everyone wants to do that Talk to your pet. Or just try to get them to listen. It’s no wonder, then, that some startups believe that breaking through the communication barrier between you and your dog will require heavy use of technology. Welcome to the world of AI-enabled dog and cat collars that try to interpret your pet’s needs and share their wishes with you. The only problem with these devices is that your pet doesn’t actually participate in the conversation because the collar is just guessing what your pet is thinking, but it still does all the talking anyway. It’s not like the audio collars dogs wear in movies. aboveis like shouting at a chatbot strapped to a dog’s neck. Your dog or cat, on the other hand, may just be trying to understand where that new voice is coming from.
In the second half of the show, we talk about all the weird new ways AI gadgets are popping up in our lives, and whether any of them are helping us have better conversations.
Also, this week will be the final episode. gadget lab Podcasts — at least in their current form. We’ll be back soon with a new reboot of the show. Lauren and Michael return as hosts, but there’s a third co-host at the table, a new podcast title, and a new angle to the coverage.
Show memo
Watch this feed for the latest version of the show, premiering October 31st. Read Boone’s story about talking pet collars and AI-powered friend necklaces. Read Lauren’s story about AI hardware challenges. Notice how AI is woven into our lives. For all your gadget needs, follow WIRED’s onslaught of gear coverage.
Recommendations
Boone recommends rain. Lauren recommends taking a walk. Mike recommends KEXP’s YouTube channel, where Seattle radio stations post videos of music performances performed in their studios.
You can find Boone Ashworth on social media, but honestly, he’s graduating to become a full-time reporter at WIRED, so email your story tips to: boone@wired.com. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight@heads.social. Please contact our main hotline @.gadget lab. The show was produced by Boone Ashworth (@).boone ashworth). The theme music was by Solar Keys.
How to listen
You can listen to this week’s podcast anytime in the audio player on this page, but if you’d like to subscribe for free and get all the episodes (there’s an all-new show coming later this month), here’s how: It is as follows.
If you’re using an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts or tap this link. You can also download apps like Overcast and Pocket Casts and search for Gadget Lab. I also use Spotify. There’s an RSS feed here in case you really need it.
