Sony's newest robo dog comes with a mandatory monthly fee - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 08:18:44 am
content: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/11/sonys-aibo-robot-dog-is-back-gives-us-oled-puppy-dog-eyes/I always thought the only good thing about a robot pet would be not having to buy it food.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 08:54:58 am
content: Sony : "Send us money or we'll kill your dog"Just begging for some hackery....

author: Mjolinor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 08:57:24 am
content: Probably already has the same "personality change" software that the PS3 suffered from to be installed once your cheque clears.Never again will I buy or even consider anything Sony make or do..

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 10:04:56 am
content: Can't wait the for the questions to start coming:Software update bricked my dogMy dog stopped sending me emails reminding me to walk itHow to SSH into my dog to update network settingsHelp me, I moved and my dog stopped playing with meHow to remove /sys/givemefoodevery6hours.sh from my dog

author: Electro Detective
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 10:12:43 am
content: I'll pay any reasonable robo-dog fee to Sonyor cheap back alley MIC knockoffas long as it sorts out the DEAF neighbors yelping dogs and p!ssing catsWhat product does one lube robo dog with? silicone grease, oil or WD40?(dirty minded people please move on, nothing to see here)

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 10:16:28 am
content: To be honest the main reason I would want a robot dog is not because it doesn't need feeding but because it doesn't leave dog eggs everywhere.I was greeted three weeks ago by my nephew who is 4 and his little puppy. They were covered from head to toe in dog shit and the house was covered in it. Took my sister-in-law two hours to clean it up and shower them. This event happened in the time it took her to go for a piss.

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 10:19:07 am
content: - Why are you in jail, kid?- Sony caught me when I was screwing my dog back.-

author: Muttley Snickers
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 10:52:57 am
content: Are Asimov's laws legally binding ?, if so then Sony could end up in the dog house with this mongrel of a concept.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 11:17:02 am
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on November 02, 2017, 08:54:58 amIr is cloud based, so no hackery would help. I'd be more concerned about fact that you are buying device which will spy on you 24/7.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 11:32:25 am
content: Quote from: wraper on November 02, 2017, 11:17:02 amIt's 2017, we were supposed to have flying cars by now. Instead we get cloud-based dogs.Quote from: RoGeorge on November 02, 2017, 10:19:07 am... screwing my dog backtogether. Apparently the line dropped out there for a moment.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 11:44:33 am
content: Quote from: wraper on November 02, 2017, 11:17:02 amYou could hack it to connect to your own "cloud"or replace the "cloud" stuff

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 01:29:32 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on November 02, 2017, 11:44:33 amThe only reason for this thing for this thing to have wifi acess is for the pervs at Sony to watch your every move. Also, I'm assuming everyone has seen IRobot?HELL NOwith this shit!Disable the wifi IMMEDIATELY!

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 01:34:39 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on November 02, 2017, 11:44:33 amYour own "cloud" should be quiet advanced to provide even some small portion of original functionality. It's from the same realm as hacking Siri or amazon alexa to work locally.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 01:36:11 pm
content: If it's cloud based, you might be able to hack it b adjusting your network - it's been done for phone assistants, so when you ask certain questions, the results are supplied by a local server instead of being sent to the actual servers.A couple of years ago, my friend wanted to sell me his Aibo, but I declined because I was afraid it would spend most of the time int he box and I wouldn;t do much with it. I was strongly tempted though. Still an amazing bit of hardware for as old as it is.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 01:57:12 pm
content: Quote from: rrinker on November 02, 2017, 01:36:11 pmI wonder about how you are supposed to do, say, voice recognition locally?

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 02:53:06 pm
content: Same as you do it remotely!

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 02:57:38 pm
content: Quote from: wraper on November 02, 2017, 01:57:12 pmThe dog should turn it head slightly, and raise its ears.Come on, all dogs do that...And understand a total of about 150-200 words. Otherwise it is not a dog.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 04:13:29 pm
content: Quote from: bd139 on November 02, 2017, 02:53:06 pmGood luck implementing that.

author: Mjolinor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 04:16:58 pm
content: Quote from: wraper on November 02, 2017, 04:13:29 pmIt used to work OK before the cloud was invented it just took a bit of teaching.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 04:24:59 pm
content: Quote from: Mjolinor on November 02, 2017, 04:16:58 pmI wrote about comment implementing it the same way as in cloud. Yes it can be made offline but not nearly as well. Also I'd like to see who would bother doing such overwhelming work of rewriting it's firmware just to implement crippled piece of crap.

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 04:43:28 pm
content: Quote from: wraper on November 02, 2017, 04:24:59 pmYou could easily do it offline, it doesn't need advanced data access, it's a damn dog! It can store all it needs to know right onboard! It only needs to know basic commands and stuff. I mean sure it could connect to get updates, but it certainly doesn't need this continous connection payed subscription garbage. This is as bad as the Juicero! I call BULLSHIT!

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 04:46:42 pm
content: Quote from: wraper on November 02, 2017, 04:24:59 pmThere. Probably takes like 10 minutes.https://www.bishoph.org/raspberry-pi-and-offline-speech-recognition/It is a dog. It is not an Amazon echo.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 04:54:55 pm
content: Spot on.It has no intelligence. It has a rudimentary set of programs that run to have certain behaviours and bunch of weights which define its personality. It's no more complicated than an old text D&D game with a dumb as shit expert system attached to it. Voice recognition is pretty damn good these days and it doesn't need any interpretative ability; just the ability for a phrase to trigger a sequence of events etc. It can exist on it's own.When it has a connection to the cloud, it becomes a rather creepy little bastard telescreen on legs run by one of the largest Japanese companies with the lowest reputation for writing quality software in the history of the human race and/or acting honestly when they get caught with their pants down. PSN/Sony Online hack, BMG rootkit for example.Ugh stamp on it.

