Koko News | Technology | 1 days ago

Keeping Tabs on Your Pets with Technology

LONDON—“Haveyouseenthecats?” That’sacommonrefraininmyhouseholdbecauseourtwofelines, MapleandJuniper, canventureoutsidethroughaflapinthebackdoor.

倫敦—「你看到貓了嗎？」這在我家是常說的話，因為我們家的兩隻貓，楓樹和朱尼珀，可以通過後門的活門跑到外面。

LikemanyotherLondonhousecats, they’refreetocomeandgo, roamingthesurroundingbackyardsandbeyond, equippedwithmicrochipstoidentifythemiftheygetlost.

與倫敦許多其他家貓一樣，它們可以自由出入，在周圍的後院及其他地方漫步，並配備有微晶片，以便在它們迷路時識別它們。

Ifyourcatlikestoprowloutdoorsforlongstretches, oryourdoghasatendencytorunoff, itcanbedistressingwhentheydon’treturnasexpected.

如果您的貓喜歡長時間在戶外徘徊，或者您的狗有逃跑的傾向，當它們沒有按預期回來時，您可能會感到痛苦。

Ifyou’reworriedaboutyourfurryfriend’swhereabouts, technologycanhelpyoukeeptabsonthem.

如果您擔心毛茸茸的朋友的下落，技術可以幫助您監視它們。

Dedicatedpettrackersarecollar-worndevicesthattypicallyuseGPSsignalstopinpointthelocationoftheanimalwearingthem.

專用寵物追蹤器是佩戴在項圈上的設備，通常使用 GPS 訊號來精確定位佩戴動物的位置。

Theyusea4GcellphonesignaloryourhomeWi-Ficonnectiontorelaythepositiontoasmartphoneapp.

他們使用 4G 手機訊號或家庭 Wi-Fi 連線將位置資訊傳遞給智慧型手機應用程式。

Therearemanyproductsonthemarket.

市場上有很多產品。

Tractive, JiobitandPawfitareamongbrandsthatoffertrackersforbothdogsandcats.

Tractive、Jiobit 和 Pawfit 等品牌都提供狗狗和貓咪的追蹤器。

Devicesforthelatteraregenerallysmallerandlighter.

後者的設備通常更小、更輕。

DogtrackerswithintegratedcollarsareavailablefromFiandWhistle.

Fi 和 Whistle 提供具有整合項圈的狗追蹤器。

PetTracerisacatcollarthatusesbothGPSandradiosignalsfromahomebasestation.

PetTracer 是一款貓項圈，它使用來自家庭基地台的 GPS 和無線電訊號。

FitBark, alsofordogs, hasanAppleWatchapptomonitorlocationandotheractivity.

FitBark 也適用於狗，它有一個 Apple Watch 應用程式來監控位置和其他活動。

GarminhasarangeofGPSdogcollarsthatworkwithhandhelddevicesresemblingwalkie-talkies, butthey’repriceyandaimedatoutdoorsenthusiastslikehunters.

Garmin 擁有一系列可與類似對講機的手持設備配合使用的 GPS 狗項圈，但它們價格昂貴，主要針對獵人等戶外運動愛好者。

Mosttrackersletyoudesignateasafezoneonamap, usuallyyourhouseandsurroundingarea, andalertyouifyourpethasleftit.

大多數追蹤器可讓您在地圖上指定一個安全區域，通常是您的房屋和周邊區域，並在您的寵物離開該區域時提醒您。

Theyusuallyoperateonthe4GLTEspectrumcommonlyusedbywirelesscarriers.

它們通常在無線營運商常用的 4G LTE 頻譜上運作。

Ittypicallyhasthelongestrangeofanycellularsignal, saidAndrewBleiman, Tractive’sexecutivevicepresidentforNorthAmerica.

Tractive 北美執行副總裁 Andrew Bleiman 表示，它通常是所有蜂窩訊號中覆蓋範圍最廣的。

ThatmeansstrongconnectivityinmostofEuropeandNorthAmerica“unlessyou’reinareallyfar-flungplacelikethemiddleofanationalpark,” Bleimansaid.

這意味著歐洲和北美大部分地區都能實現強大的連結性，「除非你身處非常偏遠的地方，例如國家公園的中心，」布萊曼說。

Exactpricedependsonbrandandmodel.

具體價格取決於品牌和型號。

Mostdevicessellforlessthan$100.

大多數設備的售價不到 100 美元。

However, keepinmindyou’llalsohavetopayasubscriptionfeeforthecellservicetofunction.

但是請記住，您還必須支付訂閱費用才能使用手機服務。

Whilethatcouldcost$100ormoreayear, forsomepetownersit’sworththe“peaceofmind,” Bleimansaid.

