puppy
Latest
Aibo update lets you program your robot puppy's actions
Not happy with what Sony's reborn Aibo can do? You now have the power to make it do more. Sony has rolled out a 2.50 update for the robot dog that enables, among other things, a web-based interface for programming actions. Beginners can use a visual programming kit that uses blocks to create actions, while seasoned programmers can participate in a Developer Program. You can't modify the personalty of your Aibo, to be clear -- this is mainly for tricks and other activities Sony didn't envision itself.
Japan's latest robot is a puppy that sniffs out stinky feet
The Japanese take body odor very seriously. So much so, in fact, that companies in Japan host seminars on "smell harassment." Impeccable hygiene also extends to the home, where people are expected to take off their shoes upon entering. Naturally, the tech-savvy nation has come up with a number of modern applications for funky-smelling folk. There's an app that tells you if your armpits kick. A female robot that checks for halitosis. And soon, you'll even be able to buy a robotic puppy that smells your feet.
Dog Days of Summer: Apps by Jasper
Unlike Rosie from a few weeks ago, who wanted nothing more than to get her human away from programming and go for a walk, Jasper the Vizsla puppy is perfectly content to sit in owner William Smith's lap and help him code. We can't wait to see the apps Jasper's programmed! If you have a Dog Days nominee to share, let us know via our feedback page (and please remember that the photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple and its products -- don't just send us a photo of your canine buddy). For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Thanks, William and jasper!
Dog Days of Summer: Doggy Dashboard
Yeah, there's nothing cuter than a puppy ... unless it's a puppy that is sitting on a new (in 2009) 13" MacBook Pro keyboard. This is Kevin, and his human Don Jones says: This photo is from a few years back when Kevin was a puppy. I was trying to teach him to sit beside me while I worked, but as you can see Kevin didn't like playing second fiddle. He crawled up onto my then new 13" MacBook Pro and activated Dashboard. Three Macs later Kevin is still around. If you have a Dog Days nominee to share, let us know via our feedback page (and please remember that the photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple and its products -- don't just send us a photo of your canine buddy). For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Thanks, Don!
Mattel Puppy Tweets review
Though Twitter has become a greater professional tool than we'd imagine anyone ever intended it's still hard to take the service too seriously. We like silly twitterers, whether they be offering pretend writing advice, charting the reclusive tendencies of Hollywood's leading men, or just threatening to force choke any troll who gets in their way. Wouldn't it be fun if your pooch could get in on those antics? No, as it turns out, it isn't that fun at all. %Gallery-109426%
WRUP: Our favorite pets edition
I was just sitting down to write an intro for this week's WRUP, but then, oops, I seem to have been distracted by puppies. The puppies above are mine, because, well, I'm writing this post and it's my privilege to show off how gosh-darn adorable the little scamps are. (Of course, they're a couple of years older now -- less cute, and boy can they bark.) For this week's WRUP, we have the usual assortment of weekend plans as well as -- you guessed it -- puppies. Also kittens. And just for variety, a snake. %Gallery-91023%
Chloe the Corgi, meet iPad
Well, we've already introduced a cat to the iPad, so a dog would naturally follow, right? Tested.com tried their best to bring their corgi Chloe (I really love corgis, ever since Cowboy Bebop) to the iPad, but as you can see in the video above, she doesn't take to it quite as well as Iggy the cat did. After a little sniffing and experimentation, things go south fast. Poor puppy! Just not muscially-inclined, I guess. Maybe she'd rather wait for the gPad. In the meantime, tell Jobs to get Ive on the line -- there's at least one canine demographic out there for which the iPad's interface isn't quite so intuitive. [via The Daily What, who also posted this fun music video featuring iPhones]
Wilson's Sasha W/P speaker -- an all-new WATT/Puppy for the same old customer base
Wilson Audio's WATT/Puppy is an iconic speaker, but the pairing of the WATT (Wilson Audio Tiny Tot) monitor-like headpiece and the Puppy subwoofer pedestal is getting a updated to a new design and (thankfully) a less saccharine-laced "Sasha W/P" name to go with it. Pretty much everything is getting updated -- the enclosures, drivers and crossovers all benefit from lessons learned on some of Wilson Audio's other models, and the higher performance Sasha W/P is even going to come at lower price than the outgoing $28,000 per pair WATT/Puppy. Don't get your hopes up, though -- in case you didn't get the hint from the pic above, the Sasha W/P isn't exactly breaking into new pricing territory for Wilson Audio, and we don't think the $26,900 price is going to open a floodgate of prospective buyers who just couldn't swing the extra $1,100 for the outgoing model.
