A Taiwanese firm launched its new robot in a way that is sure to spread some holiday cheer although perhaps not for the reasons the firm hoped.

    Ten Zenbos took to the stage in Taiwan and sang Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” in a festive product launch.

    Following the performance, ASUS announced that the friendly bot will be available for pre-order starting January 1 and consumers can request a unit for US$620-780.

    Zenbo is a friendly home robot designed to provide assistance, entertainment, and companionship to families and is meant to address the needs of each family member in this ubiquitous* computing era.

    Zenbo also monitors the home for emergency situations — such as falls — and immediately responds to them by notifying specified family members on their smartphones, no matter where they are.

    Zenbo also comes with educational games and an interactive encyclopedia that make learning fun. Zenbo can connect to and control many smart home and traditional devices.

    It can also help out in the kitchen, reading recipes out loud and functioning as a voice-controlled timer, so home chefs can stay focused on cooking. It will also act as a remote-controlled home security camera.

    (SD-Agencies)