布萊曼說，雖然這可能每年要花費 100 美元甚至更多，但對於一些寵物主人來說，這還是值得的，因為它能讓他們「安心」。

Thecollarsusuallyhaveabuilt-inrechargeablebatterybutbatterylifevaries.

項圈通常有內建可充電電池，但電池壽命各不相同。

Mostwillbelastatleasttwotothreedaysbeforetheyneedcharging, andalotlongerinidealconditions.

大多數電池至少可以使用兩到三天才需要充電，在理想條件下可以使用的時間會更長。

Onebigfactorissignalstrength.

一個重要因素是訊號強度。

ThebatterywilldrainfasterifthedevicehastoworkhardertopickuptheGPSorconnecttoWi-Fi.

如果裝置需要更努力地接收 GPS 或連接到 Wi-Fi，電池就會消耗得更快。

Somesavepowerbynotsendingcoordinatesinthesafezone.

有些系統透過不在安全區域發送座標來節省電力。

Likefitnesswatchesforhumans, pettrackingappsofferhealthandactivitymonitoringfeatures.

與人類的健身手錶一樣，寵物追蹤應用程式也提供健康和活動監測功能。

Youcanseehowlongyourcatordoghasspentrestingorexercisingonadailyorhourlybasis.

您可以查看您的貓或狗每天或每小時休息或運動的時間。

Butbeaware, atrackeris“notgoingtokeepyourpetinthebackyard,” Bleimansaid.

但請注意，追蹤器“不會將你的寵物留在後院”，布萊曼說。

Itwillonly“alertyouwhentheyleavethevirtualfenceareathatyousetup.”

它只會「在它們離開你設置的虛擬圍欄區域時提醒你」。

ThisOneTechTipwasinspiredbyMaple, whooncewentAWOLfordays.

這位 One TechTip 的靈感來自於 Maple，他曾經擅離職守好幾天。

Itturnedouthewashangingoutinabackyard10 doors down the street.

原來，他正在街上十戶人家的後院閒逛。

Weonlyfoundoutaftertheresidentsgotholdofapetmicrochipscannertolookupourcontactdetailstoletusknowsowecouldretrievehim.

直到居民拿到寵物微晶片掃描器並查找我們的聯絡方式後，我們才知道，以便我們能夠把他帶回來。

Tractiveprovidedaloanerdevicetotry.

Tractive 提供了一個借用設備供試用。

Usingtheincludedbreakawaycollar, weputitonMaple, whoclearlydidn’tlikeitatfirst.

我們使用附帶的可拆卸項圈將它戴在 Maple 身上，但它一開始顯然不喜歡它。

Hedashedoutthebackdoorandjumpedthroughaholeinthefence.

他衝出後門並從柵欄上的一個洞跳了進去。

Overthenextday, IusedtheTractiveapptomonitorhismovements.

第二天，我使用 Tractive 應用程式監控他的行動。

Itshowedhistravelsbackandforthontovariousneighboringproperties.

它顯示了他往返於各個鄰近房產的旅程。

Hecamebacktorestforafewhoursaroundmidnight, wentouttoprowlagainaround 3 a.m, thencamebackafteranhourtonapsomemore.

他在午夜左右回來休息了幾個小時，凌晨 3 點左右再次出去徘徊，然後一個小時後回來又睡了一會兒。

Itwasfascinatingtoseewherehewasspendinghistime.

看到他花時間在哪裡真是令人著迷。

Accordingtotheapp’s“heatmap,” oneofMaple’sfavoritespotswasthesamebackyardwherewehadtoretrievehimpreviously.

根據應用程式的“熱圖”，Maple 最喜歡的地方之一就是我們之前帶他去的後院。

About24 hoursafterIattachedtheTractivecollaronMaple, Inoticedhewasnolongerwearingit.

在我給 Maple 戴上 Tractive 項圈大約 24 小時後，我注意到他不再戴它了。

Ithadsomehowcomeoff.

它不知怎麼就掉了。

Ifyoucan’tfindyourpet’sexactlocation, orthedevicegetslost, Tractivehasa“radar”featuretopinpointitwithyourphone’sBluetooth.

如果您找不到寵物的確切位置，或者設備遺失，Tractive 有一個「雷達」功能可以透過手機的藍牙精確定位它。

Otherbrandshavesimilarfeatures.

其他品牌也有類似的特點。

Ontheapp’smap, IcouldseeitwasinanearbybackyardandthatIwasgettingcloserbecausethecirclewasgettingbigger.

在應用程式的地圖上，我可以看到它就在附近的後院，而且我離它越來越近了，因為圓圈越來越大。

ButIcouldn’tfigureoutwhereitwasand, notwantingtodisturbtheneighbors, Igaveup.

但我不知道它在哪裡，而且因為我不想打擾鄰居，所以我放棄了。

Bleimanrecommendsusingaharnessforcatsthatdon’tlikecollars, butI’mnotconvinced.

