Dog Tech: The June Smartcollar Update

It's time to check in with our favorite smartcollar GPS and activity trackers, and introduce some new ones! I started a Facebook group for discussing pet technology, check out Planet Smartcollar for active discussion about all the different smartcollar products, and real, unfiltered reviews by people who have actually used them.

Zip takes a dip in a stock tank wearing her Whistle 2.

Whistle 2: Currently using.

I wasn't expecting to like Whistle as much as I do. I saw the Whistle 2 tracker as old technology, about to be eclipsed by bigger and better products. It has turned out to be pretty darned reliable. The tracking is slow, but it really does work. 

Just a few days ago I sent Zip over a hill to look for wandering sheep, and she didn't come back. Eventually I opened the Whistle 2 app on my phone. While the location points it sent were several minutes apart, I could clearly see that she was running back and forth on the wrong side of an electric fence over the next hill.She has probably gotten zapped going under it, and wasn't willing to do the same to get back to me. Without the Whistle 2 tracker, I wouldn't have even known which direction to start looking.

Whistle 3

I've been hearing good things about Whistle 3, faster tracking and a new app. I just ordered one for each of the girls, and will report back when they arrive. After months of research, and talking to people who are actually using different products, I am confident that this is the best 3G tracker currently on the market. It uses wifi, bluetooth, and GPS, and is waterproof. Whistle 3 is smaller than Whistle 2, it may even be small enough for cats. It requires a monthly subscription fee.

Scout!

I am cautiously optimistic about Scout, another GPS/bluetooth/cellular device. This one specifically allows you to set alerts for places you do not want your pet to go. With a virtual leash, tracking history, and three days of battery life, this could be the pet tracker I've been looking for!

Link AKC

Though I ultimately decided that AKC's Link collar wasn't for us, I'm still recommending it as the best all-around smartcollar on the market. Link has a virtual leash feature, as well as temperature monitoring. Though they recommend charging it each night, many users report that the battery is still at 75% at the end of the day. I've heard from a couple of people who had really bad battery life, or collars that wouldn't turn on until they had been sitting for three days to let the battery drain and then recharged them. Link seems to have really responsive customer service, they've replaced these defective units, and also the trackers that have fallen off collars. Yes, as I predicted, the tracker falls off sometimes.

Nuzzle

Nuzzle's smartcollar is an enigma that is poorly understood even by those that created it. I have yet to hear from a single user that reports consistent behavior from the device. Battery life remains well under a day, but often varies from 8-22 hours for no known reason. The app often grays out and ceases to provide updates, which the company claims is unrelated to the batteries, but paradoxically can often be fixed by swapping out the battery for a fresh one. The batteries take 5 hours to charge, but may only last 8 hours. Tracking can be hit or miss, and constant false notifications are totally normal. Nuzzle is still deleting negative comments from their Facebook page, and negative reviews from their website. They are currently 3 days behind on processing returns, because everyone who wanted a reliable and accurate smartcollar is sending theirs back. They've changed the return policy and are now claiming to only accept unopened products, so that 30-day money-back guarantee is another Nuzzle lie.

Pod 3

Pod 3 still hasn't shipped to anyone other than the initial beta testers, and also to Argos shops in the UK. Yes, you may have backed the project, but you can walk into a retail store and buy a Pod 3 weeks before you get your backer reward unit. Crazy. I had a very high opinion of this company, but they seem to be having a tough time rolling out their product, and they're not handling the PR well. Nobody is even totally sure why the company felt the need to run a Kickstarter campaign anyway, since they are an established business with capital and stuff. Whistle didn't crowdsource their product, they released it on time, and the thing seems to actually work.

Kyon

Kyon is now a year behind schedule, and the original Kickstarter backers have begun asking for refunds. It's pretty clear they will be missing their goal of shipping by the end of June. Will the Kyon rollout be like Link's, with lots of initial bumps but a solid product and excellent customer service? Or will it be like the Nuzzle rollout, with a shoddy product and worse customer service?

