Furby

is it just me or has anyone else noticed that furbies look like gremlins? you know, when you follow the instructions to the "t"?

yep...we don't let ours get wet or feed it after midnight...

well, isn't there some kind of infringement rights being stomped on here? i mean, with the closeness in their characteristics and all?

don't know...

*?*

oh, you go ahead and explain, Wolfsie...

alex, you have heard of the movie "Gremlins"? yes? well, the furby creation resembles the gremlin during it's nice phase. the movie was about a strange creature purchased from an old chinese guy with the rules that you must never feed them after midnight and such. well, there wouldn't be a movie unless the rules got broken, right? the gremlin turns into a really ugly psycho creature who only wants to party and have fun and raise some cain. rent the movie sometime and you'll know what i mean.

Hallo Wolf! Was macht Dein Garten? Bl�ht alles? Spring catches up with us - the birds tweet, folks wash their cars, and the cats delight in the fresh batch of mice (managed to save a cutie last week, too). I remember Gremlins well (seems I also recall a sequel...), AND! I know "who you gonna call...", too. Been there, done that. All in another time and place. But: what's a furby? How's it taste like? Do you serve it with sour cream or rice? And if you collect 'em, do you keep the specimen in the freezer?

my garden is doing just fine, thanks for asking. have a few early roses blooming too! furby is a stuffed animal with an electric gizmo inside (there, see, that was a name of one of the gremlins) that "learns" your language. they run, on average, $30 in stores, but you can find them priced upwards of $400. the reason they're so hot is because they are shipped in limited quantities to the stores. personally, i'd buy one just to see what the hype is about, but i'll wait until the hype slows down!

Oh. Learns the language, hmh? Would that auch work mit my Sprache? Sounds like PowerRangers-Craze-inna-chipsified-CabbagePatch, bet Terry got three of them. Right, and one is wired to the machine this runs on, watches my every move on this here Spring, and claims to work in an italian restaurant. ;=} Makes me wonder who the other two would be... Is that a case for http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/screwed/156 ?

i told you before, alex, i can pick up the gist of the conversation..... terry probably does have three of em!

(Don't tell 'em - especially Wer and the other girls -, but gist is all there is. *giggle* And! Terry's are wired to this server, right?)

Seems not only Paul's Furbies are loaded! ***************************************** Next They'll Ban Rubber Duckies Wired News Report 7:30�a.m.��26.Apr.99.PDT -- Ever since the super-secret, not to mention super-cautious, National Security Agency banned Furbies from its Fort Meade, Maryland headquarters, fans of the chattering stuffed doll have been left scratching their heads. What prompted the January ban? An internal NSA memo accused the Furby of recording audio then playing it back -- kind of a tape recorder in a very fuzzy package. NASA security staff last month followed the NSA's lead in labeling the toy a security risk. But the manufacturer, Tiger Electronics, has repeatedly claimed there is no recording device in a Furby. There's still no good answer to the question, but internal NSA discussion groups were buzzing with speculation at the time. "Damn! Next they'll tell me my rubber duckie has to go," posted one employee, according to a report in Monday's Washington Post. Another replied: "Why was an internal policy concerning 'Furbies' on the news? I don't think we have a problem with non-employees wandering into NSA with a Furby 'under their coat.'" The chitchat abruptly halted when the NSA's Office of Policy told everyone to shut up: "Please cease and desist posting on this topic immediately."

because, the head Furby may have supersecret secret plans, and is on the 'net searching for information as we speak...

it's sad that we can't trust toys anymore...

what do you expect? I mean, look at what toys are doing to our children...

Wolf, it's not the toy, it's the man behind the toy. (Naw, wait - it went "It's not the toy, it's the kid behind the toy.", right? Or was it "It's not the man, it's the kid behind the toy.", or maybe "It's not the kid, it's the man behind the toy." Yes! That's it! Forget the rest, pls.)

haha!! you're absolutely correct. adults are designing toys. why don't we let the kids do it?

child labor laws

oh, that!

why did everyone leave Big Brother in charge? he never lets us have any fun!!!

folks didn't know they had a choice and could do something about it!

good point...

