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Karotz connects to Facebook and Twitter, waits for Godot (video)

Joseph Volpe — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:07:00 EST

Nabaztag has died many a death, but that quirky rabbit's legacy still lives on in lil' bro Karotz. The desktop-friendly bunny, which just launched in the US today, is what parent company Violet is calling the "first Facebook hardware." It's a strong claim to make, but that superfluous moniker is actually better applied to the device's social networking integration. When connected to the internet, the unit's voice recognition software (processed by external servers) can execute commands to snap photos -- taken via built-in webcam -- and upload them to Facebook. You can even have it read your Twitter feed, in addition to the weather. The company's also released an app, available for Android and iOS, that gives users the ability to send typed messages through the unit -- resulting in a talking Karotz -- or simply manipulate its ears. It's a fun exercise in uselessness -- at least, that's how one rep on the showroom floor put it. Can't decide if you've got $129 to burn? Then check out our video below while you ponder the merits of this pointless tech.

Gallery: Karotz hands-on

Continue reading Karotz connects to Facebook and Twitter, waits for Godot (video)

Karotz connects to Facebook and Twitter, waits for Godot (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nabaztag robotic rabbits rise from the ashes at midnight

Andrew Munchbach — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:14:00 EST

Twas a sad day when Mindscape was forced to shutter the online service used by its collection of Nabaztag robotic rabbits -- as the tale goes, the domain's demise left the tiny, Linux-running hares inanimate, mute and nearly useless. But just five short months later, things are starting to look up. Via email, the company has confirmed that nabaztag.com will come (back) alive on midnight of December 24th (a timezone was not specified), allowing Nabaztag users to communicate with their coney comrades. "At midnight you can turn your rabbits on without changing anything," writes the bunny builder. That's not all. The company is promising to "enrich" the devic's modules with "community contributions." If you're a Nabaztag owner, step away from that eggnog and put on a pot of coffee... Christmas is coming a full 24-hours early.

Nabaztag robotic rabbits rise from the ashes at midnight originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mindscape pulls the server plug on Nabaztag, hands source code to developers

Joseph Volpe — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 21:22:00 EST

Mindscape's ambient hare progenitors are officially headed off to that matrix briar patch in the sky. Turns out a battle with the server's host has left the company in a sticky financial situation, effectively shutting down support for the WiFi-enabled bunnies. In a recent YouTube announcement, CEO Thierry Bensoussan addressed the community's concerns, offering up source code that ensures a homebrew future for the Little Linux-Bunny Foo Foo forebears. Hobbyists hoping to snag that Nabaztag.com domain for themselves will instead have to accept a url redirect, as the site remains firmly under the software publisher's lock and key. But don't mourn your news reading, weather-forecasting buddy just yet, you can always replace it with the discounted love of lil' bro, Karotz.

Mindscape pulls the server plug on Nabaztag, hands source code to developers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 21:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Karotz to start shipping, Nabaztag to return from dead for Easter

Brian Heater — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:51:00 EST

Cadbury aside, nothing says Easter quite like a good resurrection tale, and this story's got it -- starring a rabbit, no less. Owners of Nabaztag, the email-reading / weather-forecasting / and generally adorable WiFi-enable desktop buddy, have been reporting a massive die-off of their beloved ambient bunnies, a tragic end due to a recent server move. The rabbits' manufacturer tells us that the network issues should be resolved by next week -- something of a belated Easter celebration. The rebirth is also perfectly timed to welcome Nabataztag's second coming as Karotz -- those who pre-ordered should start seeing the glowing woodland creature in their mailboxes next week.

Karotz to start shipping, Nabaztag to return from dead for Easter originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MindScape's Karotz continues the proud Nabaztag lineage

Paul Miller — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:21:00 EST

It's been a while since we've heard anything on the Nabaztag front. Violet, the company that built the original "ambient" bunnies, went bankrupt but was snapped up by MindScape a year ago. Now MindScape is ready to show off the latest addition to the Nabaztag family, dubbed "Karotz." The WiFi rabbit runs on Linux, with a 400MHz ARM CPU, 64MB of RAM and 256MB of storage, so it should have plenty of headroom for that vibrant hacker community that sprung up around the first two Nabaztags. Karotz can also run off batteries or be plugged in via USB, and has the same RFID reader functionality of the Nabaztag/tag. The biggest new feature is a webcam, which will purportedly have face recognition (to be paired with Nabaztag's existing voice recognition), along with allowing you to check up on your home from a smartphone app. Karotz will retail in France starting in November for €150 (about $210 US), followed by the UK in December and February in the US. Hopefully Karotz can find a bit more market success than its ill-fated predecessors.

