The world is a sad, sad place

Sometimes in big huge ways, but sometimes also in all sorts of little ways. From BBC:

Canned love

The talking robotic doll tells its owner how much it loves her and welcomes her home when she walks back into the house.

The majority of buyers are retired women who live alone.

"Many elderly people buy these dolls, they think the dolls are actual grandsons and granddaughters," says Yuko Hirakawa from Tomy.

"You can speak to the doll and she will tell you she loves you so much. If you hold the doll, the weight is the same weight as a small infant."

Apparently, it provides comfort for lonely women who hold it in their arms.

Let me be clear: the trend of Japanese consumer robotics is, in general, entirely awesome. We are not too far, I think, from marketable robotic monkey butlers, roboguarddogs with vibroblade teeth, and power armour with mounted Gauss rifles.

But technology that calls attention to the relentless loneliness of the elderly? That's not rad. It's sad.