cat

Tough Cat B15 Android phone marks U.S. debut

LAS VEGAS--Caterpillar's Cat B15 Android smartphone is the newest entrant to the U.S.' rough and ready durable phone tussle.

I got my hands on the B15 this past March when it first appeared on the world stage at Mobile World Congress. This U.S. variant is essentially the same handset, except for the cellular support -- AWS bands 1700/2100 to complement GSM 850/1900 support.

There's no launch date yet, since Cat is actively pursuing North American partners like carriers and retailers for around $350 unlocked.

Made by the same company that builds industrial tractors and … Read more

PetTread treadmill: A giant hamster wheel for cats and dogs

America has a fat problem, and it's not just the humans. Many pets are also toting some extra poundage.

You could, of course, take your dog for more walks, or spend more time playing attack-the-fuzzy-thing with your cat. Or you could invest in a pet treadmill. Better yet, check out PetTread, a pet-treadmill design that looks like a giant hamster wheel.

PetTread is looking to raise $110,000 on Kickstarter to take a prototype version into production. Like many inventions, the PetTread came about as a result of personal experience. Creator John Gosson had an overweight cat named Noonie. Adjusting her diet didn't help much, so he used his electrical engineering background to craft a power treadmill she could safely use.… Read more

Grumpy Cat Art Project: Frowny feline becomes fine art

A tiny furball with a frown has gone from anonymous feline to worldwide Internet sensation. Grumpy Cat has already conquered the realms of LOLcats, YouTube, Facebook, and SXSW. Now, she has become the star of a real-world art exhibit featuring the work of more than 30 artists.

The Grumpy Cat Art Project is on exhibit at Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment complex in Huntsville, Ala., which contains more than 100 different artists in studio spaces, along with small businesses and restaurants. A call went out to the resident artists to contribute to the Grumpy Cat extravaganza, and lots of them stepped up to share their grouchy visions.… Read more

Sushi Cats combine cute felines, delicious sushi

Ever thought about putting a cat on top of a giant piece of sushi and taking a picture? No? Yeah, us neither. Japanese company Tange & Nakimushi Peanuts, however, has a very different mindset, and the result is what you see here.

Besides selling pictures (and there are plenty) of the sushi-fied cats, there's also a mobile app available for iOS and Android smartphones. Unfortunately, these prints are only available in Japan, though the app is free to download. … Read more

The 404 1,263: Where Caroline bribes us with bacon (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Google Think Insights on Dumb Ways to Die.

- Robert Scoble: My two-week review of Google Glass: it all depends on the price.

- Oh, you like cats? Follow Caroline on Instagram to see more.

- While you're online, check out Caroline's Tumblr, Twitter, and Medium, too.… Read more

Cat ladies take over the Australian Christian Lobby domain

If you're going to have a Web presence, sometimes it pays to make sure any domain name associated with the name of your organization is accounted for. The Australian Christian Lobby operates out of the acl.org.au domain name, after moving from australianchristianlobby.org.au. But the australianchristianlobby.org domain has been quietly occupied, seemingly kept in reserve -- until a relaunch on Sunday.

Three Melbourne feminists -- Hilary Bowman-Smart, Genevieve Stewart, and Jessica Alice -- snapped up the domain when it became available, turning it into a website for the group, called Australian Cat Ladies, stating that there has been a case of mistaken identity between the two groups. "Please note, it is very important that you do not confuse "Cat-Holics" with "Catholics," the site reads. … Read more

Book chronicles cat's secret life

Four years ago, while San Francisco-based writer Caroline Paul was recuperating from an accident, one of her beloved cats, Tibby (short for Tibia), went missing. Paul presumed Tibby had gone to kitty heaven. But five weeks later, Tibby reappeared no worse for the wear.

Paul, who during the interview reminds me that she was heavily medicated at the time, was over the moon that her cat had returned. That is, she was happy until the questions arose.

"It was a celebration until the bliss wore off," Paul said. "And then I was, like, where were you? Why … Read more

At SXSW, hardware goes soft

AUSTIN, Texas -- An open-source Android gaming console and 3D printers ready to scan you Tron-style were what the organizers of the annual South by Southwest Interactive conference here wanted badge-holders to care about.

Instead, people chose Grumpy Cat.

The annual show took a hard turn toward hardware in an attempt to expand its mandate, but badge holders swerved in another direction -- toward memes.

Hardware was unusually ever-present but remarkably unappreciated. It was as if conference organizers, who put new devices center stage in keynote presentations, wanted to intentionally shift the show's focus away from consumer Internet applications … Read more

How one cartoonist 'live-tooned' SXSW

AUSTIN, Texas -- Without a doubt, Grumpy Cat was the most talked-about sensation at the Mashable tent here at South by Southwest Interactive over the weekend. Editorial cartoonist Shannon Wheeler has been "live-tooning" the show for VentureBeat, and he chronicled his experience of not being able to see the diminutive feline.

The line for Grumpy Cat was the longest line at the show this year, winding around the block and requiring several hours of waiting. Wheeler, for his part, noted accurately that, "Grumpy Cat is more popular than Al Gore."