[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":778},["ShallowReactive",2],{"project-45558375":3},{"id":4,"name":5,"line":6,"line_source":7,"title":8,"url":9,"domain":10,"maker":11,"posted_at":12,"year":13,"points":14,"comments":15,"rank_in_year":16,"shown_in_year":17,"top":18,"tier":19,"category":20,"subcategory":21,"format":20,"keywords":22,"reception":28,"sentiment":29,"stance_mix":30,"scored_comments":35,"aspects":36,"strip":50,"post_text":52,"what":53,"said":124,"maker_in_thread":261,"shape":273,"grid":278,"attempts":740,"same_week":741,"maker_shows":595,"maker_hidden":770,"reader_version":771,"card":772},"45558375","Santa's Magical Telephone","AI toy I worked on is in stores","title","Show HN: AI toy I worked on is in stores","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.walmart.com\u002Fip\u002FSANTA-SMAGICAL-PHONE\u002F16364964771","walmart.com","Sean-Der",1760278521,2025,156,177,459,3837,12,"notable","hardware","AI toy telephone",[23,24,25,26,27],"ai toy","voice ai","webrtc","esp32","pion","roasted",-0.382,{"positive":31,"neutral":32,"mixed":33,"critical":34},13,23,0,61,97,{"pricing":37,"execution":39,"idea":41,"privacy":44,"performance":46,"docs":48,"design":49},{"positive":33,"critical":38},24,{"positive":33,"critical":40},1,{"positive":42,"critical":43},4,22,{"positive":33,"critical":45},3,{"positive":33,"critical":47},5,{"positive":33,"critical":40},{"positive":40,"critical":33},[40,40,40,40,51,33,33,33,40,40,40,40,40,40,40,40,33,33,40,40,40,45,40,42,40,40,40,51,45,45,40,47,51,45,47,42,51,33,40,40],2,"Alt link: https:\u002F\u002Fmrchristmas.com\u002Fproducts\u002Fsantas-magical-telephone\n\nVideo demo: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=0z7QJxZWFQg\n\nThe first time I talked with AI santa and it responded with a joke I was HOOKED. The fun\u002Fnonsense doesn't click until you try it yourself. What's even more exciting is you can build it yourself:\n\nlibpeer: https:\u002F\u002Fgithub.com\u002Fsepfy\u002Flibpeer\n\npion: https:\u002F\u002Fgithub.com\u002Fpion\u002Fwebrtc\n\nThen go do all your fun logic in your Pion server. Connect to any Voice AI provider, or roll your own via Open Source. Anything is possible.\n\nIf you have questions or hit any roadblocks I would lov",{"problem":54,"audience":55,"pricing":70,"motivation":86,"time_to_build":54,"stack":96,"openness":121,"stage":122,"team_size":123},null,{"value":56,"source":57,"evidence":58},"Children and parents looking for a Santa role-play toy","inferred",[59,63,67],{"id":60,"by":61,"text":62},"45575476","_kb","This runs (for free) across all payphones in Australia each year: https:\u002F\u002Fwww.telstra.com.au\u002Fexchange\u002Fhow-we-re-helping-santa-with-generative-ai My tiny human loves it. I think…",{"id":64,"by":65,"text":66},"45579781","constantcrying","My father put together Legos as a child, as did I and as will my children. Toys do not exist to satisfy some inherent agenda of technological progress, they exist to entertain…",{"id":68,"by":11,"text":69},"45575499","My 5 (at the time 4) year old always understood. We made a game out of it of ‘making new toys’ and she would tell me what it should say. I would cut open toys and shove…",{"value":71,"source":72,"evidence":73},"Sold at retail with 60 minutes of talk time included; extra minutes cost extra.","commenter",[74,78,82],{"id":75,"by":76,"text":77},"45573970","fukka42","> Generous Talk Time: 60 minutes of talk time included, and additional minutes are available for purchase for extended holiday entertainment throughout the season So the thing…",{"id":79,"by":80,"text":81},"45573915","deanputney","What happens when you use up the 60 minutes of talk time?",{"id":83,"by":84,"text":85},"45576058","gwerbret","From one of the reviews: > You also pay 15 dollars after the first 60 minutes [for] another 15 min. Really? 1-900-CALL-SANTA, only $1 a minute, must be under 18 and have stolen…",{"value":87,"source":88,"evidence":89},"Enjoyment of AI voice role-play and a fun, absurd experience for kids.","maker",[90,93],{"id":91,"by":11,"text":92},"45575212","Build it :) It's the most fun I have had in a long time. Building a character and having it sit on your desk and chatter\u002Fsay things you don't expect. I love absurdism humor. This…",{"id":94,"by":11,"text":95},"45581235","1.) Not something I did. I only worked on the software. 