Petcube consists of two components. The first, which is available now, is the free PetCube iOS application. It will let you share photos of your pet, open to likes and comments from other members of the community. You can also follow new friends and their pets, and get updates when they post new content. The final feature, Play, requires the Petcube device, and will be activated when the device ships.
Petcube Device and App
The Petcube device is a cube (4” x 4” x 4”) with a sleek aluminum and glass look which should make it complement nearly any decor. Inside is a wide-angle camera capable of streaming HD video, a mic so you can hear what your pet is up to, and a speaker so you can talk to your pet via the app. But the most important part, which transforms this into a pet entertainment solution, is a low-intensify laser pointer, on a movable platform, that you can control from the app.
The offshoot of course, is that since nearly any cat or dog has an insatiable desire to chase the red dot, is you can interactively play with your pet when you are away. You can take a picture or movie of the resulting playtime, sharing it with the app, and even share your Petcube, either publicly or privately, to allow others to interact and play with your pet.
The Petcube app is available now, and the Petcube device will be shipping in May, and can be preordered now for $199.
TMO's travel and coverage sponsors for Macworld/iWorld 2014 are The Omni Group, Kromtech and Other World Computing.