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...