Insider Talk: Violet Karotz

In the world of Internet-connected appliances, there aren't many out there that are cuter than Violet's Karotz, an adorable little plastic bunny that imparts information through moving its ears and lighting up its tummy. If you haven't checked it out for a while, the WiFi hardware now supports NFC in a big way: you can switch to a new app with a miniature version of the original in a tiny, adorable package.

And you'll want to, since the company's SDK has attracted dozens of developers to create new apps for the cuddly platform. The hardware includes multicolor LED lighting, a motor for the ears and a webcam, so there's a surprising variety of notification and interaction apps that can run on it. Switch an app by tapping the Karotz nose with one of the tags – just as if it's eating a carrot. The most useful is probably a live nannycam that can broadcast to the iPhone, iPad and a Facebook interface.

We stopped to talk to the company about its product at Showstoppers during CES 2012.

Other apps include weather notifications, remote music and Internet radio and basic interactions. The Karotz hardware is available now for $129, and the tiny Nanoz NFC tags and interchangeable ears are extra. Check out a full demo of Violet's hardware below: