bots

Sure, there are fancy robots out there that can spy, fly and even take your tempurature, but do they care about your financial well-being?

Unlike a lot of those other hot-shot bots, the "Robot Bank" isn't here to show off--it just goes about its business, encouraging you to save for the future and diligently toting up every penny you drop in. Don't try to cheat, either: It recognizes withdrawals and will make disapproving noises if you try to sneak a few bucks.

Go ahead, take the kids to McDonald's to get their Happy Meal Robosapiens. You know you were going to have to make a trip there anyway, sooner or later. Besides, that'll give you another excuse to get a robot of your own soon--the "Spyke."

As noted when it was introduced last month, this spy bot made by France's Meccano is outfitted with a Webcam, Wi-Fi connection and Skype's latest VoIP software. And now, thanks to Uber-Review, we know its price and availability: 200 pounds in the U.K., or about $391, with an April … Read more

You know that a toy has achieved official ubiquity when it gets stuffed into McDonald's Happy Meals. And the latest to win that dubious honor is the Robosapien.

But don't expect the giveaways to be anything close to the full-fledged, biomorphic original; remember, these kiddie meals are only a few bucks. From the looks of it on the Happy Meal site (yes, there's a site), we wouldn't anticipate more than some fancy wind-up gizmos, but we hope we're wrong.

At least we can count on variety, which is standard practice to lure kids back to … Read more

We'll be dating ourselves again by mentioning this, but this item is kind of a 21st century version of those black and white scotty dog magnets we remember from our childhood. Only the "SuperBot" modules can think for themselves and find each other on their own.

Gadget Lab says these interlinking robotic cubes use artificial intelligence to "flip and stagger their way back together when parted" (see the YouTube clip below). Once reassembled, they can take a caterpillar-like form and continue on their merry way, or they can be combined to form a new kind … Read more

A few months ago we wrote of a rather odd-looking Japanese bot named "Ubiko" whose purpose was somewhat vague--"to replace humans for such tasks as welcoming clients, promote products on site." (The "replacing humans" phrase freaked us out a bit.) Now we find out its true mission: a rolling smoke detector of the future.

Ubiko doesn't just beep when your macaroni and cheese starts to burn; it actually has olfactory sensors designed specifically to react to odors associated with fire. The robot had its first public demonstration yesterday, which Pink Tentacle described … Read more

Venture capital blogger Fred Wilson hit a minor speed bump while searching on Google the other day. The site asked him to verify that he wasn't a bot by filling out a Captcha.

Other people have previously seen this block, though we don't hear about this very often. If you manage to set off Google's filter, it should be a pretty innocuous block. Enter the text, and you should be back up and googling in no time.

That is, unless you are vision-impaired, as this blogger ranted back in 2005. In that case, you need an alternate … Read more

That's right, Sparky. Now your favorite bot can tool around on its own personal transporter with "human-sized performance."

Segway has released its "RMP" (Robotic Mobility Platform) for the "quick and easy transportation" of civilian and military robots, according to Engadget. The price is steep--about $11,500 to $50,000, depending on the model--but that's still cheaper than buying a car that your robot can drive. (And it won't be nagging you for the keys to yours either.)

The RMP is making its debut in Japan, of course, land of the eventual … Read more

iRobot, of Roomba fame, is generally known for its innocent household products. But make no mistake, it has a more serious side too, in the form of military applications.

The company's Government and Industrial Robots Division has an entire line of "PackBots" designed for the battlefield: "Adaptable, tough and reliable, these robots go where people can't, shouldn't or don't want to. From the battlefield to deep inside Afghan caves, our robots are hard at work."

Lest you be too intimidated, be aware that these bots are directed by a controller that looks … Read more

A little Web service called IMified caught my attention this morning. It is an ambitious service that lets you access several popular Web applications from your instant-messaging client. IMified is a messaging bot (like SmarterChild) that lets you manage your apps via text commands. In theory, it could also be used on any IM-equipped mobile phone to turn the phone into a remote control for your Web apps.

Signing up to the service requires no site registration or passwords. To begin, you just add the messaging bot to your buddy list and send it a message. Adding additional services (like … Read more