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Play with your pets from anywhere with PlayDate's smart ball
We've seen connected food dispensers and health trackers for pets, but we're still waiting for the first truly great smart pet toy. That's what PlayDate is aiming for with its smart ball, which resembles Sphero's devices and LG's upcoming Rolling Bot. It can be controlled remotely and has an integrated webcam, so you can use it to keep an eye on your furry friends throughout the house, as well as give them something to chase. And of course, it also lets you snap photos and videos of their playtime. PlayDate is launching an Indiegogo campaign today to raise $60,000, and you can snag an early engraved model for $129. That price jumps to $149 for the "Indiegogo special," which is still less than the proposed $249 retail cost.
On the Brink of Greatness: Online Experts
Ah yes, the fabulous life of an aspiring YouTube star. Steve visits with Dan, the host of Catitude TV, to get the story behind his channel that's chock-full of useful lifehacks. You know, things like the proper technique for screwing in a lightbulb, petting a cat and making a single cup of coffee. Let's face it, watching a video is a lot funner than Google directions yourself.
Dear Veronica: Social media petiquette
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-78409{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-78409, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-78409{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-78409").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Your pets do amazing and noteworthy things everyday, right? (Right). So it makes sense that we want them to have their own presence on social media, so everyone knows what a good dog they really are. But how much is too much? Robert Heron also joins us once more to talk about the latest picture-in-picture technology. It's come a long way! Now, you'll never have to decide between watching Call of Duty replays vs. Game of Thrones! We do, however, need to talk about how much violence you're consuming. It's not good for your brain (probably, I'm not a brain doctor). Follow @Bodegathedog on Twitter and @DailyBodega on Instagram!
Dog microchipping becomes mandatory in the UK
If you own a dog, it's over eight weeks old and it's not fitted with a microchip, you'll be breaking the law as of tomorrow. Compulsory microchipping regulations were introduced in Northern Ireland four years ago, and come into force across the rest of the UK on April 6th. And if, somehow, the police or a local authority find your pooch lacking an electronic tag, you'll be given 21 days to get it chipped or face a £500 fine. The same is true for dogs that are chipped, but where the owner's details are out of date.
Chinese firm wants to sell you genetically modified pet pigs
The concept of buying pets with custom genes may soon become a reality. Beijing Genomics Institute has divulged plans to sell genetically modified pigs whose DNA will keep them small, weighing in at a modest 31 to 44 pounds. The tweak was originally meant to produce ideal subjects for disease modeling research, but the healthy first generation is reportedly well-suited to pet buyers who don't want large hogs in their living rooms. While it's too soon to know exactly how long these "micro pigs" will live, they're expected to last 15 to 20 years.
App-controlled habitat grows just about anything in your home
You can already get smart gardening gear and smart aquariums, but wouldn't it be nice if you could get one box that handles just about anything you'd care to grow in or around your home? Jared Wolfe thinks so. His crowdfunded, internet-connected Biopod can nurture many kinds of plants and animals in its automatically controlled habitat. All you have to do is pick the kind of environment you want through a mobile app, and the Biopod can do the rest -- it regulates factors like the humidity, light, temperature and even artificial rainfall. While it won't feed your pets, a built-in camera lets you keep track of what your creatures are doing while you're away.
On-demand veterinary service gives advice on poorly pets
Getting a last-minute appointment at your local GP surgery can be nigh-on impossible. It's no surprise, then, that online services like Babylon Health and Dr Now have sprung up to meet the demand for instant consultations. But pets get poorly too, which is why PawSquad wants to make speaking to a veterinarian just as convenient. Launched today, PawSquad is said to be the "UK's first national vet video consultation service" that puts on-demand advice just a few clicks away. After filling in a few details about what appears to be wrong with your furry, scaly or feathered friend, PawSquad will match you with a suitable, fully qualified vet. A 15-minute consultation will set you back £15, and though you can only access the service through your browser at the moment, Android and iOS apps will be available in the near future.
Shoot food at your pets with the Petzi Treat Cam
A cat usually doesn't love you the way a dog does. But my cats love me. No really. They greet me at the door meowing and carrying on. Well, one of them does. The other one greets me a few minutes later when it's feeding time and then when she needs a warm lap for one of her constant naps. Okay, one cat loves me; the other one uses me for food and warmth. Regardless of their feelings, the $170 Petzi Treat Cam is my opportunity to say hi to my cats while at work or traveling with the added bonus of rewarding them with food for at least acknowledging my virtual presence. If only they found it as exciting as I do.
