Iterate Weekly - Issue 185
This week we're talking about a new robot pet, "influencer studies", Tesla's Cybercab Event, Dookie Demastered and Dinosaur Dracula's Mausoleum of Madness!
Welcome to issue 185 of Iterate Weekly.
Let’s just jump into the good stuff shall we?
Thank you as always for reading!
Can Casio’s Moflin make real pets obsolete?
You know, every time my dog pees on the rug or barks for no apparent reason, I think to myself, “couldn’t I just have a robot pet instead?”
And that answer is a resounding yes. Even more so now with the release of Casio’s Moflin!
Just take a look at that cute little bugger. It’s appearance can probably be best described as some sort of purring Furby-esque slug? OK, beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder with this one. While some may see the perfect robopet companion, others most certainly will see an animatronic character from their nightmares.
While it isn’t in english, you can see the little rascal in action in the video below.
There is actually some impressive technology within this furball. Casio says it “will learn who you are and attempt to develop a simulated bond expressed through unique sounds and movements.” Hmm, ok then.
With a price tag of just under $400 USD, it costs more than a typical toy but you’d likely pay that for your first vet bill with a real animal. And if you’re really feeling likea high-roller, you can pay a $44/month subscription fee for any repairs that your Moflin may need. That monthly price can even get you a complete fur replacement. I know Halloween is coming but I do not want to see what this thing looks like without its fur.
Maybe the best feature here is that the Moflin comes with a little recharging bed. It wouldn’t feel real to just shove a USB cord in the backside of your pet, so instead you can just place it into a bed to charge. That’s actually pretty clever!
All jokes aside, this could actually be a nice companion for some who can’t have a real pet. These things should sell like hotcakes for folks in assisted-living situations who don’t want to be bothered by companions with pesky bodily functions. Just take good care of your Moflin and pay extra attention to it during a full moon…
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
Become an “influencer studies” major!
As someone who has worked in influencer marketing for years, I know that it’s a very legitimate career path. But there are definitely people who would disagree.
Maybe the best way to establish legitimacy within an industry is when prestigious universities start to offer up dedicated majors.
Yes, there is a growing list of schools who are offering up a curriculum for “influencer studies”.
It’s nice to see a wide range of schools being represented on the list linked above. No matter what size or location you’re looking for in a school, there is a good chance that it will have something to meet your influencer studies needs.
Sure, you could just dismiss this as a career path for entitled youth who just want to take selfies all day, but it’s more than that. It can be a very lucrative industry to get into even if you have no interest in being in front of the camera yourself.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see this area of study climbing the charts of top majors soon. Look out “video game design”, there could soon be a new favorite choice subject among young undergrads.
♻️ Health/Environment/EVs
Tesla’s Cybercab Event
You can’t really ignore the big Tesla event that happened last week. No matter what you think of the company or its founder, Tesla events have kinda become the “must-see” demos/announcements in the tech world. No offense to Tim Cook, but he can’t command a room the way Steve Jobs once did. And Elon Musk has plenty of issues, but he’ll say some wild things at these events that may or may not actually ever come to fruition and that’s fun too!
So if you missed the event, check out the 6-minute recap video below to get up to speed.
What did I take out of it?
I actually really love the look of both the Cybercab and Robovan. I’m still a bit confused about the nomenclature here. Are they going all-in on the robo or the cyber? Either way, I think they’ll have plenty of time to figure out what they’re going to call it because these products seem to be pretty far away from production.
But the idea of summoning a Cybercab that has a crazy futuristic steampunk aesthetic is pretty great. To get into a vehicle without a steering wheel or brake pedals will be jarring at first. In the simulated rides around the demo space, I was also struck by the focus on the large screen. Tesla wants you to just get into this un-manned vehicle and watch a movie. Of course we know that screen will likely be peppered with commercials as was the case when screens made their way into taxis.
I know that Tesla will say that this cab will go on sale for $30,000 by 2027. I’m not sure that anyone actually believes that. I don’t know if the price or the release date seems more farfetched. But maybe this happens by 2037? And maybe they cost double that? I don’t know. It’s fun to watch events like these but we need to take every Tesla product announcement with a large grain of cybersalt.
🛍 Grab Bag
Dookie Demastered
It’s hard to believe that Green Day’s album Dookie was released thirty years ago, but here we are.
I did have this album on a compact disc and that seemed like a perfectly suitable way to experience it. But what if you could listen to each song on a different piece of retro technology that resulted in an entirely new audio experience.
Well, behold! It’s Dookie Demastered!
That’s right, who needs to remaster an album that is thirty years old? Maybe it could sound better but it could also sound way more interesting if you played the audio off an old floppy disk or Teddy Ruxbin doll.
Green Day teamed with the folks at BRAIN studio to reimagine the timeless album and inject a bit of nostalgia for us old folks who appreciated its release three decades ago.
Yes, you can actually purchase some of these items if you’re so inclined. But I suggest at least listening to each song in it’s new/old form. I was always more of a GameGear guy but “Welcome to Paradise” on a Gameboy cartridge sounds pretty sweet.
💬 Quote of the Week
"I haven't spoken to my wife in years. I didn't want to interrupt her."
-Rodney Dangerfield
🖥️Content Review
Dinsosaur Dracula’s Mausoleum of Madness!
It’s October! And that means that it is your civic duty to consume a bit of Halloween spirit everyday this month until it culminates in the hallowest of eves on the 31st.
And I can’t think of a better way to do that than to follow along with the amazing content over at Dinosaur Dracula. His Mausoleum of Madness Halloween countdown will introduce you to spooky retro snacks and bric-a-brac that you never knew you needed.
Matt regularly updates the feed to offer up some amazing thrift store and eBay finds that scratch my itch for Halloween nostalgia. The holiday just wouldn’t be the same without it and I like to spread the word every year. Go check it out for yourself.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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