Petcube
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Petcube is making a more affordable treat slinger for your pets
The most important feature of the Bites 2 Lite is its price. At $125, it costs half as much as its predecessor did at launch.
Petcube Cam is a small, smart way to keep tabs on your furbabies
Petcube makes home cameras designed specifically for animal lovers. The Cam is the latest, smallest and cheapest in the line.
Petcube's Bites 2 and Play 2 are smart speakers in disguise
Unsurprisingly, most smart-home gadgets are fairly human-centric. But what about all the furbags that live with us? Don't they deserve a little slice of the connected dream? Petcube certainly thinks so. The company has two pet-camera products, the Bites and the Play. The former lets you sling treats at your cat or dog, while the latter has a laser allowing you to "play" with them remotely. Both models have just been refreshed, with a few interesting upgrades: a wider camera view (180 degrees, up from 138) and Alexa baked in. They're available starting today.
Petcube cameras add Alexa voice controls for the laziest pet owners
Petcube is known for making high-tech gadgets for pets, be it a box that automatically dispenses treats or a laser cam to entertainment your kitty or pup while you're away from home. This year, the company is releasing upgraded versions of them, and they're called the Bites 2 and the Play 2 respective. The key feature? Both are now powered by Alexa. That means that instead of just pressing a button to lob a snack at your precious doggy, you can say something like "Alexa, tell Petcube to feed my pet." Petcube tells us that the devices will also support all the other 50,000 or so Alexa skills, like playing music, controlling your smart lights and listening to the weather. I'm not sure why anyone would want to use their pet-treat camera to tell them the weather forecast, but hey, it's there if you want it. Both devices have other upgrades too, like an extended wide angle lens with a 180-degree room view. They also have a 4-microphone array, and 5GHz WiFi support. The Bites 2 treat cam has an updated flinging mechanism that lets you better control portions (so instead of lobbing out 12 at a time, you can now just throw a single treat) and apparently a greater arc trajectory as well. A spokesperson demonstrated this for me at CES, and it launched the treat so high that it almost hit me in the chest. The Play 2, on the other hand, has a far smoother interactive laser motion -- swiping your finger along the controls will result in a faster laser response time with less lag. Other features include 1080p HD video, 4x digital zoom, night vision, and the ability to get real-time smart alerts like if your dog is barking its head off at something. Both the Bites 2 and the Play 2 will be available in "matte silver" and "carbon black" later this spring. The Bites 2 will retail for $249 while the Play 2 is $199.
Petcube's $249 treat cam goes on sale next week
Petcube has released a new pet camera, and it can do so much more than its typical counterparts. You can use it not just to monitor your furry BFFs, but also to toss them treats, talk to them and share their shenanigans on Facebook Live. Petcube Bites is the company's third interactive camera, and it's much bigger than its predecessors, since its body is a high capacity container than can hold two pounds of doggie or cat noms. It can even notify you when treats are running low, and in the near future, you'll be able to buy a refill on Amazon from within the Petcube app.
Petcube's WiFi camera lets you play with your pet, remotely
Sometimes your Tuesday is going horribly and the only way to fix it is face time with your four-legged best friend. We've likely all been there. Petcube wants to help make those bad days melt away with its WiFi-enabled pet camera. More than simply offering video and two-way audio communication via smartphone app (both Android and iOS are supported), each camera has a built-in laser pointer that you can control remotely by dragging your finger across your mobile's screen. We saw it in action with cats in San Francisco (pictured above), and it was pretty cute watching felines chase around a red dot controlled by one of Petcube's employees standing next to us at CES in Las Vegas. The outfit says you can grant access to your camera, too, so people besides you can, say, exercise your pets if you're a bit too busy. Naturally, they just need to download the app to their device of choice.
Petcube: Watch and play with your pet when you're away
Petcube (US$199.00) is a webcam with a difference. It is aimed at pet owners who want to keep track of their pets, communicate with them, and even play with them when you are away. Who doesn't wonder how their dog, cat or bird is doing when you are away? Petcube is designed to solve that problem. Specifications: The camera is in a 4x4x4 aluminum housing. It has a 138 degree field of view and streams 720P video. The Petcube requires an iOS app which is free. Connection is through WiFi and Petcube plugs into AC with a 110/240 power adapter. The camera weights 1.3 pounds, and has a standard mounting bracket for attachment to a tripod. It has a built-in 5 mW 3R class laser w/certification -- more about that below. Design: Aluminum case, smoked black front for camera and laser Functionality: Setting up the Petcam is easier than most WiFi cameras I've dealt with. Download the free app and follow instructions, which involves pressing a button on the back of the camera, finding the camera by name on your WiFi network, and letting the camera pair with your home network. From then on, the camera is available to you, and anyone else you designate. If you want to make your camera public (not a good idea in my view) you can share it with the world. Happily, you can limit the time the camera is online for people. You can also create a list of family and friends who can check out the view. To share, they must be signed up (free account) and have the iOS or Android app. One of the unique features of this camera is a two-way speaker/microphone. You can listen to your pet and chat back. The other feature is the camera features a built-in laser pointer, something that cats in particular seem to enjoy. By tapping your finger on the iPhone screen, you can move the laser beam anywhere in the camera field of view. While the laser is an interesting feature and certified as safe, avoid pointing it into the eyes of your pets. Conclusions I liked the Petcube. It was easy to set up, worked reliably, and offered some features pet owners will surely like. I used it to keep an eye on my parrot, but he was really aggravated with the laser. One thing to remember: the camera doesn't move or rotate, so your pet has to be where the camera is pointing. Given the features, and the very decor friendly design, I think the Petcube is worth serious consideration. It sold out of its first shipment, and more should be available direct or from online merchants like Amazon soon. One competitor is the Motorola PetScout66, for $99.99, but it requires a subscription setup. It has a two-way microphone/speaker, but no laser. It's also in short supply. Pet cams must be a hot item this holiday season.
Petcube will let you play with your furry friend via iOS app
"Pet parents" who go into full guilt mode when they're away from home and the pooch or cat is all alone will soon have a way to keep their favorite animal companion happy. Petcube is a Kickstarter project that just reached its initial funding goal (hence we're writing about it) and is now looking at stretch goals that will provide hours of fun for owners and pets alike. The Petcube is a small cube that contains a video camera, a microphone, a speaker and a controllable laser pointer. That cube sits on a floor or table, and is connected to your home WiFi network. When you're away, you can use a mobile app to not only see what your puppy or kitten is up to, but also converse with them. As if that's not enough, you can play the old "follow the red dot" game with your animal through the app. So what are the stretch goals? If the Petcube gets to US$150,000 of funding, the ability for you to receive push notifications when your dog or cat is making loud noises will be added. When funding gets to $200,000, the Petcube will gain the ability to record a laser dot exercise routine and play it back at any time, thus keeping your pet engaged even when you're busy. And finally, should Petcube pull in $250,000 or more of funding, the team will add the ability to notify you through motion detection of when your animal is near the cube and wants to play. The Petcube is expected to retail for $199 when it arrives on the market next year, but early backers can get a discount.
