Pingo is Probably the Only Facebook Friend You’ll Never Ignore

This robotic penguin reads and connects to the web and Facebook.

Tiny and yeah, ok, pretty cute, Pingo is a tiny robotic penguin and the first official mydeskfriend,  launching today at www.mydeskfriend.com. We first reported about this Facebook-talking robot back in July, and now it’s finally here.

Pingo integrates into its owners’ Facebook account via a Facebook application that allows users to give their device its own name, profile and personality, as well as nurture its moods and manage its daily life. The interactive playmate can zoom around desktops, express moods, respond to voice commands, sing songs and read aloud email messages, headlines, stock quotes and even the weather!

You can set mydeskfriend up to read RSS newsfeeds, spoil it with food and vitamins from a Facebook gift page, and lull it to sleep by gently rocking it in your hands. Pingo can follow fingers around a desktop, while sensory devices ensure that it never falls off a desk when moving around on its own.

Friends who have their own devices can play and communicate via Facebook, including poking, sending messages and giving Facebook gifts directly from one Pingo to another.

The device can fit in the palm of hand and displays its moods, such as happy and angry, by changing the color of its LED-lit eyes.

mydeskfriend retails for HK$1,600 (US$149.99) and is available for purchase at www.mydeskfriend.com. Orders must be placed before December 14th in order to arrive by December 23rd via priority delivery service. The device is compatible with the following systems: Mac OS (10.5 and 10.6), Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7.

Not sold yet? We’re going to get a sample of it and show it off to you. We think it’s a great idea, but how well does it work is another question?! Watch this space.