Smartpet turns your iPhone into a cartoon pooch

Supercute and fully housebroken, Smart Pet can recognize voice and gesture commands.

(Credit: Tim Hornyak)

TOKYO -- If you're in love with your iPhone, Bandai's Smartpet lets it really walk all over you.

Shown off at the 2012 International Tokyo Toy Show, which opened to the public yesterday, Smartpet turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into a robotic canine companion.

The pooch can walk around (top speed: three steps per second), sit up, and wag its tail. The app shows a variety of cartoon faces on the touch screen, or whatever face you want to give it.

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Available this month in white or black for about $100 in Japan, Smartpet recognizes voice and gesture commands, and responds when you touch its face. It has more than 100 reactions to user stimuli.

The app lets you interact with the dog. You can give it virtual food and play virtual games. Meanwhile, its personality develops.... [Read more]