Bosch OptiMUM Kitchen Machine Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
The OptiMum Kitchen Machine has a built-in digital kitchen scale.
Bosch
More Bosch News
- Bosch pushes into the smart home with three new products and IFTTT
- False alarms be gone — Bosch’s smart smoke detector hopes to reduce annoyances
A good baker knows that weight, not volume, is a more precise way to measure ingredients in a recipe. Bosch wants to save that baker some counter space and time with the OptiMum Kitchen Machine, a stand mixer with a digital scale built into the base so you don’t have to move your mixing bowl to weigh out ingredients. The German appliance manufacturer introduced it Wednesday at the IFA trade show here in Berlin.
Prices for the OptiMum Kitchen Machine start at 700 euros — roughly $780, £595 or AU$1,040 converted. This is more than double the cost for the cheapest stand mixer from KitchenAid, a brand that has become synonymous with luxury stand mixers. Various models of the OptiMum will start appearing in stores in September. It’s unclear if the appliance will be available in the US.
Small countertop appliances that use digital scales have become an easy way to introduce precision, along with technology, to cooking. Smart scales such as the Perfect Bake and the Drop scale connect to apps that provide recipes, detect the weight of your ingredients and make sure you’re adding the right amounts. It’s worth noting that Drop announced it will provide Bosch the software for the appliance maker’s Series 8 connected ovens.
Unlike the smart scales, you have to use your own recipes and know how much of an ingredient you’ll need to use the OptiMum. You enter your target weight on the scale, and it counts backward as you put your ingredients in the mixing bowl. The machine also includes sensor features to help with mixing, such as automatically stopping when creams, egg whites or yeast dough reach the right consistency.
- Check out CNET’s full coverage of IFA 2016 here
Acer Swift 7 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
The Apple MacBook Air used to be the very pinnacle of slim laptops. But today, the 17mm-thick Air feels hefty compared with the HP Spectre (10.4mm) or Apple’s own 12-inch MacBook (13mm). Acer is joining the super-slim club with the new Swift 7, a 13.3-inch clamshell laptop that measures just 9.98mm thick. Acer says that makes the Swift 7 the first laptop to get below the one-centimeter mark.
While it’s hard at first glance to see the difference between laptops mere millimeters apart in size, the Swift 7’s black-and-gold design is especially striking. The body is machined from a single piece of aluminum, and the 13-inch display is a full HD (1,920×1,080) IPS panel, so it’ll look good even from side angles. Like the next-slimmest laptop we can think of, the HP Spectre, this isn’t a touchscreen laptop, which apparently would require a thicker display panel.
Inside, this is one of the very first laptops to be offered with Intel’s new seventh-generation Core i-series processors (sometimes known by the code name Kaby Lake), which Intel says will provide extra power for video decoding and playback, while operating more efficiently for better battery life.
Having had a chance to handle a Swift 7 recently, I can say it feels impressively thin in the hand, and gives the Spectre and other super-slim laptops some real competition.
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Besides the Swift 7, Acer is also introducing a few other new laptops. The Swift 5 is under 15mm thick and has a 14-inch display, despite being closer in size to most 13-inch laptops. The Swift 3 is a mid-priced 14-inch laptop, about 18mm thick, with both sixth- and seventh-gen Intel CPUs. The budget-priced Swift 3 is another 14-inch laptop, but with only Intel Pentium and Celeron processor options, and a low-res display.
Exact configurations, dates and prices will vary by region, but the Swift 7 is coming to the US and Europe in October starting at $999 and €1,299 (which works out to £1106).
Acer Spin 7 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Last year Acer launched the R14 convertible notebook just one week after the debut of Windows 10. Now the company is building out the lineup with the new Spin series notebooks, all equipped with a 360-degree dual torque hinge that lets users alternate between four different usage modes (tablet, display, tent and laptop).
Announced this week at IFA 2016 in Berlin, the Spin 7 is the flagship model of the offering that also includes the Spin 5, Spin 3, and Spin 1. It’s equipped with Windows 10 and Continuum, a software tool that helps the OS detect what type of device the user is on and configures itself accordingly.
It’s 0.43 inch (10.98mm) thin and weighs 2.6 pounds (1.2kgs), which means it’s slightly more svelte than the Apple 12-inch MacBook. If it helps to compare that to an item close at hand, Acer tells us the Slim 7 is thinner than a standard DVD case, but the 14-inch touchscreen is wrapped in Gorilla Glass for extra durability.
