We've all heard the old saying that we're supposed to talk to our plants to keep them happy and healthy, but the problem is that they don't seem to respond to our attempts at conversation. So throw out that rude office fern and plant one of these much friendlier Sega Pekoppa Robot Plants ($18) on your desk.

Like all things stange, robotic and cute, these cool new plants come from Japan and crave your attention. As you speak with it, it actually listens to you and the tone of your voice and bends and moves it's leaves and stem in response. So as you complain about that creep in the next cubicle over, this little plant listens to your rants and nods in aggreement, but in a very realistic and lifelike way using futuristic muscle wires for movement. The more you speak with it, the happier it gets and if you ignore it, it gets sad and droops. Thankfully, your little plant companion doesn't need water or sunlight, just a friend like you.

BTW, I think that plants grow better when we speak to them, simply because we exhale carbon dioxide as we talk and that's what they need to live. Just a theory. (via Michael Kiely)