Turn Users' Cellphones Into Pets

Submitted 9 years ago

Having watched the popularity of Suri, and of AI toy items (like Furbies) I can't help but think that treating cell phones as the core for a super-intelligent pet would be a very popular idea. The approach could be two-pronged, i.e.; have a choice of downloadable software that combines personality, integration, voice recognition, and ease of use, that can be enhanced w/physical add-ons to the phone equipment itself (like ears, eyes, tails, wings, etc. that could snap or button on to a skin or cover.)

The end product would be a cell phone that responds to its name, follows simple (spoken) instructions and remembers (and responds with appropriate "emotions" to) the owners likes/dislikes. Imagine a cell phone that flattens its ears, frowns, squints its eyes, shudders, and asks "are you SURE?" when its owner tells it "call my boss." Or one that giggles, smiles, and wags its tail happily when a crush is calling.

Personalizations of cell pets could be endless, too. Not everyone is going to be interested in the "cutesy bunny" style of pet- -there would be those who want reptilian, insectoid, or even alien/fantasy pets. Some people prefer grumpy companions, or depressed ones: the appearance, add-ons, and personality software choices are endless. Imagine being able to accurately sell a product as a "more mature" version of the previous iteration.

I see young people and others every day who obviously have an emotional attachment to their smart phones. I think that this could only get stronger were these products apparently capable of becoming just as attached to their owners....