Cats

I've noticed something shocking lately. Many Web sites don't have any cats on them at all. The CNET front page, for example, is completely devoid of Nyans, monorail cats, and keyboard cats. What has the online world come to?

Thank goodness for Meowbify. When you run a URL through Meowbify, it puts everything into its rightful place. Cats become the stars of BBC News. Animated cat .gifs take over GameSpot. The official White House site is invaded by a white cat popping out of a box. All is right with the world.… Read more

After a seven-month wait for a bone marrow transplant, 16-year-old Maga Barzalla Sockemtickem endured a lengthy post-transplant treatment at Seattle Children's Hospital. Maga's compromised immune system meant periods of isolation from the outside world. She hadn't seen her cat Merry for more than a month. … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Sol Republic introduces headphones for cats.

- Digipacking: what to put on your emergency flash drive.

- Literally the worst word on the planet.

- How to use psychological tactics to avoid strangers on the bus.

- eBay testing same-day delivery service for iOS called eBay now.

- One percenter turns home theater into Nolan's Batcave.… Read more

No, really, I'm not kidding. You can buy a set of headphones for your cat for $999. No joke. Well, it is sort of a joke, but it's still real.

Headphone maker Sol Republic may be best known these days for having its product semipermanently glued to Michael Phelps' head whenever he's not in the water. Now it can also be known as the company that created headphones for cats.

It's part marketing stunt, part viral video, and part genius. The tiny headphones were developed with the help of music producer deadmau5 and Professor Meowingtons, a black-and-white shorthair. … Read more

My sofa has seen better days thanks to the hundreds of tiny claw pricks left by three cats. When I finally get around to replacing it, I would sure like to pick up a Cat Tunnel Sofa.

The Cat Tunnel Sofa incorporates a place for humans to sit, but it also features a bending tube for cats to play in. This means you're not likely to get much relaxing done as Toehawks and Ms. Floofer scurry around like hamsters right behind your head.

Korean designer Seungji Mun was inspired by the concept of pets as companions and the growing market for pet products.… Read more

This Wednesday's top stories are sharing the love of data (but not the love of sharing data):

It began with Verizon, and now AT&T has joined the data-sharing movement. Starting in August, new AT&T customers will be signing up for "Mobile Share" plans. All have unlimited voice and text, but you pick how much data you need, and up to 10 devices can share from that bucket of data. Generally speaking, AT&T and Verizon's plan prices are pretty similar in the lower data tiers. Depending on your needs, one can … Read more

If you thought Marissa Mayer leaving Google for Yahoo was big Internet news today, wait til you hear this. Internet cats are getting their own film festival!

Yep, you read that right. Get ready for the Internet Cat Video Film Festival, a veritable Sundance for cat vids.

The feline film fest takes place offline August 30 at Open Field, an outdoor cultural space at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minn. The event is free, and open to both human and furry cinephiles.

"While enjoyed by a broad online audience of millions, cat videos are normally viewed alone. Until … Read more

Mountain Lion, originally seeded to developers in February, will be available from the Mac App Store in July for $19.99.

Apple's new operating system takes the Mac OS in a new direction, with Apple integrating a number of iOS-inspired features from its mobile devices. Apple SVP Craig Federighi says the new OS has over 200 new features, including notifications, Reminders, Game Center, Documents in the Cloud, and Messages. Many of these features are standalone programs, but some such as the Notification Center and sharing tools are systemwide services. Apple is also enhancing security options with its Gatekeeper technology, … Read more

Bart Jansen had two cats, named Orville and Wilbur, after the famous flying Wright brothers of Kitty Hawk. When dear Orville passed away, the visual artist and designer created a new kind of Kitty Hawk.

The Orvillecopter is a quadrocopter with Orville's skin stretched over it. Orville was killed by a car, Jansen mourned, and then he went about concocting a tribute.… Read more