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 05:19:28 pm
content: I say crush this bitch (literally) with it's own kin the Juicero!

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2017, 10:10:08 pm
content: Quote from: rrinker on November 02, 2017, 01:36:11 pmYou will need to have a very good idea of the data being transmitted back and forth. The problem is that if you can intercept it with any easy, other people should be able to do the same. If it's well protected, it will keep you out too.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 03:09:32 am
content: Quote from: Cyberdragon on November 02, 2017, 05:19:28 pmWill it blend?!!

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 04:26:07 am
content: Meanwhile I'm just sitting here slapping a Win7 install into bearable shape for my first time, and finding _that_ unacceptably online-hooked and painfully shitfull.What's the bet buyers of Sony's crapless yapper will have to enter a stupidly long 'product activation key' at some point? And if the dog doesn't have an online snitch line, it won't work?Hey, entirely unrelated, if one wanted to offline activate the dog7, so it thought it has 'Sony genuine product advantage' and stops complaining about not being legitimate, can anyone recommend an offline activation hack utility known to actually work? As opposed to loading up your dog7 with viruses.If your dog can't wake up any morning (for the next 15 years, or however long you can keep the hardware working) without access to the Net and some remote corporate servers, you don't have a dog. Same goes for an OS.

author: Naguissa
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 06:11:49 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on November 03, 2017, 04:26:07 amWell, At leqst in software you *should* know that you are buying a license and the PC can run with other OSs. With the dog you get a useless hardware.Enviado desde mi Jolla mediante Tapatalk

author: fubar.gr
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 06:47:29 am
content: They should program it to start humping your leg if you miss a subscription payment.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 12:52:43 pm
content: There used to be an "Aibo owner's club" in San Francisco whom I understand used to meet up from time to time so their Aibo's 'could play together'.I would always hoping to see them when I went to the locally popular dog meetup zone. (Duboce Park) but never did.These groups used to exist but probably have been long disbanded now, though. This was back in the late 1990s-early-2000s.Assuming some old Aibos still can run, what do the old/new Aibos do when they meet one another?Do they communicate? If so, how; via Wifi? Bluetooth? Audio? IR? What is the protocol they use?Does each Aibo have a GPS? Do they send tracking data to the Cloud?

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2017, 10:48:45 pm
content: Quote from: cdev on November 03, 2017, 12:52:43 pm

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2017, 02:08:19 pm
content: Here is a better article. This does seem more like what the Aibo thing is about. Note that Aibo is a Japan-only product.http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-41831695Sony revives Aibo robot dog toyBy Mary-Ann Russon Technology Reporter, BBC NewsSony says it is to bring back Aibo, its famous robot pet dog.The new Aibo is the tech giant's first entertainment robot in 12 years, and for now, it will only be sold in Japan.The machine learns from its owners and environment, as well as tapping into collective data stored in the cloud by other robot units.The return of Aibo suggests that Sony has finally got its innovative spirit back, say experts, after several difficult years.The revamped device is designed to move and act more like a real dog, and over time to develop its own distinct personality.The robot incorporates fish-eye cameras, location and mapping software, wi-fi connectivity and "artificial intelligence" to help it understand and adapt to its owners.Aibo will go on sale in January for 198,000 yen ($1,730, £1,300). Users will also need to pay a monthly subscription and use an app-based store to purchase and install additional abilities.TurnaroundIn 2006, veteran Sony engineer Toshitada Doi threw a mock funeral for Aibo, after the firm axed his pet project for being superfluous, according to the Wall Street Journal. At the time, Mr Doi said that Aibo was a symbol that Sony's "risk-taking spirit was now dead".This was under the tenure of Welsh-born businessman Sir Howard Stringer - Sony's first foreign chief executive - who tried to turn around the electronics business by cutting thousands of jobs and ending unprofitable projects.[Image caption] Prototypes of the Aibo robot dog at the Sony Archive museum in Shinagawa, TokyoHowever, Sony continued to lose money until Sir Howard retired in 2013 and handed the controls over to successor Kazuo Hirai.Following Mr Hirai's extensive restructuring programme, the electronics giant finally seems to be back on form.On Wednesday, Sony shares soared to a nine-year high after the firm forecast record annual profits."What Sony is doing is using Aibo to demonstrate its artificial intelligence credentials," commented Nick Maynard, a research analyst at Juniper Research."It's not impossible for it to become a popular device, but I don't think it will be in every household."This product is a statement of intent - it's Sony announcing its return as a creative force."Sony said in May 2016 that it was keen to build up its artificial intelligence business and it has invested in the AI start-up Cogitai.[Image caption] Sony is moving towards augmented reality and projectionsThe firm is also leaning towards innovations such as augmented reality and projections."What's fascinating is that Sony certainly seems to have its innovation mojo back, whether it's the Xperia Touch Android-based projector for smart homes, the e-ink watch or the 3D Creator augmented-reality technology that lets you scan someone's head and make an avatar of them," Ben Wood, a chief analyst at CCS Insight told the BBC."Because Sony's fortunes as a corporation have improved, it's given it the confidence to bet on riskier technologies."Not all of these products are going to succeed, but to keep your innovation edge, that's exactly what you need to be doing."