Anki shutters its toy robot business

We never want to hear about businesses closing but here’s one that is closing its doors. Robotics startup Anki announced it will be shutting down its business and will be terminating nearly 200 employees effective Wednesday, May 1^st. According to CEO Boris Sofman, “A significant financial deal at a late stage fell through with a strategic investor and we were not able to reach an agreement.” The company is known for developing toy robots that helped teach children how to code, among other things. But perhaps its toy-like appearance made them seem less sophisticated than they were. According to Engadget, Microsoft, Amazon, and Comcast have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring the company. Anki also told Engadget they pursued every financial avenue to fund future product development and they continues to explore all available options. For now, employees will get one-week severance pay.

Anki’s Vector robot to come with Amazon Alexa integration

We’re seeing more and more toy robots out in the market and one of them is about to get smarter. Anki confirmed in a blog post from its CEO Boris Sofman that the company is working with Amazon to integrate Alexa into the new Vector robot. This Wall-E lookalike will be getting the integration in the future as Sofman say they are still in early development stages. He acknowledges that these robots can’t just be cute but need to smart enough to last for years, which he claims they plan to keep doing for the coming years. The Alexa integration is expected to arrive by the end of the year.

On top of this, though, Anki is working on things like pet detection, delivering messages, music recognition, home monitoring, and a 360-degree camera. The Anki Vector is coming to stores in the US on October 12^th for US$250. 

Source: Engadget

Review: Anki Overdrive - Fast and Furious Edition

By Gadjo Cardenas Seviilla

If the thrill of racing actual cars on a specialized track with hairpin turns, rising hills and agressive competitors armed with photon cannons appeals to you, then you need to check out Anki's update to their racing game.

Anki has made a name for itself by blending cutting-edge app technology, robotic racing cars and smart tracks that work in concert to provide live action track racing simulator that everyone can enjoy. The Anki Overdrive: Fast and Furious Edition incorporates some of the cars, sound effects and elements of the beloved movie franchise.

Click to read more ...

Anki's Cozmo Robot is now available in Japan, Germany, UK, France and Nordic countries

Anki is bringing its learning robot to more countries starting today. Cozmo is finally ready for his global debut! Currently out in the U.S. and Canada, but this month, we add Japan, Germany, UK, France, and the Nordic countries to the list.     

We’ve been working on Cozmo since 2011 and he still continues to evolve everyday. We’re not just launching Cozmo around the world this month, we’re also updating the whole experience for everyone. In June, I mentioned that  alongside a new Collector’s Edition of Cozmo, we’d have some big updates coming. Well, the first of those updates is here and it changes the way you’ll interact with Cozmo on a day-to-day basis. 

Click to read more ...