Pleo the Dinosaur, R.I.P.

Chalk up another casualty of the Great Recession of 2009. According to Wired News, Ugobe--the manufacturer of Pleo the Dinosaur--has filed for bankruptcy and fired all of its employees. Introduced in 2007, Pleo is a walking, talking, reptilian robot that responds to human touch, makes delightful cooing sounds, and skitters around the house all by itself, kind of like the Jurassic equivalent of a year-old infant.

Why has Pleo gone the way of its dinosaur ancestors? Well, for one thing, this toy used to cost a whopping $350, though the price has since dropped to around $250 (still well beyond the reach of budget-conscious parents who need to scrape up a mortgage payment). But don't weep for Pleo: he's sure to have a thriving afterlife as vintage specimens find their way onto eBay.