Nabaztag's Violet debuts "Mirror" general-purpose home RFID reader

While we'll always know Violet for its iconic bunnies, the company is branching out into a more direct RFID application. The Mirror RFID reader is a USB-pluggable little platter that can read RFID tags and launch an assigned action on the computer when it spots a tag it knows. Examples we saw included a tagged post card of Vegas launching a corresponding picture on the computer (lame), a tagged toy car bringing up a map (getting warmer), a tagged umbrella launching the weather forecast (now we're cooking with gas), and a cute little mini-Nabaztag figurine doing whatever it wants (en fuego / choose your own tired metaphor). We could see the reader being put to use for the computer illiterate, or children having their first go at a PC, but we're more excited to see what hackers can make of the tech -- old people and children are overrated. No word on price or release date yet, but Violet has a press conferenced planned for Monday, so we should know more then.

Gallery: Nabaztag's Violet debuts "Mirror" general-purpose home RFID reader

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[DemDude @ Aug 30th 2008 8:49AM]

I guess what we all want to know is - why the hell are there pancakes on it in the first picture?!

[nanobis @ Aug 30th 2008 9:27AM]

what you didn't know that pancakes are a important part of the RFID readers?

at a guess i'd say they're interchangeable covers, or at least diffrent desgins.

[CubeGuy @ Aug 30th 2008 12:04PM]

Why is there silverware in the pancake drawer?

[GTRmon @ Aug 30th 2008 10:23AM]

I could see a potentially hazardous use:

put credit card on table, opens eBay.

In a short period of time the cute rabbit would send me broke.

[ridestowe @ Aug 30th 2008 11:35AM]

puts vibrator on table, opens xtube. hoorah!

[CubeGuy @ Aug 30th 2008 12:05PM]

I am really excited. I hope this ends up being very hackable. My goal is to wear an RFID ring that unlocks my computer when I'm near it.

[ridestowe @ Aug 30th 2008 4:27PM]

that's an awesome idea with the ring thing, I'd be very interested in something of that nature.

[3devious @ Aug 30th 2008 3:14PM]

Hope it works better than the WiFi rabbit. Even the homebrew folks are giving up on that peice of crap. :(

[craig#2 @ Aug 30th 2008 8:02PM]

I've been waiting and waiting. Had mine for 2 years this christmas. Can't stand the damn thing taking up space.

Then again, it is cute.

Its cuter unplugged, though.

It really sucks.

Thanks for reminding me, I'd been meaning to write a negative review on amazon about it!

[3devious @ Aug 30th 2008 3:23PM]

Hope it works better than the WiFi rabbit. Even the homebrew folks are giving up on that peice of crap. :(

[granny down east @ Aug 30th 2008 5:33PM]

"...old people and children are overrated."
WWWhat? Screw you, too.

[craig#2 @ Aug 30th 2008 8:05PM]

If its anything like the Nabaztag-tag (WiFi Rabbit FTL), then it sounds neat at first, but in actuality you have to press a button and hold it down for three seconds until it beeps, then place the RFID tag on the pancake (in front of the rabbits nose) and then it'll come to life.

I hate this company!

[James Dumoulin @ Aug 30th 2008 9:52PM]

arg the only fun thing about these things is the TTS messages you can send to it specially when it's an in store model >: )

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