cats

Apparently the Sanrio empire, growing bolder by the day, no longer feels the need to use more subtle imagery in its universal brainwashing campaign. ("Subtle," of course, is a relative term whenever Hello Kitty is involved.)

Unlike more restrained uses of the ubiquitous HK logo, its newest camera inverts the entire relationship between function and branding: The gadget is part of the cat, not the other way around. Yes, the feline head pictured here is the actual camera, a much more extreme design from that of other models we've seen, including one just a few weeks ago.… Read more

There are a fair number of gadgets on the market that are aimed at controlling dogs, perhaps owing to that best friend's reputation for occasional unruliness. Yet there are relatively few technologies designed specifically for their feline counterparts (with one notable exception, of course),

In an effort to rectify that disparity, Japan's Takara Tomy has developed what it calls a "Meowlingual Cat Translation Device," which, as its name implies, is designed to decipher what kitty is trying to convey when destroying the living room furniture. It sounds too kooky to be true, but Inventor Spot says … Read more

There must be something in the air today--or the food, at least. Like the CulinaryPrep, the Lotus Sanitizing System from Tersano claims to eliminate fungus and other bacteria from food, but in this case with an environmentally safe blast of ozone.

As an added bonus, it also helps remove cat puke stains from the carpet. More on that in a second.

The unit, which sells for $169.99, is effectively a home ozone generator. A pump sucks in ambient air, and then hits it with a jolt of electricity. The electricity causes the oxygen molecules in the air, which consist … Read more

Oh, the naivete of youth. There will always be some upstarts who think they can challenge a reigning monarch in any given region or field and, true to form, we now have one that foolishly thinks it can take on the supreme of all supremes: Hello Kitty.

The misguided pretender to the throne in question is Brightonnet, which has introduced its cleverly named "Cat Speaker," a feline-shaped MP3 system with a wired remote--is that an oxymoron?--that looks like a paw. According to Fareastgizmos, it's also supposed to be "scratch-proof" (groan).

Even more brazen, the … Read more

Crave has featured all manner of luxury items for humans, but we've been woefully (and unintentionally) remiss when it comes to the same for lesser beings. In a first step toward rectification, therefore, today we offer something for our pelted friends--a paw spa.

This mini-whirlpool is like a Jacuzzi for four-legged loved ones, though it's big enough only to soak one aching paw at a time. Available at Amazon Japan, it even comes with a matching towel and "a special super-absorbent mat," according to Plastic Bamboo. Little did we know that Japan's agenda for a … Read more

It's not quite as dangerous as butt dialing, but cat typing can have its scary moments, like when PayPal or your IM client are open and in front.

So I am intrigued by a software utility called Pawsense, which detects when a cat is walking on your keyboard and shuts down key input within a couple of strokes. OK, while the odds are astronomical, your cat could randomly walk-type a vile obscenity into a memo you're writing while you are up getting a cup of coffee. You come back to the computer, fail to proof the thing, send … Read more

When I heard about the new Street View feature Google Maps unveiled Tuesday, the first thing I thought--after I discovered that anyone in the world could see my car parked in my driveway--was that the next great craze would be people posting images from the service showing personal details from their own homes, jobs or what have you.

Sure enough, I pop over to Boing Boing today and lo and behold, there's a posting about someone whose cat is visible through the window in such detail that you can even see that it's a tabby.

And I thought, … Read more

Usually, alarms are meant to let you know when people are trying to get into your abode--unless you have kids. In the latter case, we need all the help we can get to track their whereabouts, especially if they have a penchant for bolting out the door and into the street.

The "RNID Contact Mat" is designed to provide just that. When the sensor-equipped doormat detects the pitter-patter of little feet, it fires off a wireless signal to a pager or a mobile receiver letting your know that the perimeter has been breached, not unlike those "Invisible Fences&… Read more

Starting today, people can starting TiVoing you.

TiVo announced that it will let users send content, such as video montages and photos, over the TiVo network.

Anyone can go to OneTrueMedia.com, create an account, upload a video, add a soundtrack, use One True Media's basic editing tools and create a personal TiVo channel. The video creator can invite any TiVo Series2 or Series3 owners to subscribe to that particular channel. Subscribers can add the new channel to their Season Pass; all videos uploaded to that channel will be delivered to each user's Now Playing list.

Of course, … Read more