Cats love it and dogs aren't so sure, but apparently a bottlenose dolphin named Merlin is now an iPad enthusiast. Researcher Jack Kassewitz of SpeakDolphin is working on using the Apple tablet device as a language interface for marine mammals.
"We think that once the dolphins get the hang of the touch screen, we can let them choose from a wide assortment of symbols to represent objects, actions and even emotions," Kassewitz said of the project. "Merlin is quite curious, like most dolphins, and he showed complete willingness to examine the iPad."
The young two-year-old Merlin (not the first two-year-old to enjoy the device!) is reportedly able to use his snout to touch photos of objects on the iPad's touchscreen after being shown their real-world counterparts. "This is an easy task for a dolphin, but it is a necessary building block towards our goal of a complete language interface between humans and dolphins," said Kassewitz.
What do you think of the latest member of kingdom Animalia becoming a fan of the iPad? Do you think he'll be upset by AT&T's new data plan pricing?
[via Boing Boing]