The last time we saw a computerized internet-controlled pet feeder, it had been lovingly, creatively cobbled together by a child. Well, it seems the idea's really got legs, as they now seem to be available on a mass-scale, in a nearly identical (albeit slightly more polished) form. Yes, just like the one designed by a boy somewhere in the 8-years-old-range, the Remote Pet Feeder comes with a webcam, a slightly modded bulk kibble feeder / bowl combo, and a 24-hour programmable timer. It's available now for about $290.

[Via Coolest Gadgets]

Here's one for the hunters. Strap the Garmin DC 30 collar onto your hunting dog, fire up your Astro 220 receiver, and you'll not only know where your dog is, but you'll also know if he is running, pointing, or treeing, even in dense cover. Range is good for up to seven miles, and the tracking even covers the dog's direction so you can figure out where that delicious nubbin of turkey is hiding. The receiver can track up to 10 dogs at once, and the collar is good for 17-36 hours on one charge. The DC 30 is sold separately for $199.99 or for $649.99 as part of an Astro 220 combo, and should be available third-quarter 2008.

UPDATE: Garmin was nice enough to send us proper shots of the actual DC 30. Thanks!

Just when you think you've given your dog everything it could ever want (gold plated water dish, rhinestone collar, a copy of Tegan and Sara's "The Con" on vinyl) the Japanese go and one up you. A Tokyo-based content provider named Dwango announced today that it would start selling specialized ringtones which can be heard only by dogs. The service, called Inu ni shika kikoenai chakushinon (ringtones only dogs can hear) will make free downloads available to current DoCoMo i-mode subscribers. No word on whether the company will provide Bluetooth headsets and holsters suited to our canine friends, but we understand plans are in the works for a line of bacon-themed wallpapers. [Warning: read link is a PDF, and it's in Japanese]

[Via CrunchGear]

You heard that right, folks. Supposedly, AIBO is back... with a vengeance. According to rumors, the feisty-but-killed robo-dog from Sony is making a comeback with a new paintjob and whole slew of fresh features. First and foremost, the re-upped model will be tailored to interface wirelessly with your PSP and PS3, will have a built in headcam which utilizes a motion sensor and facial recognition, and can stream its POV video over WiFi to your system. In addition, you'll apparently get to remotely trigger the bot with your handheld and control its movements, plus you can set it to "guard" your house (though we're pretty sure most enterprising burglars will just turn the little dude on its side if provoked). Of course, right now this is speculation -- Stuff Magazine's piece on the subject (above) gives the rumored bot a 53-percent chance of becoming a reality -- but there certainly seems to be some meat behind these murmurs. C'mon Sony -- the pup deserves a second chance.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Yeah, teaching a canine how to operate a computer may sound pretty complex, but considering that one such animal was actually trained to sniff out and snag cellphones for its dubious owner, we guess it's not too difficult to conceive after all. In a recent study published in Animal Cognition, researchers from the University of Vienna in Austria taught four dogs to use computer automated touch-screens in order to carry out classification tests, theoretically eliminating any "potential human influence." In experiments that sought to see if dogs could indeed visually categorize pictures and transfer learning to new scenarios, the four subjects "were shown landscape and dog photographs and expected to make a selection on a computer touchscreen." Eventually, the authors concluded that using computers in animal testing could open up new windows of opportunity in testing cognitive abilities, but c'mon, you know those pups were just clicking around to see if their testing station would in fact play Doom.

[Via TheInquirer, image courtesy of Itchmo]

If you're looking for a way to get your pups eating what you want, when you want, you might want to check into one DIY'ers clever solution for an RFID feeding scheme. The trouble all began when a gentleman named Mike Larsen needed to feed one of his dogs a special diet even though food had to be out constantly for his canines -- thus making that goal quite difficult to achieve. After discovering no commercial products to suit his needs (likely due to an apparent patent-hoarder), he decided to put his own solution together, using some RFID key fobs, a small proximity card access kit, a Radio Shack AC adapter, some loud buzzers... and a little bit of elbow grease. The system works by essentially "scaring" the special-diet-dog away from the food by the use of a loud buzzing sound, which isn't subtle, but certainly effective. Check the video after the break to see the system in action.

