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.”
Chinese electric vehicle maker, Xpeng, just announced it's jacking up the price of its EVs due to the cost of raw materials on the rise. Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Stocks closed near session highs Thursday as investors focused on falling jobless claims and shares that have a lot to gain from a recovering economy, including chipmakers.
David Scranton, CEO and Founder of Sound Income Strategies, joins Closing Bell to discuss today's close, why markets have been on a roller coaster lately, the biggest factors investors are watching, and what the Federal Reserve might do to try to combat rising inflation.
Jesse Coors-Blankenship and Gregg Hill, general partners at Parkway VC, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where they say they decided to invest in Sandbox AQ because the Alphabet spinoff is 'one of the most important companies of the century' with a team carrying strong knowledge of A.I. and quantum tech.
Electric scooter company Spin is teaming up exclusively with ride-hailing business Lyft to provide scooter rentals in cities across the country, beginning with Nashville. Spin CEO Ben Bear joined Cheddar News to talk about the rollout and detail how Lyft users will be able to access Spin scooters. "It's a completely native integration, and we think reducing that friction it's just gonna be key to getting more people out of personal cars and onto bikes and scooters across the country."
Users can now call for a traditional cab on the Uber app in New York City. The company that started out looking to disrupt yellow cabs and car services is now hoping to be a host for all taxi services globally in the future.
Nouveau Monde Graphite says it wants to power the sustainable energy revolution. The Canadian company is developing carbon-neutral battery materials to serve the growing EV and cleantech markets and is doing so via a mining and manufacturing operation in Quebec. Eric Desaulniers, founder, president & CEO of Nouveau Monde Graphite, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
