Dave Wilson, Editor, writes:
Anyone with a dog knows the problem: the dog goes missing and then youspend hours trekking across fields and rummaging in the bushes lookingfor him. But now, thanks to a rather nifty little invention from a companycalled Retrieva, those hours you have spent tracking down yourprecious Pongo might soon be a thing of the past.Like all good ideas, Retrieva's system is quite simple: the roamingcanine in question is first fitted with a collar packed full ofelectronics, which then communicates directly with your mobile phone.
Then, when he goes off for a quick sniff in the undergrowth, all youneed to do to locate him is to open a mapping application on the phoneand request the collar's location. This then appears live on the map. What's more, if your phone is GPS enabled you will also be able toplot your location relative to that of your dog, making your belovedpooch even easier to find.
The new collar works with what the company calls its ICyou smart basestation, an automated monitoring system that will also alert you ifthe dog leaves home unexpectedly, while also doubling up as therecharging unit for the collar. But what if some mischievous hoodie decides to cut off this newfangled collar and steal your pedigree pet, only to add to yourworries by throwing the collar into the carriage of a high-speedEurostar train heading for that lovely French town of Avignon? Well, I'm pleased to say that the collar's developers have thought ofthat scenario too.
If anyone does try to tamper with the lock on the collar, or cut thecollar itself, it sends you a text message to let you know. Thecollar is also waterproof so that even the best canine swimmers canenjoy themselves without damaging it.While dog owners will be the first to benefit from the new technology,it seems pretty obvious to me that the applications are far reaching.It could, for example, be used by farmers to ensure that their cattlearen't rustled in the night. Not to mention ensuring the safety ofchildren on holiday.
The new system will soon be launched in the UK and costs GBP9.99 amonth to operate, plus a one-off charge of GBP250 for the package ofone collar, the ICyou unit and the ViewRanger off-road phone mappingsystem.It's a great invention, and one that I'd really love to get as a giftthis Christmas.
Only trouble is, I don't have a dog. And my daughtermight not appreciate having one of the devices strapped around herneck just so I can get track how long she spends each night in theJohn Snow public house.
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Best wishes
Dave Wilson,
Editormailto:news@electronicstalk.com
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