A dog models the PetCell.
One of a series of PetsCell-like devices that will be sold to the adventure-sports market.
Posted on 12/07/2005 6:21:41 AM PST by NYer
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.
"I overheard him talking to his dogs," said Robb. "I was mimicking and making fun of it, but the reality was his wife was holding the phone down to the dog."
The ability to track a lost pet has most dog lovers excited. The PetCell has a "call owner" button in case Rover strays. It also includes assisted GPS, or A-GPS, which works indoors, allowing dog owners to map their pup's coordinates from any web-enabled device or by dialing a voice-enabled call center.
"When dogs disappear, it's the first 15 minutes that are the most important," said San Francisco dog trainer Youngblood Harris. "If your dog runs out of the dog park and you don't see if he went left or right, (PetCell) would make life a lot easier," Harris said.
The PetCell will also have an option called GeoFence that will alert owners whenever their dog wanders beyond preset parameters, and built-in temperature sensors to indicate if the dog is too hot or cold.
Additionally, the PetCell will support a small wireless camera, an application Robb believes could be useful in search-and-rescue or bomb-squad missions. But for patrons of doggy day care, it may become the canine equivalent of a nanny cam.
While a cell phone for pets may strike some as silly, the economic reality is not. The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association says U.S. pet owners spent an estimated $35.9 billion on their furry friends in 2005.
Sturdy and slobber-resistant, the PetCell isn't just for dogs. PetsMobility's parent company, On4 Communications, is simultaneously rolling out models for kids, the elderly and outdoor sports fanatics who enjoy snowboarding and kayaking.
"It's a rugged, waterproof cell phone with GPS, so there's a bunch of other markets for that technology besides the pet industry," Robb said.
One obvious user is left out of this calling plan. At 3 inches long, the PetCell is too unwieldy for your average feline. Although the company is working on further miniaturization, the battery has proven to be a formidable obstacle.
Still, Robb wasn't ruling it out. He said optimistically, "The kitties will have to wait."
One of a series of PetsCell-like devices that will be sold to the adventure-sports market.
I can imagine commercial for this, featuring a fancy white poodle, her legs crossed elegantly on a park bench, with Zsa Zsa Gabor voice, talking on the phone: "Darling, I'm so sorry I ran off like that, but I needed a little excitement, a little je ne sais pas! Now, I'm afraid I'm stranded. Do be a dear and pick me up. Where? Oh, I don't know. I see tree. And benches. Perhaps it's a park, I really couldn't say. But check the GPS Darling, I'm sure you'll find me in no time! Gotta run! Love ya!"
I can see positives and negatives to this kind of thing, but I have no doubt there is a market for something that allows an owner to keep track of his dog.
You've got talent! Perhaps you should contact the company responsible for this cell phone. Before long, you'll be singing: "Well we're movin' on up .... "
Perhaps I've gone over the edge but as I was reading this article I was thinking about how happy it would make my dogs feel if I called and talked to them during the day. I really cant explain it, after my kids grew up I became one of the whacko dog ladies that I used to make fun of....
hmmmmm
Don't need that. My dog interacts with me while I'm driving now. I wish he wouldn't do it so much. The day he got sick in the car while I was driving to Chattanooga on I-75 was really over the top.
Curiously enough one of the cell phone companies in Canada is called Fido. Most of their advertising is dog themed. http://www.fido.ca/portal/home/homepage.jsp?lang=en
”Hi! Hi there! Yeah, it’s me! I think I’m lost! I’m … I’m in a forest! Come and get me! I thought I was still in the yard – but I’m not! I’m … I’m in a forest! Check the GPS! Try to find me, Okay? This is fun!”
Yeah, like your dog can understand the directions home.
| I became one of the whacko dog ladies that I used to make fun of.... lol, I know the feeling. I talk to my dog all the time. So far he hasn't answered me back, but I'm sure that's not too far into the future. |
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Hmmmmmmm with the amount of money people (including me) spend on their pets in the billions, PetsMobility might be a stock to look at
Only good till the dog jumps in the water for a swim.
Thanks for the cute ping!
Watch out. Once they start talking, they never stop. Just ask my cats.
"The customer you are trying to reach is currently licking his scrotum, please try your call again later".
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