Sphero1In the same "fun, but impractical" vein as the AR.Drone quadricopter, the Sphero is a robotic ball remotely controlled by an app on the iPhone.

Approximately the size of a baseball, the Sphero connects to the iPhone via Bluetooth and recharges via an induction-charging stand. Orbotix, the company behind Sphero, has written a number of iPhone apps and games to use with the ball, including Sphero golf and a KittyCam app that let's users share the Sphero experience with their feline friends -- and capture the whole thing with the iPhone's video camera:


The Sphero will be available later this year for $129.99. It's currently available for pre-order from GoSphero.com.


Hat tip to Business Insider.

Top Rated Comments

Hastings101 Avatar
172 months ago
I'm going to have to buy a cat just so I can try that..
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boshii Avatar
172 months ago
Pretty cool until the novelty wears off and you're left asking yourself "I paid $130 for this?"
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cougarcat Avatar
172 months ago
My cat would love this.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shrink Avatar
172 months ago
Cool. Kinda pricey. Under $60 maybe but $130 wow. My dog would go nuts chasing this around.

And if your dog is any bigger than a chihuahua, he/she will probably chew the s*** out of it,leaving $130 worth of detritus. :p ;) :D

BTW: $130 to roll a ball around the room?? Oh, yeah, I forgot, we get to use our iPhone to control it. Definitely an exciting prospect. :rolleyes:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JS3 Avatar
172 months ago
Cool. Kinda pricey. Under $60 maybe but $130 wow. My dog would go nuts chasing this around.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iphonesarecool Avatar
172 months ago
Wow, that's cool. I'm loving all these remotely controlled iDevice products coming out.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

General Black Friday Deals 24 Green Tinsel

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now: AirPods, iPads, and More

Friday November 22, 2024 5:28 am PST by
Black Friday 2024 is less than one week away, and as always the next few days will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals. Right now, this includes big savings on popular Apple products like AirPods, Apple Watch, MacBook Air, iPad, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...
ipads early bf deals

7 Best Black Friday iPad Deals for 2024

Saturday November 23, 2024 1:44 pm PST by
We're less than one week away from Black Friday on November 29, and Best Buy and Amazon currently have all-time low prices across Apple's entire iPad lineup. This includes Apple's 9th and 10th generation iPad, iPad mini 7, iPad Air, and iPad Pro. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which...
silo tv show apple tv plus

Apple TV+ Releasing Next Week's 'Silo' Episode Early

Friday November 22, 2024 7:25 am PST by
The next episode of Apple TV+'s award-winning sci-fi series "Silo" will be released early. Apple previously announced that new "Silo" episodes would be released on Fridays, but the third episode of the second season will instead be released on Wednesday, November 27. Apple has likely bumped up the date so that people can watch the episode during the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday,...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

iOS 19's First New Feature Has Leaked

Friday November 22, 2024 6:22 am PST by
iOS 19 is not expected to be announced until June 2025, but the software update's first major new feature has already leaked. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week reported that iOS 19 will introduce a "more conversational Siri" powered by "more advanced large language models." He said this upgrade will make Siri more like OpenAI's ChatGPT, allowing the assistant to "handle more sophisticated...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

iPhone 17 and 'iPhone 17 Air' Expected to Lack 5x Optical Zoom Lens

Friday November 22, 2024 11:04 am PST by
Next year's iPhone 17 and all-new "iPhone 17 Air" will not have a 5x optical zoom lens, according to Korean publication The Elec (via 9to5Mac). The report said the tetraprism camera system that enables 5x optical zoom will remain exclusive to the Pro models in next year's iPhone lineup, meaning that it would only be available on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Of course, with the ...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
beats snow

Black Friday Deals Hit Beats Headphones With Up to 52% Off

Thursday November 21, 2024 12:05 pm PST by
Beats is joining in on the Black Friday discount frenzy, with up to 52 percent off select headphones, earbuds, and speakers on Amazon. You'll find many of the same prices at other retailers like Best Buy as well. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. This sale...
Apple 2024 Black Friday Shopping Event feature

Apple Announces 2024 Black Friday Event, Offering Up to $200 Gift Card

Thursday November 21, 2024 5:10 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 29 through Monday, December 2 in many countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.K., and others. During the event, customers can get an Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible product. In the U.S., for instance, Apple is including gift ...