SAN FRANCISCO – Ever been stuck late at the office while your furry friend is home alone, and wished you could give Fido or Fluffy a quick ring or text to check in?
Until your pet develops opposable thumbs, Petcube may be your best bet.
The San Francisco-based company sells a smart camera that allows users to watch their pets in real time and talk and play with them remotely using a laser pointer. Customers use their smartphone to check in on their own pets, or they can use the Petcube app to play with adoptable shelter pets in their area.
"It's basically like Skype for you and your pet, but your pet doesn't have to pick up the phone," said co-founder Yaroslav Azhnyuk.
The $199 device, called Petcube Camera, is a sleek silver and black cube that stands 4 inches tall, with a microphone, camera and laser on one side, and a speaker on the other. It plugs into the wall and connects to Wi-Fi. Owners use the free Petcube app to control the camera's laser pointer, dragging a red dot around on the screen with their finger.
Petcube is part of a growing market for high-tech pet gadgets. Apps like Wag let users book on-demand dog walkers in San Francisco and other cities. Other companies sell GPS-enabled collars that let users track their pet's location from a smartphone, such as San Francisco-based Whistle, which was recently acquired by pet-food company Mars Petcare.
Petcube also has direct competition in the pet camera space from such products as the Petzi Treat Cam, a camera that dispenses pet treats, made by San Jose-based Petzila.
David Clark, president and CEO of Petzila, said he's seen the pet tech industry expand significantly since he founded his company in 2012.