Sony and Honda have partnered to create an electric vehicle equipped with the latest digital content, which they say will give them an edge in the growing EV market. The Japanese companies launched Sony Honda Mobility in September and aim to produce vehicles by 2025. A prototype electric SUV was presented in January presentation and it showed off gaming capabilities. The prototype SUV had the ability to connect to a remote Playstation console and passengers could play either on the vehicle's front panoramic screen or on individual rear-seat displays. Sony Honda Mobility plans on using those features and Sony's vast entertainment technology to compete against leading EV companies such as Tesla.

Sony's puppy-sized robot dog Aibo, equipped with cameras, artificial intelligence and internet capability, can now remotely check up on family members, children or even pets, the Japanese electronics giant said Wednesday. The 30-centimetre (one-foot) robopup with flapping ears and cutting-edge LED eyes will roam around the home at pre-designated times looking for family members. However, the latest canine tech does not come cheap, with a single dog costing nearly $3,000 for a three-year package, including software services such as data storage. The latest aibo model, which can also display'emotions', was released in January last year and sales hit 20,000 in the first six months, according to Sony The owner will receive progress reports via smartphone in the service offered from next month in conjunction with home security company Secom. 'You will be able to check how remote family members are doing or what children are doing when they get home,' project chief Izumi Kawanishi told reporters at the Sony headquarters in Tokyo.

Sony Corp. on Wednesday showed off the latest tricks of its signature robotic dog, Aibo, including a new security capability of patrolling inside a house. Teaming up with security company Secom Co. Ltd., the Japanese electronics giant will roll out the new roaming security feature for free in a system software update scheduled for mid-February. Specifically, up to 10 names and faces can be registered on the My Aibo app, and the user's Aibo can then be programmed to walk around predetermined areas in a home or other structure at designated times to check whether any of the registered individuals are present. The user will subsequently receive a report from the Aibo. The patrolling task is the first feature that showcases the Aibo's ability to remember and recognize spaces, said Izumi Kawanishi, Sony's senior vice president in charge of the artificial intelligence robotics business.

Sony Corp. relaunched the Aibo on Thursday, with fans expressing excitement at the second unleashing of the digital robot dog. The gadget's revival is not just a simple product relaunch but a symbol of Sony's recent resurgence as it vies to play a leading role in the robot market expected to bloom in the coming years, analysts said. "It's been about a year and half since we started developing the new Aibo . . . the day where we can provide it to new owners with confidence has finally come," said Izumi Kawanishi, who oversees Sony's artificial intelligence and robotics group, at a promotional event held at Sony's headquarters in Tokyo. New owners who received their Aibos at the event did not hesitate to show their joy. "I was very happy to finally get my Aibo," said an owner who only identified himself as Yamashita.

Eighteen years after unveiling its original Aibo robot dog, and 11 years after putting it down, Sony has revived the product using advanced mechatronics and AI to create a cuter, smarter, and more lifelike version. The new "entertainment robot" goes by the same name as its predecessor, aibo, but its name is written in lower case. The robot itself is crammed with ultracompact 1- and 2-axis actuators specially designed by Sony. These actuators enable aibo's body to move along a total of 22 axes. This makes for smoother, more natural movements--such as ear and tail wagging, as well as mouth, paw, and body motions--compared to the original Aibo.