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Wickedbone is the smart cure for your dogs boredom

If you’re a dog owner you know how important it is to stimulate your pooch on a daily basis, you can take them for walks or to the local dog park but what do you do when you’re not home. Wickedbone is a Kickstarter project that looks to keep your furry friend entertained even when you can’t.

Wickedbone is the worlds first smart and interactive dog toy. The bone shaped toy interacts with your dog using responsive triggers such as touch, lights, and sound.

There are two different modes that you can use. Drive Mode allows you to control Wickedbone using the Wickedbone App (available for IOS and Android), using the apps joystick-like controls you can choose between 9 different available motions to play with your dog.

Interactive mode allows Wickedbone to attract your dog’s attention and doesn’t require manual operations. In this mode, Wickedbone reacts to different types of touch from your dog. 

Making it the perfect mode for when you’re not at home or just too busy.

The rechargeable battery lasts up to 4-hours on a 1-hour charge (depending on the mode you choose).

The Wickedbone’s wheels and protective cover are removable making it easy to clean.

You can even customize it with different colored wheels.

Wickedbone is available through its Kickstarter page for $69. But you’d better hurry as there are fewer than 140 of the 500 Early Bird pledges left and 23 days before the campaign ends. 

According to their Kickstarter page, the Wickedbone is estimated to be delivered to backers this July.

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Wickedbone is the smart cure for your dogs boredom originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 22, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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VentiFresh small space air purifier review

Do you have any small spaces in your home that are stinky? Maybe it’s a trashcan in the kitchen, a closet where you keep your sneakers, or maybe it’s your cat’s litter box? How do you get rid of odors without burning candles or spraying aerosol air fresheners that just cover up the stink with a new odor? That’s what I was wondering until I received the VentiFresh air purifier.

What is it?

The VentiFresh is a very small air purifier that uses photocatalyst technology which is the same tech used on the international space station. According to the VentiFresh website:

Put simply, the UV catalyst core inside VentiFresh decomposes odor through natural photosynthesis and produces clean air as a result.

What’s in the box?

VentiFresh air purifier
Mag dot steel mounting button
micro USB power cable
USB AC adapter

Design and features

Compared to 99.9% of the air purifiers that I’ve seen, the VentiFresh is absolutely tiny at only 2.5 x 2.0 inches.

It has a white plastic housing with a light sensor on the front and on top is an open blue covering over the built-in fan inside the unit.

On the back of the air purifier is a micro USB connector for power and a power switch.

The VentiFresh air purifier is so small, that it can be placed almost anywhere. You can set it on a flat surface or you can use the magnetic base and the included metal button to mount it on thin material like a trashcan lid or a litterbox cover.

It looks cute, but does it actually work?

I was excited to see if the VentiFresh air purifier would help with cat smells. To give you a little background, I share a house with a 15lb cat named Max. Max is mainly an indoor cat so we have a litter box in our spare bathroom which is now his bathroom. I don’t like going in there because he kicks litter on the floor. That is when he actually takes time to dig in the box.

Jeanne and I spend evenings downstairs on the couch in front of the TV. We’ll be watching a show and all of a sudden we’ll hear Max running around upstairs like a maniac and then he’ll come flying down the stairs. This is his “I just pooped and I’m amazing” celebration.  At this point, we will almost immediately notice the smell wafting its way downstairs because he almost NEVER covers up his mess. In the past, we’ll have to stop what we’re doing, go up the stairs, clean the litterbox, and spray a bunch of air freshener to cover up the poo smell which only masks the smell and doesn’t truly get rid of it. Ick!

As soon as the VentiFresh arrived, I plugged it in and set it up in Max’s bathroom.

We don’t have a cover over the litter box so I just hung the VentiFresh from an outlet next to the box like you see in the image above.

The VentiFresh didn’t come with much in the way of instructions. Just a small business card sized quick guide that showed how you can mount the unit using the magnetic base and that the unit is supposed to be used in a small space about 1.5 cubic feet in size. Max’s bathroom is tiny, but it’s obviously much larger than 1.5 cubic feet, but I set it up anyway.

Once you plug it in, it will start running when the room is dim. Light will cause the VentiFresh to turn off. But since I have the unit hanging with the light sensor pointed down, it runs continuously. When it’s running you’ll also see a blue light emitting from the vents in the sides and top of the unit. This is UV light and the instructions advise you not to look at it. The unit also has a slight fan noise as it’s running. I didn’t find it loud enough to be annoying, but I do notice it when I walk past the bathroom.

The million dollar question is: Does the VentiFresh actually work? I really didn’t think I was going to be impressed, but I have been very surprised just how well it has tamed Max’s litter box smells. If you have a cat and a litter box, you know what they can smell like even if you clean them every day like we do. With the VentiFresh next to the box, I’ve not smelled any of Max’s “presents” even when he doesn’t cover them up. I’ve even walked into the bathroom done a sniff test right over the box of uncovered “presents” and I can’t smell anything. I think it’s witchcraft and I love it and so does Jeanne. Max doesn’t seem to mind it either.

