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Sphero's BB-8 toy will now watch The Force Awakens with you

Sphero's BB-8 toy will now watch The Force Awakens with you

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And he'll hide when Kylo Ren appears

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Sphero's rocking, rolling BB-8 toy can already totter amiably about your house and terrify your cat, but the tweedling ball now has another trick up its non-existent sleeves — it can watch The Force Awakens with you. Sphero has updated its BB-8 app with a new "Watch With Me" feature that uses your mobile device's microphone to listen for audio cues in the movie, allowing it to react to certain scenes. Plug BB-8 into his charging station with the app active and the little droid will cower in mock fear when Kylo Ren makes his presence known, whoop happily when Han Solo and Chewbacca appear on screen, and proudly chirrup to himself during his own scenes.

You'll need a copy of the movie, obviously, but the fact BB-8 relies on audio means you won't need to splurge on a special edition in order to activate the feature. Sphero has been slowly adding new capabilities to its toy droid since its launch last September. In January, the company released a new wristband that let owners control their spherical friend with gestures alone, allowing it to go where they go, look where they look, and spin when they spin. At this rate, my dream of a sentient droid buddy can't be too far off, and Sphero — if you're listening — please make it so your next BB-8 model comes with lighters for thumbs.