Gallery: Karotz press shots and a peek under the hood

MindScape's Karotz continues the proud Nabaztag lineage originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nabaztag can't make RFID cool, has to file for bankruptcy

Darren Murph — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:27:00 EST

We always knew that any company courageous enough to take a technology designed to help mega-corps monitor their inventory levels and make it mainstream would face an uphill battle, but we never envisioned Nabaztag caving entirely to the pressure. If a snippet in a recent issue of Les Echos (a French financial paper) is to be believed, the creator of the rabbit-inspired Violet RFID Mirror has filed for bankruptcy, giving any company interested in keeping the brand alive until September 4th to toss out a cash infusion. Not like we're looking at you, Mr. VC, but we're definitely hoping to not be sobbing about this in just under a month. Tick, tock.

[Voa Loic Le Meur]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Wireless

Nabaztag can't make RFID cool, has to file for bankruptcy originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Violet starts shipping Nano:ztags in the US

Darren Murph — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:59:00 EST

Like the Rolly, it's hard to say exactly why having an RFID-enabled Nano:ztag in your life will make sleeping, eating and breathing each day any easier. In fact, the jury's still out on whether these things are simply novel or primed to take over where the Tamagotchi left off. Starting now, Violet is offering a rainbow's worth of its micro Rabbit devices here in the US, with prices ranging from $6.90 to $12.90 depending on color. Now, if only you could figure out how to integrate RFID into your life, you'd be set.

Filed under: Peripherals, Wireless

Violet starts shipping Nano:ztags in the US originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 May 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nabaztag's Violet RFID-readin' USB Mirror now available

Tim Stevens — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:46:00 EST

Looking for a brighter, cuter way to search for those RFID implants the government has hidden somewhere in your body? The Violet RFID Mirror is your gadget, and it's now shipping. Those not running from the NWO will find the $59.99 gadget has a myriad of other uses as well, letting you tag all sorts of things and have them trigger various applications. You could set your keys on it and have it launch a traffic report, or put your wallet on there to bring up your bank statement. You know, useless but still interesting stuff -- a lot like the company's multi-colored bunnies that seem to love to sit upon them.

[Via I4U]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Nabaztag's Violet RFID-readin' USB Mirror now available originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Print magazine + RFID = hyperbole

Joseph L. Flatley — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:27:00 EST

Adding to an exclusive -- but growing -- list of things that were just as well off before running headlong into RFID technology, the next issue of France's Amusement Magazine is billing itself as the "first ever connected to the Internet!" The PR we received for this bad boy asks some questions: "What if a magazine... could consist of paper, ink, electronic components and digital content all at the same time? What if the contents of a magazine could go on living forever in cyberspace? What if the difference between written and digital text finally becomes one in the same?" May we add one more question to the list? How about, "why can't you just throw in a CD-ROM / DVD-ROM like everybody else?" Or maybe, "What am I supposed to do with this?" If you're a Francophone with a Violet Mir:ror laying around, hit that read link. PR after the break.

Continue reading Print magazine + RFID = hyperbole

Filed under: Peripherals, Wireless

Print magazine + RFID = hyperbole originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Violet brings Mir:ror to the States, let the RFID superfluity begin!

Paul Miller — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:28:00 EST

While initially enthused at the prospect of RFID tagging our objects for swipability by a home-based RFID reader -- like Violet's new Mir:ror -- we eventually came the realization that we would never use it for anything, ever. Still, perhaps that's just us: Mir:or, which retails for $59, packs two Nano:ztags (the little bunnies with a tag inside) and three Ztamp:s (adhesive tags), allowing you to specify computer functions to trigger when the Mir:ror is approached by one of those RFID tags. A classic usage scenario involves placing your keys on the Mir:ror, with the device letting your computer know if your keys are resting there or not -- something potentially achieved by looking at the Mir:ror itself, if you're into spoilers, but hopefully hackers can put this to better use. Violet also offers tagged children's books, and a set of 12 extra Ztamp:s, for $8 and $20, respectively. Demo video is after the break.

Continue reading Violet brings Mir:ror to the States, let the RFID superfluity begin!

Filed under: Peripherals, Wireless

Violet brings Mir:ror to the States, let the RFID superfluity begin! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Violet announces dal:dal internet-connected lamp

Donald Melanson — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:46:00 EST

It's an expectedly cryptic announcement, but it looks like the whimsical folks at Violet have finally seen fit to offer a follow-up to their original and less-than-affordable dal internet-connected lamp, with the all new dal:dal lamp apparently on track for a release early next year. As before, the lamp will change colors to relay different information, or, as Violet puts it, convert the "world's ebb & flow and endless stream of events into halos of living colours and audio micro-messages." No exact release date just yet but, according to GeekLifeBlog, it'll set you back €59, or about $75.

