TIME
June 5 2005
Energized Bunny
Can a new computer gadget pull the rabbit out of the hat for wi-fi?
By GRANT ROSENBERG
Sunday, Jun. 05, 2005
What’s the 21st century’s pet rock? A jumbo Tamagotchi pet? Nah.
French tech company Violet () has created Nabaztag, a
plastic, 23-cm-tall (with ears up) white rabbit with a constant wi-fi
connection. The device provides access to other Internet users and
vital daily information like traffic reports and the weather.
Programmed by its owner, Nabaztag (rabbit in Armenian) relays the
information in a slightly cartoonish female voice, and flashes
colored lights on her tummy when new e-mails arrive. The wi-fi
rabbit, which also plays MP3s and MIDI files and dances a jig, flags
these quotidian needs in order to reduce time spent in front of the
computer.
“Nabaztag is a way to stay connected without burnout,” explains
Violet co-founder Olivier Mével. Its creators wanted a noncomputer
form for their invention, and a bunny fit the bill. “We wanted
something that was cute, modest and not intimidating,”says Mével.
Retailing for $120, Nabaztag is scheduled for launch in France at the
end of June, and the firm is planning for a global release next year.
Will the rabbit catch on? The folks at Violet know whose foot to rub.
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