Engadget .com is showing a product being tested by Microsoft. This “Teddy Bear Nanny”….. well, here is there posting at Engadget (I didn’t care for some of the lanquage on the comments that were posted) :

“Microsoft want to watch your kids. And they want to do it through this insanely creepy robot bear, no less. Revealed at Microsoft’s annual gadget showcase yesterday, this “toy” houses four microphones and a camera that uses face finding technology to help parents monitor their children via the web, and speak with them remotely via a special phone. All appears normal until mom or dad log on and the bear’s head begins swiveling to track the child, which is the point where we’d hope any sensible kid would run screaming. Dude, haven’t these people seen Chucky?!”

Teddy Bears are meant to bring love and comfort to a child, not be used by “Big Brother”. It is awful that our world has reached a point where we have to “spy” on each other through a soft plush toy. Instead of spying on your kids, how about going in and playing with them?! The very idea is such a violation of privacy and opens many doors for abuses.