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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]
Wiimote kills dog, neighbor brings it back
Ozzy is one lucky pup. When the White family got a Wii this Christmas, it was all fun and games until little Ozzy's life was in danger. See, the dog was hanging around the humans, watching them bowl in Wii Sports, when he jumped up in the way and caught a Wiimote directly to the temple, killing the dog instantly. The Whites called their neighbor Pene over and she gave the dog mouth-to-mouth, saving its life. Over the next few weeks following the incident, Ozzy has thankfully started to mend and be his old self again.There's a video of the segment shown on the local NBC affiliate after the break. Cute doggy, wouldn't you say?
SNIF Tags go commercial, promise to monitor your dog's activity
They've been keeping tabs on dogs around MIT for a few years now, but it looks like the activity-monitoring SNIF Tags are now finally making their public, and commercial, debut. Unlike some other devices that track your dog's whereabouts with GPS, these make use of an accelerometer and some motion analysis software to determine exactly how active your dog is, all of which gets logged online via the included SNIF base station that connects to your router. Even more ambitiously, the tags also promise to let you and your dog engage in a bit of social networking, with the tags able to recognize when they're close to another tag and record the encounter online when you get back home which, of course, depends on plenty of other dogs having the tags as well. Their $200 introductory price (or $300 after November 24th) won't exactly help those chances, however, nor will the $10 a month fee for the premium membership (a year of service is included with the starter kit). If that's not a deterrent for you though, you can get your order in right now by hitting up the ready link below.
iBone chew toy gives sneak peek at dog-centric App Store
We're going out on a limb here and assuming that the Haute Diggity Dog iBone comes jailbroken and ready to rock, or at least that's the impression we get from checking out that heretofore unseen bevy of icons. Customized for the "tech savvy dog on the go," this here iPhone chew toy gives dear Fido access to bark / hand-shake training, posture lessons, Washington Huskies sports updates (it's the Clemson Tigers in all honesty, but work with us here), a mysterious fitness app and a bone application for times when supper just seems too far away. You know your pup's worth the $11.95, you just know it.[Via textually]
BBC HD listens to viewers, tones down DOG usage
DOG, you know, as in digital on-screen graphics? Those absurdly annoying logos that clutter up the screen when you're trying to enjoy a program? Yeah, those. According to a new post on the BBC's official blog, it has listened to the scads of complainers and has taken action to address the concerns. Assuming no technical issues crop up, the "majority" of BBC HD content will be aired DOG-free starting this weekend, and on the material that isn't, the logo will be toned down to "the lowest level that [Auntie Beeb] can while allowing it to remain visible." The author does note that these changes are, um, subject to change, but we can't help but commend her on standing up for the viewing community and keeping the DOGs at bay.[Via TechRadar]
Survey: Game systems causing cat-astrophic pet injuries
We're already well acquainted with the idea of Wiis (and their remotes) injuring humans and TV sets. Now the UK's Telegraph is reporting that game systems are also causing a veritable epidemic of injuries to pets. A survey of 3,000 British pet owners shows that a full 10% of pets were injured by a Wii , while 8.3% sustained PlayStation-related injuries and 5.8% got injured by a DS.Even accounting for some overlap between systems, those numbers would seem to suggest that British veterinarians are being overrun by little critters who chewed through component cables, swallowed portable systems, tripped on controller cords and the like. The numbers are much less worrying, though, when you consider the source for the survey: pet insurance provider PetPlan. Reminds us of that used car dealer who told us rust-proofing would increase the resale value of our car by 50% -- just not that credible. We still got the rust-proofing, though. When it comes to our Fiat, our motto is: better safe than sorry.
Vladimir Putin finally acquires satellite collar for his dog
Just under a year ago, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced his hopes that one day he could pinpoint the location of his black Labrador, Koni, at any time of the day. Today, a dream has been realized. Mr. Putin has finally procured a satellite collar that will enable him to track the lab regardless of which of the eleven times zones she may be in while waltzing through Russia. Once the collar was slipped on, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov immediately said "she looks sad, her free life is over." Putin didn't miss a beat when snapping back: "In Soviet Russia, GLONASS track you!"[Image courtesy of Picasa, thanks MJ]
Dogs used to sniff out cellphones in prison, arf arf!
