for the Kin, and some good news for Motorola (maybe). And then, in the Dredge 'Net, we've got the Hyperion 4-legged robot, a super-device, and mini dancing robots.The Best of R3 MediaKobo eReader & Store Launch on Android: We'll admit it: we're still waiting for the Android app from Amazon, so we can get some Kindle goodness on another one of our phones. Until then, though, we're perfectly happy accepting the Kobo eReader application, and the digital store for that matter, into the Android Marketplace for our downloading pleasure. You get access to upwards of 2 million titles, and some of them are even free. It's available in the Market right now if you're interested. [via Android Community]Only 500 Microsoft KIN Devices Sold: If you're like us, you tend to notice phones while out and about. The iPhone here, a BlackBerry there, a Droid somewhere else. However, one handset you might not have noticed is either variation of the Microsoft KIN. A new report came out today that suggests, unfortunately, that Microsoft have indeed only sold 500 units. The report, though, doesn't say where they're getting this information, nor does it say whether or not it's rounding up (or down), or if it's counting both KIN models, or just one. While sites all over the 'net tried to find KIN owners, we're not sure anyone found any. [via SlashGear]Motorola Mobility to Lose the Debt, Get a Check: Up until, well, the Motorola DROID, the company that built the RAZR wasn't doing too hot. In fact, there had been plenty of rumors and conjecture out there suggesting that Motorola was on the way out. But then, as Fate would have it, they had a pretty good success with the Android-powered DROID, so here we are, talking about the future. As it stands, Motorola is ready to split the company into some specific sections. Motorola Mobility, for example, is going to get a chance to get clear of all of Motorola's debt, and then rumors suggest that it will be getting a check for upwards of $4 billion to start making new, and exciting handsets. We'll have to just hope that this works out. We wouldn't want to see Motorola go anywhere. [via SlashPhone]The Dredge 'NetHyperion 4-Legged Robot Seats One: Ever wanted to have a robot you could ride on to get places? How about one that looks like a dysfunctional, headless animal? Well then, you're in luck, because scientists over at the Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan have made the Hyperion. A four-legged robot that, if you sit on it, can take you places. No idea what they're intended for, but suggestions point out that it could be used for transport. We're not sure what they'd transport, as the man in the video in the link doesn't look all that comfortable, but we imagine if you got some nifty seats to put on that thing, it might not be too bad. [via Ubergizmo]DIY Player from Shao Wen Makes Us Happy: We're all about trying to get as many cool things into a single device as possible. As much as we love our phones, MP3 players, and whatever else we can think of, we'd love to just be able to get it into one cool form factor, and make it work. Up until now, it's been tried, but not successfully. If one designer by the name of Shao Wen has his way, we may just be on the brink of something fantastic. His DIY Player is based around a central screen that is flanked by two ports, one on bottom and one on top. From there, you can plug into the port whatever accessory, or "part," you need, for whatever it is you want. Need a phone's dialing pad? You got it. Need a keyboard? Sure, why not! How about controls for your MP3 player? Yep, those are included, too. Sure, there's some problem with multitasking in there, but we're sure you could get it figured out. Or, you could just keep your phone, MP3 player, and mobile gaming unit in separate pockets. Your call. [via DVICE]Nao Robots Dance: We're not sure if this is going to be a regular part of The Daily Slash yet, but we're going to try it out here, right now. Below, you'll find the Slash's first video. Why? Because there's not much text to put here. These are the Nao mini-robots, and they can dance. That's right, mini-robots that dance. See? Not a lot to write up. So, we wanted to bring you the footage, and hopefully you enjoy it as much as we did. [via Engadget]