Wednesday, April 02, 2008

I Want One Of These Little Guys...

From: Cool Gadgets - Toshiba's Talking Robot acts as a universal remote - ApriPoko | Geeky Gadgets

Toshiba Apripoko

This one of the cooler gadgets I've seen lately is this Apripoko from Toshiba. Currently, it's a prototype, but if it comes to fruition, this thing will need a place in my home.

Here's how it works - It has infrared sensors that detect when you push a button on one of your remotes (TV, DVD, etc), and it will ask you "What did you just do?"

You tell it ("Turn on the TV"). It memorizes what you said, and all you have to do next time is say "turn on the TV", and the Apripoko sends out the appropriate infrared commands to turn on the TV. It can learn all kinds of IR codes, so if you have remote-controlled drapes or a projection screen that is controlled by an IR remote, Apripoko can learn those commands as well.

Details are a little thin, but what I'd love to see is this device have the ability to learn multiple commands in succession. With this feature, you could use one verbal command to turn on the TV, change the input to video, and turn on the DVD with one command.

At the minimum, this is going to be a great Christmas gift if it is released.