LifeLearn, a Canadian company that generates educational resources for veterinarians and other medical professionals, has attached its name to a new pet product that drew raves at the Consumer Electronics Show. The gadget, called Voyce, is a computerized collar designed to monitor a dog’s vital signs, such as heart and respiratory rates, and track activity, rest time and calories burned. The partnership between LifeLearn and Voyce’s manufacturer, i4C Innovations Inc. of Chantilly, Va., calls on the Canadian company to grant exclusive educational information to Voyce subscribers. Customers may access thousands of articles written by veterinarians, board-certified specialists and animal behaviorists on subjects such as dog nutrition, training, health and behavior. "We ... believe that the veterinary community will benefit greatly from Voyce, both due to better educated clients and additional business opportunities,” said Mark Stephenson, DVM, LifeLearn’s chief development officer. Voyce won worldwide attention this month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas when PC World/TechHive and Yahoo Tech placed the device on the Best of CES 2014 list, joining such products as the 2015 Hyundai Genesis car and a 105-inch television from Samsung. Powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery, the waterproof Voyce uses sensors, algorithms and other features to monitor and share information about a dog’s health and lifestyle. Pet owners may scrutinize Voyce’s findings from a computer or smart phone, send data to the dog’s veterinarian and even post updates on social media. Customers will be able to delve deeper into pet health through the LifeLearn offerings, said Jeff Noce, president of i4C Innovations. "The partnership with LifeLearn further distinguishes Voyce by allowing customers to easily interpret data in meaningful and actionable ways,” Noce said. "Equally important is the fact that Voyce allows veterinarians to gain insight into the health of their patients outside of their clinics.” Voyce, which weighs about 6 ounces, is scheduled to go on sale this summer for $299, plus a $15 monthly subscription fee.
