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Tech NewsRobot Dogs Will Replace Pets in Super-Dense Cities
Keeping a pet healthy requires resources and open space, and in the cities of the future both may be at such a premium that live pets will become a thing of the past. Australian researcher Jean-Loup Rault suggests robotic and virtual-reality pets may replace the real thing. In a study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, … Continued
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Tech NewsDogs Follow People Across Billboards In This Clever Adoption Campaign
The most effective tool an animal shelter has it when it comes to getting pets adopted is the animals themselves. So the Battersea Dogs & Cat Home, a shelter in the UK, created a brilliant ad campaign that had dogs following potential owners from billboard to billboard as they walked through a shopping mall. The … Continued
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Tech News
Treat-Dispensing Chew Toys That Fit Your Dog’s Tennis Ball Launcher
If you’re a pet owner who’s truly devoted to their dog, then your pup probably has more chew toys than it knows what to do with. But there’s a good reason to consider adding one—or three—more to its collection. Not only are these new Paww dog toys durable, they also randomly dispense treats, and are … Continued
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io9
Your Pet Rabbit Hates You
Do you ever come home to your adorable pet bunny, pick it up, lay it down on its back, and pet it? Does it just lie there, blissfully, for minutes or even hours, letting you cuddle it? Yeah. Your rabbit hates you. Certain animals are prone go into a trance. They lie on their back, … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsDo You Love Your Pup Enough to Buy It a $30,000 Doghouse?
What is billed as the world’s largest dog show, Crufts 2015, is getting under way in England today. And to commemorate the occasion, Samsung tasked its designers and engineers with creating the world’s most advanced and fully featured dog house. Does it matter that it would cost $30,000 to build? Most dog owners would happily … Continued
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Tech News
Japan Is Holding Actual Funerals For Sony’s Robotic AIBO Dogs
When a decades old toy breaks down and stops working with no hope of repair, you usually just toss it or find some way to recycle the parts. But what if you’re as attached to that toy as you were a pet? In Japan, people are giving Sony’s robot AIBO dog actual funerals to say … Continued
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Tech News
It’s Ok To Be a Crazy Cat Person When All Your Felines Are Robots
Most people look down on what’s become known as ‘crazy cat people’ but it has less to do with the state of their mental health, and more about the impossible task of keeping a house full of felines clean. But what if those cats didn’t need a litter box, never destroyed the furniture, and were … Continued
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Tech News
Caring For a Pet Jellyfish Is a Lot Easier When It’s a Robot
If you have trouble keeping a goldfish alive in a simple bowl, the odds of you successfully maintaining a jellyfish are slim to none. But why go to the trouble of setting up a saltwater tank, acclimatizing your new pets, and feeding them planktonic eggs when Hexbug now has a perfectly believable robotic jellyfish Aquabot … Continued
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Tech News
Remote Control Fish Suddenly Make an Aquarium Sound Like Fun
An aquarium full of fish is basically just a nature-powered screensaver that you need to feed once a day. Wouldn’t it be more exciting if there was more interaction than just tapping on the glass? With Hexbug’s new Angelfish Aquabot, you can finally take control of your robotic underwater pet, and make it do more … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgets
You’ll Finally Understand Felines With the Meowlingual Cat Translator
Many years ago the Bowlingual translator promised to finally bridge the communications gap between humans and dogs. But since a wagging tail and shredded toilet paper make it easy to figure out what a dog is thinking, it wasn’t exactly a must-have gadget. Cats, on the other hand? That’s a different story. Often, you’re never … Continued
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Tech News
When this Walking, Swimming Pet Turtle Dies, Just Swap In a New Battery
Pets don’t only help teach kids how to be responsible, they’re also a harsh object lesson in the definitiveness of death—unless you go the robot route. Robo-puppies might not be believable just yet, but this tiny robot turtle looks pretty convincing when swimming around inside a tank. And if you find it just floating there … Continued
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io9The Voices Wonders If Your Pet Could Talk, Would It Tell You To Kill?
One of the oddest films about mental illness to come along in awhile, this pitch black comedy from Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis) follows the downward spiral of Jerry (Ryan Reynolds), a fellow driven to violence by the voices in his head… which seem to be emanating from his pets. Some spoilers follow. We open in the … Continued
By Cheryl Eddy -
Tech News
This Site Will Make a Stuffed Animal Clone of Your Pet
Saying goodbye to a pet is sometimes even harder than saying goodbye to family before they pass. So a website called Cuddle Clones wants to make it a little easier to cope with the loss of your pet by creating a plush clone of it using just a handful of photos from different angles. Each … Continued
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io9
A pet alligator was seized after some 37 years spent chilling in its owners’ backyard … and maybe snacking on neighborhood cats. “You cannot own a reptile like this in the City of Los Angeles without having a proper permit,” an Animal Services rep said. “And obviously for an alligator, we would not permit that.”
By Cheryl Eddy -
Tech News
How to Keep Your Dog Safe and Warm This Winter
You wouldn’t venture nearly naked into the frozen wastes of your neighborhood during the dead of winter just to use the outhouse, so why do you expect your dog to? This winter hasn’t been nearly as intense as last year’s snowpacalypse, but it’s still a dangerous time of year for pets. Here are the tips … Continued
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io9The Coming Age Of Cyborg Animals
Wearable tech like fitness bands and GPS trackers are all the rage, and our pets are starting to use them, too. These tools can help us monitor and track our companion animals. But these devices are also changing our pets’ capabilities and how we interact with them. We’ve entered the age of cyborg animals. Illustration … Continued
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Tech News
How To Make A First Aid Kit For Your Dog
Don’t panic, but there’s a good chance that, at some point during his life, the furry ball of chaos you love deeply is going to get himself hurt. Probably while doing something stupid. Luckily, performing first aid on your dog is as easy as doing it on a human. Here’s how to prepare. A single … Continued
By Wes Siler -
io9The Most Common Myths About Household Pets, Debunked
Do you own a hypoallergenic dog? I thought I did, too* – but surprise! Apparently they don’t exist. Above: My non-hypoallergenic dog, Lucca, sated and indescribably pleased with herself for eating two loaves of bread and a cheese scone while I was at work. (The dairy did not go over well with her digestive system, … Continued
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Tech News
Your Dog Will Never Appreciate How Great This Alien Facehugger Leash Is
It’s hard to not spoil your pets, and even harder when you come across an amazing dog leash and harness that makes it look like your pup is being attacked by a facehugger from Alien. Who cares if it costs $150? Get out of my dreams and onto my medium-sized dog. So, yeah, unfortunately any … Continued
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ScienceBiology
Werewolf Science: Do Dogs Really Bite More People During Full Moons?
Once upon a time, one Dr. Simon Chapman of the University of Sydney received a short note from a local farmer: “Have you university types ever looked at whether dog bites happen more around the full moon? It’s a well known fact that they do.” Chapman decided to put this urban legend to the test. … Continued