Forget The Smart Home, Here’s The Smart Doghouse
You may have always suspected that your dog climbs on the couch as soon as you leave for work but now you can check on Fido in real-time with one of the latest pet wearables or monitors. In fact, you can even order him to get off the couch, check the temperature in the room, and find out if he’s barking too much. That’s the promise of three of the pet products on display at CES 2015. Here’s the details.
Motorola Scout 5000, $199
The Motorola Scout 5000 from Binatone makes it possible to watch your dog over a live video stream and talk to him too. Because it includes a wide-angle camera, GPS tracker, and is Wi-Fi enabled, the collar is a bit large, too big for small dogs.
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The collar can stream video to your smart phone using the free Hubble app, which also works with baby monitors. The Scout 5000 also uses geo-fencing so you can create your own “invisible fence” to keep your dog on your property. Should he make a run for it, the collar emits a high-pitched sound that the dog will find unpleasant. It will be available in June.
Tagg GPS Plus, $99.95 plus a monthly fee
The Tagg GPS tracker by Snaptracker is an update of an earlier model, it integrates with other connected devices in your home through a partnership with Alarm.com. The monitor tracks your pets activity and takes the temperature of the ambient air to make sure he doesn’t become overheated.
The Tagg is smaller than the Scout and can be used on smaller dogs if you use a harness rather than a collar. It can also be used to set boundaries and sends alerts if the dog strays.
Available now, the device requires a $9.95 monthly access fee or you can pay by the year at a small discount. The collar comes with a docking station to recharge the battery.
PetCube, $199
The PetCube operates more like a baby monitor and does not rely on the animal to wear a collar. Place it in the room where you pet spends its time and you can check in on your dog or cat by live-streaming video to your smart phone. The PetCube app is free for both iOS and Android.
Not only can you talk to your pet through PetCube but you can play with her from afar using a built-in laser light that your pet can chase around the room. Another welcome feature is the ability to post photos right from the phone to Instagram.