Checking out the inside, the Slim 7 is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of memory and a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD). Notable features also include dual USB 3.1 type-C ports and a glass touchpad.
The Spin 7 will be available in October starting at $1,199 (£920 or AU$1600).
Other models also announced in the Spin family:
Spin 5
Available in October starting at $599 (£500 or AU$800)
- 16GB DDR4 memory
- 512GB SSD
- 10 hour battery
- 13.3-inch HD touchscreen
- Optional Acer Active Pen with Windows Ink
- HD Webcam with HDR imaging
Spin 3
Available in October starting at $499 (£385 or AU$665)
- 15.6-inch HD or Full HD IPS display
- 12GB DDR4 memory
- Comes with both solid-state drives (up to 256GB) and hard drives (up to 1TB)
- Backlit ergonomic keyboard
- HD webcam with HDR imaging
- 9.5-hour battery
Spin 1
Available in October starting at $249 (£190 or AU $335)
- 13-inch or 11.6-inch Full HD IPS display
- 9-hour battery
- Gorilla Glass display
Acer Predator 21X Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
The Acer Predator 21 X is insane.
It weighs 17 pounds, or around 8 kilograms — a serious bit of heft, as we can attest from getting our hands on it at IFA here in Berlin.
It’s the world’s first laptop with a curved screen…not to mention two (2) GeForce GTX 1080 GPUs and a built-in mechanical keyboard.
A look inside the Predator 21 X’s case. So many fans. So many heatpipes.
Acer
It requires two (2) power supplies to run, and needs five (5) system fans and eight (8) heatpipes to stay cool. It holds up to 64GB of memory and five (5) storage drives at a time.
There’s a Tobii eye-tracking camera so you can aim at foes just by looking at them. (Supported ones, anyhow.)
Oh, and this laptop has four (4) speakers and two (2) subwoofers. So you can blast while you blast, of course.
The curved screen measures 21 inches diagonally. (Typically, laptops top out at 17 or 18 inches). It’s an Nvidia G-Sync screen, too.
The mechanical keyboard uses Cherry MX switches and has an RGB LED under each and every key…because who doesn’t like colors?
Lastly, I’d like to bookend this article by reminding you: The Predator 21 X weighs 17 pounds.
In short, it’s the most ridiculous gaming laptop ever conceived. It’s more powerful than our CNET Future-Proof VR Gaming Desktop, and probably weighs as much. It likely costs a good deal more.
17.6 pounds, to be precise. 8 kilograms.
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
We need one in the CNET offices yesterday. But you’ll have to wait until the first quarter of 2017 to own one.
Start packing away those pennies, people.
- See all our coverage of IFA here
It’s a monster! See Acer’s ludicrous curved-screen…
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Honor 8 Review
Earlier this year, Honor released the Honor 5X, which we proclaimed to be one of the best sub-$200 smartphones available in the United States. Huawei is now looking to further build up their Honor brand with the Honor 8, Honor’s take on the “affordable flagship.”
Interested in ZTE?
- Honor 8 hands on
- Honor joins the ‘flagship killer’ fray with the Honor 8
- Huawei announces super-affordable honor 8
- Honor 5X review
At $400, does the Honor 8 have what it takes to go up against segment leaders ZTE and OnePlus? Let’s find out in our written review of the Honor 8!
Buy the Honor 8 now!
Design
The Honor 8 is an absolutely gorgeous smartphone. Even before digging into the details, it’s difficult to associate the Honor 8’s design with its price; its level of premium appeal is comparable to that of the more expensive Samsung Galaxy S7.
The dual glass panel design is admittedly reminiscent of the Galaxy S7 and even more so of the Xiaomi Mi 4S. It is still quite remarkable, however, with the rear’s 15-panel light-refracting glass composition. This composition primarily enables some very enthralling light patterns.
Both glass panels curve down to meet with the chamfered aluminum band, which gives an impression of cohesion. The tactile power and volume buttons can both be found on the right edge of the phone. There is a nice texture on the power button, but I wish it was less subtle.
There is an IR blaster at the top of the device which can be used to control TVs and other household appliances. It worked quite well in my testing, and I think it’s a valuable addition.