Scollar

The Scollar release date has been pushed back from August to December of 2017. Typical smartcollar project. The company was still discussing color options in May, I don't think this one has been finalized for production yet.

Wuf

Wuf is still claiming a release in Fall of 2017, but has not posted an update to their restless Kickstarter backers since April. Many are asking for refunds, as the project was fully funded in 2014. I am officially predicting that Wuf will end up as vaporware, like Buddy and DogTelligent.

Findster Duo

I'm hearing good things about the Findster Duo. This one has a limited range, but does not require cellular signal to work. You carry one piece with you, and put the other on your dog. Your phone connects to the piece that's with you. Findster does not have a monthly fee.

Trackums

Touted as "a smartphone for your pet", this project looks even more ambitious than Nuzzle. It actually has an LCD screen. It will have a virtual leash, geofence, 2-way communication, camera, and three days of battery life, all for $200. These are expected to ship in September 2017. Sound too good to be true? I'm expecting this one to be vaporware too.

Whistle's PR Department Won't Talk To Me

Almost two months ago, Whistle announced their new GPS tracker, Whistle 3. As a Whistle 2 user, I immediately had questions. First, I tried their Facebook page. Many dog companies are happy to interact with their customers and fans through social media. I asked them my pile of questions, and the social media team responded the next day. They said they had forwarded my questions to their public relations department, and I could expect a response within a few days.

Nothing.

I waited 2.5 weeks for a response and then messaged Whistle via Facebook again. They apologized and said they'd send along my info to the PR team again. 

Two weeks later, I contacted them yet again. I was told to email the press department directly with my questions. It's been two  weeks since I emailed press@whistle.com, and I have yet to receive a reply.

Their unwillingness or inability to answer basic questions about their new product makes it difficult to compare to both their existing product and to other options on the market.

The Questions

1. Does Whistle 3 use 3G cellular networks? Does Whistle 2 use 3G cellular networks?
2. Is there any incentive for Whistle 2 users to upgrade? (Pod claims to offer a discount for existing users wanting to upgrade.)
3. Could an existing Whistle 2 subscription plan be transferred to the new device? If I purchased a 12-month subscription in December, would I have to buy a whole new plan for Whistle 3? Would my Whistle 2 plan be refunded?
4. Does Whistle 3 offer a virtual leash or temperature monitoring? What features does it have that Whistle 2 doesn't?

Those just don't seem like tough questions to me. Either Whistle is lacking in the customer service department, or their PR people don't actually know enough about the product to answer. What do you think?

Dog Tech: Pod3 Announced!

Pod has finally announced an updated version of the Pod Tracker! It's about damned time!  Pod 3 is being funded via Kickstarter (<- this is an affiliate link), and the new features are many and varied. In fact, there are way more options than I ever expected, because Pod has departed from pet tracking and entered the world of modular GPS trackers.

Photo by Erin Koski

Phenomenal Technological Power, Itty Bitty Package

I got to play with a Pod 2 at SuperZoo 2016, and I was very impressed. Compared to Whistle, this thing is super tiny. It comes with two batteries so you can always have a charged one ready to go, instead of taking the tracker off your pet for a few hours. My only qualm with the Pod 2 was that it uses 2G cellular technology that is rapidly becoming obsolete. The new Pod 3?

• 3G cellular tracking
• WiFi
• Bluetooth
• GPS

Not Just For Pets?

Pod 3 isn't intended to just be a pet tracker, and that...kinda doesn't sit well with me. Most of the information and new features advertised have nothing at all to do with pets. Like, it's great that Pod3 can be used for your boat or motorcycle or golf clubs, but I'm concerned that these new applications will mean less focus on the original purpose of the device. Who needs a suite of new dog features when there are yachts to track, right? I love pet wearables and smart devices for dogs, but this is looking more and more like an all-purpose GPS tracker that can be used for pets.

Customization

The biggest addition to the Pod Tracker is the new interchangeable modules. You can customize your tracker to suit your needs, and change the features instantly.

