FURBY, You heard it here first. Geez what's next in toys??? I'm gonna smuggle some into the States!! <grin>
FURBY : The Toy Phenom of '98 - Grand Toys to distribute hot
new toy exclusively in Canada
MONTREAL, Nov. 2 /CNW/ - After creating a buzz with its debut at this year's Toy Fair, ''Furby could be the first of an entire race of artificially intelligent special feature plush toys'', according to Wired Magazine (September, '98).
Furby, the cuddly standalone animatronic pet, interacts with the
environment through sight, touch, hearing and physical orientation. Each animated electronic plush toy is unique, intelligent and equipped with a singular personality and name. Furby can move and dance. Other motion includes eyes that open and close, ears that wiggle and a mouth that moves when speaking. Furby has its own language, ''Furbish'', but learns to speak English through positive reinforcement, Furbys communicate with each other via infrared signals, and can teach each other tricks and songs. They can also catch one another's colds. The electronics are fully integrated into each pet;
no additional equipment or computer is required.
Insert batteries and Furby is ready for play. When turned on for the first time, Furby will say his name. Although Furby will initially speak only Furbish, as with any intelligent being in a New World, he will begin to ''learn'' English and be able to communicate using English words. Furby has a vocabulary of nearly 200 Furbish and English words and sounds. In all Furby is able to ''say'' more than 800 phrases. Ultimately, Furby will use both Furbish and English to communicate.
These toys, selling for around $40.00 each, will also seem to adapt to their environment so that they will not respond to any particular stimulus the same way twice.
Toys like Furby, which exhibit rudimentary artificial intelligence, use technology that is increasingly invisible : no instruction manual is necessary. They're paving the way for the future and are distributed exclusively in Canada by Grand Toys.
Grand Toys is Canada's leading independent distributor and marketer of innovative toys.
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