Despite the metal band, handling can be a bit challenging due to the device’s slippery glass profile. You’ll want to be especially careful when setting the Honor 8 down, especially on uneven surfaces. The glass has what could be described as an “ice cube effect,” where it slips and slides very easily.
The build quality seems strong enough to resist most damage
During my five days with the device, it fell a total of three times. Thankfully, the build quality seems strong enough to resist most damage, but you’ll probably still want to consider adding a case. That’d also help cover up any fingerprints, which can collect surprisingly easily. Huawei has designed a few cases that compliment the 8’s beauty, which should be available soon.
I would have preferred capacitive keys in place of the “honor” chin branding, but the on-screen navigation keys are still very pleasant to use. I also really appreciate the added software option to change the key layout as well.
Display
The Honor 8 is sporting a 5.2″ 1080P LTPS display, which looks great with a good amount of sharpness and saturated and punchy colors. Color reproduction could have been more accurate, however. Mainly, the display’s color temperature is very cool. Thankfully, you can make adjustments in the settings to compensate for this, but it’s a shame that the device didn’t ship with a better calibrated display.
The smaller display size does make handling easier in comparison to larger devices on the market. In fact, the Honor 8’s smaller size may seal the deal for some, as we rarely see this, especially at this price. The display brightness maxes out at 455 nits, which is about average. Sunlight readability is consequently good, especially for the price.
Performance
It should come as no surprise that the Honor 8 is powered by one of Huawei’s own in-house processors, a HiSilicon Kirin 950. The Kirin 950 offers comparable performance to that of the high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
See Also: In-depth look at the Kirin 9508
As expected, performance was absolutely excellent. Everything is very smooth and responsive, which is what you’d usually expect from a more expensive device. Thankfully, there is 4 GB of RAM in both US models, so you can expect a smooth multitasking experience as well.
In my experience, the Honor 8’s Mali-T880 MP4 GPU performed very well when playing mobile games. Do keep in mind, however, that it may not be as future proof as the high-end Adreno GPUs. For example, in a 3Dmark test, the ZTE Axon 7 with the Adreno 530 scored a 2580 whereas the Honor 8 with the Mali-T880 MP4 scored a 964.
Hardware
As is the case with many Chinese smartphones, the Honor 8 is unlocked and includes dual-SIM card support, meaning that you can use up to two different lines with this single phone. In the US, carrier support includes AT&T, T-Mobile, and their respective MVNOs. The phone also supports Band 12 LTE, so you’ll receive T-Mobile’s extended range coverage.
If you’re willing to give up one of the SIM card slots, you can expand the phone’s base 32 GB of storage via microSD card, up to 128 GB. This is always a great option to have, even if you don’t think you’ll need it.
The USB Type-C charging port is accompanied by the headphone jack on the left and a single speaker on the right. The speaker is decent; it gets the job done, but sounds hollow and distorted. I would say that it performs slightly below average overall.
The fingerprint reader on the back of the Honor 8 is quite good: it’s fast while still being accurate. It’s comparable to the one found on the Axon 7, but that’s before considering the unique functionality that Huawei has implemented.
Since the reader also doubles as a tactile button, or what Huawei calls a “smart key,” you can program different shortcuts including flashlight, screenshot, or voice recording to tap, double tap, and hold. You can also have it open an app instead, if you find that useful. It’s a pretty nifty idea, and I’ve found my settings for double tap for flashlight and hold for Google Now to be quite handy.
Battery Life
Huawei provides three battery profiles out of the box: performance, smart, and ultra. While the default smart mode does seem to marginally improve battery life, I noticed that it prevented many of my apps from sending notifications. This made me miss a few important messages in Slack and a couple of Snapchats within the first few hours of using the phone, so I had to switch to the less power-conservative performance mode in order to continue with my review.
Heavy users may need to charge up more than once per day
In my testing, the 3000mAh battery delivered lackluster results. Battery life is long enough to get most light to moderate users through a full day of use, but heavy users may need to charge up more than once per day. While three and a half hours of screen on time isn’t terrible, it’s not nearly as much as what some competing options offer.
Also check out: Best USB Type-C Cables16
Thankfully, the Honor 8 supports 9V/2A fast charging with the factory supplied charger. You can charge the phone from 0 to about 42% in 30 minutes, which is almost as good as competing options. I do wish that the phone supported fast charging with third party 9V/2A chargers, but Honor has informed us that they will be selling compatible chargers directly to US consumers in the future.