• Sound Module: Produces a loud beep so you can locate your pet/stuff/whatever
• Ultrasonic Module: Produces a high-frequency sound triggered remotely, so basically a remote collar module for dog training.
• Light Module: Produces a bright light that can shine steadily or flash, to help with night visibility, or to help you find your boat.
• Power Dock Module: Plug your Pod into a USB power jack for continuous power. This is for boats and motorcycles and stuff, or at least my dogs didn't come equipped with power jacks.
• XL Battery Module: Adds more battery life.

New Direction

I guess my concern is that Pod might stop being a pet tracker. At least, Pod 3 seems to be less of a pet tracker and more of a stuff tracker. This seems like such an awesome company, so I'm a bit sad that they are going in this direction because it seems there will be less resources devoted to developing the pet tracking aspects. When a niche product becomes an everything product, it makes sense that there will be less attention paid to the original niche. I could be wrong, but the Kickstarter page for the Pod 3 makes me feel less confident in this product.

Dog Tech: Whistle Pet Tracker

Zip has been wearing her Whistle Pet Tracker for almost two weeks now, and it has been an interesting experience. This is the oldest dog wearable on the market, and the first one I've owned. Originally known as Tagg, this product finally gave dog owners the ability to track their dogs in real time.

The dog wearables market has lagged a bit behind human wearables, but not by much. FitBit has been around since 2008, Tagg came out in 2011, and smartwatches didn't really take off until 2013. They're not terribly different, either. Both human and dog wearables can track activity and location, and primarily interact with your smartphone. For some reason though, most pet wearables require a monthly subscription cost. This seems weird to me, my Moto360 works without a monthly fee.

Note that this screenshot taken at 4:18 pm
showing activity had not been logged since
approximately 8:00 am.

Anyway, the Whistle is performing approximately as expected. It keeps track of Zip's activity and location in a fairly accurate and fun manner. It gives me her average amount of time spent active each day, and sends me a weekly report comparing her activity to similar dogs. (Spoiler alert: Zip is more active than the average young border collie.) Since this is my first dog tech review, I wanted to identify some key factors with which to compare the Whistle to other smartcollar devices. Here's what I came up with:

Cost: $60+montly fee
I purchased my Whistle tracker on Amazon for $60. It requires a monthly fee of $10. There is a discount for buying an entire year of service, however that appears to be non-refundable according to various reviews. I am not yet certain I want to use the device for an entire year, so I am paying month-to-month.

• Initial Purchase Price: $60
• After 1 Year: $190
• After 2 Years: $310
• After 3 Years: $430

Accuracy: Decent
Whistle is reasonably accurate when it updates the tracker. An "Active Tracking" session only updates on her location every 3 minutes though. We've done a couple of tracking sessions on hikes with Zip running off leash, so far I've determined that the app and device could probably get me within shouting distance if she was lost. If there was some reason she couldn't come when I called, I don't know if I'd be able to find her. If she was actively running away from me, it probably wouldn't help very much at all. A dog can run pretty far in three minutes. However, when I initiate a tracking session, it inevitably reports her as being a mile away before reporting her actual location.

Coverage: Not sure yet
So far I've only tried tracking Zip in places with decent cellular signal. The app has been able to find the tracker and give me Zip's approximate location within a couple of minutes.

Safe Zone: Big, round, and static
Whistle's safe zone is defined by its base station, the user can set an acre-sized or large circular Whistle Zone. The zone cannot be smaller, and the shape cannot be changed. Setting an additional zone requires an additional base station. There is no option to set a mobile safe zone, and the app does not seem to know how far my phone is from the tracker.

Notifications: Many, some untimely
I could change this, but currently I get an email, text message, and push notification from the app every time Zip and I leave the Whistle Zone. I get a text message and a push notification every time we return to the Whistle Zone, and it also blows up my phone every time the tracker needs charging or is fully charged, and every three minutes during a tracking session. It's great, there is no way I could possibly miss something going wrong. However, the time it takes to inform me that Zip has left the Whistle Zone varies between fifteen minutes and an hour. Again, precision is not Whistle's forte.

