Energized Bunny

What's the 21st century's pet rock? A jumbo Tamagotchi pet? Nah. French tech company Violet (www.violet.net) has created Nabaztag, a plastic, 23-cm-tall (with ears up) white rabbit with a constant wi-fi connection. The device provides access to other Internet users and vital daily information like traffic reports and the weather.

Programmed by its owner, Nabaztag (rabbit in Armenian) relays the information in a slightly cartoonish female voice, and flashes colored lights on her tummy when new e-mails arrive. The wi-fi rabbit, which also plays MP3s and MIDI files and dances a jig, flags these

quotidian needs in order to reduce time spent in front of the computer.

"Nabaztag is a way to stay connected without burnout," explains Violet co-founder Olivier Mével. Its creators wanted a noncomputer form for their invention, and a bunny fit the bill. "We wanted something that was cute, modest and not intimidating,"says Mével. Retailing for $120, Nabaztag is scheduled for launch in France at the end of June, and the firm is planning for a global release next year.

Will the rabbit catch on? The folks at Violet know whose foot to rub.