AT&T to provide wireless service for Vitality GlowCaps, Apisphere dog collar
By Donald Melanson 
posted March 23rd 2010 2:26PM
posted March 23rd 2010 2:26PM
We'd already heard about Isabella Product's new Vizit photo frame that relies on AT&T for wireless service (and is available today), but the carrier has just now announced that it will also be providing service to two other fairly unique products. One of those is Vitality's GlowCaps pill bottle caps, which are able to call or text you if you forgot to take your pills, and keep track of each time the bottle is opened and ensure that prescriptions are refilled before the bottle's empty. The other announcement comes from Apisphere, which is working with AT&T on a SIM card-equipped dog collar that will let dog owners keep track of their pet. Details on it are otherwise still fairly light, but pet owners will apparently be able to establish a "geo-fence" where their dog can roam freely, and be able to receive a variety of alerts if Buster slips outside of the established parameters. Unfortunately, there's not even so much as an image of the collar just yet (let alone a price), but it is expected to launch later this year.
Is AT&T really the network capable of handling extras services like this?
Aren't these Glow Caps the things Colbert was making fun of a few nights ago?
@steel
I doubt it needs 3G speeds, but we'll see.
@Smart People Play Tuba
that would be correct.
a wireless, internet capable phone call making cap.
Perfect for all old people who forget to take their medication and don't know how to work the voice-mail.
@steel No it's not. Your dog will get shocked everytime he runs outside of AT&Ts service area.
and when Buster gets ball cancer from all that electromagnetic radiation, Ralph de la Vega will personally stop by to snap his neck so he suffers no longer.
Dude, ball cancer is nothing to laugh at.
love,
Lance Armstrong
Scott Hamilton
and
Tom Green
and oh yeah, Belzer
@Smart People Play Tuba
ball cancer... hahahaha. See? I just laughed, now, I'm probably going to get it.
@Mister Warmth Unless you are attaching this to his balls, I wouldn't even guess that the pseudoscience behind it would matter.
Well, these two "innovations" are incredibly useful and practical... which is unusual for weird products
that dog will be lost in no time if they're relying on AT&T's network
Great! Now in addition to keeping an eye on grandma in her house via webcam, we can remotely activate her shock-collar when she forgets to take her meds!
Relying on AT&T's network to remind me to take the pills I need to stay alive? No than..
That's pretty damn cool actually, and I could see a use for both.
This is why we need a low-cost (or free) low speed wireless network across this country. Well, at least in the cities first and available to buy individual access points for people living in the country.
There would be a lot of products that could take advantage of this type of network.
@rcappo yea like EXTREMELY low speeds. Then products like this could actually exist in daily life. That would be really cool.
@rcappo Like if we could utilize some sort of frequency modulation on electromagnetic waves and harness their power...Ah, SciFi
You know, it'd be more useful if it let out a sound, such as: "TAKE YOUR MEDICINE! YOU NEED THIS SHIT! TAKE IT NOW!"
That'd make me take my medicine. Blinky light, not so much.
@LiqwidZero But you'd just think those voices were in your head then!
@bullshitexpresscom
It'd still work... at least that's what 'they' tell me...
@LiqwidZero
It PHONES you. So yes, it can do that.
@PhoenixFox
The sad thing is, if you're 30 minutes away at work, you're not going to turn back around and take your meds unless it's extremely crutial to you living, in which case you should be bed-ridden.
@LiqwidZero
Last time I checked I only needed to stick around when I'm actually taking my chemo or getting radiation. I'm free to do whatever else I want when I'm not.
Oh man, these 'ATT network bad' puns just get fresher and funnier every...single...day....
I don't understand the hatred people have for AT&T's service. I have had an iPhone 3G for almost two years, and my service has been great. Everyone will have problems with some carrier in some location, but, that happens with every carrier. I just went on a 1400 mile trip, and not once did I have a problem with AT&T's service.
@MadonnasManOne At this point, it's pretty much just NYC/SF folks and people who haven't flushed their meme library in a while.
@THJ service is still pretty bad in a lot of the DC metropolitan area.
Can't believe my pills will know whether I've taken them or not, but my car still won't fly.
Here I thought AT&T were advertising pills that turned your body into a wireless hotspot. That would be much cooler.
@Faceless Troll +1
This is similar to an existing solution that came about several years ago. The company is SIMpill.
Did no one here watch the Colbert Report on this? He tore the entire idea to shreds.
@sahaskatta The Colbert segment on this was great. Welcome to last week everyone.
I need this.
For stuff.