For you pet lovers who can’t stand not knowing how Snowball’s doing without you, or wondering if your babysitter does nothing but eat your food and text her girlfriends, Panasonic has a gadget just for you: the BL-C131A PetCam Network Camera.

The PetCam is called a “Network Camera” because it connects directly to the Internet. That means you don’t have to hook it to a computer to use it. Access to a Web browser at the mall or on your smartphone will get you access to the video from this camera.

The PetCam can pan (move left and right) and tilt (up and down), and re-focus on any part of the picture. It has the ability, via a Privacy mode, to be controlled only by you (should a hacker, for instance, gain control through the Internet). It can also be set to record at a certain time of day.

One of its coolest features, for my money, is the built-in heat sensor. Through this technology, the PetCam can sense when a person or animal enters the room in which it’s located, and start taking pictures. Perfect for making sure Tommy’s doing his Geometry homework, or letting you observe in full color as Scruffy, the 210-pound Mastiff, devours the leftovers off the kitchen table that Tommy forgot to put away — again.

Works for me.