... and it still has an expiry date. Eventually, your old iPad will give up the ghost. Just a matter of time.
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Robotics Company Anki Shutting Down
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... and it still has an expiry date. Eventually, your old iPad will give up the ghost. Just a matter of time.
I hope they at least keep the app alive. Their toys will be useless without an app. I am afraid to find out how much I’ve spent on Overdrive stuff for my son. And Cozmo but that was a single purchase.
For iOS, that won’t happen. The app will die eventually (even sooner if it requires connectivity to Anki systems to authenticate and operate.)
About the only hope would be if Anki would open source an API/SDK for their products so that a third-party can create a new app or solution for them. That’ll probably never happen though, since it seems they’ve had the proverbial carpet yanked out from under them, with only 48hr notice. Maybe a last minute angel investor will swoop in ... but I doubt it.
The CEO thought they did such a poor job they deserve to be shot.
But he gave a little bulldozer to each employee, to see if any of them manage to rescue themselves from the terminator.
This might get ugly
Maybe they’re fun to have for about an hour. And then maybe another fifteen minutes when a friend comes over. After that, meh.
We got a Cozmo as a gift for my kids. They did enjoy playing with it, and we used it enough that after time the battery life got pretty short on it. It eventually got to the point where recharging it did nothing, it would wake up and roll off the dock, but very soon after it would just die again.
As it turns out, the Cozmo robot had a non user replaceable battery. Basically if your battery goes out, that’s it - dead product. I was pretty disappointed in that. Dumb decision by the company in my opinion, not surprised by hearing now that they are shutting down.
As it turns out, the Cozmo robot had a non user replaceable battery. Basically if your battery goes out, that’s it - dead product. I was pretty disappointed in that. Dumb decision by the company in my opinion, not surprised by hearing now that they are shutting down.
With these soon to be homeless artificial life forms, they will band together and before we know it,the beginning of the cylon uprising. I just know it! Everything has happened before, and it will happen again...
So say we all.
So say we all.
I first heard of this company when their ‘Founder & CEO’ did the demonstration at the iPhone event. I thought they were overly expensive and gimmicky then. When that useless fork lift truck robot thing came out i wasn’t exactly falling over with excitement. I am not surprised the company has failed
Definitely sad news indeed. Coming from initial product launch featured on WWDC on stage and some 5-7 toys released with initial success ... to dead end.
I’m curious if partnership or merging with Lego for future products was ever considered? Maybe a merge a year ago with Apple to help their AI division or even their car division?
(Think Road Rage app in a Tesla for drivers to “virtually gun down” a driver whom cut off your lane, lol)
They could have merged with other iOS and macOS and Windows game platforms potentially.
I wonder, do you fee the same with Tesla app + car? Hmmm
Damn straight!!! B** mode (remotely engaged) lol sorry wrong topic. Of course yes there are many markets where apps on a phone work with a physical product and can be very successful. Online shopping for groceries, Tesla app for their cars is a VERY expensive combination (the car component).
I’m curious if partnership or merging with Lego for future products was ever considered? Maybe a merge a year ago with Apple to help their AI division or even their car division?
(Think Road Rage app in a Tesla for drivers to “virtually gun down” a driver whom cut off your lane, lol)
They could have merged with other iOS and macOS and Windows game platforms potentially.
I wonder, do you fee the same with Tesla app + car? Hmmm
Damn straight!!! B** mode (remotely engaged) lol sorry wrong topic. Of course yes there are many markets where apps on a phone work with a physical product and can be very successful. Online shopping for groceries, Tesla app for their cars is a VERY expensive combination (the car component).
I don’t know if these toys also require cloud services that might go down soon.
But besides the risk of having paperweights instead of robots when the app and cloud services die, there’s also the ecological impact.
These companies flood the world with electronics, batteries and other harmful stuff that all of a sudden have no use. I backed the Edyn smart garden equipment on Kickstarter. Worked great until one day they vanished and shut down their servers.
All companies should be forced to have a plan when going out of business to limit their impact by keeping infrastructure up, open source their software, clean up industrial grounds, dispose of toxic waste and/or recycle their gadgets.
It’s all too easy to make a quick buck and leave the costs for society.
It’s another example of why even the free market needs rules and regulations.
But besides the risk of having paperweights instead of robots when the app and cloud services die, there’s also the ecological impact.
These companies flood the world with electronics, batteries and other harmful stuff that all of a sudden have no use. I backed the Edyn smart garden equipment on Kickstarter. Worked great until one day they vanished and shut down their servers.
All companies should be forced to have a plan when going out of business to limit their impact by keeping infrastructure up, open source their software, clean up industrial grounds, dispose of toxic waste and/or recycle their gadgets.
It’s all too easy to make a quick buck and leave the costs for society.
It’s another example of why even the free market needs rules and regulations.
I just want one robot. One all-purpose home and office assistant. Not some dumb app on a phone. One that will keep the lawn mowed, the roof from leaking, change the oil in the truck, dig the graves and bury the bodies out in the woods, order the groceries, find the leak in the plumbing, order the parts, and not bother me with all that tedious stuff, walk & feed the dog while I'm away, teach me to swear in french, prepare dinner, take my appendix out, provide sexual health services when I'm old and gross, and never grow old or run off with a younger man, when I'm old as dirt and everyone I care about is long dead.
...out back, in the woods.
lol
...out back, in the woods.
lol
I’m going to keep an eye on clearance deals, I expect a lot of their stuff to go 70% off in stores.
I’ll answer your question with another question: Do you need the Tesla app to drive the car? #dependancy
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... I don’t require an app for me to “work”.
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“iPad vs stuffed giraffe.” lol
When you put it like that...
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Our biggest problems, far and away, are emotional. It could easily be argued that all problems are emotional. So a “toy” dump truck (or whatever they made) could be said to get to point quicker than a Miata or millions of dollars spent on orange hair plugs over many decades. Idk ♀️
When you put it like that...
[doublepost=1556601524][/doublepost]
Our biggest problems, far and away, are emotional. It could easily be argued that all problems are emotional. So a “toy” dump truck (or whatever they made) could be said to get to point quicker than a Miata or millions of dollars spent on orange hair plugs over many decades. Idk ♀️
The real problem is future iOS updates may require app updates to keep them working. Given they are going out of business (which is a shame) they could release the source code for their apps so that the community can continue to provide updates
Very true, TV, YouTube and video games consoles are enough as it is. I’m also trying to avoid screen time as much as possible and new toys that rely on your iPhone are basically a no go...
Yea I thought of that. We have an old iPad mini that no longer gets iOS updates. It’s already got the Cozmo app on it, I’m going to try to download the Vector App to it too so that future iOS updates won’t affect it.
With Vector you only really need the App for some basic settings and joining a WiFi network. If you get a new router you would have to make sure you use the WiFi network name and password settings that Vector has already saved.
Im really glad they are going bust, they have really anti consumer practices.
This included when I bought the Vector. On their site and in interviews they promised an SDK near launch ( just after ) and so after purchasing one I discovered only the Kickstarter backers would be having access for the first few months.
Completely wasted my time and money.
They didn't say this anywhere on their site and asking / complaining in the forum got you a temporary ban.
This included when I bought the Vector. On their site and in interviews they promised an SDK near launch ( just after ) and so after purchasing one I discovered only the Kickstarter backers would be having access for the first few months.
Completely wasted my time and money.
They didn't say this anywhere on their site and asking / complaining in the forum got you a temporary ban.