Bleiman 建議對不喜歡項圈的貓使用挽具，但我並不這麼認為。

It’scommonforcatsanddogstobeimplantedwithmicrochips, withthedetailsaddedtoadatabase.

貓和狗通常會被植入晶片，並將詳細資訊添加到資料庫中。

Thatmakesitmucheasiertoreuniteownerswithlostdogsandcats, evenifthey’vestrayedhundredsofmilesawayorgonemissingforyears.

這樣，即使走失的貓狗流浪到數百英里之外或失踪多年，主人與它們團聚也會變得更加容易。

Petmicrochips, aboutthesizeofagrainofriceimplantedjustbelowtheskin, arelegallyrequiredinsomeEuropeancountries.

一些歐洲國家已依法要求在寵物皮膚下植入米粒大小的晶片。

There’snofederallawinthe U.S., thoughsomeplaceslikeHawaiinowrequirethem, socheckwithstateorlocalauthorities.

美國沒有聯邦法律，但夏威夷等一些地方現在要求這樣做，因此請諮詢州或地方當局。

Butthere’ssomeconfusionaboutwhatmicrochipscando.

但人們對微晶片的功能仍存在一些困惑。

Becausetheydon’thaveapowersupply, theycan’tbetrackedinrealtime.

由於它們沒有電源，因此無法即時追蹤。

Whoeverfindsyourpetwouldneedtotakeittoavetorasheltertocanscanthedeviceforcontactdetails.

無論誰發現您的寵物，都需要將其帶到獸醫處或收容所，以便掃描設備以取得聯絡方式。

ManypetownersuseBluetoothtrackerslikeApple’sAirTags, Samsung’sSmartTagsorsimilardevicesfromTile, CubeandChipolo, whichrelyonlow-powersignalsrelayedbypassingsmartphones.

許多寵物主人使用藍牙追蹤器，例如蘋果的 Air Tags、三星的 SmartTags 或 Tile、Cube 和 Chipolo 的類似設備，這些設備依賴透過智慧型手機傳遞的低功率訊號。

Bluetoothtrackershavearangeof100 to 500 feet (30 to 150 meters), dependingonthemodel.

藍牙追蹤器的範圍為 100 至 500 英尺（30 至 150 公尺），視型號而定。

Thebatterieslastformonthsifnotlonger, andthere’snoneedtopayforasubscription.

電池可以使用數月甚至更長時間，而且無需支付訂閱費用。

However, they’renotspecificallymarketedforpets.

然而，它們並不是專門針對寵物銷售的。

Thathasn’tstoppedpetowners, judgingfrommanyrecommendationsthey’vepostedinonlineforums.

從寵物主人在網路論壇上發布的許多建議來看，這並沒有阻止他們。

Chipoloadvisesthatitsroundplastictrackersareonlyfor“in-housepetslikehouse-trainedcatsandsmallerdogs”andwarnsagainstusingthemon“largerdogbreedsandoutdoorcats.”

Chipolo 建議，其圓形塑膠追蹤器僅適用於“家養寵物，例如家貓和小型犬”，並警告不要將其用於“大型犬種和戶外貓”。

Still, theycanbeasolutionforsomepetowners.

不過，對於一些寵物主人來說，它們可能是個解決方案。

“Bluetoothisatotallyreasonablesolutionifyou’reinadowntownurbancore,” Bleimansaid.

「如果你在市中心，藍牙是一個非常合理的解決方案，」布萊曼說。

Butpetsmovefast.

但寵物移動速度很快。

Andifyou’reinawoodedpark, oryou’reinasuburbanarea—letaloneamoreruralorwildernessarea—it’sprettyunlikelyyourpetisgoingtobeclosetoaBluetoothdevice.

如果你在樹木繁茂的公園，或者在郊區 - 更不用說農村或荒野地區 - 你的寵物不太可能靠近藍牙設備。

Isthereatechtopicthatyouthinkneedsexplaining?

您認為是否存在需要解釋的技術主題？

Writetousat[emailprotected]withyoursuggestionsforfutureeditionsofOneTechTip.

請透過 [email protected] 寫信告訴我們您對《One Tech Tip》未來版本的建議。

LONDON — “Have you seen the cats?” That’s a common refrain in my household because our two felines, Maple and Juniper, can venture outside through a flap in the backdoor.

Like many other London house cats, they’re free to come and go, roaming the surrounding backyards and beyond, equipped with microchips to identify them if they get lost.

If your cat likes to prowl outdoors for long stretches, or your dog has a tendency to run off, it can be distressing when they don’t return as expected.

If you’re worried about your furry friend’s whereabouts, technology can help you keep tabs on them.

Dedicated pet trackers are collar-worn devices that typically use GPS signals to pinpoint the location of the animal wearing them.