Dear Veronica: Technophobe parents and the reality of VR
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-477148{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-477148, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-477148{width:630px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-477148").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Welcome to the very first episode of Dear Veronica! Today we're covering a wide range of questions, from how to deal with parents who refuse to text, to whether or not it's time to invest in a sweet VR setup for your man cave or lady lair. If you have questions for the show, make sure you post them using the hashtag #DearVeronica. My internet gnomes will scour social media for them, looking to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Vine (yes, we'd love your video questions too!). In case you missed it, we also posted an interview with artist Sirron Norris, who created the emoji background for the set. Enjoy, and keep those questions coming!
Tinder-like Cute or Not app lets you rate pet photos
In an unsolicited, but appreciated move, the folks at BuzzFeed have graciously created an app specifically for me. It's called "Cute or Not" and it gives me yet another avenue to share photos of my pup, Oliver. Surprisingly, though, the iOS app is also available to other people, even if they don't happen to own adorable Bichon Frises. Cute or Not lets users upload pics of their pets (cat, dog or "other") and submit them for the internet's approval -- or disapproval (you monsters!).
Get organized with The Elder Scrolls Online's collections system
So you have a whole lot of stuff in The Elder Scrolls Online. That's great. How are you going to organize it all? With a house? Don't be ridiculous; what you need is the new Collections feature going live in the game's next major update. A new development blog explains how the system will allow players to organize mounts, pets, and costumes through a few tabs and a handful of blood sacrifices. (Mostly the tabs.) Items that belong in Collections will automatically be moved over when Update 6 goes live, removing any need to worry about inventory space when you need to summon a mount or don a costume. Any new items will also be tossed right in your Collections if they fit the criteria. The Collections also allow you to see vanity pets that you haven't yet obtained, thus giving you all the more reason to hunt down those elusive little critters for your collection-related purposes.
Trove adds pirates and promotes pets
Yesterday was a fairly important update for the blocky world of Trove, as the new patch introduced genuine, bonafide pirates to the game. Players can now hunt down pirate ships to plunder them for goods while looking forward to future sea-themed updates. Also notable in the patch is that player pets have been promoted to allies. It's not just a name change, either; allies have "extra special powers" that can be used to help players in their journeys. Check out the patch notes for the full details.
Petcube's WiFi camera lets you play with your pet, remotely
Sometimes your Tuesday is going horribly and the only way to fix it is face time with your four-legged best friend. We've likely all been there. Petcube wants to help make those bad days melt away with its WiFi-enabled pet camera. More than simply offering video and two-way audio communication via smartphone app (both Android and iOS are supported), each camera has a built-in laser pointer that you can control remotely by dragging your finger across your mobile's screen. We saw it in action with cats in San Francisco (pictured above), and it was pretty cute watching felines chase around a red dot controlled by one of Petcube's employees standing next to us at CES in Las Vegas. The outfit says you can grant access to your camera, too, so people besides you can, say, exercise your pets if you're a bit too busy. Naturally, they just need to download the app to their device of choice.
Select pets and mounts 50% off until January 5th
Well, it's Christmas (or Winter Veil if you're Azerothian) and it seems like Blizzard's taking the opportunity to hook into your last minute gift buying impulse with this holiday sale. Selected mounts and pets (you can see which by looking at this page) are available for half price. And worry not, European players, you haven't been left out. So yay for everyone who can finally snag that pet or mount they wanted, whether as a gift or just buying it for yourself. I'm considering finally getting that Enchanted Fey Dragon.
The Feast of Winter Veil begins tomorrow, December 16th
Every year, Greatfather Winter brings treats to all the good boys and girls of Azeroth, and this year is no exception. From December 16th until January 2nd, the Feast of Winter Veil teaches us all the true meaning of Winter Veil with a cavalcade of gifts and other fun things like toys. A variety of seasonal pets, achievements, and hats are yours for the taking, including the brand new Rotten Little Helper. For the complete skinny on what you can get and what you can do, Wowhead has this helpful guide. If you're looking for one of those toys for your toybox, a rare pet, or a hat from one of the bosses (with several new Draenor bosses as well) then you have until January 2nd to get started. May Greatfather Winter watch over you.