Camera
The Honor 8 includes a 12 MP dual-camera configuration with an f/2.2 aperture and hybrid autofocus (laser assisted). One of the lens captures color, while the other is monochrome; Huawei states that this setup helps the phone capture better, crispier looking images.
It’s a great shooter overall
And for the most part, the Honor 8 takes great, contrasty images with a good amount of sharpness and excellent dynamic range. I was surprised at how well it handled balancing the highlights and shadows in many of the images I took.
Honor 8 camera samples:
It’s a great shooter overall, and you’ll likely be very pleased with the images it takes. It’s not going to outperform the Samsung Galaxy S7, but that’s okay considering the Honor 8’s price. The 8 MP front-facing camera is also good.
Low-light performance was surprisingly strong, unlike many other affordable smartphones. Images don’t turn out excellent, but they’re more acceptable than those taken by the Axon 7 and even the OnePlus 3.
One of the perks of having the dual camera setup is the wide aperture mode, which allows you to set an aperture from f/0.95 to f/16 when taking a photo. Once you take the image, you can go back and change the aperture or focus point. This worked pretty well in my testing overall, although the widest of apertures weren’t as convincing.
Unfortunately, there’s no 4K video recording, and you’re limited to 1080P/60p. That’d be acceptable on its own given the phone’s price, but the video quality itself is poor as well with disappointing colors. You can see a sample clip in our video review, featured above.
The camera app is fairly nice, and offers some very useful manual controls. Unfortunately, they don’t rotate when switching to landscape mode, which is quite annoying. The myriad of camera modes can be overwhelming too, and many of them feel half-baked.
Software
For software, the Honor 8 is running Huawei’s Emotion UI 4.1 over Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Overall, the software is very different from stock Android: there’s no app drawer, the UI is iOS-like, and there are a great number of additions. Some users will enjoy this experience, but it may not be for everyone.
Some users will enjoy this experience, but it may not be for everyone
Some of Huawei’s additions are certainly appreciated, but a lot of them can come across as gimmicky. For example, the knuckle gestures are cool in theory, but don’t always work in practice. There’s also a good number of bloatware apps, which I quite frankly wasn’t expecting.
EMUI also has an entirely different scrolling mechanic than stock Android, which is smoother but slower. It looks pretty nice, but you have to wait for the inertia scrolling to completely stop in order to select something. This is incredibly frustrating in day-to-day use, as you’ll find yourself having to repeatedly tap on something until the phone finally responds.
It’s not all bad, however, as the lock screen view is refreshing, the timeline notifications are kind of cool, and the power management tools are quite useful. I just wish that Huawei would have approached software wholeheartedly and made more refinements instead of including a bunch of features that few people will actually use.
On a positive note, Honor has committed to updating the Honor 8 with new features every three months for the first year, and then providing security and bug fix updates for an additional year. With this phone, the question is not whether you will receive the Android 7.0 Nougat update, but rather, when it will arrive. It’s great to see this kind of software support, especially at this price.
There’s also the recently announced partnership with XDA-Developers that aims to create developer interest in the Honor 8. While it’s difficult to say just how many custom ROMs will be available for the phone in the future, this is certainly a step in the right direction.
Gallery
Price
The Honor 8 is now available for pre-order from Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg, and HiHonor starting at $399.99 for the 32 GB storage option or $449.99 for the 64 GB storage option. There are several promotional offers available, including a $50 gift card, which can certainly sweeten the deal. The color options include blue, black, and white.
If you accidentally crack the Honor 8 within the first three months of owning it, Huawei will repair it for free. This is a great protection to have, although I wish it covered the phone for a bit longer.
Buy the Honor 8 now!
Conclusion
Huawei has brought what many have wanted from an affordable flagship for a while now: a gorgeous design, a smaller size, and a great camera. In addition, the Honor 8’s excellent performance and IR blaster are not always common on an affordable smartphone.
While the Honor 8 is indeed a great value for the money, it is important to recognize that this is a very competitive price segment so you have many options to chose from. It would be wise to consider what you value most in a smartphone and base your final decision off of that.
