December 16th, 2010

Ple0rb Now Shipping: Get Your Dino On For $469

After many long months of waiting, the Ple0rb (Pleo Reborn, I guess they’re trying to say) is ready to ship. If you recall, the Pleo was the fun little dinosaur that everyone loved back in 2008 or so and no one but. Now, with improved features, the Ple0rb is ready to buzz his way into your heart. → Read More

October 18th, 2010

New Pleo Peeks Out From The Antediluvian Mists

→ Read More

February 3rd, 2010

Vote to choose the next Pleo color

Here’s your chance to change history, and influence the future. The makers of the Pleo are holding a vote to decide exactly what color the new Pleo should be when they change it later this year. Oh, and if you like the original color scheme, you can get free shipping until the end of February. → Read More

October 26th, 2009

Pet dinosaurs for everyone! Pleo is back!

Seriously, who doesn’t want a pet dinosaur? Sure, Jurassic Park makes it seem all dangerous and life-threatening and such. Would you really let that stop you? I think not. But until genetics research and cloning catch up to our imaginations, we’ll have to settle for robotic proxies. And everyone’s favorite little Camarasaurus just got back on the market. → Read More

July 1st, 2009

YOU IS WINNAR! The Pleo finds a home

Wow. You guys wanted a Pleo. When we offered you one a few days ago I didn’t realize 707 people would comment wildly in hopes of winning a little green dinosaur. Well, there is a winner and he is… → Read More

June 9th, 2009

Bringing Pleo back

Jetta Company Limited has decided to re-launch the Pleo and will continue to manufacture the clever little dinosaur including its battery and charger accessories.

Jetta bought the Ugobe IP on May 21 and manufactured most of the robot during the wee one’s short run. Hundreds of Pleo fans will be able to continue to pet their Pleos while rocking back and forth and mumbling about “Seeing something nasty in the toolshed” over and over and not have to risk rubbing away the rubber on its skull and spine. → Read More

April 26th, 2009

Pleo creator Ugobe files for bankruptcy

The first real casualty of the economic crisis has emerged, and it’s a lovable robotic dinosaur. Decreased demand for expensive toys has left Pleo’s creator, Ugobe, wallowing in debt. As a last ditch effort to remain solvent, they’re going to try to auction off the rights to Pleo, but there’s no guarantee that the poor critter will ever be made again.

Pleo has always been a favorite over here at CrunchGear, so we put together a little goodbye tribute video in case the adorable robosaurus is indeed extinct. → Read More

April 24th, 2009

DIY: Control your Pleo with a Wii

Got a boring weekend ahead? Nothing going on? No friends? Chances are you probably have a Pleo and a Wii then. If so, how about rigging up the Pleo for Wii control? The hack isn’t that simple but when you see the video after the jump, you’re going to want to try it. Plus, it’s not like you need to change dinner plans or anything. → Read More

August 8th, 2008

Pleo goes to the Spa

Yeah, this kind of looks like it’s going to go all Skinemax but luckily they just pamper this Pleo at a day spa reminding us that anthropomorphizing little robots is dangerous yet wonderful. Pleo World member maggie44n took her Pleo to the Changes Salon where he got a fossil rock massage. → Read More

May 8th, 2008

Pleo destroyed by a Combot

This is the saddest thing I’ve ever seen. Since getting a Pleo a few months ago, we’ve basically given the bugger a name and gotten to know its personality. To watch this Combot tear Pleo up at Maker Faire is like watching a wolf eat a mouse — it’s no contest Basically Ugobe donated Pleo for this contest and they put it in with Vicious Verdict, a combat robot used for Battlebot contests. Once VV winds up a little, all hell breaks loose. Very, very sad… and kudos to Ugobe for making a device that humans can love. → Read More

February 11th, 2008

New lovey-dovey Pleo download for Valentine's Day

Oh Pleo, you’re the best almost-real dinosaur friend a guy and/or gal could ever have. Just in time for St. Valentine’s Day comes a new behavior download for your Pleo pet. He coos, he flirts, he slices and dices! From the PleoWorld.com website, Has Pleo been bitten by the love bug? He sulks when left alone, but pet him … he wiggles, coos, and sighs happily. Cuddle Pleo and his heart beats with joy as he purrs and nuzzles. Pet him just so; he’ll profess his love and blow kisses. Whistling when he sees something he likes, this baby dino is quite a flirt! Creepy? You decide. Mothers, lock up your daughters; Pleo’s hungry for love and it’s feeding time. Pleo Downloads [PleoWorld.com] via Robert from RobotsRule.com → Read More

January 22nd, 2008

Pleo, what have they done to you?

