Google files patent for smart teddy bear that listens and obeysMay 25, 2015 - 10:43 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Like something out of Toy Story or Ted, lifelike teddies could become a reality if Google has its way, Digital Spy reports. The three-year-old patent only recently came to light, after legal technology firm SmartUp spotted the filling on the database of the US Patents and Trademarks Office. The "doll or toy that resembles a human, an animal, a mythical creature or an inanimate object" would be able to listen to commands, recognise users with a camera and control connected devices. "If the user speaks a command while gazing back at the anthropomorphic device, the anthropomorphic device may access a profile of the user to determine, based on the user's preference encoded in the profile, how to interpret the command," the filing explains. But at a time when privacy is a big concern, do we really want children playing with a teddy fitted with microphones and cameras? According to SmartUp, it's "one of Google's creepiest patents yet". A spokesperson for Google didn't say whether the device would ever be made when asked by BBC News. "We file patent applications on a variety of ideas that our employees come up with. Some of those ideas later mature into real products or services, some don't. Prospective product announcements should not necessarily be inferred from our patent applications." Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. |