Wi-fi Wabbit Apr 08 2006
Whilst Tokyo may have the reputation of being gadget centre of the world, its position is being nibbled away by un lapin Français. Look out Nippon - here comes Nabaztag, the French wi-fi rabbit!!
Who'd have thought it? An impulse purchase sparked by ear wiggling? But as soon as I read the promise of the first smart rabbit at nabaztag.com, I had my credit card out. And for the first few days it was... mildly entertaining. Pyonpyon (that's my rabbit - you have to name it when you register it online) told me the time, he read the news via BBC's RSS feed and gave the weather forecast.
But as a wiser man may have predicted, the novelty quickly wore off... and life was back to normal. But then Pyonpyon met Marmalade, and things got interesting. Marmalade is an English rabbit, who belongs to my sister, Victoria. And when wi-fi rabbits have friends, they can do much more than just tell the time. My day now starts with a little French electro-pop performed by Pyonpyon, as he dances in a very apt robotic manner, creating his own desktop discotheque lightshow. I can say goodnight to Marmalade by serenading him with a little Frank Sinatra. And when Marmalade shifts his ears in Manchester, Pyonpyon mimics the pose in Tokyo. That's because our rabits aren't just friends - they're married. No, I don't just own a dancing wi-fi rabbit, I own a gay dancing wi-fi rabbit.
Next week I'll be subscribing to oiseaux, a "nabcast" of bird songs which Pyonpyon will sing to me to calm my office nerves, whilst Marmalade will be reading Victoria The Never Ending Story at bedtime. Pyonpyon's quite a hit in the office, and according to the Nabaztag directory, there are already two other rabbits in Japan - I'll have to say hello. Or konnichiwa. Or bonjour.
Nab Me!!
Click the button below to send a message to Pyonpyon - which he'll read out to me (and everyone else in the office) in his rather camp voice.
