Motherboard's doing nicely

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Sep 14, 2001

TOKYO (NYT) -- When Sony unleashed its robotic dog, Aibo, in June 1999, the unusual creature was met with widespread gadget-lust. Since then there has been a flurry of robotic pet toys, including many cheaper knock-off hounds, but last week Sony announced a new litter of purebreds: two models called Latte and Macaron.

The new toys, which are said to have a greater emotional range than the original Aibo, understand words heard through their ear microphones and adapt over time, developing personalities and capabilities according to how they are raised. If you frequently play with the new Aibos, they become spoiled, and if you give them a lot of freedom, they become a bit mischievous. According to Sony, the Latte and Macaron, which are priced around $850 in the United States, will be available on the Internet early next month.

Of course, if you think the newly reduced robot dog is still somewhat pricey, you might want to consider the new i-Cybie from Tiger Electronics. A mere $200, i-Cybie can do a lot of the tricks that Sony's Aibo can do, albeit with less style. Then again, going to the pound and adopting a real live dog is free.

Does anybody really know what time it is?

NEW YORK (AP) -- Today is the 257th day of 2001. There are 108 days left in the year. Here are some business and legal highlights from this date in history:

In 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote The Star-Spangled Banner after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Maryland.

In 1847, U.S. forces under General Winfield Scott took control of Mexico City.

One-hundred years ago, on Sept. 14, 1901, President McKinley died in Buffalo, N.Y., of gunshot wounds inflicted by an assassin. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt succeeded him.

In 1927, modern dance pioneer Isadora Duncan died in Nice, France, when her scarf became entangled in a wheel of her sports car.

In 1940, Congress passed the Selective Service Act, providing for the first peacetime draft in U.S. history.

In 1948, a groundbreaking ceremony took place in New York at the site of the United Nations' world headquarters.

In 1959, the Soviet space probe Luna Two became the first manmade object to reach the moon as it crashed onto the lunar surface.

In 1975, Pope Paul VI declared Mother Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton the first U.S.-born saint.

In 1986, President Reagan and his wife, Nancy, appeared together on radio and television to appeal for a "national crusade" against drug abuse.

Everything's Silent Night

SEATTLE (NYT) -- Funny, when most people listen to music, they want the bass turned up. Yamaha has developed a new bass -- an upright string bass -- whose volume control can be turned down to almost nothing, perfect for the urban musician with co-op problems or complaining neighbors.

The SVB-100K Silent Bass is Yamaha's latest addition to its line of instruments that allow musicians to practice in privacy using headphones and, more important, not bother others with that awful movement by Berlioz. Like the Silent Violin and the Silent Cello, the three-quarter-size bass uses a small pick-up that is connected to an effects processor that can recreate the acoustics of rooms and practice halls through the headphones with little external sound. The $3,995 bass, which can also be amplified for public performance, runs on a single 9-volt battery. The question now: Is there enough processing power to make a Silent Bagpipe?

Buying Dylan's home

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) -- An avid Bob Dylan fan closed the deal on an $82,000 purchase of the home where the singer/songwriter lived the first six years of his life. The deal marked the end of a 15-week process that included an Internet bidding war and an aborted first purchase attempt. Bill Pagel of Madison, Wis., who operates a popular Dylan Web site, is now the new owner of Dylan's old home in northern Minnesota.

"He's a real die-hard Dylan fan. It's kind of fun that it stays with that kind of a buyer," said Barb Hanson, the Duluth real estate agent who handled the transaction.

Owner Kathy Burns of Solomon's Island, Md., had bought the property for $62,000 in 1996. She put it up for sale on eBay on May 24 -- Dylan's 60th birthday. The top bidder offered $94,600, but failed to complete the deal by the July 31 closing date. Hanson said Burns then decided to go the traditional route -- no Internet auctions -- to sell the home. Since Pagel had offered the second highest bid, they contacted him and he made a new bid.

Windows that clean themselves

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- The chore of washing windows may go the way of doing the dishes by hand and defrosting the refrigerator, if a new window glass can live up to its billing. Pilkington North America said it will introduce by the end of the year a window that uses the sun's ultraviolet rays to break down dirt and rainwater to wash it away. The windows will be about 20 percent more expensive than basic windows, which cost between $200 and $600. But the benefits include saving time and eliminating the need to buy cleaning products, said Rick Karcher, president of Pilkington Building Products North America.