If you’re wondering about power consumption, it only uses 3W per hour and according to the VentiFresh website, even if it runs 24hrs a day, it’s only going to cost you about 50 cents per month.

What I like

  • Tiny size
  • No consumables
  • Doesn’t use much power

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing needs to be improved except that I want a bigger one for the whole house!

Final thoughts

The VentiFresh air purifier is amazing. No more litter box smells means I don’t have to worry if visitors can smell something bad when they come in my house. I love this little thing. I’m thinking about ordering another one just to have on hand if the one I have now ever decides to die on me. I’ll definitely update this review after a couple of months to let you all know how it’s standing the test of time.

Price: $64.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by VentiFresh.

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VentiFresh small space air purifier review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 17, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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This pet tag can notify you instantly when your lost pet is found

The Orivet Tap Tag collar ID tag is not like other pet tags.  None of your personal information is engraved on the tag.  Instead of reading a phone number off the tag, the finder will read the Near-Field Communication (NFC) chip or QR code identification code on the tag with their smartphone.  The device scanning the pet’s Tap Tag can contact you with a call, text, or email to share the GPS location of your pet, as well as the finder’s contact details.  The finder can even see your pet’s medical information, if desired.

With the purchase of a Tap Tag, you’ll be able to create an online profile for your pet.  Orivet says the profile “allows pet owners to receive alerts, plan medication reminders, and interface with pet care providers all in one easy location. A special “lost” pet function will help owners spread the word through social media, personalized printed posters, and step by step guide to help reunite them with their pet.”  There are no activation fees and no monthly or yearly subscription fees with the Tap Tag.

The Tap Tag is available for $19.95 from Orivet.

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This pet tag can notify you instantly when your lost pet is found originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 15, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Easily feed your pet on-the-go with the Pet Travel-Trainer

We always travel with our dog, Teddy, and it’s a bit like traveling with a small child.  He doesn’t need exactly the same items as a toddler would, but he does have his booster seat, crate, leash, and other items.  Food is always a problem too.  Normally he eats frozen raw foods, but we take along freeze-dried raw when we travel.  We don’t want to take along a huge bag with us, so having a small set like the Pet Travel-Trainer would make food transportation much simpler.

The Pet Travel-Tainer is compact set of food and water dishes and a 4-quart storage container for food.  You just pull off the carry-handle from the side, pull off the two bowls, and then unscrew the jar’s lid for the food.  Each bowl holds 1 quart, so they are big enough for some larger dogs, too.  The set is made of BPA-free plastics.  Handwashing is recommended.

The Pet Travel-Tainer is normally $14.99, but it’s on sale for $11.24 (25% savings) now at The Container Store.

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Easily feed your pet on-the-go with the Pet Travel-Trainer originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 27, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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PAWD is a pet crate that doesn’t look like a jail cell

Most pet owners find a crate is a necessary piece of equipment, but most crates are bulky and unattractive.  There are pieces of furniture that do double duty as pet crates, but they can be hard to clean and they certainly aren’t portable for travel use.  Metal crates are portable and easier to clean, but they certainly aren’t attractive.  There’s a new Kickstarter project, the PAWD, that reinvents the pet crate to make it useful and portable while making it more attractive.

The PAWD is described as a baby crib for your fur baby.  When your pet is past the crate-training phase and can be left on his own while you’re out for a while, the door can be opened up and held open by magnets to turn the PAWD into his own little personal space.  The openings in the side are more attractive than metal bars, but they are big enough for airflow and visibility.  It’s made of polypropylene, so it’s easy to clean and never rusts.

If you want to travel with the PAWD, the sides fold down into a flat suitcase-shape with a built-in handle.  It’s half the weight of the metal cages, so it’s easier to transport.  But be aware that the PAWD is not intended as a pet carrier.

For the product introduction, the PAWD is only being made in one size.  It’s 21″ long x 15.8″ wide x 16″ tall, which is suitable for dogs up to the size of a smaller pug (13-17 pounds, 10-14 inches tall), and it works for most cats and smaller animals like rabbits and ferrets.  It’s available in pink, white, or gray, and matching beds are available.

There are a few early bird specials still available for a PAWD for $69 or a PAWD plus bed for $89.  The funding goal has already been exceeded, but there are still about 24 days left for you to get a PAWD at a discount off the $120 MSRP.  The funding period ends Fri, April 6, 2018 at 2:39 PM EDT.  Shipping is expected in December 2018.  Learn more and make your pledge at Kickstarter.

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PAWD is a pet crate that doesn’t look like a jail cell originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 13, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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