Adopt new pet Argi for charity
Like in-game pets? Like helping people? Then Blizzard's latest charity pet, the goat-like Argi, is perfect. The pet is available in the Blizzard Store now for $10, 100% of which goes to support the American Red Cross's Ebola relief efforts. Argi is tiny enough to get lost in the tall grass of Shadowmoon Valley, occasionally trips over herself and falls face-first when running, and when left to idle too long will prance and leap in circles to burn off energy. In short, Argi is an adorable addition to any battle pet army. If adorable isn't your thing, however, Blizzard is also offering Argi bundled with a new mount: the Grinning Reaver. This reaver-style mount wears a skull mask (or at least we hope it's a mask) and will drive fear into the hearts of your enemies. (And possibly also your allies.) You can get Argi and the Grinning Reaver for $30 ($10 of which goes to charity) or the Grinning Reaver alone for $25.
Star Citizen eclipses $63 million, adds pets
Cloud Imperium has a lot to be thankful for, including the fact that Star Citizen surpassed the $62 and $63 million crowdfunding plateaus during Thanksgiving week. Chris Roberts has published a new celebratory letter in which he outlines the latest stretch goals (the Genesis-class Starliner at $62 million and the Reliant at $63 million). The upcoming $64 million goal should please pet lovers. "From Jones the cat in Alien to the Battlestar Galactica's Daggit, pets have a place onboard starships," Roberts writes, "and we want to give you that option in Star Citizen." What about $65 million? "We have a major feature we're investigating as an option. Suffice it to say, we've heard a lot of your feedback about modular ships and we want to expand our plan for how to do them," Roberts teases.
Tinder for pets helps you give shelter animals forever homes
This new addition to the growing number of Tinder-like apps out there is possibly the cutest one yet -- it lets you browse dogs, cats and other animals in shelters looking for their forever home. The Tinder for pets we're talking about was developed by adoption website AllPaws, which isn't new to taking cues from dating services. In fact, the website itself looks more like online dating portals instead of traditional pet adoption haunts on the web. Just like Tinder, you need to swipe left or right to browse through contenders and message a shelter through the app when you find one that tugs at your heartstrings.
Patch 6.0.2 adds new pets for collecting
A few new pets have been added with patch 6.0.2 -- some far, far easier to come across than others. Completing all quests in the Blasted Lands will reward players with a title as well as the Iron Starlette, a miniature Iron Star of your very own. In addition, orc mobs in the Blasted Lands have a chance to drop the Time-Locked Box, which contains the often coveted but never before seen bronze whelpling. A couple of other pets are available, but whether or not they are obtainable is a good question. Those with a passion for collecting can now begin work on the achievement So. Many. Pets. -- it requires players to collect a whopping 600 unique pets, and rewards the beautiful blue Stormwing upon completion. And according to Warcraft Pets, the Sky-bo pet seems to have made its way into the Blingtron 4000 gift package -- whether or not this was intended isn't certain. Speaking of Warcraft Pets, Breanni's got some other useful information for pet collectors and Battle Pet enthusiasts. Patch 6.0.2 brought about some changes to hit and critical strike in regards to pet battles, and Breanni's got all the details on what's been changed, and how it affects pet brawling. For more about pets in 6.0.2, Warlords of Draenor, and beyond, be sure to check out Warcraft Pets, which also has a database detailing all new pets coming to the game with the expansion's release in November.
Did you miss in Pandaria?: Timeless vendors
I've spent so many hours on the (now ironically named) Timeless Isle that I thought I knew everything about it. I was researching how I could help Golganarr to spawn to finally complete the Timeless Champion achievement, and I realized I'd missed something. I never thought to look for anything interesting by the Celestial Court itself. I figured it was static, like every other quest hub in the game, more or less. I thought the two vendors standing next to the emperor were the only ones who sold anything of note. Then I stumbled across Whizzig <Merchant of Time> in Wowhead's excellent Timeless Isle guide. I was sure I'd seen this snail-riding gentlemen before. But it never occurred to me that he was, in fact, a "rare vendor." He sells four different vanity items for your Perky Pug, such as Dread Pirate Costume. He also sells Magical Pet Biscuits and (for some reason) a glyph recipe. All of his items cost Timeless Coins. If you've got thousands of extra coins laying around, you might as well spoil your pup. Once I made this discovery, I took a closer look around the court. There are so many NPCs and so many of them sell useless things that it's easy to overlook things you might actually care about. At this point I also found a pandaren boy named Ku-Mo <Hand-Made Kites>. He sells the Sky Lantern pet for 7500 coins and a consumable Golden Glider for 1000. The latter works just like the engineer's version, but it only works on the island -- if you're willing to risk your neck on a makeshift glider a little kid cobbled together. You can't help Golganarr to spawn, by the way. You just have to get lucky. Fortunately he has a zone-wide announcement like the Dread Ship Vazuvius, and he takes much longer to kill than the average rare.
