Okay, we admit it: we've been keeping something from you. The truth is we spotted our dinosaur-robot pal Pleo at CES last month. He's looking pretty good these days, clearly having been to the dermatologist to pick up some better skin, which felt a bit more realistic. Pleo's maker, Ugobe, is also refining the final design based on some feedback on the prototypes the company's been showing around, including improving his voice (by upgrading the speakers) and adding another sensor under his chin, since giving him the ol' kitchy-kitchy-koo seems to be a favorite "interaction."

All this means that Pleo's release has been pushed back from spring to summer (there's a shocker), though Ugobe will be taking preorders in a couple of months. The little guy's still expected to cost around $300. And since we know you guys love contests, you should know that you have a chance to win a free Pleo by signing up for Ugobe's mailing list and writing a short piece on how "you envision robotic life forms… touching your life in the next five years." In all the right places, we hope.
— Peter Pachal