Maryland has switched to canine power to sniff out illegal cells in its penal system since the "ask nicely" policy just isn't working out for them. The pooches have their work cut out for them if they hope to stem the flow of the estimated 800 sets that get into prisons yearly. The worry isn't that a small black market accessory market will spring up, but rather that the people behind bars can carry on the business that landed them in prison in the first place. Cell phones apparently get behind bars by being smuggled in boxes, food, shoes, and any other place imaginable and currently fetch about $400 for the privilege of ownership. The state currently has three pooches on the payroll, a Belgian Malinois, a German shepherd mix, and were trained up in as little as six weeks. With only a couple months behind their collars, the pups have already bagged some two-dozen phones. Not a bad bit of work, we're hoping they're available for rent in the coming months, we've lost countless sets around here and would love to get 'am all back.
Wii Music teaches the world how to play the dog
It's a bit like the drums, apparently.The dog suit, easily the most non-instrumental of all Wii Music's instruments, is the subject of the latest "Today's Instrument" video. Even though the novelty would probably wear thin quickly, we found this video to be quite cute and funny. Not that we'd share such a view with any of the commentors at GameTrailers, whose responses to this are both wonderfully over-the-top and angsty. "I... HATE... THIS... SO... MUCH..." writes jaymichigan, quivering with rage. "I've lost the will to live," proclaims sarahshrew2, not at all dramatically. "Nintendo... My vision of you has now forever been changed from the KING of video games, to WORTHLESS IDIOTS," bawls robsco.You get the idea.%Gallery-27713% Looking for more on Wii Music? Check out the E3 trailer by clicking here, read up on our time with the game here, and learn how to play the accordion, taiko, clarinet, conga, electric guitar, harp, flute, marching drum, violin, piano, guitar, and marimba.
Verizon pulls pit bull LG Dare commercial after PETA bombardment
Say what you will about PETA's beliefs, but if there's one thing that group proves, it's that there is power in numbers. Verizon Wireless had been fairly adamant that it would continue airing its pit bull ad for the LG Dare -- which shows a pair of the dogs chained up in a junkyard guarding heaps of metal and a misplaced handset -- but after PETA issued an "action alert" that triggered 7,000 emails to the outfit's CEO, its tune changed. For those longing to waste another 30 seconds of their life watching the spot that will never again air on the small screen, click on past the break.
Mabinogi introduces furry friends
Just when we thought Mabinogi couldn't get any cuter, the latest update has us reaching for our diabeetis medicine. So what's new? Pets! Players now can choose between one of five animals: 2 types of cats, a dog, a fox, and a wolf, with more types to come. These pets will follow you around, fight alongside you, and even level up like you do.Each pet is distinctive, with its own set of unique skills, whether melée or magic-based. Available to every player through the Nexon Cash Shop, no one is barred from gaining a constant companion for life. You can check out the pets trailer after the jump, and watch for the next big Mabinogi content update, due June 25th, featuring more pets, a new dungeon, new boss monster, and a new spell for players to learn![Thanks, Robert!]
WowWee's Wrex the Dawg reviewed: puts real canines to shame
Unless you've specifically been lookin' out, you may have very well forgotten about WowWee's crazed robotic dog that was uncaged at CES. After lasting through its first few days of training (which we'll call a review for our purposes), we're led to believe that this pup is "the silliest robot you'll ever love." Reviewers weren't shy in calling it like it saw it, as Wrex was hailed as "absolutely terrible at being a dog and even worse at being a robot." Of course, it's fairly easy to see this bugger was meant to provide comedic relief and not sophisticated companionship, so those pointers aren't exactly negative. Overall, Wrex is almost guaranteed to make you chuckle on a daily basis, and if you don't believe that, just check out the video waiting after the break.[Via MAKE]
Sparky the robodog reacts accordingly to surroundings
Hate to say it, but Pleo ain't got nothing on Sparky. Created by five interaction design master students, this robodog actually responds in sensible ways to positive / negative scenarios going on around it. For instance, the creature will drop its head, whimper and collapse down if faced with "carbon monoxide, cigarette smoke, alcohol, too much dark lighting, hitting and yelling." Consequently, he'll perk up and show signs of excitement when standing in broad daylight or going on walks. All the pluses of having your own pet, minus the excrement and doggy daycare costs -- brilliant! Peep Sparky's day out on the town after the jump.