- Honor 8 hands on
- Honor joins the ‘flagship killer’ fray with the Honor 8
- Huawei announces super-affordable honor 8
- Honor 5X review
We want to know: what are your thoughts on Honor’s affordable flagship? What do you value most in your smartphone? Let us know in the comment section below!
Belkin Powerhouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
In case you missed it, late last year Belkin put out the Valet Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone. As its name implies, it can charge both your iPhone and Apple Watch simultaneously and was one of the few Apple Watch accessories that had an integrated wireless charging puck. It was a great dock — and swanky looking — but it was pricey at $150 (it’s now down to $130).
Now Belkin has a new, more affordable dual charging dock, the Powerhouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone, which costs $99 (we’re still gathering international pricing and will update the post when we get it).
It’s missing the sleek aluminum trim and chrome pedestal of the earlier dock — yes, the expensive bits had to be cut to get the cost down — but it’s still an attractive-looking dock, has some nice heft to it, and worked well in my initial charging trials.
Belkin Powerhouse Charge Dock
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Here are its key features, according to Belkin:
- Built-in Apple Watch magnetic charging module with integrated Lightning connector for the iPhone
- Integrated 2-in-1 charging solution optimally charges the Apple Watch and iPhone simultaneously
- Elevated design keeps the Apple Watch and iPhone more protected and easier to see while charging
- MFi certification ensures that this product passed rigorous mechanical, stress, and electrical tests per Apple standards
“Most people who have an Apple watch also have an iPhone, so a combined charging solution just makes sense,” says Melody Saffery, senior director of product management at Belkin. “The Powerhouse Charge Dock is designed with the consumer in mind — it organically integrates both chargers into its design so all you need to do is plug it in and go.”
The dock has a knob on the back that adjusts the height of the the Lightning tip so you can charge a phone with its case on.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Belkin says the Powerhouse Charge Dock is available at Best Buy and other leading retailers globally and supports Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch Edition, iPhone SE, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C and iPhone 5.
LG V20 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Come September, LG will announce the successor to the V10 (above).
Josh Miller/CNET
In addition to its G5 flagship phone, LG has another top-tier handset up its sleeve that has yet to be revealed. Known as the V20, the device is the successor to last year’s V10 and is expected to continue LG’s more premium series.
Not much is known about the V20, however. We do know that it will be officially announced on Tuesday, September 6, in San Francisco (and rest assured, CNET will be on the ground reporting from the event). Its event invitation merely hints at “playing more,” but no other details are given.
LG’s official V20 invitation.
LG
The V20 will also be the first phone to come out of the box with Google’s latest mobile operating system, Android 7.0 Nougat, which has already been rolling out over the air. Fortunately for us, we know a lot about Nougat — including its support for multiwindow, the ability to reply in a notification and its battery-saving feature, Doze on the Go.
Why Google is launching Nougat with the V20 and not with its own Nexus line (like it did every year before) has us scratching our heads. Then again, Google is shaking up its Nexus strategy lately, including dropping the brand name altogether.
Lastly, the V20 will come with some high-tech audio quality. Ahead of its reveal, LG announced that the phone is equipped with a 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC (digital to analog converter), which produces crisper, clearer sound and decreases ambient noise.
Others are reporting additional specs as well, like two front-facing cameras, a Snapdragon 820 processor and a USB Type-C port. Of course, we won’t know for sure until Tuesday’s event, but let us know in the comments if you’re interested in the V20 or plan on nabbing one for yourself.
How to catch a cat with Android 7.0 Nougat
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Airmotion Aura Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Aloysius Low/CNET
I live in Singapore, where the air is usually clean, but for about a month every year, the island gets shrouded in terrible smoggy haze from burning forests in nearby Indonesia. While you can get disposable masks, these can be very uncomfortable, especially in Singapore’s hot and humid weather. The Airmotion Aura air mask has a filter to protect your lungs and a ventilator to pump in fresh air to keep things cool. I got to try it out.
This new gadget is modular: the air filter is replaceable, and the ventilator swappable. It retails for around S$98, which converts to approximately $70, £50 or AU$95. Its straps are adjustable and the ventilator promises a charge of around 3 hours.
