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Call of Duty: Ghosts delivers bangs, booms, growls in new trailer
This Call of Duty: Ghosts launch trailer features all of the explosions, wanton gunplay and caucasoid rappers you'd expect, but more importantly, it also gives the game's canine companion a moment in the sun - or that is, a tense few seconds of snarling down hungry wolves in the moonlit snow.
Dog Days of Summer: The MacBook Pro chew toy
There probably isn't a day that goes by that Rory's human Dave Moczulski doesn't silently thank Jony Ive for deciding to make the MacBook Pro out of aluminum instead of rubber or rawhide... If you've got 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 to TUAW reader Dave Moczulski for this photo of his pup Rory!
Daily iPad App: Peterest is Pinterest for your pets
What do people most use the internet for? Corresponding with loved ones? Reading news? Buying useless things on eBay? None of the above. The correct answer, of course, is to look at pictures of adorable animals. The creators of the website Peterest -- and its new iOS companion app - have clearly stumbled upon this fact long ago, using the knowledge to create an app with the sole purpose of letting people share photos of their pets. As the name suggests, Peterest is very much a Pinterest clone with added furry flavor, letting users favorite photos from other users and create a collection of cute pets pics. You can save and store the names of your pets within the app and use that info to tag each photo you submit. All of your submitted pictures are linked to either your Peterest account (which you can sign up for within the app) or your Facebook account. When browsing the photos other users have submitted, you can sort via date or popularity, but sadly there is no option to sort via pet type. Personally, I'd stay in the "Cat" section permanently. Unfortunately, that's not the only area where the app falls short of its potential. At the moment, Peterest is very, very basic. Aside from submitting and browsing photos, there is little else you can do. There is no comment feature, which is a real letdown. There is no ability to follow other users, and there's not even the option to see who favorited your own submitted pictures. On top of that, there's not even an option to add an avatar to your account unless you link with Facebook, leaving you with the default blank face icon. Peterest could really be a fantastic time killer -- and in some ways it's already a fine way to kill a lunch break -- but it definitely needs to be fleshed out before it approaches greatness. The app is free, so there's no harm in downloading it now and waiting for the much-needed features to eventually appear, if they ever do. For now, I'll just keep submitting photos of my cats and pretending everyone loves them.
Whistle: the internet of everything goes to the dogs
One key part of our "internet of things" that seems to be capturing the imagination of a lot of people is the ability to track our activity and other health factors. It's not surprising to get with a group of people these days and see a Fitbit or Nike FuelBand on the waist or wrist of half the people in the room. Today, San Francisco-based Whistle announced pre-orders for its first product, a US$99.95 health tracker for dogs that is expected to ship this summer. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of chatting with Ben Jacobs, CEO and co-founder of Whistle. Jacobs noted that the cost of veterinary care over a pet's life exceeds $10,000, yet there's surprisingly little information that pet owners can supply to a vet about an ailing animal, and dogs certainly can't tell a vet what's wrong. Enter Whistle -- the namesake device is a small, metal, wireless on-collar monitor for dogs that collects data passively throughout the day that is then categorized as active, walk, resting or play. By monitoring information for a few months via an iPhone app (Android is planned for later), a baseline of the animal's activities is created. Deviations to that baseline are often indicative of health situations with a dog. In the wild, animals hide pain and injury in order to keep from becoming prey. That same instinct is present in house pets when they're not feeling well, and it's often difficult to see that a dog is in pain when you're at work most of the day. By tracking information over time, Jacobs notes that owners can see if it is their behavior -- for example, not being able to walk the dog on a regular schedule -- that is upsetting the baseline, or if it is a sign that the dog may be in pain. When you take your dog to the vet, he or she will be able to pull up reports showing the dog's activity over time. Whistle intends to accumulate data from all dogs wearing the devices so that they can create overall norms for different breeds and ages. If it sounds like Whistle is using this data to conduct canine health studies, you're absolutely correct. Jacobs noted that Whistle is working with the University of Pennsylvania's well-known Veterinary Clinic Investigations Center and other academic institutions to analyze the data. The company also has an advisory council made up of vets from around the country ranging from private general practitioners to veterinary cardiologists. The device will connect via both Bluetooth and WiFi to collect data, making it possible to connect both inside and outside the home. Jacobs mentioned that the device and apps will also allow different parties to indicate when they played with the dog, took it for a walk and more -- important when sharing the responsibility of a canine companion. We're hoping to get a Whistle later this summer for a full paws-on review; in the meantime, check out the intro video below and consider pre-ordering one for your four-legged friend.
