Pets left hungry as smart feeder breaks.

Owners of smart pet-feeding device Petnet were told to "feed their pets manually" after a server problem stopped the device from working. Petnet allows owners to schedule and control feeding via a smartphone app. Adam Simon, an analyst with research company Context, said it was important users "always had a manual back-up" for smart systems."Increasingly, people are becoming dependent on these smart objects, and that could become a problem," he said. "In this case, your pet could be left hungry." Petnet, which now says all systems are back online, had previously told customers: "We are experiencing some difficulties with one of our third-party services. "This is currently being investigated, and we will provide you with more information as we receive it from our partners. "You may experience a loss of scheduled feed and failed remote feedings. "Please ensure that your pets have been fed manually until we have resolved this issue." Watch