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Furby types Classic Furbies
An Emoto-Tronic Furby (left) next to a 'Classic' Furby; (right) note the size difference.The main reason for their popularity was because of apparent "intelligence", reflected in their ability to develop language skills.
Furbies can communicate with one another via an infrared port located between their eyes. Furbies start out speaking entirely Furbish, a language with short words, simple syllables, and various other sounds. They are programmed, however, to speak less and less Furbish and more and more English as they "grow".
There was a common misconception that they repeated words that were said around them. This belief most likely stemmed from the fact that it is possible to have the Furby say certain pre-programmed words or phrases more often by petting it whenever it said these words. As a result of this myth, several intelligence agencies banned them from their offices.[3]
A simple electric motor and a system of cams and gears close the Furby's eyes and mouth, raise its ears, and lift it off the ground in a faux display of mobility.
The originals are still popular with many hackers as they can be dissected and made to do interesting things. In particular, their advanced audio capabilities and various sensory interfaces make them popular with the circuit bending community.[4][5]
Other FurbiesFurby BabiesIn 1999, the Furby Babies line was introduced. Furby Babies are smaller than the original, have higher voices, and cannot dance, but they switch to speaking English more quickly. They also have an extended vocabulary and different "Easter eggs" and "games" built into them. Furby babies come in 24 different colors. All have white eyelashes and one of six different eyecolors.
Furby FriendsNovel Furbies were also released, including an interactive Furby-like Gizmo, from the film Gremlins, a Furby-like Interactive Yoda based on the Star Wars character, and a Furby-like Interactive E.T. from the movie of the same name. Another 'friend of furby', called Shelby, is similar to Furby, but looks like a clam, has vast improvements in memory, and has a different personality; it was released in 2001 and can communicate with the original Furbies and Furby Babies. They also have sensors that can sense loud sounds, can sense being upside down (they say things like "Shiver me timbers" and "Walk the plank" when you leave them upside-down for an extended period of time), and they laugh when you "tickle" them (their antennae - or "tennies", as they like to call them). They also purr when you "pet" them. You can feed them by sticking your finger in their mouth. Similarly, Shelbies do not have their own names, unlike the classic Furbies. Shelbies are also capable of knowing if it is talking to a Furby or another Shelby, saying phrases such as "Where's Furby?"—though they cannot differentiate between a Furby and a Furby Baby—they just assume it is a Furby. In addition to English, Shelbies also know some Furbish words and also have their own unique language called Shelbish.
Emoto-Tronic FurbiesThe latest species of Furby was released in August 2005. Larger than the previous version, the new Furbies have been upgraded with a more emotional face and a voice recognition system, enabling them to communicate with humans. Unlike the Furbies originally released, just one order is necessary to make them 'sleep', and they have an on/off switch. They can communicate with other Emoto-tronic Furbies, though to a lesser extent than the communication between original Furbies, and they cannot themselves communicate with the original Furbies nor Funky Furbies. They also lack light sensors and basic motion sensors and do not respond to loud sounds as the originals do. These Furbies, according to the story they come packed with, are from Furby Island.
Emoto-Tronic Furby BabiesIn 2006, a new version of Furby baby was released, with most notable features being the new look and a more "baby-ish" appearance in contrast to the Emoto-Tronic Furby adult. They also have considerably fewer features than the "adult" Furby, with a very limited vocabulary and a lower level of interactivity. Another notable feature of the 2006 Emoto-Tronic Baby Furby is the movable "legs" which unfurl when Furby baby is awake.
Emoto-Tronic Funky FurbiesThe Funky Furbies were released in August 2006 outside the United States. They are limited to two color combinations (pink & yellow and purple & green) so far, and they can sing three new songs and dance. They can be taught dance routines and remember them.
Furbish-English phrasesFurbish is the language which is spoken by the Furbies. It is similar to English, but with a different grammar structure. A newly purchased Furby starts out speaking entirely Furbish, the unique language with short words, simple syllables, and various other sounds, but are programmed to speak less Furbish as they learn more English as they "grow". Throughout a Furby's lifetime, it gradually learns English words and phrases, which it begins to speak in place of Furbish. The more English they learn, the more they "grow", making them more mature. The Furbish phrase "WHOA! Me deep sleep!" would translate into English as "Whoa! I slept for a long time!"
wee-tah-kah-loo-loo: Tell me a joke.
wee-tah-kah-wee-loo: Tell me a story.
wee-tee-kah-wah-tee: Sing me a song.
u-nye-loo-lay-doo?: Do you want to play?
u-nye-ay-tay-doo?: Are you hungry?
u-nye-boh-doo?: How are you?
u-nye-way-loh-nee-way: Go to sleep now.
u-nye-noh-lah: Show me a dance.
Furbies may say these Furbish words:
doo?: What? (Furbies say this when called)
doo-dah: Yes. (Furbies say this in response to a command before doing it.)
boo: No. (Furbies say this when they do not want to carry out a command.)
yoo?: Why will you not play with me today? (This usually means the Furby is upset.)
References1.^ Encounters with Kismet and Cog: Children Respond to Relational Artifacts, MIT, 2004-09-30, http://web.mit.edu/sturkle/www/encounterswithkismet.pdf, retrieved 2009-04-20
2.^ "New toy an interactive fur ball". CNN. 1998-10-05. http://www.cnn.com/US/9810/05/furby/index.html. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
3.^ "Furby a threat to national security?". CNN. 1999-01-13. Archived from the original on 2006-08-28. http://web.archive.org/web/20060828044552/http://www.cnn.com/US/9901/13/nsa.furby.ban.01. Retrieved 2006-12-18.
4.^ Circuit-bent Furby at YouTube
5.^ Kevin Rees. "Furby Bending Tutorial". Circuit-Bent.Net. http://www.circuit-bent.net/furby-bending-tutorial.html. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
