Ahead of the 2012 Superbowl Volkswagen have released a taster called ‘The Bark Side’ on YouTube.

The ad features a around a dozen dogs barking the “Imperial March’ from the George Lucas film Star Wars.

The video has already had over 7m views since it was posted on 18 January.

This ad follows a theme set in 2011 when the car company used a frustrated boy walking around the house seeing if he had the force.  This has had over 49m plays

The Superbowl airs on Feb. 5.

Help is at hand to ensure we get our walks – even when the weather is bad – thanks to an iPhone and Android App by Boondoggle.

Last year we all had a particularly severe winter with sleet, snow and ice causeing a lot chaos. As a result many of us missed our morning walks.

This mobile application works like a normal alarm clock, but wakes your human earlier than usual, if it has unexpectedly snowed or frozen overnight.

So your human will have enough time in the morning to take you for a walk before digging the snow from the drive, de-icing the car and leaving for work  - on time.

During the night, the Winter Wake Up app collects weather information for where you are.

Based on this, the app decides whether it’s necessary to wake your human up earlier. How much earlier is something they decide before going to bed for the night.

Too much snow or ice!

If the situation seems really hopeless, there’s another solution.

Your human can tell the alarm clock not to wake anyone up. This way you all get to sleep in and your two legger gets to work on another day to make up the lost work hours.

You can download the Winter Alarm app for iOS from the App Store and for Android via Android Market.

When we started this blog, almost 200 posts ago, it was always our intention to try to get more video onto the site and it would seem that technology has now caught up with our ambitions.

The GoPro Hero 2 is a very small camera about the size of a couple of matchboxes, but it does pack quite a punch.

Although the GoPro series of cameras have been around for quite a while the latest version, the Hero2, is the best of the range and features fantastic HD quality video and time-lapse capability.

The GoPro Hero2 camera is about the thickness of a 2p coin is wide

Dad has been after one of these small cameras for quite a while but was awaiting the new model, and the cash, to get hold of one. He has finally succeeded this week and, with the early morning sunshine still low in the sky we took it out for a test.

GoPro camera

The video at the bottom of this page is our first trial and we are very impressed with the results.

As you can see from the image to the left the basic camera is very small – being only a single UK 2p coin wide and just over 2 coins long.

Weighing 100g it is also very light – so very easy for us to carry.

A waterproof case is added to the raw camera bringing the total weight to almost 200g.

The clear plastic enclosure totally surrounds the basic camera module and provides a bracket to attach an assortment of clamps and mounting accessories.

Buster finds an interesting sniff in the damp grass

Clear simple operation

Two buttons on the camera allow the humans to set up the camera and swap between using the camera as a stills camera, a time-lapse unit or a video system.

Using the settings the camera can be set to record in assorted resolutions. On full HD a single file is about 3.5GB for every half hour recorded.

Sockets on the side of the unit give access to an HDMI output, USB, external mic input and slot for an SDHC card.

Over the next few weeks we will try out different mounting options and how best to use the Hero2 camera.

Animal camera

Being compact and very light the camera is ideal for us to use and capture our walks.

Maybe you use a GoPro to record your walks, let us know via the comments area below…

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

GoPro HERO2 test video

You may have noticed from the assorted photographs of Charlie recently that he has been trying out a new gadget.

Dog Lead Shock Absorber

Mum and dad spotted the device online and thought it might be worth a try.

The device consists of a spring within a spring which attaches to the end on the lead between the lead and the collar.

When Charlie pulls at the end of his stretchy string the spring takes up the jolt and mums hands don’t get that judder.

Charlie has been trying it for a few weeks now and it seems to be of great value and works really well.

Mum had lost track of how many times she had dropped the lead when Charlie was at full stretch running around.

It is no solution to a badly trained Charlie, but is is helpful when out for a long walk  or to reduce the tension on the extendable leads when they get to the end of travel.

Two sizes are available depending on the breed of dog.

A simple solution to a problem many dog owners have when out walking their pooches.