Robotic girl and dog pair up to judge your body odor in Japanese
"Emergency taking place!" That's quite possibly the last thing you'd want to hear from anyone smelling your breath -- a female humanoid robotic head mounted atop a rectangular pink and red box being no exception. Similarly, a robotic hound passing out after smelling your feet should certainly be cause for alarm. Japanese company CrazyLabo paired up with Kitakyushu National College of Technology to create both bots, tasked with smelling your breath and your feet, respectively. The woman, named Kaori-chan, passes judgement on four levels, with feedback ranging from "It smells like citrus!" to the dire exclamation you read about above. The pooch, for his part, doesn't speak, but instead displays varying levels of affection -- it'll cuddle up if things are looking good, but it'll bark or growl if it's time to change those socks. If the situation is beyond repair, he'll collapse, as Chopin's funeral march plays in the background. It's just as depressing as it sounds. Granted, it's all in good fun, but if you're easily offended (or often offending), you probably won't want to venture any closer than the demo video at the source link below.
England to mandate dog microchips by 2016
Thinking about injecting an identification chip in your pooch? If you live in the southern part of the UK, you won't have a choice. Come 2016, English and Welsh authorities will require all of the country's pups to have embedded microchips, so they can be returned to their owners if ever they run astray. The United Kingdom's Environment Department says some 60 percent of the country's 8 million dogs already have the tags, but beginning in three years, owners who don't spring for the device could be forced to pay fines of up to £500 (about $780). Cat microchipping will remain optional, since felines are less likely to wander outdoors. And "World's Cutest Dog" fans need not worry about their precious Boo getting the forced implant -- the famed Pomeranian (pictured above) is based in San Francisco, some 5,000 miles from the Queen's needle.
i-SODOG robot unveiled, dares you to resist its LED-puppy dog eyes
Takara Tomy's i-SODOG might not be as intimidating as other robotic quadrupeds, but it sure is a charmer. Freshly unveiled at the Tokyo International Toy Show, the puppy comes laden with touch sensors, 15 custom servos and a microphone, letting its master command it with up to 50 unique voice cues. The mechanical mutt's mind packs some basic artificial intelligence as well, allowing it to learn and modify its behavior based on the user's commands. If the pup flunks out of digital dog training, however, its owner can always assume control directly with the i-SODOG iOS / Android app or from a dedicated controller. Fido's chasing a Spring 2013 release for 31,500 yen ($400), but there's no word on a release outside of Japan. In the meantime, a video of the plastic pooch in action awaits you after the break.
ASUS shows off a docking monitor built for the PadFone, we go hands-on (video)
Back when ASUS formally launched the PadFone, it trotted out a handful of accessories to go with it: a keyboard dock, tablet station and even a stylus that doubles as an earpiece. As it turns out, the outfit had even more goodies up its sleeve: we just spotted a PadFone docking monitor hanging out in the ASUS booth here at Computex. For starters, it is what it sounds like: a 27-inch 24-inch display with a cradle designed specifically to accommodate the PadFone's dimensions. There are also HDMI, VGA, DVI and four USB 3.0 ports in case you want to use it as a standalone monitor. When you plug in the handset, the display turns into an all-in-one PC, with Ice Cream Sandwich as your desktop OS. Since the 1920 x 1200 screen isn't touch-enabled, you'll have to get used to interacting with Android using only a mouse and keyboard. We'll admit: we would have preferred to just tap the home button instead of click on it, especially when we were ready to switch apps, but nonetheless, Android makes for an intuitive-enough desktop operating system, what with the home screen full of shortcuts. Funnily enough, even, we felt more comfortable using Android in a desktop setting than we did with Google Chrome OS, which was actually designed with PC form factors in mind. Otherwise, we found ourselves craving a little more pixel density, but we did appreciate the matte finish, which offers wide viewing angles despite the fact that this isn't an IPS display. According to an ASUS rep staffing the event, the Docking Monitor will eventually go on sale in the US, though he couldn't say when or for how much. In the meantime, check out our hands-on photos and quickie demo video.%Gallery-157443%
Go-Go Dog Pals lets you exercise Rover without tapping your precious calorie reserve
Sure you love your dog, but having him watch you sit on the sofa doesn't constitute playtime. Standing up and even running around outside together will surely get the job done, but why get up for exercise when you're perfectly comfortable on the couch? That's the idea behind Go-Go Dog Pals, coined "the funnest most fun way to exercise your dog." Unless you have a few acres to play with beyond the front door, you'll still need to to bring Rover out to the yard before unleashing the wireless gopher look-alike, but there finally appears to be a solution for controlling your dog just as you do your TV -- with a remote. The Go-Go has plenty of pep under the hood, thanks to its dual-motor, four-wheel drive and top speed of 35 kilometers (22 miles) per hour, and it could be yours for the not-so-modest sum of $300. There is a $25 discount on order, if you can pull the trigger by July 1st -- just enter "CHASE" at checkout. Paws-on video is just past the break.