4.) Contracted because I wrote the Open Source libraries it uses. I created https:\u002F\u002Fgithub.com\u002Fpion\u002Fwebrtc and…",[97,105,110,115],{"value":98,"source":88,"evidence":99},"WebRTC",[100,102],{"id":101},"post",{"id":103,"by":11,"text":104},"45575106","I would buy a dev board + build it yourself, you will get a much better experience then trying to reuse the existing thing. I have written implementations target at specific…",{"value":106,"source":88,"evidence":107},"Pion (Go)",[108,109],{"id":101},{"id":94,"by":11,"text":95},{"value":111,"source":88,"evidence":112},"C (libpeer)",[113,114],{"id":101},{"id":94,"by":11,"text":95},{"value":116,"source":88,"evidence":117},"ESP32 microcontroller",[118],{"id":119,"by":11,"text":120},"45575790","The answer isn't no. You can open up the phone and modify the ESP32. I do that pretty often with IoT devices. It's not as easy as setting a URL, but totally possible if you are…","paid","launched","unknown",{"praise":125,"objections":155,"requests":211,"questions":234,"alternatives":244},[126,133,144],{"value":127,"source":88,"evidence":128},"Fun and funny; kids enjoy the role-play",[129,132],{"id":130,"by":11,"text":131},"45575175","Inference is always getting cheaper, so my hope is that restrictions like this can go away in the future. I totally understand giving it a 'B'. But I promise you that I came at…",{"id":91,"by":11,"text":92},{"value":134,"source":72,"evidence":135},"Congratulations on getting into retail",[136,140],{"id":137,"by":138,"text":139},"45560912","leakycap","Congrats, that must feel awesome to see your work on a shelf! The YouTube video is great! You might want to repost with a new link, the Walmart link is bad (look at the URL)",{"id":141,"by":142,"text":143},"45575285","mrcwinn","Congrats and good work.",{"value":145,"source":72,"evidence":146},"DIY and open-source hackability",[147,151],{"id":148,"by":149,"text":150},"45573876","Jaxkr","This is an amazing product. I don't have kids yet but I would buy this for them if I did! However, since this is Hacker News, I must say I'd probably enjoy building this myself…",{"id":152,"by":153,"text":154},"45575798","LarsDu88","Looks like I just found my next esp32s3 project!",[156,171,186,201],{"value":157,"source":72,"evidence":158},"Subscription\u002Ftime-limited use makes it a brick or e-waste",[159,163,167],{"id":160,"by":161,"text":162},"45576701","SlackingOff123","Moral implications of LLM aside, this is an always-online, subscription-based toy that will eventually turn into a brick (unless the parent is an HN-er). I find it really sad…",{"id":164,"by":165,"text":166},"45585108","estimator7292","Jesus Christ, an entire telephone built around about fifteen minutes of novelty, never to be used again. How remarkably irresponsible. Remote bricking when your business…",{"id":168,"by":169,"text":170},"45579821","fathermarz","This post is eliciting different feelings for me. 1. Congratulations on getting a product into a major chain’s distribution network. That is a feat and is something to be proud…",{"value":172,"source":72,"evidence":173},"Child privacy and data collection concerns",[174,178,182],{"id":175,"by":176,"text":177},"45576340","midnitewarrior","While this looks awesome, a couple concerns here: 1. After 60 minutes, it turns into junk? Or is there a reload feature? 