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Samsung Unveils Multi-Functional AI Household Companion Robot
The innovative device is called Ballie, and can serve as a versatile pet feeder, projector, and smart home controller.
After seeing Samsung’s demonstration video of its AI robot, Ballie, viewers might initially feel perplexed by the concept rather than persuaded to buy. At first glance, the compact, yellow robot, resembling a yoga ball looks pretty cute. However, some viewers may start to feel uneasy after seeing it chase after household pets. Nonetheless, its capabilities to carry out pet feeding, serve as a portable projector, and take on smart home control duties suggest it could be a valuable addition to households, should it ever materialize in stores.
Samsung Electronics debuted the prototype of the robot back at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where it appeared as a small, tennis ball-sized device accompanying the company’s CEO, H.S. Kim. Back then, its interactions were limited to emitting pleasant chimes in response to certain commands. However, a newly upgraded version of the robot was recently showcased in a pre-CES 2024 video presentation.
The video showcased Ballie’s versatile projection capabilities, from entertaining pets with tailored videos to projecting video calls on various surfaces and assisting in fitness routines by displaying workout videos. Samsung has explained that Ballie has the ability to autonomously adjust projections based on distance and lighting conditions, touting it as the first projector capable of discerning human posture and facial orientations to optimize projection angles.
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Beyond its projection prowess, the video spotlighted Ballie’s role as a smart home assistant, managing household appliances such as lighting, air purifiers, and pet feeders while relaying user updates via text message. Its ability to follow users throughout the home gives the assistant droid and R2-D2-like quality, albeit without the iconic dome head and chirping soundtrack.
Despite the captivating presentation, Samsung has yet to offer information regarding Ballie’s availability and pricing. Unlike its live debut at CES 2020, the Korean tech giant opted for a video demonstration this time around.
News
LUVED Is A New Curated Preloved Marketplace For The UAE
Sellers keep 100 percent of every sale and AI can build a listing in five seconds — though the app’s smartest tools are still coming.
Secondhand shopping has become mainstream in the UAE, but the experience is still scattered across resale sites, social media and informal group chats. LUVED, a mobile-first marketplace that launched in Dubai this month, is betting it can pull that activity into one place — and that the thing buyers and sellers actually want is not more inventory, but trust.
The app trades in what it calls circular luxury: preloved fashion and lifestyle pieces across men’s, women’s and children’s categories, bought, sold or given away peer to peer. Its main pitch is economics, with sellers keeping 100 percent of every sale under a zero-commission, fast payout model, while buyers are promised vetted pieces at lower prices.
Where LUVED is staking its reputation is verification. Sellers pass a KYC check, and items run through a two-layer authentication system powered by Entrupy that pairs instant AI screening with human expert review for high-value pieces. Authenticity certificates travel with each item, payments sit in escrow, and a buyer-protection package the company calls The Safety Net adds a 48-hour return window and dispute resolution. Door-to-door logistics removes the in-person meetups that make most resale deals awkward.
An in-app assistant called Luvbot — offering selling insights and demand-based recommendations — is soon to be introduced to the platform. Other features include autofill and dynamic pricing that lets users build a listing in as little as five seconds from three photos, plus a swipe-based feed, story-style drops and in-app chat in English and Arabic. Finally, a gifting layer, Luved & Gifted, lets users pass items to others inside the app rather than sell them.
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“After moving to Dubai, I saw how difficult it was to sell or even give things away,” says founder and CEO Shaima Sibtain. The friction is real, and so is the competition. In resale, trust is won transaction by transaction — and that is the test LUVED has set itself.
The app is live on the App Store now, with Google Play to follow. The company also plans to expand across the region, which will be the real test for a marketplace staking everything on trust.