This product may not be suitable for long-haired dogs.

We suggest you read any guidelines or advice about the product to see if it is suitable for your application.

Charlie gives it a 7 out of 10.

This product may not be suitable for long-haired dogs.

It is a while since we stepped back from letting you know about what we are up to and went searching the  web.  So with Christmas in sight we thought we would concentrate on gadgets.

Sniftag –  Monitor your dog’s activity while you’re away. Keep in touch with his friends and yours. Share helpful information and pet tips online. And get connected to your community. It’s hi-tech, it’s hi-style, easy to use, and completely customizable.

When two dogs wearing SNIF Tags are within close range of one another, the Tags automatically swap unique identifying codes, recording the encounter and relaying it to our server when the dogs return to a connected SNIF Base Station. Units cost around $250

Dog Pedometer - Lloydspharmacy has launched a new Dog Pedometer, so that dog owners can give their beloved pet a gift that will benefit them well beyond the usual festive treats and bones, and give them the healthiest and happiest start to the New Year. With the capacity to count up to 99,999 steps and offering two different modes to fit smaller and larger animals, the Dog Pedometer will help keep track of a pet’s exercising so that owners can plan and monitor its improvement over time.

Tail Light – A concept idea but the designers, James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau, envision this device to help dogs overcome the evolutionary shortfalls they experience when being forced to live in a human world.  By attaching a strip of LED’s (small lights to those who don’t know) to our tails and a bit of electronics we can say things depending on the speed we wag our tails.

Handy leash – As part of a project to explore how people treat their pets as human surrogates, Alice Wang has designed some quite interesting products. The Hand leash was the first  item to catch our attention but we also spotted the Pet Pillow  - ideal for those sleepovers. Lets hope some of these make their way to the stores.

Thirst Alert - Automatically lights up to let you know your pet needs fresh water. Low water level activates Flashing Red Lights located on the rim of the dish. Helpful for the partially sighted human to know when the water bowl needs refilling.

We need your help

If you would like to get in touch and tell us about your favourite gadget for inclusion in my next look around the web, let us know via the contact us page.

and finally…

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHAshi4vdbg

We want some sun.

We are both getting a bit bored of the rain. It is a bit confusing for the old brain when you go out for a tiddles and your back is getting soaked!

One other downside to the rain and wind is that is rattles on the windows and the wind makes shutters and doors clang and bang and in turn us to woof.  Now we don’t like to woof, especially at night, but whilst mum and dad are asleep we are in charge and so we must be on guard.

Mum and dad however don’t like us barking loudly, in case we wake neighbours, so they are looking for ways to get us to shut up once we have raised the alarm. 

They had heard of bark sprayers, dog bark gadgets, and all the techie stuff but they wanted something a little cheaper.  

Research is still ongoing but my mum has at least one idea which she will be trying over the next few months, and no doubt reporting back here.

 The Agility Bits exclusive anti bark training device  

This training device looks uncannily like the cardboard tube from the inside of a roll of kitchen towel. Mum holds it up to her mouth and makes a funny sound down it to get our attention…  - and she thinks this will work?

Bark on demand

Whilst we were looking around the web we came across this colleague who could bark on demand.

 One clever pooch.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9FEfuf4mzg

Scent de’pooch

Now I am not an Old Spice kind of dog, I am not really even a Armani or Davidoff bloke but after a good wash my dad says I smell really nice. So a website selling ‘Eau de pooch’ has me wondering, why?

A store in London called Mungo & Maud  is selling a product called ”Petite Amande” Dog Fragrance. The website says the ‘fragrance is inspired by nature with notes of French blackcurrant, Tunisian neroli, mimosa and violet leaf on a base of sweet vanilla bourbon… with a little almond.’ 

Now lets get something clear here Buster and I are both blokes and smelling of ‘violet leaf’ and not of ‘soggy doggie’ is not our thing but, we are prepared to be open minded, however at £38 we will not be putting it on our Christmas list.

Until next time Charlie and Buster.