Wiimote strike 'killed' dog, saved by neighbor's mouth-to-mouth
A Michigan woman nearly killed her dog when she accidentally struck it in the temple with a Wii Remote. Kathy White was playing Wii Sports' bowling with her daughter when she made the motion to roll her virtual ball and, as she puts it, hit the dog and "killed him instantly." The dog, Ozzy, was not moving or breathing. She called her neighbor -- who we're guessing must have some veterinary training -- and she revived the dog using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Ozzy was then taken to the real vet, who diagnosed the dog with "severe brain swelling" due to cardiac arrest. We've heard of Wiinjuries before (both possibly real and fake), but this is the first instance of potential "caninicide" we're aware of. Check out a television news report regarding the incident after the break.[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]
Friday Video: This dog has a hunger for Miis
When house pets attack (video games) must be the theme for the FFV this week, as DSF is featuring a frisky feline and we here at Wii Fanboy present a dog with a dislike for all things Mii. As you can see above, its mouth claps open and shut as it tries to consume the virtual representation of a real human being. We just fear that once the dog puts two and two together, it'll realize that attacking Miis in the real world is much more satisfying. Also, real life Miis probably taste better.
Puppy vs. Roboquad: the ultimate man-machine showdown
Ever wondered what would happen if you were to pit the Wowwee Roboquad against an excitable, yapping puppy? Wonder no longer, friends, as the answer to this age-old question has been captured on video -- replete with NES sound effects and 8-bit scorecard. Watch the battle for ultimate supremacy after the break... our money is on the dog.[Via Digg]
Manhunt 2 looks a lot more fun since the ESRB incident
It appears that rather than attempting to appeal the ESRB's AO rating, Rockstar has decided to lose some of the violent content from Manhunt 2. In fact, they've gotten it all the way down to E. In our opinion, the changes seem to be for the better. We play games about killing dudes all the time. But when was the last time you played a game where, using the Nintendo Wii's innovative motion controller, you held someone down and forced them to take an adorable puppy? Never, that's when. This is the kind of thing we want to play-- creepily-intense-niceness simulators. Put us down for one copy.... yeah, we know. [Via Level Up]
Magic 8-Ball says: 'Signs point to disturbing'
Even StarFox's furry-friendly backdrop couldn't hold a candle to Fortune Channel, Capcom and TakaraTomy's latest installment to the puppy-fashion Wantame series. Predicting the future with minigames certainly sounds interesting, but we would rather not have to dress up virtual dogs in provocative outfits during the process. The miniature daschund posing on the right is probably the second most unsettling image of a dolled-up animal that we've ever come across. If you want to see the most unsettling image -- and we're not kidding around here, your eyes may very well hop out of their sockets, scampering away at the mere sight of this one -- step past the post break.
13.6 million Nintendogs are being neglected right now
Want to know the real reason why Nintendogs is one of the most "important" games? Because everybody has it. Nintendo is reporting that 13.6 million copies of the game have been sold worldwide. Compare that to Brain Age and its sequel, which sold a combined 12 million copies. We knew Nintendogs was massive, but we kind of didn't realize how massive. As we alluded to in the title, we wonder how many of those copies are still getting daily use.Another interesting tidbit from the financial report: Nintendo made 2.1 billion yen (about $17.5 million) last year from their non-video-game products, including playing cards. And before you ask, they probably did count Nintendogs as a video game.
KTF's surveillance canine beams snapshots via HSDPA
It just makes sense that the same Korean provider that offered up a pet translator service would attempt to give back to the owners, as KTF has launched a robotic puppy that just melts the hearts of gizmo-lovin' gals abroad. Specifically, it garners a crowd of individuals wherever it's at, and then pulls double duty as an undercover surveillance agent, snapping mobile images and channeling them straight to your cellphone via HSDPA. For the paranoid 'rents in the crowd, this here ought to be a perfect way to monitor what really goes down in the house while you're away for the weekend, and while it's no guard dog per se, the evidence this bad boy captures could indeed be quite frightening. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]
Puppy takes out frustrations on Nintendogs cart
Jake Nickell assures us that he never ignored Norman, his Pug/King Charles Spaniel mix, in favor of playing the copy of Nintendogs that came with his Nintendo DS. If that's true, what could have lead the hound into chewing up the pet simulation's cart? Maybe the puppy just grew tired of sinking his teeth into Jake's shoes, homework, and remote controls? Or perhaps Norman took the game's "Best Friends" label to heart, biting down on the newcomer in a fit of jealousy. We happen to think that this was his revenge on Jake for dressing him up in silly outfits and posting the photos on the internet. We would be pretty pissed too.
Lovely puppies are no Nintendogs
It looks like Nintendogs is about to see some competition in the cutesy puppy gaming market this fall. However, the new title, A Lovely Puppy, seems more mini-game heavy, unlike the gotta-play approach that Nintendogs takes. All the same elements are there -- feeding, training, playing -- but these puppies want to make sure you can solve puzzles, too. Also, instead of photorealism, the Lovely Puppy game utilizes a soft, pastel 2D style reminiscent of another upcoming game, Love Love Hamster. A Lovely Puppy features 18 dog types out of the box, and you can even choose the type of coat. It's nice to see a different approach rather than a direct clone. Though we have very few details right now, we think this is one title that will eventually see a worldwide release. No one can resist the power of the puppy. Check out some other screens after the jump.
