Sony's $2,900 robotic dog AIBO will soon be able to turn on microwaves, vacuum cleaners and more

If you've ever thought turning on your microwave or vacuum cleaner was too hard, the solution may be as easy as spending $2,900 on a robotic dog that will do it for you. That's the operating theory behind Aibo, a robotic pet canine created by Sony, which was released last year. Sony has been continually adding features to Aibo and the latest features will allow the small robotic dog to communicate with a range of household smart appliances to help make life easier for its owners. According to a report from Gizmodo, Sony hosted a demonstration of the new features at the CEATEC show in Tokyo, Japan's largest IT and electronics trade show. One example showed Aibo communicating wirelessly with a smart microwave, telling it to start cooking a snack as soon as its owners come home from a long day.