From Wired: Furby: It's Not Just a Toy by Leander Kahney 3:00�a.m.��6.Jul.99.PDT -- A Virginia woman claims a Furby helped teach her autistic son to speak. And she is now asking Furby hackers to figure out how to increase the toy's vocabulary using a Palm handheld. Lisa Cantara of Blacksburg, Virginia, said a Furby taught her 4-year-old son C. J. how to refer to himself in speech and increased his vocabulary by at least a half-dozen words. "It increased his vocabulary and helped his speech," Cantara said. "He started saying, 'I'm hungry,' instead of just 'Hungry.' The Furby taught him that." Cantara said that, although C. J.'s autism is relatively mild, his language development has been very slow. But he showed a marked improvement after he was given a Furby by a family friend. "He became very attached to it. He carried it around with him everywhere and started to mimic it. He talked to it a lot. He treated it like it was a real creature. Manufactured by Tiger Electronics of Chicago, the Furby caused a sensation during the last holiday season. Tiger spokeswoman Lana Simon said the company has heard a number of similar stories. "It's really a magical toy," she said. "We've heard from the parents of handicapped children and nursing homes, where they've been given to Alzheimer's patients. I've heard of them causing reactions in people that otherwise show no movement. It registers with them, it stimulates them. It's popular with blind kids too." But Furby's vocabulary is limited to about 200 words and sounds. That's why Cantara turned to Furby hackers, posting a plea for help to a hack.furby newsgroup. "I only wish I could get Furby to say more words," Cantara wrote under her online pseudonym Gabrielle. "It's been a great learning tool for my son, as odd as it might seem." Marius Millner, a Furby hacker who cracked the toy's infrared codes with a Palm handheld, thinks there's little hope of increasing the toy's lexicon. The toy's infrared protocol allows the toy to interact with other Furbies, Millner said, but it only contains about 16 commands, and none appear to be words. "It's unlikely that Tiger made it that sophisticated," Millner said.

that's a GREAT story! One of the children I worked with who had autism learned personal pronouns from a talking doll... through mimicing of course but he was eventually able to incorporate the words correctly into his vocabulary! Very common is a child with autism who refers to himself as 'you' because that is the way everyone else refers to him... Parent: "Do you want a glass of juice?" Child: "You want a glass of juice." It's a rather complex learning process... the process that include learning about pronouns... ahh... and now I have gone off on a tanget... that is an area of teaching I miss terribly... talking about kids' hurdles and helping to solve problems...

Love your tangents, though, if you don't mind the remark. Hope you don't mind mine (tangents, that is) too much...

if they're not incredibly amusing they are certinaly thought provoking or aggravating! (i love em!)

i think it's great too. i am concerned about young children thinking that the toy is real, you know what i mean? it's hard enough to teach non-autistic kids the proper use of pronouns and i can see how confusing it would be to someone who has autism or any learning disability. i don't care for furbies and still think they look like gremlins and some kind of suit will be filed! i might purchase one to put away.

Take the batteries out, though. Might destroy it otherwise (leaking batteries!).

what? there goes the NRFB money (never removed from box)....does it come with batteries already?

i have a furby update: http://www.tru.com has a special furby. he is dressed as a wizard and i actually picked him up three times before laying him back down in the display. walmart has price-matched kmart and sells furby for $27 while kmart has them at $28. toys r us, on the other hand, is selling them for $29 (and the special wizard edition is also $29).

