Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Amazon's New Robot That Follows You Around Your Home Is Getting A Hard Pass From Twitter

Amazon's New Robot That Follows You Around Your Home Is Getting A Hard Pass From Twitter
Amazon

Amazon Astro, a new technology coming from Amazon that can follow you around your house while also making facial expressions by using its display screen as a face, is stressing Twitter out.

The robot, which will run about $1000 per unit, has cameras built into its body, leading some people to fear observation through said cameras.


youtu.be

Others just think the roads of technology have gone too far this time.






CNBC's description of the robot tells you exactly what to expect if you should bring it inside your home:

"Astro is equipped with a rotating screen that's mounted onto a base with wheels. Amazon designed the robot to appear animated and friendly, with eyes and expressive body movements that respond to user interaction."
"The robot can move on its own from room to room and is capable of navigating around objects on the floor or braking to avoid colliding with obstacles such as a pet that moves into its path."
"A periscope camera attached to the base of the device can be raised or lowered to view objects that are high up."






However, disquiet has already emerged from developer teams tasked with working on Astro, who have referred to the mini-robot as an "invasive spy" and "incredibly stupid."

"Vesta [codename for Astro] slowly and intelligently patrols the home when unfamiliar persons are around, moving from scan point to scan point (the best location and pose in any given space to look around) looking and listening for unusual activity," read a file from the developers.

"Vesta moves to a predetermined scan point and pose to scan any given room, looking past and over obstacles in its way. Vesta completes one complete patrol when it completes scanning all the scan point on the floor plan."

However, this capability does not come without a major pratfall. "Astro is terrible and will almost certainly throw itself down a flight of stairs if presented the opportunity," said a file.

"The person detection is unreliable at best, making the in-home security proposition laughable."






Astro costs $999.99 and is available to some customers via special invitation only.

The robot has not yet been given a wide release, but Amazon expects to grant more invitations later in the year if the initial rounds go smoothly.

More from Trending

Ted Cruz; Tucker Carlson
The Tucker Carlson Show

Tucker Carlson And Ted Cruz Get Into Shouting Match Over Iran In Bonkers Interview Clip

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz—a harsh Donald Trump critic-turned-MAGA minion—sat down with fired Fox News personality Tucker Carlson for the conservative influencer's self-produced online content,The Tucker Carlson Show, for the Tucker Carlson Network.

On Tuesday, Carlson shared a 1.5-minute clip revealing that things got contentious when the pair touched on the Trump administration's escalating tensions with Iran.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Barack Obama
Suzanne Plunkett-Pool/Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Resurfaced Trump Tweet Criticizing Obama Over Iran Comes Back To Bite Him

Amid tensions with Iran, President Donald Trump was criticized for hypocrisy after social media users resurfaced a 2013 tweet in which he accused former President Barack Obama of planning an attack on Iran because of his "inability to negotiate properly."

Trump has declined to clarify whether the U.S. is edging closer to launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, following a warning from Iran’s supreme leader against any attack and a rejection of Trump’s demand for surrender.

Keep ReadingShow less
​​Elon Musk
Allison Robbert/AFP via Getty Images

Anti-Elon Banner at Stanford

Stanford University graduates were given creative advice from above as an airplane flew over the graduation ceremony with a banner reading, “CONGRATS! DON’T WORK FOR ELON.”

The moment was captured last Sunday during the university’s 134th Commencement ceremony, where the Class of 2025 received their degrees at Stanford Stadium.

Keep ReadingShow less
Simone Ashley; Brad Pitt in 'F1'
Arnold Jerocki/L'Oreal/Getty Images

'F1' Director Speaks Out After Fan Outrage Over 'Bridgerton' Star's Scenes Getting Cut From Film

Once the F1 Grand Prix bug bites you, it's hard to let the passion and drive for the sport go, and most fans are eager to consume any additional content, from interviews to documentaries to full-length films.

Coming later this month is F1, starring Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, who missed his shot at stardom in a near-fatal accident in the 1990s. Thirty years later, his former team is struggling to succeed and convince him to come back to the track, but this time, he has to learn that it's not something he can do alone.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sabrina Carpenter attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style."
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Sabrina Carpenter claps back

Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album has caused quite a stir in people's espresso after she revealed the cover art in a post on X.

On June 11th, the American singer posted the image of herself on her hands and knees, wearing a black bodycon dress with a ribbon and black heels. Carpenter’s hand touches the knee of a mystery man wearing a black suit who is seen gripping a lock of the bombshell blonde’s hair.

Keep ReadingShow less