The uber dorks have ported an AIBO tool over to the Pleo so you can make it do wretched things to satisfy your weird taste. Poor Ferbie. Robots Rule → Read More

January 16th, 2008

Pleo and kids

Yeah, I know it’s an annoying GIF, right? I never got into the whole Aibo/Pleo/Robosapien thing but TC headquarters just sent me a Pleo to talk about for the Crunchies and I turned it on for my 2-year-old son. He was immediately entranced. To my jaded eyes, Pleo looks like another attempt at creating a “life form” that can convince you to love it and care for it. Furby was like that — it held an odd sway over a number of people I know, even some who were old enough to know better — but I’m convinced Pleo and his ilk are different. Whereas my generation (I was born in 1975 and the guys make fun of me for feeling old but I do feel old, but that could just be sleep deprivation) interacted with electronics using the Sterlingian command line, my son’s generation will take direct intuitive and physical contact with electronics for granted. Stick a web server back end to Pleo and watch it walk around and puke when it crashes and you’d get the general gist. Rub the tummy to reboot MySQL, pat the head to clean out temp files, and then tweak the tail to access another server. This is obviously an over-exaggerated simplification, but things like the iPhone and Surface are changing our relationship to technology on a daily basis. → Read More

January 14th, 2008

Pleo dies for our sins

Pleo, everyone’s favorite animatronic dinosaur, has been completely disassembled by iFixIt, leading to a rending of clothes and gnashing of teeth up and down the “cuteness corridor” that runs from San Jose to Cleveland. IFixIt, the guys who taught us all how to open our MacBooks and get at the juicy innards, decided to cut down Pleo as a lark. It makes me cry just to look at the poor fellow stripped bare and bleeding, his spine still pulsing fluid, his eyes glazing over and finally closing as a last rattling breath spews a mist of bile and blood onto the table. Some people don’t deserve to be free. iFixIt Pleo → Read More

December 6th, 2007

Pleo dies

Ugobe, into your hands I commend my spirit. It is finished. This big nasty men at DVICE posted a video of them abusing and eventually killing their Pleo dinosaur. The video is horrible. They choke the wee guy, then hang him by his tail, and even slap him around. Just you wait. When it comes time for “the Big Change,” these boys will be the first against the wall. Note: We at CrunchGear welcome our robotic lizardoid rulers and encourage them to use our orifices to incubate their cybernetic young. Pleo is here! But how much punishment can a robot dinosaur take? [DVICE] → Read More

December 3rd, 2007

Pleo Dinosaur Robot Marches Its Way into My Heart

Pleo is a new $350 ‘life form’ dinosaur robot created by Ugobe. Unlike all the robot dinosaurs I know (e.g. the WowWee Roboraptor), the Pleo is not remote-controlled. It’s ‘self-aware’. It ‘evolves’. It’s also not very badass. This thing, in a very mass-appealing kind of way, is a puppy. → Read More

October 26th, 2007

Pleo in action

Awwww! So cute! Too bad when it grows up it will chew off our faces. via RobotsRule → Read More

October 25th, 2007

Pleo as a lamb

Pleo is a little robotic dinosaur by UGOBE that responds to touch, light, and sound. Well, the folks at UGOBE decided to wrap it in fur and see if it still responded to stimuli. Apparently it did and now they have a weird furry dinosaur to play with. What won’t those kids think of! Interview with on the upcoming Pleo SDK [Robotsrule] → Read More

June 21st, 2007

Pleo Now Available For US Pre-order

Everyone’s favorite animatronic dinosaur is now one step closer to invading our shores. Pleo’s manufacturer UGOBE is taking pre-orders for the dinosaur and the price isn’t cheap. After earlier reports that Pleo would cost somewhere between $250 and $300, UGOBE has pulled a Nintendo and decided to charge $350 for the lil’ guy. Talk about highway robbery. Don’t get too excited though. Yes, UGOBE and partners are taking pre-orders, but Pleo isn’t shipping until October. In the mean time, you could always hit eBay for a used Sony AIBO. I had one for a while and although it was a surreal experience, that dog kicked more ass than any furry animal ever did. Hopefully Pleo will compare on some levels. Official Site → Read More

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