Power, participation, and the dog internet
Shaun W. Lawson, Ben J. Kirman, Conor Linehan · interactions · 2016
Have you ever wondered how technology could help you to better understand your dog's feelings?Or wished for a gadget that could translate your cat's thoughts into words?If so, you are not alone, as recent years have seen a proliferation of startups offering apps, Web services, and digital devices that promise to enhance our understanding of, and relationships with, our animal companions.For instance, Whistle and Fitbark offer digitally enhanced collars that measure physical activity and track location, while Flipaw automatically texts you cheeky messages from your dog, complete with personalized levels of sarcasm.Meanwhile, attaching a TailTalk sensor to your pet promises to translate tail motion into emotional feedback that you can access on your smartphone.