RobosapienRsMedia
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Robosapien RS Media making brief US retail appearance
Wowwee is a great innovator and all, but sometimes it doesn't play so nice, refusing to share all the wonderful toys in its robotic zoo with everyone in the world. Specifically, some of the company's hottest products -- like the RoboPanda and RoboBoa -- are doomed forever to a foreign-only release, leaving us gadget-happy Americans stuck with the Dragonflies and last-gen Robosapiens stacked up at the local Radio Shack. So you can see why even the US availability of limited quantities of Wowwee's latest and greatest robotic companion / killing machine is something to get a little excited about, with several dozen of the LCD-equipped, hacker-friendly units left over from the JavaOne Conference going for $329 each on a first-come-first-served basis. As of this posting only 44 RS Medias are still up for grabs, according to RoboCommunity (actually populated by humans, we suspect), and since these specific models come bundled with the Sun robot extension, sitting back and waiting for a possible stateside deployment might not be the best idea. [Via RoboCommunity]
Wowwee Robosapien RS Media gets reviewed
Although it seems like we've been seeing an awful lot of Wowwee's robotic zoo of late, the kind folks over at TechCast actually gave their Robosapien RS Media a bit more than 15 seconds of YouTube fame, and have thrown down a relatively thorough review on whether this intriguing creature is worth your hard earned dollars (or pounds). After calming down from the excitement reviewers felt when just opening the box, a careful look at the "impressive spec list" revealed that this bot was actually quite a good value considering the list of accomplishments (and possibilities) this guy holds. As the name implies, this Robosapien has a flair for media, and in that department it did quite well, but the poor fellow's inability to walk with any sort of haste was a slight buzz kill. Interestingly, it was noted that the robot has the potential to either floor new owners or terrify youngsters, and although we can't assume that his experience will mimic everyone's, he found that the amazingly high fun-factor quickly wore off, and deemed it a novelty at best. However, for the younger crowd, it was insinuated that the RS Media has the ability to charm and sucker them into programming early on, suggesting that age probably plays a huge role in whether or not you'll get your money's worth on this one. Nevertheless, the bot must have resorted to the sad puppy dog face in the end, as it still earned the TechCast Recommended Award, so be sure to hit the read link for the full rundown of impressions and a live action video to boot.
Robosapien RS Media coming stateside this summer
It'll be nearly a year and a half since it was first introduced at CES 2006, but the Robosapien RS Media -- already available in the UK -- is finally poised for a US release this summer. According to a Wowwee representative at a media event this evening, the multimedia-focused humanoid (as you may recall, it rocks a digital video camera, chest-mounted LCD, and MP3 playback capabilities) will retail for a cool $300, but those three Benjamins do get you the most interactive and customizable Robosapien on the market. Sadly, despite the many petitions we've sent to Wowwee, that popular flamethrower accessory is not included.
