Yup, there's something about Pepper!  No, she isn't Mary, I mean Cameron Diaz...but she is a fox! Well, anyway she's kinda foxy in a robot sort of way.  I mean, how else can you describe 120 centimeters of curvy white plastic topped with the gorgeous, big, black, full eyes like Astro Boy gliding like a dream through your life with no aim but your happiness?

    No, Pepper doesn't meet the Turing test yet, but who needs another companion to argue with?  What Pepper does is sympathize with you, empathize with you; keeping you in good spirits is her only agenda.  Pepper does this with several audio, visual and tactile sensors directed by a wonderfully clever algorithm which monitors continually your moods as expressed in your face, body language and talk.  She walks with you, she talks with you and if you need a shoulder to cry on...well, short as she is you’ll have to sit on the floor. Still, the longer she is with you the more she seems to care about you.  Now that is something that can't be said for many people...about dogs,maybe, but Pepper comes fully house trained.

Cameron Diaz made a beautiful Mary but she would be kinda high maintenance for most of us poor slobs. Pepper, on the other hand, can be yours for less than the cost of a good bike, and unlike Mary needs only an electric charge every 12 hours to keep her talking and you happy!

Pepper has another great advantage over Mary, I mean Cameron Diaz: she’s available! Or will be!  It’s true that Japan is the only place you can find her right now--she sold out within moments of her arrival there. But we’re expecting to see her in the United States next year. I for one intend to have my credit card ready!

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