A lot of whispering goes on in museums. Ever wonder what that couple across the room is talking about? Well, whether you have or not, if you're sitting on a Smart Stool you'll get to hear all about it.

The Smart Stool is actually a robot in a box. It uses an Apple iBook to record the conversations of anyone around it. It won't wait for a new occupant, either — thanks to wheels turned by cordless drills inside, the Smart Stool can cart itself around and snoop. It will even playback whatever conversations it's recorded to newcomers, hoping to spark some interesting discussion. With all of the other things people tend to talk about at a museum, I'm sure those conversations will be interesting indeed. — Kevin Hall

Smart Stool, via OhGizmo!