August 10, 2006 12:36 PM PDT
Prior to the Ambient Orb, Emoto-Tronics offered the Furby, a smart stuffed animal. The first version appeared in 1998, with an updated version hitting store shelves in 2005. The current Furby responds to voice recognition cues and reads its owner's "mood." The gadget replies in its own language, called Furbish, and can also use facial expressions owing to its moving ears, eyebrows, eyelids, plumage and beak. And it can be taught to speak up to 100 words of English. The toys also interact with one another on their own.
Photo by Emoto-Tronics