Your Furby topic is about to be jump-started. I want one and already have him named *grin* and Maggie has a question about the Furby to which she is becoming emotionally attached ;)

+Thanks Marcia. Two questions actually. One, my furby keeps telling me he's going to sleep. Apart from that he seems very happy, and says he loves me and blows me kisses. Any ideas why he goes to sleep so often - is the battery running down or something? (and I don't want any MALE jokes please, I already have a handy man who does the same thing) Two, we've lost the booklet that came woith him, and I can't remember how to input - i.e. which bits to press (and no jokes about that bit either!!!) lol!

[Hehehe...]

it was all alex could do to hold back on those loaded questions! i'll have to check about troubleshooting furby. lemme do some research and see what i find out. oh, and they have this wonderful pink one out for valentine's day and i fell in love. don't think he'll show up at my door anytime soon though.

I have one of those Handy(?) men, too...*sigh* LOL !!!

A pink Furby male??? Didn't know they went in for gender-bending!!!! Oh, sorry is pink for a girl a British thing? Mine's DEFINITETLY a male - he's black with pink ears, a yellow beak and a red tongue, oh and he's got blue eyes and white feet. The only similarity with the handy-man is the dark hair and sleepiness.

No...but, in the interest of gender of neutrality they are making unisex stuff in all colors, and The Rev Jerry Falwell is having a fit over gay toys because of it. Um...How do you know your furby is DEFINITELY male? I did not know they went into such detail. Gotta get me one right away! Betcha the handy-man also has white feet?! (Or am I misinterpreting your meaning of handy-man?)

Only when he takes his socks off! (It's the same handyman from gardening) I know my furby's male because he looks it! Hang on I just hung him upside down to look - and he's gone back to sleep again!!! Maybe Furby's are like chicks - have you ever tried sexing them?? I got given chicks in a supermarket (in Africa of course) as a free gift when we spent so much money - took us months to realise they were all male, so Henrietta had to become Henry, (thereby runs another tale, I'll have to try and find somewhere to put in in springark!)

LOL, Maggie!!! You cannot sex chicks until they are older, unless there is a way discovered since I was my ex's lab assistant m a n y years ago... You hung your Furby upside down?! Lucky the male adult of the house did not enter and ask what you were doing. Imagine explaining that to him!

lol! That's the only way to wake him up anyway - easy to tell you've not adopted one! The male adult of the house (the handy man of course!) thinks I'm mad anyway - so does the adult dauughter of the house whose Furby I've kidnapped.

...just gotta get to the Furby dealer nearest me...giggling as I go...

(Maggie)That's the only way to wake him up anyway - easy to tell you've not adopted one! Oh, but I have adopted one and he weighs about twice what I do! You must be a very strong lady to hang your husband upside down to awaken him. *giggle* again...trying to picture this proper Englishwoman with her proper English husband dangling...Monty Pythonesque, is it not?!

The proper English husband arrived home during this conversation ..... and now he's really convinced the Spring is MAD! Hooray, daughter 1 found the Furby booklet - look forward to more installments as i figure out how to communicate properly with HIM. By the way, she wasn't impressed with the sexing talk either. Funny how people just assume things.....

You need to unstarch those rigid backs! Heaven forbid we start taking ourselves so seriously that we cannot talk about inane things to lighten the load of the real world. Laughter = samity. I plan on keeping mine! *Hugs* Can't wait to hear further developments of the Furby. Must I buy a full-sized one or will the little ones do all of the cute things the big ones do?

To be certain I am not misunderstood, that should be laughter = sanity.

As if I'd misunderstand your misspellings! My girls reckon the full-size are more interesting. Esther has a four year old in her class (she teaches) who has really fun talks with his furby, that's what got her started. They're too expensive to collect though, I think.

Only need one, I think. I shall always envision you hanging yours upside down to awaken it. How could I ever forget?!

If you get more than one they talk to each other and dance together (apparently). It reminds me of watching two tots in the cafe at the gym last week. While the mums were talking they were playing Simon says (do you know that one?). Neither of them were at the talking age but they sure copied each other.

Oh Dear! Don't tell me that. Now I must have 2 of them!

