Apple's Reported Robot Meets Its Boss

The real news

The story, straight

Your phone already lets you see someone while talking over the internet. That's a video call.

FaceTime is Apple's version. Putting a screen on a motorized support adds movement, but movement alone doesn't make it more useful.

That's the challenge facing Apple's reported home robot. On November 2, Ars Technica covered The Information's reporting that Apple is developing a device internally called J595, possibly named HomeView Ultra.

Reported uses include FaceTime calls, switching lights on when someone enters, and possibly telling a cat to leave the dining table.

Finally: someone else the cat can ignore while you eat.

Apple reportedly targets about $1,000 or more and a possible 2027 launch, with delays potentially pushing it to 2028. Those are reported plans, not an announced price or release date.

Apple has announced no robot.

The important distinction is between moving hardware and useful software. A motor can move a screen.

Software must make that movement worth having. Ars reports that engineers have been trying to expand the robot's capabilities beyond fancy video calls to justify the cost.

The useful upside isn't a mechanical housekeeper that hasn't been promised. It's a shopping test: what problem would this solve better than the devices you already own?

In our imaginary kitchen, Lil'meme presents the robot to a cat that won't even look up. Premium technology.

Existing management.

Repost if your cat also refuses performance reviews.

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