December 16th, 2007
iPond: Animal Cruelty for Your iPod
By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews
A speaker system for the iPod that doubles as a fish tank is flying off the shelves in Australia. It’s also drawing the attention of animal rights activists and aquarists.
The device, called an iPond, sells for $70. It’s being sold at two retail chains, Pets Paradise and Pet Goods Direct. However, it can only hold 650 ml of water once rocks are added (as pictured).
Additionally, the speaker is directly below the tank and noise undoubtedly is transferred into the tank.
Pets Paradise sells the iPond with a Siamese Fighting Fish in it … a little research reveals that a Siamese Fighting Fish is supposed to have a minimum tank size of 10 liters. Even without that information, looking at the picture reminds one of the stories of the treatment of calves slaughtered for veal: little room to move, basically a tortured life.
“The fish in this thing does not look like it has very long to live and it can barely move,” said Animal Liberation Victoria’s Noah Mark. “Even if it does live it’s not life worth living … it’s really just a torture box.”
We Say: BTW, don’t get upset at Apple for this. In case there’s any confusion, this is definitely a 3rd-party item.
Erik says:
It would probably be alot cooler if they made the fish fake and made it swim to the beat of the music. That tank is way too tiny to support a fish for very long.
December 18th, 2007 at 11:16 am
jackson says:
All i can say is im ashamed to call myself a human being, this is a sick world we live in!!!! Soon you’ll be able to buy the new iCage , where you buy a human in a clear box just big enough for him to sit in , its a coffee table , they will have no food or water and we’ll see how long he lives for, that sounds like a good idea doesn’t it.
December 24th, 2007 at 2:34 am
animal luver says:
Animal cruelty at its worst. I’m commenting on every site I can about how terrible this is. WE can’t EVER let this get back on shelves, or go to any other countries!!!
And don’t even think about making an iPond NANO!!!! Don’t you even dare!!!!!
June 23rd, 2008 at 6:02 pm