Category: Gadgets
Camera to hang off a dog's collar
Darling; you just know that I am working on a re-write of The Hound of the Baskervilles, from the dog's point of view. What a bunch of rubbish, all of that maligning of a wonderful dog. Ginger the spoiled big city Sheltie here to tell you how you can collect evidence to protect your dog's good reputation in life, in court, even in a silly, disgusting, anti-canine Victorian-era detective novel. It's the Pet's Eye View Camera from Discover This. Hangs right off your dog's (hopefully diamond) collar and takes artistic snapshots automatically at intervals you can set. Arthur Conan Doyle lied, lied, lied, but this camera will not. Shows exactly where a doggie has been; and let me tell you, I got some fabu shots inside Bergdorf Goodman today!
Electronic access door for dogs
This time, we've found a dog-related product that is truly adoorable. It's the Plexidoor Electronic pet door that lets your dog in and out while keeping thieves, crooks, marauders, rapists and dog poisoners out. The Plexidoor works with signals sent to it from an RFID device on your loved-one's collar. RFID does not stand for Right for Fido. Rather, it means Radio Frequency Identification Device. The door opens only when your K-9 is in close proximity to it. Every country house should be outfitted with one. No more doggy and human emergency runs outside at 3.a.m.
Treadmill for K-9s
Ginger the spoiled big city Sheltie here, asking you, do I look like I need a treadmill, svelte as I am? Of course I don't. What between my walks in the Tuileries Gardens and my romps in the private Grammercy Park (every dog's human should be well-connected), I get plenty of high-class exercise. Yet how can you possibly be spoiled if you don't have some material things you don't need? Besides that, let me tell you, I have seen some over-eaters who really do need the Pawwws doggy treadmill. I mean, one Dachshund I know and who shall remain nameless waddles like a duck, but don't try throwing her in the water because she'll sink faster than a mutt at Westminster. Not PC, I know, but I should worry and lose my figure. Consumer testimonials on the Pawwws site include one that says a cat used one of these treadmills with regularity. Hah! And pigs will fly. What dog in her right mind is going to believe that a cat uses a treadmill?
Accesory laden dog leash
We like to be prepared. We really do, but so often we forget one thing or another when taking our furry pals out for a jaunt. Well no more! This leash has everything but the kitchen sink attached. Here goes: Ezeleash features a hand sanitizer (just in case you have to touch something nasty), poop bags (did we mention touching something nasty?), a cell phone pocket (to order pizza on the way home), and so much more. I'm impressed with the hook they included to hold the full poop bag--after all, who wants to carry that? They call this all-in-one device the "future of urban dog walking" we call it pretty clever.
Climate controlled dog carriers
If you think like us, then you think that a bon voyage can't be truly bon until it is a bone voyage. That's why we're so excited about the next generation of climate-controlled pet carriers coming onto the market in Fall 2008 from Komfort Pets. Ingeniously engineered, the carriers keep our doggies cool when it's hot, and warm when it's not. The Komfort Pets site shows Hollywood dazzlers at a splashy carrier event - there's Paris and Ricky and Mario and even Tony Bennett. Animal lovers will be tickled to know that Tony's son Danny once had a band Quacky Duck and His Barnyard Friends. But for us, the biggest celeb associated with Komfort Pets is Dr. Paul Irwin, former Prez and CEO (chewing executive officer) of The Humane Society of the United States. He gives the climate-controlled carriers from Komfort Pets his seal of approval. Seal, animal lovers; it's a dog of a joke.
Dog poo bags
Sometimes we fail to see the humor in the dirty work of dog duty. Anything that makes us smile while tending to the poop and scoop routine we see as a bonus. That's why we like these 100% biodegradable poop bags. Billed as hygienic and environmentally friendly, we're more impressed with the marketing campaign "shit happens" and fancy packaging. And wouldn't you know it, these spiffy bags were dreamed up by a Berlin-based graphic design agency. Cuno, the agency's dog was responsible for inspiring this product. Now if we could just get equally inspired by our dog's poop we'd be in business!
Flushable poop bags
Poop happens. The well-mannered dog owner is always prepared with a scoop and a disposal bag. But the sight of all those nasty plastic bags stuffed into garbage cans makes us cringe. We try to live as green as possible (save the earth for our fur babies) so we're always on the hunt for ideas that are gentler to Mother Nature. Flush Puppies fit the bill. These poop bags are 100% biodegradable. Since they are water-soluble they can be flushed down the toilet without harming the pipes. A simple pull of the the toilet trigger can go a long way towards eliminating waste from our landfills.
