Sony's Aibo makes a comeback: There's life in the old dog yet

Sony Corp. said Wednesday it will resurrect Aibo, the robot-dog that inspired a cult following even after it was discontinued over a decade ago. The electronics giant said the new, artificial intelligence-powered Aibo is set to go on sale on Jan. 11 for ¥198,000. New owners will also need to dish out ¥90,000 (or ¥2,500 a month) for a minimum three-year plan to access cloud-based services that will allow the robot-dog to learn tricks and get accustomed to its environment. "Today I am pleased to introduce an entertainment robot we have been developing for the past year and a half that's worthy of love and is a delight to nurture through emotional connections with people," Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai said during a news conference at the company's headquarters in Tokyo. The original Aibo was released in 1999 and was discontinued in 2006.