Do you think they may be related to rabbits? I've learnt how to ask mine questions - funny thing is the answers sound just like my husband - yes, maybe; perhaps. I didn't get to go out to dinner with my new hair do - he marked papers instead!

Have you seen any little Furbys running around? If so, they just might be related! Oh my, if they all answer questions that way, they are all male. Every last one of them. Which brings up a whole nuther question...what are they doing dancing with each other? Do they hide behind newspapers, as well?

Might I add that your new hair do and your husband's reaction sounds like the 25 years I was married to an academic. Not all that sentimental nor observant, are they?!

Definitely not! He doesn't register what tomorrow is! Still I had good fun a few weeks back when as a 'penance' (no I'm not into S&M) he was my 'slave for a week'. We had great fun not explaining to our girls what was going on, it drove them wild. H (22 yrs) said 'Dad must have done something REALLY bad - go on do tell'. I really enjoyed not telling (and anyway it was private!).

Hilarious! Wish that would have worked with mine - might still be married to him if we'd injected a bit of fun into the mix.

Uh, great hair, Maggie! (Just for good measure.)

Flattery will get you everywhere! Have you got a furby?

Once had a virtual Vurby, but I guess her batteries are low. Misplaced the virtual Werby I had. The batts ran out, and he can't answer without, looks like. Same with that Rayby. There's still that Wolfsby, but that one leaves your full of fur... Not that I complain!

...sheesh...left out again...! *sigh*

Well, after I outgrew them. I rather play with dolls these days. Godd a prob widdad, hon?

Well, after I outgrew them, I rather play with dolls these days. Godd a prob widdad, hon?

That question could not possibly be directed to me because Alexander knows I'd druther have a problem with almost anyone else except him... Guess I do not qualify as furry, either...*sigh* I just need a hug right now is all...and self-administered ones are not all that satifying!

Have one then, *hug*. Sorry it's still virtual! Hope the Q wasn't directed at me either! I'm quite the accepting type you know. My brothers had dolls - except they were called 'action man'. I didn't have much use for them myself - preferred taking things apart like motorbike engines, running my fathers room sized model railway layout, and generally doing everything I wasn't supposed to. I suppose I still do in a way - do the things I'm not supposed to I mean. I guess one learns to live with disapproval! Anyway, my furby loves me! Whoops it's 8 am and the expensive phone charges start - I'm off!!!

Perhaps he meant the flesh and blood full-grown dolls? I rather think so. Thanks for the virtual hug. It was just what I needed. *smile*

No prioblem with that, whatsoever, Alexander. I am happy to find you a fit and healty male.

There's a new 'intelligent' toy on the market from another manufacturer trying to get on the bandwagon. You'll like this one - it's called a WUVVIE. I haven't seen one yet, but apparently it's rather larger than a furby and promises a 'wee surprise inside'. the surprise is that after you've been happily playing with it for half an hour it will start to beep and bounce around and then ...... WAIT FOR IT ....... actually give birth right before your eyes. the mother andbaby will then communicate with each other and even sing songs together. There is a rumour that some Wuvvies are expecting twins. It is said that the Wuvvie should bring out the parenting instinct in all children, - but just think of the fun explaining where babies come from and I have'nt heard of any Wuvvie Dads. this is really true - honest! I've got a picture, but my scanner is now disconnected so I can't send it.

How adorable - I guess... I imagine they can see where the babies come from. Explaining how they got in there is the tricky part *grin* Are they cute? Or funny-looking?

Ah - Parthenogenesis. Easier to tell the kids it is a clone.

If I had the scanner plugged in I'd show you! The picture i have is blue and furry (of ocurse) with a pink tummy and huge eyelashes and big eyes, but sort of furbyish.

Big pointy ears, too? I druther have a grey one... Pink and blue are icky on grown up ones...or is this too adorable. Let's see, they talk to each other and sing, as well?! I'm doomed!