Bone-shaped dog pill carrier
Back in 2007, slender dogs everywhere were stunned when the FDA approved Slentrol, a weight-loss pill for canines. Heartworm pills, cardiotonic pills, dare we say it, birth control pills for doggies; where will it all end? Well, fact is, sometimes, the vet prescribes what the vet prescribes. And when she does, you can help the barking, sniffing, tale-wagging love of your life stay in optimum health by organizing those doggy pills in the Dog Bone Pill Carrier from Solutions. The item has a 1,001 Dalmatians design, along with pop-up, snap-tite lids for each day of the week. The pill carrier even has brail on the daily snap lids. And here's a tropical hint for your pampered pooch; if she resists taking her vet-prescribed pills, try hiding them in macadamia nut butter.
Sunlight simulator for pets
Remember how good it feels to recline on a chaise lounge and soak in the sun by a pool? For us, it does wonders for the spirit. Well, dogs can benefit from the same type of sun exposure. The Sunspa is a canine tanning booth of sorts that simulates sunlight shining through a window. The result: A happier pup. Apparently, like us, dogs find light soothing (that's why they always find a ray of sunshine to take their siestas). If you live in a rain-soaked area or battle long, gray winters this could be better than therapy to get your dog bouncing around.
GPS for lost dogs
Zoombak is the word on dogs' lips these days, because when you accidentally stray from the hand that feeds you, the hand that spoils you rotten, you want to return to it as rapidly as is caninely possible. Zoombak fits on your collar; it is an electronic information center that relates information regarding your whereabouts to your beloved human whenever you stray out of a pre-programmed comfort zone. No more wondering whether to get home, you have to go North, South, East or West. With Zoombak, your person will come running to get you, no matter where you are. The product is recommended for dogs over 15lbs, so if you weigh less than that, start pigging out now. Our best advice is for you not to stray from home in the first place, but if you do, you could do worse than to have a Zoombak around your neck.
Entertain your pet while you're away
Have you ever wished for a machine that would throw food-filled toys around the house for your dog to enjoy at intervals when you are away? Dogopolis is answering your wish with KongTime. A video on the site makes clear how the dog trained to behave with the thing behaved with it. We actually wish somebody would develop one of these to hurl chocolate at us humans when we're least expecting it. There is some amount of fuss attached to loading the thing. Customers are advised by the company to "apply a little Kong Stuff'N paste to the back of the toy (where it takes longer for the dog to get it out), fill with your dog's regular food, and then plug the hole with a Kong Stuff'N snap." Still, with Kong, your dog won't be monkeying around.
Pet ear thermometer
The doctor will see you now! Waiting for a doctor's appointment is grueling when we think there is something wrong with our dog. This nifty medical device--the Pet-Temp--takes some of the guesswork out of diagnosis. Thanks to this ear thermometer, we can take our dog's temperature without having to endure the waiting room or deal with a messy rectal thermometer. According to Pet-Temp, in one second a read out will give a reliable count of the dog's core temperature (should be between 100.0 and 103.0 F) letting us know if there is a serious illness before we call the vet.
Better way to clean up dog poop
Are you a business person? More importantly, is your dog a business dog? Whenever those big deals are coming up, it's time for Business Bags, available through Planet Dog (our favorite planet in the whole universe). Business Bags, actually, are for a million-dollar-word, excrement! Better yet, the bags are made from biodegradable materials that last long enough for the excrement to dry up and go where it goes, but not long enough to hang around polluting landfills like certain chemically based plastics we can think of. Be sure to give a moment's peep at the packaging of these Business Bags; We LOVE it. Gorgeous design!
USB dog tag
If you saw a red envelope, would you assume it was a Valentine's Day card? RedEnvelope dot Com is here with a kissee kissee love item for our dogs; a USB ID Top Tag. This electronic gizmo can be programmed to contain oodles of essential information about your K-9 companion such as how he likes his filet mignon done and his minimum thread count for the sheets on his bed. The pre-formatted pages in the gizmo have seven main categories and 14 sub-categories of dog care information. The ID device works with XP, Vista, 2000 or Millenium operating systems. A durable waterproof case is provided. Intriguingly enough, the company says that the ID Tag "Also can be used as a great tool to teach children the responsibility of pet ownership before acquiring one." They must be referencing other people's children. Ours were and are impeccably responsible about their dogs without needing to be given any direction or instructions whatsoever.
Gold and diamonds MP3 player for dogs
We were totally over the moon when we learned through BoingBoingGadgets about the JooZoo gold and diamonds MP3 player for dogs, and then more than a little nonplussed to find out that the product is currently available on the Korean market only. Didn't they know that this difficult situation would affect us and our dogs right into the depths of our Seoul? The golden MP3 player is heart-shaped and looks perfectly stunning against coats of all colors, for those days when your doggie goes au naturel. It looks equally dazzling, though, when placed against a designer dress, whether by Wooflink or Oscar de la Barka. Nothing quite says that your dog has arrived like the JooZoo gold and diamonds MP3 player. Until the accessory is available throughout the world, though, what it actually tends to say is that your dog has arrived in Korea.