They use a 4G cellphone signal or your home Wi-Fi connection to relay the position to a smartphone app.

There are many products on the market.

Tractive, Jiobit and Pawfit are among brands that offer trackers for both dogs and cats.

Devices for the latter are generally smaller and lighter.

Dog trackers with integrated collars are available from Fi and Whistle.

PetTracer is a cat collar that uses both GPS and radio signals from a home base station.

FitBark, also for dogs, has an Apple Watch app to monitor location and other activity.

Garmin has a range of GPS dog collars that work with handheld devices resembling walkie-talkies, but they’re pricey and aimed at outdoors enthusiasts like hunters.

Most trackers let you designate a safe zone on a map, usually your house and surrounding area, and alert you if your pet has left it.

They usually operate on the 4G LTE spectrum commonly used by wireless carriers.

It typically has the longest range of any cellular signal, said Andrew Bleiman, Tractive’s executive vice president for North America.

That means strong connectivity in most of Europe and North America “unless you’re in a really far-flung place like the middle of a national park,” Bleiman said.

Exact price depends on brand and model.

Most devices sell for less than $100.

However, keep in mind you’ll also have to pay a subscription fee for the cell service to function.

While that could cost $100 or more a year, for some pet owners it’s worth the “peace of mind,” Bleiman said.

The collars usually have a built-in rechargeable battery but battery life varies.

Most will be last at least two to three days before they need charging, and a lot longer in ideal conditions.

One big factor is signal strength.

The battery will drain faster if the device has to work harder to pick up the GPS or connect to Wi-Fi.

Some save power by not sending coordinates in the safe zone.

Like fitness watches for humans, pet tracking apps offer health and activity monitoring features.

You can see how long your cat or dog has spent resting or exercising on a daily or hourly basis.

But be aware, a tracker is “not going to keep your pet in the backyard,” Bleiman said.

It will only “alert you when they leave the virtual fence area that you set up.”

This One TechTip was inspired by Maple, who once went AWOL for days.

It turned out he was hanging out in a backyard 10 doors down the street.

We only found out after the residents got hold of a pet microchip scanner to look up our contact details to let us know so we could retrieve him.

Tractive provided a loaner device to try.

Using the included breakaway collar, we put it on Maple, who clearly didn’t like it at first.

He dashed out the back door and jumped through a hole in the fence.

Over the next day, I used the Tractive app to monitor his movements.

It showed his travels back and forth onto various neighboring properties.

He came back to rest for a few hours around midnight, went out to prowl again around 3 a.m, then came back after an hour to nap some more.

It was fascinating to see where he was spending his time.

According to the app’s “heatmap,” one of Maple’s favorite spots was the same backyard where we had to retrieve him previously.

About 24 hours after I attached the Tractive collar on Maple, I noticed he was no longer wearing it.

It had somehow come off.

If you can’t find your pet’s exact location, or the device gets lost, Tractive has a “radar” feature to pinpoint it with your phone’s Bluetooth.

Other brands have similar features.

On the app’s map, I could see it was in a nearby backyard and that I was getting closer because the circle was getting bigger.

But I couldn’t figure out where it was and, not wanting to disturb the neighbors, I gave up.

Bleiman recommends using a harness for cats that don’t like collars, but I’m not convinced.

It’s common for cats and dogs to be implanted with microchips, with the details added to a database.

That makes it much easier to reunite owners with lost dogs and cats, even if they’ve strayed hundreds of miles away or gone missing for years.

Pet microchips, about the size of a grain of rice implanted just below the skin, are legally required in some European countries.

There’s no federal law in the U.S., though some places like Hawaii now require them, so check with state or local authorities.

But there’s some confusion about what microchips can do.

Because they don’t have a power supply, they can’t be tracked in real time.

Whoever finds your pet would need to take it to a vet or a shelter to can scan the device for contact details.

Many pet owners use Bluetooth trackers like Apple’s Air Tags, Samsung’s SmartTags or similar devices from Tile, Cube and Chipolo, which rely on low-power signals relayed by passing smartphones.

Bluetooth trackers have a range of 100 to 500 feet (30 to 150 meters), depending on the model.

The batteries last for months if not longer, and there’s no need to pay for a subscription.

However, they’re not specifically marketed for pets.

That hasn’t stopped pet owners, judging from many recommendations they’ve posted in online forums.

Chipolo advises that its round plastic trackers are only for “in-house pets like house-trained cats and smaller dogs” and warns against using them on “larger dog breeds and outdoor cats.”

Still, they can be a solution for some pet owners.

“Bluetooth is a totally reasonable solution if you’re in a downtown urban core,” Bleiman said.

But pets move fast.

And if you’re in a wooded park, or you’re in a suburban area — let alone a more rural or wilderness area — it’s pretty unlikely your pet is going to be close to a Bluetooth device.

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