Funny USB Gadgets - Air Dart Launcher & Beverage Cooler

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After searching for a flash drive on the internet I came upon this.
http://www.everythingusb.com/usb_air_darts.html
A USB powered air dart launcher with software which allows the user to aim it and launch the darts via computer. I also found a USB beverage cooler which I though was equally as cool. Has anyone else found any other funny USB gadgets?
 
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I know of one that is so funny it makes me want to cry. There is an entire industrial world that still uses serial comms. Unlike Microsoft users, industry requires that the technology chosen will operate for ten or twenty years or more. As a result, there is still gobs of serial out there, and just about everyone who does what I do owns the same computer because very few still offer a serial port.

The other day I saw my first USB to serial converter, which will certainly be a nightmare to manage with third party and proprietary software. Half the time getting comms to work is a job in its own right. USB to serial will no doubt cause no end of headaches - and from time to time, it won't work at all and we will be scrambling to find old computers to talk with relatively new industrial systems.

This is not good. I can only hope and pray that Dell will continue to recognize the market and provide an option for systems integrators who will need serial for at least another ten years. "USB to serial" are the scariest three words that I've heard in years.

Of course, the converter that I saw didn't work. The software kept locking up.
 
Stevedye56 said:
A USB powered air dart launcher with software which allows the user to aim it and launch the darts via computer.
I must have one: Do they ship to the US?
 
russ_watters said:
I must have one: Do they ship to the US?



You can order them on websites such as thinkgeek.com
 
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russ_watters said:
I must have one: Do they ship to the US?

Yes! I am putting in my order in this weekend!
 
Ivan Seeking said:
I know of one that is so funny it makes me want to cry. There is an entire industrial world that still uses serial comms. Unlike Microsoft users, industry requires that the technology chosen will operate for ten or twenty years or more. As a result, there is still gobs of serial out there, and just about everyone who does what I do owns the same computer because very few still offer a serial port.

The other day I saw my first USB to serial converter, which will certainly be a nightmare to manage with third party and proprietary software. Half the time getting comms to work is a job in its own right. USB to serial will no doubt cause no end of headaches - and from time to time, it won't work at all and we will be scrambling to find old computers to talk with relatively new industrial systems.

This is not good. I can only hope and pray that Dell will continue to recognize the market and provide an option for systems integrators who will need serial for at least another ten years. "USB to serial" are the scariest three words that I've heard in years.

Of course, the converter that I saw didn't work. The software kept locking up.

I agree, it sounds like a major bottleneck even if it works.
 
Stevedye56 said:
Yes! I am putting in my order in this weekend!

Don't forget to replace the Nerf tubes with functional model rockets. You might want to add heat shielding to the launcher, though.
 
Danger said:
Don't forget to replace the Nerf tubes with functional model rockets. You might want to add heat shielding to the launcher, though.

I used to have some model rockets that were legal to launch in my backyard. The maximum height was approximately fifty feet. Maybe I'll try that. No, just kidding, that's asking for trouble. I think it would be cool to use Nerf darts because they would stick to the computer screen. :smile:

Edit: This wasn't the USB drink cooler I was originally talking about, but this one is a lot cooler.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/21/usb-mini-fridge-keeps-the-dorks-cool/
 
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