Sony updates the AIBO ESR-7, lame jokes about teaching old dog new tricks made everywhere
The AIBO ESR-7 digital doggy is getting a major software update. In a new version of the AIBO Mind software, improvements to response time, speech recognition, and vision have all been completed. In test units, the dog was able to recognize objects and remember where they were, so it eventually creates a topographic map of its environment and navigates around things rather than, well, through them. Response time has also been improved, with reported times as little as one second for voice commands as well as the ability to accept new voice commands while still executing a previous one. This will add to a more "lifelike" experience, say Sony. The new AIBO can also play media files, including MP3s and WMVs. For the surveillance gurus, the watch-dog portion of the software has been improved - you can now set the dog to take photos or video based on trigger events like motion or sound, and then send those image or video files via e-mail. Or, you can control it remotely with included software. So when you get an email containing a picture of a ninja stealing your goldfish food, don't say AIBO didn't warn you.
