X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Rover's woofs now limited to 140 characters

Mattel's Puppy Tweets lets your pooch bug you with short messages. Expect tweets about your slippers and that pesky cat next door.

Tim Hornyak
Crave freelancer Tim Hornyak is the author of "Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots." He has been writing about Japanese culture and technology for a decade. E-mail Tim.
See full bio
Tim Hornyak
"Oops, I just knocked over a vase. How many characters do I have left?" Mattel

Just when you thought Twitter had broken the limits of stupidity with products like Twoddler, which lets tots send short messages, Mattel is making sure it really does go to the dogs.

The toy giant's Puppy Tweets turns your pooch's woofs into tweets so you can keep up with its busy daily schedule of eating, sleeping, and destroying your slippers.

Mattel

Available soon from Amazon for about $30, Puppy Tweets consists of a collar tag with integrated motion and sound sensors that's linked to your home computer via Wi-Fi. A USB receiver is included.

The tag will send a tweet to your dog's Twitter account whenever the animal moves, barks, or naps.

Nope, making a mess on the carpet doesn't merit a tweet. Needless to say, you'd have to really, really love your dog to crave this level of detail about its daily existence.

Mattel's elves have programmed the 6-ounce canine communicator, which reminds me of the wacky Japanese dog translator Bowlingual from Tomy, with more than 500 tweet phrases like "I finally caught that tail I've been chasing and...OOUUUCHH!"

If you like Hallmark-grade humor, this could work for you. Also, it might be interesting to see who would actually sign up to follow your hound's Twitter account.

Then again, an upstart cat named Sockington apparently has more than 1.5 million Twitter followers. Puppy Tweets may be your dog's chance to even the score.

(Via Craziest Gadgets)