Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy said Thursday that it would launch a talking version of its Bowlingual gadget that can "translate" dog barks into the human language.

The new model analyses six emotions, including joy, sadness and frustration, and speaks phrases such as "Play with me!" - an improvement on the original which just showed them on a screen.

"Dog owners can enjoy the toy at a dog run and a park," said Tomy spokeswoman Chie Yamada.

The original version of the toy, which has a handset and a microphone attached to a dog collar, won the Ig Nobel Prize in 2002. The awards, a parody of the Nobel Prizes, celebrate achievements that make people laugh and think.

The new Bowlingual Voice, priced at 19,950 yen (212 dollars), will be launched in Japan next month, Yamada said. It will be only available in Japanese at present. The original non-speaking version is also available in English and Korean.

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Toyota Venza is taking its love of pets to an all new level, em-“barking” on a blitz of fun-filled events and promotions centered on everything pets – and, of course, their owners too. Designed for those with active lifestyles that often involve pets, the Venza offers a full line-up of canine-friendly aftermarket pet products through Toyota dealers that are already generating howls of approval from pet lovers everywhere.




says Bob Zeinstra, national product marketing manager for Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc., “and more than half of all dog owners consider their pet’s comfort when buying a car. Our goal is to inform these on-the-go pet owners that Venza is a great choice when it comes to creature comfort and pet travel safety options.”

The Venza, which officially went on sale last month, offers more than a dozen pet-friendly creature comforts, the most ever available through Toyota dealerships. Venza’s large cargo capacity and rear hatch allow for easy entrance and loading of pets. Available products include: a rear hatch pet ramp for easy loading and unloading, a leash tether for securing pets in the vehicle, a pet booster seat with harness, a first/second row or cargo area pet barrier, pet seatbelt buckles and rear seat zipline-style harnesses. Waterproof and removable hammock-style seat covers are also available to fit Venza’s bench and bucket seats. Venza, which combines the best features of a car and SUV, is also the first Toyota passenger car to offer Star Safety as standard equipment for all models.

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Just when you think you've given your dog everything it could ever want (gold plated water dish, rhinestone collar, a copy of Tegan and Sara's "The Con" on vinyl) the Japanese go and one up you. A Tokyo-based content provider named Dwango announced today that it would start selling specialized ringtones which can be heard only by dogs. The service, called Inu ni shika kikoenai chakushinon (ringtones only dogs can hear) will make free downloads available to current DoCoMo i-mode subscribers. No word on whether the company will provide Bluetooth headsets and holsters suited to our canine friends, but we understand plans are in the works for a line of bacon-themed wallpapers.



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