Do you need a smart ball?

One of the hit toys at the recent Consumer Electronics Show was the new Orbotix Sphero. It’s a baseball-sized sphere that is both powered and controllable.

This self-powered sphere zips around the floor, and can do so randomly. What’s cool, though, is that it’s remote controllable via Bluetooth, using an iPhone or Android-based smart phone.

The onboard RGB LED light lets the ball glow in thousands of colors, also controllable.
 
Orbotix provides an open API for software control, so that third-party developers or enthusiasts can write their own apps. You could write an app for the ball to glow green when your local weather forecast is sunny and red if rainy, for it to race about in circles if a snowstorm is coming. You could have it come and remind you of missed phone calls.

With more than one Sphero, games could be programmed, to run mazes, play soccer, or maybe have a huge demolition derby.

I can’t imagine anyone needs such a thing, but it might be a good toy gift.