2. Is every Christmas home going to have a Chinese-made…",{"id":179,"by":180,"text":181},"45583455","xerox13ster","Oh cool, physical spyware so children can tell you directly what toy companies to invest in and what ad spots to buy. How many marketing companies and toy manufacturers are you…",{"id":183,"by":184,"text":185},"45573947","ugh123","How do you ensure 'safety' for kids talking to an LLM?",{"value":187,"source":72,"evidence":188},"LLM safety and unpredictability for kids",[189,193,197],{"id":190,"by":191,"text":192},"45577812","d--b","I can see how this can be silly\u002Ffun for teens or young adults, but I'd never put this in the hands of my kids. LLMs are wild",{"id":194,"by":195,"text":196},"45576167","pants2","ChatGPT had Santa mode last year where you could talk to Santa using Advanced Voice. I thought it was pretty cool because as adults we're used to turn-based conversation,…",{"id":198,"by":199,"text":200},"45576050","mef","just don’t ask Santa if there’s a seahorse emoji",{"value":202,"source":72,"evidence":203},"Replaces human interaction and is anti-social",[204,207],{"id":205,"by":65,"text":206},"45579740","I really, really hate this. Not only do I generally dislike Christmas as this \"Santa Worship\", it is cheap plastic, pay to use and generative AI slop. It also could have been…",{"id":208,"by":209,"text":210},"45574474","andrepd","Am I the only one that thinks this is very unwholesome? Giving a simulacrum of human interaction to children who are presumably waay to young to understand [1] that they're…",[212,223],{"value":213,"source":72,"evidence":214},"Cheaper or non-subscription pricing",[215,219],{"id":216,"by":217,"text":218},"45574500","Waterluvian","If running out of 60 mins turns the device into a brick, that’s an F-. If it can be restored with a flat purchase, that’s a B. If it first degrades gracefully into a toy with a…",{"id":220,"by":221,"text":222},"45575725","fancy_pantser","Would love to see this connect to a smartphone running a matching app, doing the inferencing on the phone so you wouldn't have to bill for increments. It will be a few more years…",{"value":224,"source":72,"evidence":225},"Ability to reprogram or connect to own server",[226,230],{"id":227,"by":228,"text":229},"45574367","patapong","This is such a fun use of AI! Congratulations. If you buy the walmart version, can you connect it to your own pion server?",{"id":231,"by":232,"text":233},"45574120","joshu","already gone. anywhere else to get it? how hard is it to reprogram?",[235,240],{"value":236,"source":72,"evidence":237},"What happens after 60 minutes of talk time?",[238,239],{"id":79,"by":80,"text":81},{"id":175,"by":176,"text":177},{"value":241,"source":72,"evidence":242},"How is child safety ensured with LLMs?",[243],{"id":183,"by":184,"text":185},[245,253,257],{"value":246,"source":72,"evidence":247},"ChatGPT Santa mode",[248,252],{"id":249,"by":250,"text":251},"45679374","replwoacause","Didn’t open AI release a Santa version of ChatGPT around the holidays and make it available over the phone too? Easy way to save $100!",{"id":194,"by":195,"text":196},{"value":254,"source":72,"evidence":255},"Telstra payphone Santa service in Australia",[256],{"id":60,"by":61,"text":62},{"value":258,"source":88,"evidence":259},"Sonatino",[260],{"id":103,"by":11,"text":104},{"comments":32,"answered":262,"key":263},11,[264,267,270],{"id":265,"text":266},"45579802","My hope is that the toy gets people interested\u002Fexposure to the idea. Then the curious will open up the device\u002Ftry to DIY. Lots of voice ai providers and microcontroller media…",{"id":268,"text":269},"45575726","To be safe I would contact city zoning about the construction of your future backyard water park. Always good to start early :)",{"id":271,"text":272},"45579823","lol I love that. My kids would find it so funny hearing Santa doubling down on bringing the wrong toy.",{"commenters":274,"max_depth":275,"maker_replies":32,"first_comment_mins":276,"lifespan_hours":277},107,9,21,258,[279,281,283,287,291,295,299,302,306,308,311,312,314,317,320,324,328,331,333,335,337,339,342,345,348,350,353,356,359,362,365,368,370,373,375,378,382,386,389,392,396,398,400,402,405,408,410,414,417,419,422,425,428,431,433,436,439,442,444,447,450,453,455,457,459,461,463,466,469,472,475,477,481,484,486,488,490,492,494,496,497,499,501,503,506,508,510,512,514,516,518,520,523,526,529,530,533,534,536,539,540,542,545,548,551,553,555,557,558,560,561,563,566,568,570,573,575,578,579,581,583,586,588,590,594,596,598,599,601,602,603,606,610,612,614,618,622,626,629,631,633,635,638,641,644,649,651,655,657,658,660,663,665,670,674,678,682,685,688,691,694,696,699,702,706,708,710,713,717,719,722,725,728,731,733,736,738],[160,33,40,280,161,33],"project\u002Fcritical\u002Fpricing