Never! We could just pretend - what do you want to sing??? I'm off to watch film with SO.

Big pointy ears, too? I druther have a grey one... Pink and blue are icky on grown up ones...or is this too adorable. Let's see, they talk to each other and sing, as well?! I'm doomed!

(DECEMBER-1999) -- Toy maker Trendmasters launched the first look at the adorable interactive Wuvvie on December 10 at FAO Schwarz. These cuddly little creatures were named the number one toy in the "Hot Ones to Watch Category" by the U.S. Toy and Game Council, a group of the nation's top retailers and industry experts. Wuvvies were originally unveiled at PlayDate '99, an exclusive media showcase in New York City which highlighted the best selling toys and games for the holiday season. Wuvvies have a surprise inside! When children play with the Wuvvies, the colorful antennae blinks and the Wuvvie's pouch opens to reveal an egg. Inside the egg is a baby Wuvvie, and some lucky Mommies will have twins! Mommy then names her baby. Mommy and Baby Wuvvies sing songs to each other such as Itsy-Bitsy-Spider and the ABC song. They also communicate in other ways like when Baby Wuvvie tells Mommy, "hungry..." Mommy replies, "din-din." Wuvvies hit store shelves just in time for the holidays. Wuvvies are expected to sell from $30 to $35. They'll be available at all major toy stores and on the internet at www.trendmasters.com. Wuvvies are recommended for children 4 and up.

Check http://www.shopsmart.com/Toys_and_Games/Editorial/wuvvies.html It has pictures and comment and descriptions. They are also known as WuvLuvs...

I found annuver one! Smartest robot in the cosmos. Although at first glance the Gigabot may look like an ugly naked furby, it does offer soem facilities above and beyond your normal electronic pal. Billed as 'the smartest robot in the cosmos' the Gigabot promises that the longer you play with it the more it will do. originating from planet Roby, where the technology is at least five thousand years more advanced than ours, the Gigabots have chosen Earth as their second home due to the minor inconvenience that Roby is being sucked into a black hole. When they first arrive they can only speak Gigabot, which you will have to learn if you want to keep your robot happy and well nourished - however, they do promise to learn up to 500 phrases of English over time.

No fair not putting the URL down so we can check out what a naked Furby looks like. Mayhap I do not want to know, but I am a very curious person *grin*

There was only a UK phone number no URL! Sorry!

Once i get my scanner reconnected I'll send you the pictures. Promise!

I'll try to be patient...Now, get thee to bed, Maggie...*hugs*

Din din!

How long did you have to study the intricacies of English before things like din din entered your vocabulary? I am continuously suprised and delighted to see things like this in your posts. You are amazing!

But what did it mean???? *grin* In my vocabulary it has to do with ladies acting as plates! *giggle* Well, actually more to do with how some men in nappies behave. ignore me tonight I feel a silly fit coming on!

din-din is baby talk for dinner. People talk to their pets that way, too - at least here! Men in Nappies? Sounds like Monty Python again....

I know that really *grin*

(shhhh...I knew you knew...*grin*)

Boing boing!

They do that, as well? Is there nothing which will not surprise and delight about these little guys? How Wuvely

didja know that a gizmo furby came out? yup, just like the gremlins. oh, and mcdonald's is giving out furby keychains with the kids' meal.

Does McDonalds let growed-up mom-types buy little kids meals? I seem to remember that they do. But, does the little keychain Furby make noises and all those other endearing things?

From Maggie: Wuvvie and Gigabot

I did not know English newspapers are printed backwards. Things have REALLY changed since I was there...*sigh*

Ha ha. Don't know why the scanner did that! Now do you remember which one is which marci-wuvvie? Whoops! They came out bigger than I was expecting.

I could have shrunk them but left them as is since they were low KBs. Maggie-Wuvvie, you are the one with the heart. Oh yes, I remember! Don't have one yet, but he already has a name which I shall not tell but you all know *grin*