Photos: Violet's internet of things

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RFID chips have come to the home, according to Violet, the creator of the Nabaztag internet rabbit.

The company has now launched its Mir:ror - a simple white disk which connects to a computer via USB. The device is an RFID reader, which takes instructions from Violet's "Ztamps", which are essentially RFID tags and similar to those in use in the Oyster card and electronic keys.

The Ztamps already feature in mini-versions of the Nabaztag rabbits, as well as pre-programmed objects such as books. Now, the tags can be added to any object a user wants.

Swipe the tag over the Mir:ror reader, and various applications are triggered, including Facebook, video and email - although a public API means users can also develop their own apps.

Violet suggested using a tagged photo to open Skype, or sending email reminders to your keys, so when you swing them over the disc before leaving for the day, the reminder is read out - and you don't forget to stop at the shop on the way home from work.

The RFID tags still require a computer - or one of the firm's second-gen Nabaztag-tag rabbits - to work, however, so the internet of things hasn't quite left the desktop yet.

Violet co-founder Rafi Haladjian said: “We are still living in a world where information is trapped in a few of our objects. We stare into our screens, which are like goldfish bowls full of information swimming around, but unable to escape."

He added: "At Violet, we dream of a world where information would be a butterfly, flitting freely all over the place, and occasionally landing on any of the objects we touch to give them life and enrich them. We want to breathe magic into the world around us. This is our idea of the Internet of Things, and the Mir:ror is the first step in this direction."

The Mir:ror starter set is available from the Violet website for £37.

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