Genetically modified mongrel takes drugs, glows in the dark
Labradoodles, Cockapoos and Puggles better make way, there's a new designer breed lighting up the pound -- blacklight-style. Using the same somatic cell transfer technique that birthed the first puppy clone, Korean researchers at Seoul National University created Tegon, a glow-in-the-dark female beagle. The four years in the making, 3.2 billion won ($3 million) genetically modified pup fluoresces when exposed to UV light after ingesting a doxycycline antibiotic. No doubt this Frankenweenie should have Uptown girls and Party kids scrambling for a bank loan, but a high-end canine accessory end is not what the team had in mind. Citing the 268 diseases mutt and man share, lead scientist Lee Byeong-chun believes future lab-made pooches could include "genes that trigger fatal human diseases," paving the way for life-saving treatments. If any of this is ringing your PETA alarm, we don't blame you. We'd much rather see this lambent hooch take the starring role in Tim Burton's next, great reboot. [Image credit via Reuters]
Steve Wozniak calls us all dogs, in a nice way
You can stop worrying about the robot apocalypse now. Steve Wozniak has weighed in on the matter, and it turns out we've pretty much lost. The Apple co-founder / dancing star discussed the subject with an Australian business crowd, mapping out a future in which artificial intelligence equals our own, and mankind's own input is meaningless. In other words, "We're going to become the pets, the dogs of the house." Woz added that his take on the whole war thing was, in part, a joke -- it's the part that wasn't that we're worried about. Though if our own dogs' existences are any indication, things could be a lot worse. [Thanks, Shaun]
Garmin's Astro 320 GPS handheld offers nine-mile coverage, keeps your hunting dogs in line
Before you and your pooches head out to hunt innocent ducks this year, you might wanna check out Garmin's new Astro 320 dog tracker -- a handheld GPS device designed to help hunters keep even closer tabs on their four-legged sentries. The latest addition to the Astro family can simultaneously track up to ten hunting dogs per receiver, with a revamped antenna and three-axis electronic compass covering up to nine miles of flat terrain. Boasting a 20-hour battery life, the 1.7GB handheld can also tell hunters whether their canines are running or pointing, while its mapping capabilities provide their precise coordinates relative to powerlines, buildings, and individual trees. All this information is displayed on a 2.6-inch display, where users will be able to access 100k or 24k topographic and satellite maps. A keypad lock function, meanwhile, will make sure you don't accidentally press any buttons while you're in the thick of a hound-led hunt. The handheld will be available in July for $500, with the full system (including a DC 40 tracking collar) priced at $650. You can flip through the gallery below for images of some antenna-toting doggies, or head past the break for a more testosterone-laced pic and the full PR. %Gallery-125121%
Dog destroys Dead Space 2 disc, Visceral replaces with signed copy
There are lots of ways to get your favorite video game signed by the developers. You could win a contest, corner the developers at a conference and, of course, stalk them. Now, thanks to a Dead Space fan named Ashley, there's another method -- have your dog destroy the disc. Whilst playing her brand new copy of Dead Space 2, it seems Ashley's dog knocked over her Xbox 360, irreparably damaging the disc. Naturally, Ashley did what anyone would do in that situation: She shared her woes on Twitter. Visceral art director Ian Milham spotted her tweets, asked for her address and sent her the goodies seen above. Yes, that is a hand-drawn picture of Isaac Clarke scolding Ashley's dog next to a (very) signed copy of Dead Space 2. Truly, it's a heart-warming story about one of the most disgusting video games around -- and more tolerable as marketing than the "Your Mom Hates This" campaign. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to go coat this Halo: Reach disc with peanut butter.
