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Sega Toys' Dream Cat Venus is sure to be your favorite fake pet ever

by Laura June, posted Jul 6th 2009 at 10:46AM

Sega Toys has unveiled yet another iteration of the fake cat we've come to know and love, and this time, it's even more "real" than before. Dream Cat Venus -- as this one's been dubbed -- has sensors in its forehead, and touch sensors in its body so that it can react when petted. Apparently more lifelike than previous version Smile, Venus also purrs when certain words are spoken. Sega Toys says this is the right choice for those who just don't have the time for a real pet. We're also pretty sure it's non-allergenic (unlike real felines), cheaper to own (doesn't eat or need to see the vet), and totally won't mind if you head out on vacation for three weeks at a pop without telling him. We'll still feel the guilt though. This kitty's going to be available starting July 30th in Japan for about $110.

Warning: Read link is a PDF
[Via Slashgear]

Transformers USB flash drive is ready to ravage your files, bring carnage to your desktop

by Laura June, posted May 19th 2009 at 4:44PM

Sure, you already have piles of flash drives scattered around your apocalyptic nightmare of an apartment, but this one's more special than those, right? Because it's a Transformer-- Ravage, AKA Tripredacus Agent. Ravage has outlived the age of cassette and is onto smaller, better things, and he can store up to 2GB of your most valuable data. He's going to run $42.99 when he's available in September, and can be pre-ordered now.

Update: It looks like the pre-order is already sold out! Wonder if the fact that we ordered 1,000 of them has anything to do with it?

[Via Coolest Gadgets]

Caption contest: cat driving Roomba -- is not so impressed, actually

by Laura June, posted Nov 20th 2008 at 12:49AM

This is one nonplussed feline, folks. No, he doesn't mind zooming around on the Roomba all day for the humans to videotape, upload to YouTube and laugh at around "the office" all day. Sure, he'll humor you, go ahead and caption -- capshun, if you will -- him until you're blue in the face. He'll have the last LOL. Oh yes, he will.

Josh F.: "The perpetual cat-hair, spot-cleaning cycle ultimately spelled doom for this unlucky Roomba, much like tic-tac-toe did in WOPR in 1983."
Paul: "Must do no harm, must do no harm... wait, does that only apply to humans?"
Chris: "HOVERCAT IZ ON UR CARPIT / STEALIN UR DIRTZ" or "iRobot's demonstration of Roomba's new 'fight or flight' algorithm is an unqualified failure."
Laura: "What part of this is the food?"
Thomas: "Take your complaints up with the staff, Rrrroomba. There's one holding the camera now."

[Via bookofjoe]

Cat Faucet solves elusive cat drinking from sink issue, we sigh in relief

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jul 12th 2008 at 5:03AM

Cats like to drink from everywhere but the places they're supposed to drink from, and for that they offer no excuses, reasons, and just walk away, tails in the air. This independent spirit, though, means that we're often stuck turning faucets on and off for thirsty felines because heaven forbid they drink from a dish. One crafty soul has solved this gripping conundrum with an IR detector, valves, some plastic tubing, and a whole lot of moxie. The detector can even suss out if the subject is human or feline in order to keep the faucet from triggering every time someone walks by. Our test subjects won't comment on the new tech, but they've stopped complaining and have become extremely athletic and hydrated super-cats of doom. Still reading? Peep the video after the break of hot kitty drinking action.

[Via Make]

Continue reading Cat Faucet solves elusive cat drinking from sink issue, we sigh in relief

Pet stress patch clues you in on Fido's emotional health

by Nilay Patel, posted Apr 30th 2007 at 7:56PM

Let's face it, being a pet in the modern era is pretty tough -- our furry friends live under constant surveillance and face crippling self-esteem issues brought on by a society hell-bent on upgrading them, and even replacing them outright with videogames and robots. Adding to the list of products designed to relieve Fluffy from these terrible burdens, Japanese outfit Medical Life Care Giken claims to have invented a patch to measure the stress level of cats and dogs. Based on studies linking sweat production to stress, the pin-sized patch goes on your pet's paw and changes color based on how much sweat it detects, allowing you to schedule doggie-therapy sessions accordingly. While we're not certain why it took a multi-year partnership with researchers at Toyama University to develop a sweat-powered animal mood ring, we only hope that Giken is hard at work on the fish and turtle versions of this patch -- it's been looking mighty tense in that tank.

[Via MedLaunches]

DIY cat feeder powered by Ubuntu Linux, CD-ROM tray

by Cyrus Farivar, posted Aug 28th 2006 at 8:03AM

It seems, from our very unofficial research, that cat owners tend to be geeks. And to prove our point, we bring you the geekiest cat owner in history. Lee Holmes, of Ontario, Canada, recently combined his Ubuntu Linux server to create a Rube Goldberg machine of a cat feeder. By running a script on his server, the CD-ROM tray pops open, a trap door opens, allowing cat food to flow down a cardboard chute into his cat's bowl. (Bah, just go watch it in action on YouTube, which is linked from his site.) As if that weren't geeky enough, he can use his i-mate JasJar to SSH to the server, allowing him to feed his cat from across the room, or across the world. Now all he needs is to figure out a way for the restocking process to be automated, and he could retire from his day job and sell these things to cat owners worldwide.

[Via MAKE:Blog]