Say hello to the ApriPoko, the android that understands. He lives to help and knows your needs. New from Toshiba, the voice-activated robot watches you using infra-red devices and learns to copy you on command. “Turn on the TV, ApriPoko,” you say, and it sends the right infra-red signal for you.

If you haven’t come across this little guy today, well, let’s just say you don’t read enough gadget blogs. Or, indeed, any. He’s everywhere. But the idea behind the gadget is nothing particularly special. So why is the internet community going nuts?

Because it’s adorable. It’s painfully adorable. The ApriPoko looks like a cross between Marvin and the baby turtle from Finding Nemo.

And the really exasperating thing? There’s no good reason for the ApriPoko to be person-shaped. It’s basically a voice-recognition system and an infra-red transmitter. It could be a cube.

So we’re here to expose the computer industry’s scam. You may think you love technology but you’ve been deceived by clever marketing. It’s not the fantastic functions that capture your soul, it’s those three little words: tiny; shiny; cute.

(Image: from TheAlieness Gisela Giardino’s flickr stream)