Uh oh, it looks like we've got a full-fledged robot controversy on our hands. At the heart of it, as you might have guessed, is the recent obliteration of a harmless Pleo by a so-called ComBot known as Vicious Verdict at Maker Faire 2008. According to a UGOBE rep posting on the PleoWorld forum, the company is having none of it, saying that the "stunt" was done without its authorization or approval, and that there was "quite a ruckus" about it in UGOBE's office after they learned of the incident. The rep went on to add that many people, including the UGOBE reps at their Maker Faire booth were "shocked and appalled" by the act, and that they "make emotional bonds with Pleo too." The rep did seemingly confirm that the Pleo in question was in fact provided by the company, however, saying that, "it is perhaps a small consolation to know that the Pleo destroyed was a factory prototype." A cuddly, cuddly factory prototype.
Barack Obama has called President Bush's comments on appeasement "exactly the kind of appalling attack that's divided our country and alienates us from the rest of the world."
AFP - Leaders from Latin America and the European Union gathered in Peru Friday for a summit aimed at tackling poverty and climate change, but which was bogged down by differences over trade.
Reuters - Zimbabwe said on Friday it would hold a
delayed presidential election run-off on June 27, when the
opposition hopes to oust veteran leader Robert Mugabe after
nearly three decades in power.