",[265,33,33,282,11,40],"maker\u002Fpositive\u002Fidea",[284,33,40,285,286,33],"45582260","project\u002Fcritical\u002Fexecution","tomalbrc",[288,33,45,289,290,33],"45583768","project\u002Fneutral\u002Fpricing","butlike",[292,33,33,293,294,33],"45587422","commenter\u002Fneutral\u002Fnone","flippy_flops",[296,33,40,297,298,33],"45587655","project\u002Fcritical\u002Fidea","bigyabai",[300,33,40,280,301,33],"45588246","lovich",[303,40,45,304,305,33],"45575266","project\u002Fneutral\u002Fidea","zephyreon",[268,40,33,307,11,40],"other\u002Fneutral\u002Fnone",[309,40,45,304,310,33],"45575805","prawn",[271,40,33,293,11,40],[313,40,40,297,290,33],"45583772",[315,40,40,297,316,33],"45577561","afandian",[318,51,33,307,319,33],"45577167","48terry",[321,51,40,322,323,33],"45578778","project\u002Fcritical\u002Fprivacy","kotaKat",[325,51,33,326,327,33],"45579578","commenter\u002Fpositive\u002Fpricing","billy99k",[329,51,40,297,330,33],"45579933","tommit",[332,51,40,280,286,33],"45582230",[334,51,40,297,290,33],"45583788",[336,51,33,307,290,33],"45583784",[60,45,47,338,61,33],"project\u002Fpositive\u002Fidea",[340,42,33,307,341,33],"45573883","mosura",[343,42,33,307,344,33],"45574277","BeetleB",[346,42,33,307,347,33],"45585252","dragonwriter",[349,42,33,307,209,33],"45574409",[351,42,33,307,352,33],"45575275","dylan604",[354,42,33,293,355,33],"45574438","tom1337",[357,42,33,307,358,33],"45574533","RodgerTheGreat",[360,42,33,307,361,33],"45575750","Spivak",[363,42,33,307,364,33],"45574975","Gigachad",[366,42,33,307,367,33],"45579222","datadrivenangel",[369,42,33,307,11,40],"45575200",[371,42,33,293,372,33],"45575639","RyanOD",[374,42,33,293,11,40],"45575727",[376,42,33,293,377,33],"45575771","noman-land",[379,47,45,380,381,33],"45574021","project\u002Fneutral\u002Fperformance","architectonic",[383,47,40,384,385,33],"45574195","project\u002Fcritical\u002Fperformance","teaearlgraycold",[387,47,33,388,11,40],"45575145","maker\u002Fneutral\u002Fperformance",[390,47,40,384,391,33],"45575432","oofbey",[393,47,33,394,395,33],"45575717","commenter\u002Fneutral\u002Fperformance","margalabargala",[397,47,40,384,391,33],"45575967",[399,47,33,293,395,33],"45576475",[401,47,33,293,391,33],"45597473",[403,47,45,380,404,33],"45586091","kwindla",[406,47,45,380,407,33],"45575785","trenchpilgrim",[409,47,33,307,404,33],"45583058",[411,412,40,297,413,33],"45577666",6,"lm28469",[415,412,33,293,416,33],"45591748","selenide",[75,418,40,280,76,33],7,[420,418,40,280,421,33],"45574034","guywithahat",[423,418,45,289,424,33],"45574042","turtletontine",[426,418,40,297,427,33],"45574298","hattmall",[429,418,40,280,430,33],"45574116","rideontime",[432,418,45,304,385,33],"45574220",[434,418,45,304,435,33],"45575687","nkozyra",[437,418,40,280,438,33],"45575695","phyzix5761",[440,418,40,280,441,33],"45578480","rs186",[79,443,45,289,80,33],8,[445,443,40,280,446,33],"45573976","hagbard_c",[448,443,40,280,449,33],"45574131","observationist",[451,443,40,280,452,33],"45574228","bithive123",[454,443,40,297,344,33],"45574289",[456,443,40,280,446,33],"45574350",[458,443,45,289,344,33],"45574509",[460,443,40,280,176,33],"45576355",[462,443,40,280,290,33],"45583817",[464,443,33,307,465,33],"45575329","jihadjihad",[467,443,40,297,468,33],"45576721","qingcharles",[470,443,33,307,471,33],"45577039","lifestyleguru",[473,275,40,297,474,33],"45575739","gyomu",[476,275,33,293,153,33],"45575791",[478,275,33,479,480,33],"45575828","commenter\u002Fneutral\u002Fprivacy","croes",[482,275,33,293,483,33],"45575869","noduerme",[485,275,33,307,153,33],"45576616",[487,275,33,307,483,33],"45577066",[489,275,33,307,153,33],"45581819",[491,275,33,307,483,33],"45611533",[493,275,33,307,153,33],"45614064",[495,275,33,293,319,33],"45577192",[64,275,40,297,65,33],[498,275,33,307,404,33],"45586138",[500,275,33,338,11,40],"45575802",[502,275,33,293,483,33],"45575829",[504,275,33,307,505,33],"45575995","osn9363739",[507,275,33,307,480,33],"45575895",[509,275,40,280,474,33],"45578838",[511,275,33,338,11,40],"45579954",[513,275,33,293,404,33],"45583183",[515,275,40,280,474,33],"45586248",[517,275,40,297,483,33],"45575822",[20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