Air pollution isn’t just about the lowered visibility that happens when smog fills the skies. Much of the danger to your health from polluted air comes from particulate matter (PM) that’s thinner than a strand of hair, PM2.5. The number designates the size of the particle — in this case, 2.5 micrometers — and your respiratory tract isn’t quite capable of filtering particles of such sizes and smaller. You’ll need a special N95 mask that’s capable of doing so, and Aura meets this standard.
A ventilator helps to circulate air.
Aloysius Low/CNET
Designed by a Singaporean living in Beijing — where the air is famously polluted — the Aura is modular, which means you’re able to swap out parts such as the ventilator for other, as yet unannounced, features in the future. The N95 filter is replaceable, so you don’t have to buy a completely new set every time it wears out. The medical grade silicon seal and straps don’t chafe on the skin, and are washable with warm water and soap.
Key specs
- Modular system
- N95 filter to block out PM2.5 pollutants
- Ventilator helps keep things cool
- Medical-grade silicon straps and face seal
You will look like Bane wearing this, which I didn’t quite appreciate. I did find that the ventilator helps keep things a little cooler, though I still found myself perspiring thanks to Singapore’s humid weather. I did quite a lot of brisk walking with the ventilator in sports mode, and found that it does help to circulate air. A normal disposable mask would have trapped my exhalations, which isn’t ideal due to CO2 buildup, of course.
Compared to a regular disposable mask, the Airmotion Aura isn’t cheap, but it can be reused and the ventilator helps if you’re looking to exercise even in polluted weather.
Because it’s modular, you can easily replace parts that have broken down, or get longer straps if needed.
Aloysius Low/CNET
YI Erida Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
At the end of July, GoPro announced its Hero5 camera and Karma drone will launch ahead of the holiday season. YI Technology, on the other hand, has already released its $250 YI 4K camera and now it’s got a drone to go with it — the YI Erida.
Made of light-yet-strong carbon fiber, YI says the tricopter can reach speeds of up to 75 mph (120 kph) and stay in the air for up to 40 minutes. If true, this is longer than any other ready-to-fly drone. Two of its three prop arms rotate and fold back for travel.
Yi Erida carbon fiber drone flies fast, folds…
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On its belly is a motorized gimbal to stabilize the included YI 4K camera. The drone will be completely controlled with a mobile app, so you’ll just need your smartphone and the drone when you head out to fly.
No pricing or availability was announced. However, if the Erida looks or sounds familiar, it might be because YI is making the drone with Atlas, a team of developers and engineers that tried to get the Erida crowdfunded last year. The contribution amounts start at $499, but the retail price is listed at $1,100. That’s about £380 to £840 and AU$660 to AU$1,500.
Petnet SmartFeeder Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Petnet
Have you ever wished your cat could open a can of food himself? Or that your dog could pour the giant bag of food pellets into her own bowl? While it can’t teach your pets new tricks, Petnet’s $150 new gadget might be a step in the right direction.
The SmartFeeder is essentially a feeding bowl with a holding tank above it. Beyond simply supplying more food when the bowl goes empty, though, the SmartFeeder will control portions for your pets. How does it know how much to feed them? This is where it gets interesting.
During setup, you enter your pet’s weight, age, activity levels and other information in the SmartFeeder app. Once the SmartFeeder starts portioning out food for your pet, it continues to monitor behavior, like whether your pet is eating all the food, how quickly and whether that involves multiple trips to the bowl. This data plus the originally entered info gets plugged into a massive database that not only determines serving sizes, but also decides what types of food might fit best for your pet.
Petnet
The appeal of the SmartFeeder is twofold. First, since the tank holds about 7 pounds of food, you only need to refill it once every week or two. That’s a big part of the work of pet ownership, taken care of. Second, if it works as intended, Petnet’s device should help your pet be healthier. Proper serving sizes are important to a pet’s long-term health.
The SmartFeeder also offers a pet food marketplace. The idea is that the device will prune down the thousands of pet food options to a select few — ones that are supposed to be appropriate for your pet. You choose which to buy, and the SmartFeeder app will order the food for you when supplies get low.
Personally, I’m cautious about any device that orders products with my credit card, but for people who have comfortable patterns and understand what’s involved, the service could be a helpful relief.
The SmartFeeder won’t work for everyone. The size of the bowl is about 2 cups, so it’s too small for larger dogs. And because of the design, the feeder can only dispense dry food.
The Petnet SmartFeeder is available now online and at Petco stores.
AIVAnet 