[Via Make]

Joining an already crowded field of products designed to prey on pet owners' love for their animals, a new GPS-equipped dog collar from Sweden's Petlink Development and M-Tech promises to give you Rover's exact coordinates by simpling texting the service over Telia's network. The self-titled Petlink device works much like the GPS PRO we saw a few years back, allowing Swedes and eventually Danes to pay around twelve bucks a month for the privilege of nailing down a lost pet's location on the off chance that they successfully escape from captivity their happy homes. Unfortunately Petlink -- like most other models in this category -- is a little too bulky for use on animals of the feline persuasion, so if you're a cat owner, this may be just the impetus you need to trade up to a nice Lab or pit bull.

[Via Techdirt]

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]

Throughout time, man's best friend has proven to possess an extraordinary capacity to provide helpful services. An unfortunate few become chauffeurs for lazy individuals, however many others provide invaluable aid to the disabled and wheelchair-bound. Assistance dogs have been known to perform tasks such as doing laundry and grocery shopping, but now they can totally rock the ATM as well. It all started with Endal, a ten-year-old Labrador Retriever assistance dog who took the liberty to nab his frustrated wheelchair-bound owner's card, money and receipt with his mouth -- a first for contributive canines. A charity that trains assistance dogs, Canine Partners, was quite inspired and has added an ATM regimen that teaches the helpful hounds to insert and remove cards, retrieve cash and receipts, and hand them to the owner who is responsible for entering their PIN number. Nothing in life is free, and a lot of stuff in life requires cash, therefore we can definitely conclude that this novel advancement is paws-down progressive.

[Via Spluch]

We doubt inmates get the luxury of catching the latest episodes of Prison Break while under lock and key, but we also doubt they'd need a pre-fabbed drama to instill such thoughts in their brain. Bio-Sense Technologies has reportedly harnessed the power of software that "interprets barking" in order to alert humans sooner to when danger is approaching or something has gone awry. In tests performed by the firm, they found that in 350 various dogs, they all possessed a distinctive "alarm bark" that differed from any other yelp, and this distinction allows for an alarm system to be triggered whenever a canine unleashes said sound. Marketed primarily towards prisons and supply yards where intruders may often wander, the "Doguard" security system has been fairly successful since being installed in a high-security Israeli jail, and just a few false alarms have been set off thus far. Further improvements could actually monitor the dog's heart rate to further substantiate a true threat, and while the system can work when Rover's rolling solo, having multiple pups on guard tends to increase effectiveness. While we're not sure if these howling systems will ever make it into American joints, we hope none of you have to personally find out, anyway.

We're not sure about this whole pet anxiety thing (our cats seem to do just fine without us, thanks), but apparently dogs are a different beast. With that in mind, an Arizona inventor has just announced the "Chatterbowl," a regular dog dish bowl (not at all like this one) that will let you record a message to comfort your dog (up to 10 seconds) every time he or she comes to grab a snack or get some water. The $20 bowl has been advertised on cable TV in Dallas and Houston for a few days now, but it will reportedly hit other markets across the US in the coming weeks. We're sure that once the MAKE folks get a hold of the Chatterbowl's electronics, they'll come up with something even more ridiculous.

[Via Gizmag]

Apparently, keeping your pet indoors or ponying up for a fenced in a yard just isn't in style anymore, as the RoamEO GPS tracking system for pets joins the crowd of other locating devices, texting adornments, and inflatable collars that folks seem to prefer over the more traditional methods. This particular setup is geared to work on all roaming pets, but certainly has its limitations. While the GPS-enabled collar sends the exact location, movements, and velocity to your handheld tracking unit, your pet still turns MIA if it wanders more than a mile away. If you're fairly certain Fido isn't apt to stray all that far, you can setup a GPS fence that will send audible alerts if that perimeter is breached. This seems to be a decent system for multi-pet owners who have a tough time keeping things on a leash, as you can maintain a keen eye on three creatures simultaneously -- but it'll cost you $459 for the first one, and $149 for each additional collar.

[Via The Raw Feed]