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%
Garmin upgrades its doggone Astro tracking system with DC 40 collar GPS tracker
Chances are the closest you've come to hunting with a pooch is swearing at that giggle-happy mutt who shames your every miss in Duck Hunt. In the real world, dogs are sent out to flush game and track down new things to shoot at, often way out of sight. Garmin's Astro receiver, combined with the DC 30 collar tracker (pictured above), made it easy to keep the all seeing eye on your very own mutt even when miles away, and now the DC 40 makes it even easier. The DC 40 sports a redesign that should make it a more reliable companion, including a new charging connector that won't get clogged with mud. Also new is the ability to create a PIN so that other Astro users can't spy (and possibly even steal) your pooches. The Astro receiver can track up to 10 hounds at once at seven miles of range, and will even let hunters mark where their companions scurried up some prey for future reconnaissance. The price? Garmin isn't saying just yet, but the current DC 30 and Astro receiver package goes for $599, and we'd expect this to cost about the same, though the DC 40 collar unit itself is also said to be available separately if you just want to make sure your hound has the latest couture. Update: Garmin was kind enough to send us a picture of the new DC 40, above.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: wind power, shoe power, and the world's largest laser
The Week in Green is a new item from our friends at Inhabitat, recapping the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us. This week Inhabitat showcased several smart new technologies that harness clean green energy from unexpected (and undeniably awesome) sources. Volcanoes may be the bane of air travel as of late, but Indonesia has hatched a plan to harness their geothermal might to produce 4,000 megawatts of power. Meanwhile The Netherlands is turning the tide on hydroelectric power by upgrading their dikes with energy generating underwater turbines. In other news, harnessing energy from stars may seem like an out-of-this-world proposition, but that's precisely what scientists are attempting to achieve as they fire up the world's largest laser in an attempt to grasp the holy grail of energy: nuclear fusion. And speaking of out-of-this-world developments, this week Japan announced plans to launch its solar "Ikaros" spacecraft, which will sail through the stars using rays of light. While keeping stride with these developments we also looked at several innovative technologies that stand to shape the future of consumer tech. Looking to put some punch in your step? Then try these energy generating piezoelectric shoes on for size. We also brought an eye-opening new night vision technology to light that is so thin, lightweight, and cheap that it can integrated directly into eyeglasses, car windows, and cell phone cameras. Even our canine friends are getting high-tech upgrades -- check out this geo-tagging rescue dog jacket that can be used by people in peril to transmit emergency messages. Finally, this weekend marks the start of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, which we're celebrating by showcasing the top six futuristic pavilions that harness high-tech green building strategies. But if you only check out one, make it the amazing interactive Dream Cube, which is made from recycled CD cases and features a stunning LED-laden facade that changes color with a wave of the hand.
Fallen Earth lets the dogs out
Oi, you there! Yeah, you, you grubby Wastelander! Bored of hiking the Grand Canyon all by your lonesome? There's hope for you yet -- the Fallen Earth team has announced that they've released companion pets into the game ahead of schedule. The dogs -- Wasteland Mutts -- were spotted on the test servers, yet did not make the journey to yesterday's 1.3.11 patch. While players feared that the new pet system was being held back for more testing, apparently everything is A-OK, and the Mutts are now available at feed and fuel merchants throughout Sectors 1-3. Even better, Icarus let out the word that the pets will be cheaper than anticipated, costing players about 500 chips for a new best friend. While the Mutts are welcome news indeed, Icarus wants us to know that Fallen Earth won't be a dogs-only club: "Don't get too attached," they teased. "We hear other variants still exist in Deadfall!"
Puppy Tweets will turn your Pooper into a world-class twitterer (Updated: with hands-on pictures!)
If you thought the downfall of Twitter began when Oprah said it was the best thing ever, well, you're probably right, but this latest toy from Mattel won't help to improve the situation. It's called Puppy Tweets, a little clasp that hangs from your pooch's collar and detects what it's up to -- presumably making wild guesses based on accelerometer and microphone readings. It was announced last month and is being shown off at the NY Toy Fair, where Mattel is pledging it can detect 500 different activities and turn them into 140-character witticisms, like: "It's not the catching of the tail, it's the chase," and "Guess what I'm licking right now." Yep, a real product, and $30 will get you yours in either pink or blue. Update: We had to check this thing out for ourselves at the Toy Fair today. Unfortunately, there wasn't a real pup on hand to demo, but we did confirm that this lightweight plastic collar can, as previously mentioned, tweet everything from licks to resulting carpet stains. Included in the box is a matching USB dongle which contains software that works with the collar to enable the Wi-Fi updates. It won't hit shelves until June, but check the gallery below. %Gallery-85482%
Puppy Tweets lets your puppy... tweet
Apple might think it's going to change the world tomorrow with some sort of crazy tablet, but we're here to tell you that the world has already changed. American humans will soon be able to buy a product called "Puppy Tweets," a product actually designed, tested, and released by the Mattel corporation. First, you need a dog with a Twitter account. (Who doesn't have one of those?) Then, you need to use $30 of your actual money to buy Puppy Tweets, a plastic sound-and-motion sensor that clips onto your dog's collar and sends out several pre-written tweets that have extreme amounts of dignity, like "YAHOOOOOOO! Somedays you just gotta get your bark on." Then you have to weep gently for the future of our society.
MS Point-buying dog gets Gamertag, owner gets refund
Remember Greg Strope? No? Perhaps you'll remember his dog, Oscar, who purchased 5000 Microsoft Points -- worth $62.50 -- last week while his owner slept. At the time, we reported that Strope was out of luck thanks to Microsoft's "no refunds" policy. As it turns out, Microsoft contacted Joystiq to inform us that it will refund Strope's money after all, and will be "providing extra for good measure." In addition, Microsoft is sending Strope an extra controller and an Xbox Live subscription just for Oscar. The company even set the dog up with his own Gamertag: Oscar The K9. Now, if Microsoft would just introduce a canine Avatar model, Oscar would be set for life.
