dogs

Every dog has its digital camera

TokyoMango points to Wonderful Shot, a digital camera that's designed to hang from a pet collar so you can see life through your dog's eyes. The toy has two settings: it will either take a real-time photo by pressing a button on the camera's remote control, or you can set the device to automatically take photos at regular intervals so you can figure out what your mutt's been up to while you were away. The company has also set up a community for sharing your dog's photos, but you're still on the hook for … Read more

No life support for the Aibo

Poor Aibo. Derided since its birth in 1999 as too expensive, which it was ($2,000), the robotic pup was put to sleep rather unceremoniously six years later.

Now we hear that Sony won't even release a driver or develop any other software compatible with Windows Vista for the pooch, according to Akihabara News. Talk about adding insult to injury.

When laps dog your lapdog

Humans can be so inconsiderate. There are tons of fitness products made for people, but what about animals? One item that at least beings to address this glaring disparity is this doggy pedometer from--where else?--Japan, of course. The gadget, as Tokyomango notes, "kills three birds with one stone by being a pedometer, a timer and a dog tag." In our next installment of Crave's Canine Chronicles, we'll discuss personal trainers for your pooch.

Plant bugs on bad guys, then track them with your Garmin Astro

Yeah, yeah, we get the Jetsons reference. (Aren't there enough of those these days?) The $650 Garmin Astro, as featured on Gizmodo, is meant to track hunting dogs by following the movements of small wireless devices that can attach to their collars. The Giz guys, however, suggest that it could be used to keep tabs on kids or live-action Pac-Man players. Here at Crave, we think there are way more uses for this little handheld navigator. Namely, it could be used to fight crime. Imagine the kinds of reconnaissance you could do with a GPS device that not only … Read more

A Swiss army USB knife

There are some pretty lame ripoffs, spinoffs and ostensible updates of the classic Swiss army knife on the market, but this isn't one of them. The "Cyber Snipa Dog Tag" combines the most essential of the knife's features--including our personal favorite, the scissors--with 21st century elements such as an ultra-bright LED flashlight and a removable 512MB USB drive, according to Slashgear. (Why a USB key? We have no idea, but we've already demonstrated a demand for them in rugged terrain.) All this in a package that capitalizes on the dog tag trend.

Pet repellant

You know you do it, too. Magazines, Tupperware covers, books, paper towels soaked in bitter-apple spray--all to prevent your dog from spending the day stretched out (and shedding) on the couch. In the end, all that your efforts really result in is a bunch of torn Atlantic Monthly and Vogue covers from your dog lying on top of them.

Well, no more. Remember the electric fence? Oh, yes. Another cruel invention for the fur kid you supposedly love. The Sofa Guard, about $37.50 on Pro-Idee, is a black mat about 4.5 feet long powered by a 9-volt battery.… Read more

Folding mouse does yoga

For years repetitive stress injuries have sent manufacturers scurrying to build a better mouse, often at significant expense. But Japan's Elecom has decided to take a zen-like approach and look inward for the answer. Which is why it came up with the "M-D13UR" (such a clever name), a wireless optical mouse that changes shapes to suit its owner's needs.

The folding design makes it easier to store, and it definitely looks good. We have just one minor issue: It doesn't look like anything that would fit comfortably in one's hand, either folded or supine. … Read more