iDog: Great for the kids

By Tavia Rzasa

The iDog, distributed by Hasbro, is a dancing robotic dog that you can plug your MP3 player into. Originally there was only the iDog, but since then Hasbro has distributed different types of animals including the iCat, iTurtle and iFish. Aside from the different types animals, they have also come up with ideas of a clip iDog for on the go music and a soft fuzzy iDog for bed time. But who could have an iDog without accessories? To go with the iDog, Hasbro also sells things like hair and clothing for them.

Watching the original iDog in action, it attempts to move to the beat of the song. On occasion, the iDog will stop moving at all and will just flash its lights. While a song is playing through the iDog, its LED lights on its face light up and change colors. The light patterns are very random, making different shapes and colors at the same time. Aside from “dancing”, or essentially tilting its head back and forth, the iDog also moves its ears up and down. On its paws are no-slip grips keeping it down on the surface so it does not fall.

All the flashing lights and dance moves don’t seem to make up for the poor sound quality. The music is audible when plugged in, but it is not a top of the line sound system. The idea of an iDog is creative and great for the kids, but is not recommended for teenagers or older people.