[Via GeekLifeBlog]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Household

Violet announces dal:dal internet-connected lamp originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

Paul Miller — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:10:00 EST

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

Filed under: Peripherals

Nabaztag's Violet debuts "Mirror" general-purpose home RFID reader originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Nabaztag reads bedtime stories better than daddy

Thomas Ricker — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:36:00 EST

The Nabaztag WiFi rabbit learned a new trick at CeBIT: reading RFID tagged children's books. Violet already loosed a book in France at Christmas and now plans to launch its first English language book in the UK within the month. Right, that's one less parental responsibility for you. It's also cooking up "ztamps" which are RFID stickers you can attach to anything you like. When each unique sticker is held to Nabaztag's nose, it responds with a predefined action like playing music, sending an email, reading off the latest headlines, etc. Really, it's not as crazy as it sounds. Check the video after the break -- now that they've fixed last year's service issues caused to overwhelming demand, parents might want to give this critter a second look.

Continue reading Video: Nabaztag reads bedtime stories better than daddy

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Robots, Wireless

Video: Nabaztag reads bedtime stories better than daddy originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nabaztag/tag users up in arms about spotty service, missing features

Paul Miller — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 11:16:00 EST

While we typically question the sanity of anyone who would pay $200+ for a talking rabbit (not really, we're just jealous), it looks like Nabaztag/tag fanboys/girls have a reason to be upset. Out of the box, many buyers of the cute little bunny found that they had just purchased a cute little paperweight, since Violet's API was down for days at a time. Now that those server problems have been fixed and the Nabaztag/tag can actually receive info from the service, buyers are finding that Violet expects an extra fee for some services, and completely failed to include other features in the box, such as RFID tags compatible with the bunny. Other features are hopelessly bad in their execution, such as instances of asking tag/tag for the weather, and receiving a response three minutes later. Hardly the virtual pet nirvana most users were hoping for. Violet has indicated that it has heard the complaints of its customers, but still hasn't issued a formal response to address the issues. We'll keep an eye out for such a word, and until that day we'll put our hope in Violet-alternatives such as OpenNab, which promise to help "Unleash Your Inner Bunny" without all the hassle of tangling with the company that gave it birth.

[Thanks, Mark B]

Filed under: Robots, Wireless

Nabaztag/tag users up in arms about spotty service, missing features originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Feb 2007 11:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nabaztag/tag enters the wild, our hearts

Paul Miller — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:25:00 EST

As of midnight in France -- 6PM EST -- the Nabaztag/tag went live, bringing with it RFID, a VoIP belly button and a whole lotta love. We're not quite sure yet if we're most excited to talk into this thing's belly button, allow it to sniff our various vegetables, or observe the RFID functionality at work -- a recent demo of the rabbit showed the Nabaztag/tag reading a children's book based on RFID encoded data. Violet, the creator of Nabaztag and its new successor, is also rolling out a software update that will affect all current Nabaztags, including personalised MP3 messaging and expanded newsfeeds. Sadly, we can't get the Violet site to load right this minute, so you might have to wait a bit for the server elves to do their thing before you can make this bunny yours.

Filed under: Robots, Wireless

Nabaztag/tag enters the wild, our hearts originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Violet RAZR V3i and white Nokia 6233 exclusive to Orange

Donald Melanson — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 16:40:00 EST

It should come as no surprise that most uniquely-colored cellphones are not done for good causes, but for good old crass commercial purposes. Given their fruity-flavored name, we suppose it was only a matter of time before the UK's Orange got into the exclusive colored phone game, recently announcing not one but two phones that'll be exclusive to style-conscious Orange customers (at least for now). The first is the "deep violet" Motorola RAZR V3i, which was first unveiled back in April -- apparently, Orange liked it so much they couldn't let anyone else have it. The other phone is a more conservative pure white Nokia 6233 which, unlike the RAZR, doesn't appear to be available on Orange's website yet. Apparently, these are just the first in a series of color phones that Orange will be offering this year, including red, pink, and blue phones, as well as "other lively colour combinations."

[Via Shiny Shiny]

Filed under: Motorola, Nokia, Orange

Violet RAZR V3i and white Nokia 6233 exclusive to Orange originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jun 2006 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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