SCI/TECH: Your Dog Doesn't Have a Phone? Soon He Can., page 1

In March, PetsMobility will introduce a cell phone for your dog. The three inch long device will come attached to a collar and will come equipped with a digital camera, GPS, A-GPS, which works indoors, and a thermometer to help determine if your pooch is comfy. There will also be an option for GeoFence which will alert you if your canine "oversteps his bounds." Although the device is sturdy and water-resistant enough for Fido, a model is expected to follow for children and the elderly. The manufacturer sees potential for the device in security and search and rescue scenarios. Currently, there are no models small enough for felines. The device will sell for about $400.

www.wired.com
Lost dog? As of next March, pet owners will be able to drop the photocopier and staple gun and pick up the phone instead. That's when PetCell, the first cell phone for dogs, is due to hit pet-store shelves.

Hung off Fido's collar, the PetCell is a bone-shaped cell phone that will let dog owners talk to their best friend over a two-way speaker.

Developed by PetsMobility, the PetCell works with standard cellular networks and has its own number. It automatically answers when the owner punches in a code on their telephone keypad that means, "Lassie, come home!"

The PetCell will ship in early 2006 and will sell for $350 to $400, the company said.

President Cameron Robb said he got the idea for the phone while sharing a hotel room with a colleague at a convention.

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I admit I rolled my eyes when I first saw this, but I can see a market for this kind of device, although, I doubt that I would put one on my dog. If you think it's hard to hang on to your i-Pod in the urban environment, think how fast the ethically-challenged will have this thing off your dog, only to disappear into oblivion. I think I would be more inclined to put one of these on Gramps or Junior. Well, maybe Gramps.

Related News Links:
www.petsmobility.com
tuxedo.esri.com
www.appma.org

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
your work can track you to the strip joint via cell phone
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Anyone think about cell phones as a conspiracy

[edit on 2005/12/11 by GradyPhilpott]