Battery Life: 5-7 days
Surprisingly, the Whistle battery has lasted several days at a time despite Zip and I spending the vast majority of our time away from the base station. The first time I had to charge it was seven days after we started using it. This was with Zip just wearing the tracker to work, though I also took a couple of days off while getting over a cold. I had to charge it again five days later, but we also had two ~20-minute active tracking sessions in that time. It seems like active tracking eats up a ton of battery. On the plus side, it only takes about two hours to go from 20% to fully charged, and it notifies me when it's getting low. On the down side, I have to take the tracker off my dog in order to charge it.

Size: Big
This thing is kind of big and clunky, even on 36-lb Zip. It's not heavy, but it is bulky and stiff. A cat would need to wear the Whistle tracker on a harness, and there's just no way I could use it on Ru.

Durability: Surprising
My friends lost a Whistle tracker in a foot of water for well over an hour. It wouldn't connect to anything until it dried out, but now it works fine.

Dog Tech: Whistle First Impressions

Well, Whistle's 30-day money back guarantee was too good to pass up, so I bought a Whistle GPStracker for Zip. It arrived today, and I thought I'd share my first impressions. This is the first pet wearable device I've had in my possession, though I did get to play with a Pod tracker at SuperZoo.

Whistle is advertised as an end to lost pets. It offers on-demand tracking of your pet's location from your phone. Users can set up a custom Whistle Zone, and the app will alert them if the pet leaves that zone.

Health and activity monitoring is another Whistle feature. The company promises to track long-term health trends, and alert users to changes in their pet's sleep and activity patterns.

Whistle's flagship product was an activity tracker, like a FitBit for your pet. About two years ago they acquired Tagg, a GPS pet tracker. There was a rocky start to the merger for users, as evidenced by all the angry reviews on Amazon. It seems the tracking functionality tanked, while Tagg users complained that the app had become a bloated social media manatee. I'm hoping things have gotten better since then.

What's in the Box

The Whistle arrived mounted on a clear plastic...thing. It took me an embarrassing several minutes to figure out how in the world to remove it. (You have to slide it down, it's the same way it hooks onto the collar mount.) Inside the box a base station, two-piece collar bracket, wall plug, USB cable, and tiny instruction booklet. I also had some trouble locating the cable inside the box insert. (It's in the top.)

The instruction booklet instructed me to plug the base station in. The first page also includes a note that the tracker must be placed on the base station before it can be activated. I set up the base station, plugged it in, slid the tracker into place, and went to work.

Getting Started

The next step was the install the Whistle app on my Android phone, and then follow the steps to activate my tracker. 

Welp, I followed the steps, but there were definitely some missing. First I entered  the tracker ID number, then I filled in Zip's personal (dogtional?) information. Next I chose a picture of Zip. Then the app took me on a little tour of the main screen and told me what everything did. That was it. All done.

According to Whistle's support page, I should also have been prompted to enter a daily fitness goal for Zip, (lol seriously!) and then been asked to enter payment information and set up a service plan. Since the app skipped that step, it seemed I had ruined everything and there was no going back. Both the website and the app told me to complete the activation, but did not offer any options to do so. I finally had to log in and out of the website several times before it would let me start the activation process all over again.

The Whistle Zone

Now that we're all activated, I set up Zip's Whistle Zone. This is an area around the base station that is a "safe zone". If Zip leaves this area, I will receive text messages that she has done so, and hypothetically could begin tracking her. There are basically two immediate issues with the Whistle Zone.

1. It's a circle. My house, like most suburban southern California homes, is on a square-shaped lot.

2. It's way too big. Like, maybe an acre. My house is sitting on a quarter acre, so the minimum size of Whistle Zone also encompasses the neighbors to either side, the drainage ditch behind the house, and the truck parked across the street. So if Zip gets out of the yard but then hangs around with the kids next door, I'll never know that she's out.

What's Next?

Next, Zip and Godzilla and I are going to go to work and see how the Whistle performs. I'm a little worried about the battery life though, apparently leaving it on the base station to charge all day long got us 21.86% battery life.