Open The i-Buddy is a consumer hardware accessory released in 2008 by Union Creations Limited. It was designed as a physical, USB-powered desk mascot and notification device that interacted directly with Microsoft's MSN Messenger (later Windows Live Messenger). The i-Buddy is a legacy USB human interface device (HID) peripheral designed to serve as a physical avatar or desk companion for users of the instant messaging client MSN Messenger. Standing approximately three inches (10 cm) tall, the figurine was engineered to react dynamically in real-time to incoming chat alerts, emoticons, and contact status updates. The device features a distinct, cartoonish figurine aesthetic, complete with a translucent round head, a white torso with an integrated heart icon, a pair of flexible butterfly-like wings, and a weighted base. It requires no external batteries, drawing power entirely through an attached USB cable. Internally, it utilizes basic motorized components and LEDs to produce physical responses. Because Windows automatically recognizes the device as a standard USB HID, it requires no special low-level operating system drivers to communicate, relying instead on proprietary application-layer software to translate messaging data into physical movement. The i-Buddy acted as a physical extension of a user's digital chat room. Through its desktop software, users could link the physical figurine to their entire contact list or program it to track a specific "favored" friend. When events occurred within MSN Messenger, the device responded with pre-defined physical animations
Credits To Microsoft Windows
