Hologram-in-a-jar is the perfect buddy for lonely people with no friends
If Siri or Alexa had a human-like form, they might resemble Gatebox Labs' hologram-in-a-jar digital assistant.
Reminiscent of a sci-fi movie device, the Gatebox is either the future of digital assistants or the end of humanity.
Like the Echo and Google Home, users can talk to the Gatebox and its digital assistant, Azuma Hikari, will talk back.
It has the same basic smart home applications as the Echo and Home, with the ability to control other smart home appliances. Additionally, the Gatebox has several sensors for detecting motion and temperature.
The biggest difference here, besides being able to see Azuma Hikari emote with body language, is advanced friendship capabilities that make her even more humanoid.
Azuma can send users messages throughout the day via an iOS or Android app with phrases like "Come home early" and "Can't wait to see you". It's like having a girlfriend, except...you know, it's nothing like having an actual girlfriend. It's kinda weird...
And it gets crazier: You can watch movies with your Gatebox and Azuma will react accordingly...which is definitely creepy. Wonder if she'll get scared and seek the warmth of your embrace if you put a horror movie on.
"You know, somebody's home for me," a male user says to himself in Gatebox's promotional video. "Feels great."
The caveat is Azuma only speaks Japanese, so if you're looking for "conversation" in English, you're out of luck. Gatebox's FAQ doesn't say if English will ever be supported.
How much will your own personal girlfriend/roommate in a jar set you back? Gatebox has it up for pre-order for 298,000 yen (about $2,525 USD) and shipping in December 2017. But you'll have to act fast because the company's only selling about 300 of the digital assistants.
The knee-jerk reaction is that the Gatebox is yet another Japanese oddity. But if you step back and think about it for a second, it may not be so bizarre after all, especially for Japan, where marriage and birthrates are on the decline. People need love, even if it's coming from a digital companion.
Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.
