MX (Australia)
August 11, 2006 Friday
Melbourne Edition

Wi-fi bunny a pet laureate

SPEAK EASY

In the Darwinian evolution of electronic companions, first came the
speaking doll, then the Tamagotchi virtual pet, then Sony’s
short-lived AIBO robot dog.

Now, it could be the dawn of the Wi-fi rabbit era.

The plastic bunny with ears like TV antennae can read out emails and
text messages, tell children to go to bed, announce a stock collapse
and give traffic updates by receiving internet feeds through a
wireless Wi-fi network.

”It gives a visual and vocal representation of what is on the
internet,” explained Paul Jackson, an analyst at US research house
Forrester.

The bunny, which stands 23cm tall and has a white cone-like body that
lights up when it speaks, is called Nabaztag, which means rabbit in
Armenian, its creator’s mother tongue. It can also wiggle its ears
and sing songs.

French entrepreneur Rafi Haladjian, who came up with the idea, says
the rabbit sometimes carries more sway over children than their
parents and can help men win forgiveness from angry partners.

”It is sad, but true,” he said.

Nabaztag, made in Shenzhen, China, costs about $195.

Since its market debut last year, 50,000 Nabaztags have been sold in
France, Britain, Belgium and Switzerland.

Wi-fi technology is the latest must-have in consumer goods, from
mobile phones to personal digital assistants, laptops and TV set-top
boxes.