Talk of the day
By Times Staff Writer
Published December 7, 2007
Sounds great, but can robot change a flat?
Compared to a virtuoso, its rendition was a trifle stilted and, well, robotic. But Toyota's new robot plays a pretty solid Pomp and Circumstance on the violin. The 5-foot-tall, all-white robot, shown Thursday in Tokyo, used its mechanical fingers to press the strings correctly and bowed with its other arm, coordinating the movements well. Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe said robotics will be a core business for the company in coming years. Toyota hopes to put what it calls "partner robots" to real use by 2010, he said. Watanabe and other company officials said robotics was a natural extension of the automaker's use of robots in manufacturing, as well the development of technology for autos related to artificial intelligence, such as sensors and pre-crash safety systems.
Dell PCs to adorn Best Buy shelves
Dell Inc., the world's second-biggest personal computer maker, will sell notebook and desktop PCs through Best Buy Co., expanding its push into retail to challenge larger rival Hewlett-Packard Co. The computers, including Dell's first all-in-one desktop machine, the XPS One, will go on sale at more than 900 U.S. stores in the next few weeks, Dell said Thursday. The company's entry into consumer retail after years of direct sales began with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in June and is part of a plan to reclaim the market lead lost to Hewlett-Packard last year. Retail "won't cannibalize" Dell's direct-sales business, said Michael Tatelman, head of global consumer sales and marketing.
About-time arrival for airline Internet
In-flight Internet access is finally taking off in the United States. Starting next week and over the next few months, several airlines will begin taking the first steps toward offering Internet service on their planes. On Tuesday, JetBlue Airways will begin offering a free e-mail and instant messaging service on one of its aircraft, while American Airlines, Virgin America and Alaska Airlines plan to offer a broader Web experience in the coming months. "I think 2008 is the year when we will finally start to see in-flight Internet access become available, but I suspect the rollout domestically will take place in a very measured way," said Henry Harteveldt, an analyst with Forrester Research. "In a few years time, if you get on a flight that doesn't have Internet access, it will be like walking into a hotel room that doesn't have TV."
Starbucks too hot to handle in mugs
Starbucks Corp., the world's largest chain of coffee shops, recalled 167,000 Chinese-made mugs that pose a burn hazard because their plastic handles can detach when the container is filled with a hot liquid. Starbucks received 23 such reports about its Fusion Coffee Mug, the company and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday. Nine people reported "minor burns." Starbucks will give consumers a full refund and offer them a free drink when they return the recalled mugs, which were sold from February through November.