The next Aibo?:

Sony's out of the robot business, but Ugobe is ready to take over. Pleo, its robotic Camarasaurus dinosaur, is loaded with 38 touch, light and sound sensors that let him find his way around and respond to his human masters (he can also understand speech). Like Aibo, Pleo learns as he goes. When Pleo's creator picked him up, he said of the poodle-size creature: "It's the first time he's been picked up, so he's scared. The next time he'll be used to it."

And like a real baby, Pleo starts life stupid and cranky. He takes a long time figuring out how to move around, and if you don't play with him, he sulks and looks depressed. I'm not sure I have the time and patience to raise my own Pleo. But maybe if a friend gets one, I can be his uncle. Pleo will be cheap, selling for about $200 when he comes out for Christmas. And while Sony prosecuted fans who tried to hack Aibo, Ugobe invites customers to mod its bot.