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A24 technology
Tuesday 21 augusT 2018

A dog’s life: fitness trackers help put fat pets on a diet

By ADAM PEMBLE tion. It faces competition
Associated Press from a range of products,
PRAGUE (AP) — When from the more basic fit-
Czech entrepreneur Rob- ness monitors to more ad-
ert Hasek began jogging vanced technologies. The
with his dog, Darwin, the Wagz, for example, is also
three-mile runs were mak- able to record and stream
ing the bull terrier sick with HD video from the collar. It
fatigue. sells for $495 apiece.
Hasek was surprised, think- That may be a lot for a
ing his dog led a healthy collar, but some pet own-
lifestyle. To solve the mys- ers are willing to splurge.
tery, he strapped a Fitbit Among them are Millenni-
to Darwin and discovered als who put off having kids
he was actually only active or decided against having
in his presence. Otherwise, any and have the extra in-
Hasek says, “he is lying, come to spend, says Har-
sleeping and doing noth- rison Forbes, a dog trainer
ing. He’s lazy!” and pet products expert.
The businessman sensed The pet bull terrier owned by Czech entrepreneur Robert Hasek, wearing a doggy fitness tracker “Pet tech has been a
an opportunity and devel- attached to the dog collar during a demonstration in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Aug. 10, hugely explosive part of
oped one of the world’s 2018. the industry the past five
first dog fitness trackers. His Associated Press or six years,” he said while
product is part of a grow- tion. Worldwide spending Francisco for three months, $300. On top of the GPS attending the Superzoo
ing industry of gadgets in 2017 was $109 billion tracked down Czech man- tracking device that a va- industry conference on
for pets that includes GPS dollars, according to Euro- ufacturers and a customer riety of pet collars already pet products in Las Vegas.
trackers, automatic feed- monitor International. service subcontractor. offer, it tracks the intensity Technology for pets has
ers, ball throwing machines Hasek first sought funding Two years later, production of the dog’s activity and tended to follow innova-
for dogs to fetch, and self- on Kickstarter and then and sales of the Actijoy fit- comes with a internet-con- tions that were meant for
cleaning litter boxes for reached out to private in- ness trackers have begun, nected bowl that monitors humans and this is an ex-
cats. vestors. He moved to San with one unit costing about food and water consump- ample of that, he says.q
People in the U.S. will spend
$72.1 billion this year on pet
products and care, up 3.6 Privacy group tells FTC Google tracking violated 2011 order
percent on the year in an
industry that has grown By The Associated Press the letter to the FTC that ment in which Google that even with Location
steadily since the mid-90’s, A privacy group said in a Google’s recording of agreed to a 20-year moni- History turned off, Google
according to the Ameri- letter sent to the Federal time-stamped location toring regime and vowed stores user location when,
can Pet Products Associa- Trade Commission on Fri- data — even after users to not misrepresent the de- for instance, the Google
day that Google has vio- have turned off a setting gree to which users have Maps app is opened,
For Rent lated the terms of a 2011 called Location History — control over private data. or when users conduct
Extend your vacation settlement because of “clearly violates” the 2011 Three days after the AP Google searches that
Renaissance Resort practices exposed in an settlement. story was published Mon- aren’t related to location.
Week 34 unit 2123 Associated Press report this The center lobbied the FTC day, Google altered a Automated searches of the
$600 week. to take action on Google help page explanation but local weather on some An-
call 737 3006 The Electronic Privacy In- nearly a decade ago. That didn’t change its tracking. droid phones also store the
zach@buyarubatimeshares.com formation Center said in helped lead to the settle- The AP investigation found phone’s whereabouts.q
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