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The future is apparently here. And it's creepier than we ever imagined—even when we were playing around with tethering Teddy Ruxpin to the Internet. A Japanese company called Vinclu ("a company that makes crazy things and supports crazy people") is now taking pre-orders from Japan and the United States for a new interactive, artificial-intelligence driven home automation system. Called Gatebox, the new Internet-of-Things product takes Amazon's Alexa, Google Home, Spike Jonze's film Her , and the "holographic" anime characters of Vocaloid concerts to their unified natural conclusion.
Wait, what?
Gatebox, priced at ¥321,840 (about $2,700 US), is squarely targeted at young lonely salarymen and all brands of anime-obsessed otaku—promising the experience of "living with your favorite character." The size of a home coffee-maker, with a footprint no larger than a sheet of A4 printer paper, the device's main feature is a clear projection tube that displays a computer-animated avatar for the AI's "character." Vinclu apparently is planning multiple possible personalities for Gatebox—which, as part of the device's backstory, is a gateway to the dimension the character lives in.
A company like this could release the first strong AI product (kawaii slave?).
Beginner's definition of "waifu" for the uninitiated.
Update: Another article indicates that "[There's also] HDMI and PC inputs to allow the owner to make their own modifications and create their own characters."
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @03:32AM
The MDC crowdfunding initiative to ensure MDC dies childless, but not alone? :)
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday December 21 2016, @10:02PM
asked her out to coffee, gave her my number and email. She was pleased but I've gotten no response yet.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 22 2016, @02:39AM
Try again with another person? Lots of fish in the sea.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Thursday December 22 2016, @03:21AM
there is a woman to whom I plan to give my contact info, however she is more of a long-term hail mary pass, as she has a steady boyfriend.
HOWEVER:
I once dated Madonna's cousin. Yes, that Madonna.
She was a barista in Santa Cruz. I asked her to coffee.
"I have a boyfriend, but if we ever break up, I can have coffee with you then"
we had coffee six months later but I was so stricken with terror that the whole date was very awkward.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]