STACK #197 Mar 2021

LIFE TECH FEATURE

Petcube Bites 2 If you want to step up your game in the camera stakes, the Petcube Bites 2 will warrant further investigation. This significantly larger unit contains a camera, a mic and a speaker complete with built-in Amazon Alexa, so you can throw on

PET TEECH continued

Who Let the Dogs Out for your pooch in your absence. But the big point of difference here is the treat dispenser. Fill it up with suitable goodies, download the app, and launch the occasional treat to break your pet’s boredom. What we like: • The wide 160-degree angle lens • The inclusion of Amazon Alexa • Being able to launch treats from the app is an excellent idea – in moderation of course

Canines on the console 1. A PlayStation classic, PaRappa the Rapper is a rhythm game where players react to prompts on the screen by pressing the buttons on the controller. Get the sequencing spot on, PaRappa raps in perfection. Get it wrong, and you’ll end up with a ranking of, wait for it, Awful! 2. When you’re wandering through the post-apocalyptic wastelands in Fallout 4 , the loneliness of such an ordeal can only be assuaged by the addition of a dog. Luckily, Dogmeat is on hand to serve, protect, and navigate a path through the desolation. 3. Hats off to the dev who came up with the superbly named Polterpup, the adorable ghostly hound in Luigi’s Mansion 2 . Known for stealing the keys, the mischievous Polterpup is eventually adopted by Luigi and makes a return in Luigi’s Mansion 3 . 4. The only redeeming feature in Call of Duty: Ghosts was Riley, a German Shepherd that not only proves to be an important team member in the game, but also a playable character during certain levels. And he can take out low flying helicopters!

Petoneer Fresco Pro Smart Pet Fountain

Gone are the days of leaving a big bowl of dirty water outside for your pets to slurp and slobber in. This handy smart device holds two litres of filtered water and provides a bubbling fountain to drink from; your pets are probably drinking better quality water than you are here. Connected via an app, you’ll get push notification alerts to your smartphone if

Tech for YOUR pet Yep, they have thought of everything! Technology to entertain our furry friends while we’re absent certainly isn’t a new phenomenon, but the levels at which it’s being adopted – particularly now, as some of the working populous are returning to the office – are skyrocketing. So, what’s out there and how will it benefit you and the pets in your life? Petcube Pet Camera After spending so much time your pets’ company over the last year, separation anxiety can be just as positioned so that you can track them via a handy app on your smartphone. Limited to internal use – you’ll need to keep it connected to the mains and within reach of a Wi-Fi signal – it has a 110-degree wide-angle lens to capture it all. And with two-way audio included, you can nip to the office dunny and chat with your pets! What we like: • 1080p HD video • Night vision for up to nine metres • Two-way audio • It can be positioned anywhere in the house prevalent in owners. The solution? Stick a Petcube camera in the home,

the water level is getting low, or if the water quality is a little suspect. What we like: • Easy to clean • The LED indicator will change colour if the water quality is bad

Dogness App Feeder The Dogness App Feeder is a great safety net if you get caught in a meeting, stuck at the bar, or away on business. This one holds six litres of food that is dispensed in accordance to the size of your dog to prevent overfeeding. The

amount – and indeed frequency – at which the food is dispensed can be controlled via the Dogness app. The unit connects via USB and is backed up with battery support to counter any potential power cuts. What we like: • The piece of mind it affords pet owners • How much control is at the user’s fingertips through the app

Famous folk in history and their dogs

Terrier was director Alfred Hitchcock’s dog of choice and he was known to own four of them during his lifetime. He took the first one, Mr. Jenkins, with him on his move to Hollywood in 1939.

When he was painting, Pablo Picasso liked to work alone but made an exception for his dog,

Mr. Famous, Audrey Hepburn’s well-loved Yorkshire Terrier, would rarely leave her side and even made it into a scene in the 1957 film, Funny Face . The rare Sealyham

Frank Sinatra gave Marilyn Monroe a little white poodle as a present, which she promptly christened Maf. Why Maf? Monroe was making a joking reference to Sinatra’s alleged connections with the mafia.

a Dachshund called Lump, who would appear in many of his paintings.

30 MARCH 2021

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