If you want to get inside of your pet's head, the tech hasn't arrived yet, but one company hopes to have it trending in the right direction.
Los Angeles-based FluentPet has developed a series of tiles it claims help four-legged companions communicate with their humans. Through training, they can learn to associate various tiles with words they've learned over time and then use their paws to press them.
The tech has been a hit on platforms like TikTok, where tons of "talking dog" videos have gone viral.
There are a wide range of options to select from when it comes to purchasing the tech. Test kits start out around $35 with the most expensive option, They Can Talk Kit, being priced around $230.
The company also recently launched FluentPet Connect, which integrates the tile button system into an app. This helps keep pet owners connected to their pets at all times. If a person isn't home, their pet could send an alert, similar to a text message.
The system is available for an additional $69.99 but is compatible with tiles that have already hit the market.
However, devices like FluentPet and the studies that have been done with their subjects do face skepticism from scientists. Clive Wynne, the founding director of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University, explained that rather than language comprehension, the dogs are being conditioned.
“This is one of the most basic forms of learning in the animal kingdom," Wynne told the Washington Post. "The dog forms an association between an action and an outcome that it desires.”
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, turned heads on Tuesday when it announced it will block some ad-targeting, specifically those of a political and religious nature.
This is one of the most direct moves the company has made in order to minimize ad-targeting by advertisers on its platforms. Hastie Afkhami, Head of Digital at S-3 Group, joins Cheddar News to discuss the impact of this move.
Wine subscription service Winc is officially a publicly-traded company after debuting on the New York Stock Exchange. CEO Geoff McFarlane and President Brian Smith joined Cheddar to talk about the decision behind the public offering and noted that its service goes beyond just subscriptions. "We're an omnichannel platform, so the subscription is a great way for us to really generate a ton of data from our customers, launch new products, and market our portfolio," McFarlane said. "But ultimately when we find great products that our customers really love, we want them to be everywhere." He went on to point to distribution partners like Whole Foods, Walmart, and Trader Joe's.
Roy Banks, CEO of Weave Communication, a cloud-based software company for small businesses, joined Cheddar to talk about the company's New York Stock Exchange debut. Banks broke down just how his company helps small businesses manage relationships with their customer base and also laid out how the funds raised will be used to grow the business and its short and long term goals.
Jeff Powell, Managing Partner & CIO at Polaris Wealth Advisory Group, discusses how supply chain issues and inflation will impact consumer spending, and discusses the future of the electric vehicle market.
Sotheby's is getting into the crypto game. The auction house announced it will now be accepting bids in increments of ETH, marking the first time that an auction will field live bids in crypto. This announcement comes just a week ahead of Sotheby's contemporary art auction 'The Now Evening Auction' for two works by Banksy: Trolley Hunters and Love is in the Air. Alex Branczik, Sotheby's Chairman for Modern & Contemporary Art joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss what went into this move.
Jim Worden, Chief Investment Officer, Wealth Consulting Group, talks about the consumer spending headwinds and breaks down the bright spots from Disney's earnings and Rivian's IPO.
Autonomous tech developer Embark made its Nasdaq debut on Thursday via a SPAC merger, making its CEO Alex Rodrigues, the youngest chief executive of a publicly-traded company at the age of 26. He joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to discuss what led to the IPO and what it means for the trucking industry as it looks to navigate ongoing supply chain issues. "I think there are really three major benefits to autonomous trucks. You think about the benefit from an efficiency perspective, from a safety perspective, and from an environmental perspective," Rodrigues noted.
AppHarvest CEO Jonathan Webb joined Cheddar's "Opening Bell" to talk about the company's Q3 earnings, stating sales data showed the indoor farming tech firm remained on track with its 2021 outlook. Webb also discussed a new campaign called "Fight The Food Fight," to encourage consumers to support a more resilient, sustainable food system.
