The Evolution of Human-Robot Relationships: I Think I Love My Robot

Here is a snippet from Robin Marantz Henig's NY Times article on "intelligent" robots.
A must-read, I think.

Marantz Henig notes the following in the beginning of her review.

'A few months ago I wrote a magazine article about scientists who are building robots capable of a rudimentary form of sociability. As part of my research, I spent a few days at the humanoid robotics laboratory at M.I.T. And I admit: I developed a little crush on one of the robots. The object of my affection was Domo, a man-size machine with a buff torso and big blue eyes, a cross between He-Man and the Chrysler Building; when it gripped my hand in its strong rubbery pincers I felt a kind of thrill.'

Read on here. It is bound to entertain and make you think.

New Idea I Like: The Design-It-Yourself Shoe

The NY Times had a good piece today about shoes. Naturally, I stopped and paid attention.

The premise of the article was that if the customer cannot find the shoe s/he desires to buy, s/he can just get online and design the ideal pair.

Stevemadden.com is one of the retailers that is successfully operating this way and analysts are predicting other companies will follow the trend.

Customization is now within reach when it comes to fashion footwear as well.

Isn't it good to be alive in the 21-st century?!