@database Tamagotchi_Sitters.doc @remark Converted with HTML2Guide ©1997 Mark Harman @wordwrap @node MAIN "Tamagotchi_Sitters.doc" The Story of Tamagotchi & The Babysitter Long ago, there was a little creature called Tamagotchi, who came in a box, with lots of his friends, from Japan. Soon after they arrived in the UK, the creatures all split up to explore different parts of the country, living in department stores and computer shops. People, who were attracted to them by their colourful coats and the tendancy to always wanting attention, were soon adopting these colourful creatures into their own lives. Humans then found their real mission in life - to take over the world. No matter how hard they tried, they found it hard to put down these cute colourful creatures from the land of Sake and Karaoke. These creatures had a great trick to captivating the human's attention. If you did not devote your life to them, and be their slave, they would die, only to be reincarnated as themselves shortly afterwards. The humans, who were by this time devoted followers of this strange race of beings, were powerless against them. Record attempts were soon staged to see who could look after their creature the longest. The record started, of course, in their homeland, when a boy managed to tend for one for an amazing 58 days before it died of old age, presumably (or until the batteries ran out!). All this will now change, as two British companies have joined forces to defeat this evil foe. Priestman Goode & the Cambridge Design Partnership have come up with a cunning plan. They plan to make a "Robot babysitter" which will tend for the creature while you are away from it. What you do is simple - place the creature in the babysitters arms and play with it as normal, pressing the buttons as you usually would. The babysitter will then learn how you tend the creature and take over, usinng small motors to push the buttons on the creature, when you are away. There is also a microphone which will listen for the creature crying when it has not been tended for enough, ensuring 24 hour nursing. The two companies are looking for somebody to manufacture the device, which they plan to sell to the Japanese before Christmas. The babysitter is multi talented as well, as it can also look after other virtual pets, and not just the ones from the Bandai family. These virtual pets, or "Electronic Vermin" as they have been called in some circles, were banned in Singapore schools after pupils' schoolwork was suffering. In Japan, businessmen have been known to employ "Tamagotchi sitters" to look after their pets while they work. Stephen Graham 16 August 1997 Sources: The Sunday Times 10.08.97 - Innovation Section @endnode