Amazon unbags Catz 2 sale
Wait! Before you roll your eyes and scroll past this post in search of non Petz news, we want to make sure you know that unlike the DS and PC versions, Petz Catz 2 isn't your garden-variety shovelware pet sim.It's more of a light RPG adventure in which you, a kitten, set out to retrieve a magical top hat from a mean wolf. Of course, along the way, you'll have several different minigames and side quests which you can pounce into, instead. Also, you can put hats on cats.If that short description -- or the prospect of adorning cats with hats -- interests you at all, Amazon has the game on sale for a super cheap $7.99 until the end of the day. If you're more of a puppy person, you can also pick up the palette-swapped canine complement, Petz Dogz 2, for only $9.99. [Via CAG]Read - Petz Catz 2 for $7.99Read - Petz Dogz 2 for $9.99
Video: HPI's G-Dog will hunt
Announced last week, we now have the first video of HPI's G-Dog courtesy of Impress. HPI's definitely not going for cute and cuddly here; this cyberdog's all bite and surprisingly quick and nimble on that slick tabletop. As such our plans to slather the Earth in linoleum after the uprising look sufficiently foiled. Damn you H.P.Iiiiiiii! Click through for the action, while you still can.
LED Dog Tail Communicator gives Fido a voice
Not like we haven't seen a similar idea passed around before, but James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau have apparently taken things one step further with their LED Dog Tail Communicator. As the title implies, the device would simply be affixed to your favorite canine's tail, after which it could broadcast actual words based on the speed of the tail wag. There's no telling just how many phrases the thing could spell out -- and honestly, we have no idea how accurate the statements would actually be -- but this may be just the thing to keep Rover quiet while still letting him get his point across.[Via Coolest-Gadgets]
Because regular plushies are way too cute
Stupid plushies, with their cute little faces and soft, fuzzy bodies. Ugh. Hate 'em! What's there to like about squishable little animals anyway? You know what we need? Uncute plushies. Thankfully, someone is on the cutting edge, ready with the future of stuffed toys. Resident Evil fans, pay attention, for we present: the zombie dog plush, courtesy of mjrahabim's Etsy marketplace. On one site, it's a cute little puppy. On the other? A skeletal undead killing machine. It's dual use! Each puppy is custom-made (which means they may vary from plush to plush) for $25.And it still manages to be cute. Dammit.
HPI's G-Dog sniffs out your human wreckage
HPI Japan just conjured up GR-001's new best friend: the G-Dog. The DIY, four-legged robot with a taste for jugulars and what appears to be a sword for a tail stands just 5.3-inches tall and features the same control unit and sensors of his bipedal buddy. Presumably, G-Dog will only respond to street-wize greetings of "Whut up Gee?" and "'Sup Dawg?" at which point he'll lubricate his turf (aka, your carpet). G-Dog is expected to terrorize Japan sometime in July for around $1,000. Backside front, after the break.
The DS Life: Puppies at play
The DS Life is a weekly feature in which we scour the known world for narrative images of Nintendo's handhelds and handheld gamers. If you have a photo and a story to match it with, send both to thedslife at dsfanboy dot com.We've already seen cosplay outfits for Nintendo DS figures like Dr. Kawashima, Link, and even K.K. Slider -- it was only a matter of time before a pair of kids decided to dress themselves up as Nintendogs! Chase us past the post break for the canine costumes.See also: The DS Life: Best Friends Edition
So who is the greatest gaming canine ever?
The results to one of the most interesting questions we've heard in quite awhile has come in and gaming's greatest canine is apparently Parappa from the Parappa the Rapper games. While we'll cross the divide that separates Nintendo and Sony handheld fanboys and admit that the Parappa games are great, we're a tad bit upset.As you may recall from our original post on this topic of discussion, we were heavily in favor of K.K. Slider. We also considered the dog from Duck Hunt. But, Parappa? Eh, we don't agree. What about you all?[Via Joystiq]