Reg Hardware

Comments on: Yes! It's the the wireless USB Missile Launcher

Too low tech for now 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 14:07 GMT

When they will integrate it with a camera and software to automatically calculate firing solution - I'll be interested.

Targeting 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 14:11 GMT

Wot still no web-cam targeting? Bah!

Linux support? 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 14:25 GMT

Linux

I mean, it doesn't seem to be much of a state secret how to tell the launcher to fire.

One more thing 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 14:25 GMT

Now put a targeting camera on the launcher and link that back wirelessly as well.

heh heh heh

I spy a hack coming on... 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 14:29 GMT

Black Helicopters

Who wants to buy me one of these so I can hack it and give it video and laser sighting?

I reckon it would be easy enough to do....

I'll send you my paypal account details on request...

:o)

M.

Battery 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 14:42 GMT

More importantly can I link multiple launchers together to create huge batteries?

Well?

Can I?

Weak 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 14:49 GMT

Thumb Down

A collegue turned up with one of these (the wired variety) a few months back. 20ft range? The missile struggled to get clear of his desk.

Battery Response :) 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 14:52 GMT

Thumb Up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmZ-QKglyrc

lols

@Anonymous Coward re Weak 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 15:25 GMT

Flame

Pah! Fool had left it in 'baby safe' mode! Any competent sys-op would have up-rated the spring to full-on 'mean and nasty' mode. Along with replaceing the soft plastic tips on the darts with sharp metal points - purely in the name of improved aerodynamics you understand.

Ye Olde' version 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 15:32 GMT

I bought the wired version, its a great little launcher, but it has a tendency to fire off loads of missiles when you ask it to only fire one. Some launchers fire off two, some more, and some just go round in a devastating four Patriot barrage (and the mech is still whirring away trying to fire more) - I pity the iraqis.

Have they solved it in this version El-Reg?

It works off a mechanical thing that doesn't always stop when it's fired one missile.

The other thing is it would be great if they'd release a dev-kit, at the mo we have to make do with poor under developed hack API kits - but wouldn't it be kewwwl if you could do it via a web browser?

Sweeet devastation.

Not a too terrible thing to hack... 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 17:03 GMT

Happy

Just need to know some details about the launcher.

Or you could just make a more industrial model yourself, add a camera and make it available via the web.

And decent undergrad or grad student with access to a machine shop to build the platform and house the mechanical pieces should be able to cobble something up....

Skip the laser since that means line of sight. What you need is some sort of in office "gps" system.

hack the interface! 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 17:49 GMT

Pirate

Webcam bolted on, scorch3d used as a gui...

The office will never be safe again!

How do i hack the old one?! 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 18:13 GMT

Happy

Ive never done anything like this b4, but i have the old canon one, and one to know how i can make it go further! :) if u wna email me, lazy-sod@hotmail.co.uk

Armageddon (on a small scale) 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 18:15 GMT

Happy

Camera and big rubber bands already done:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV6573UjSpc&NR=1

Size? 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 18:54 GMT

Happy

Might be important.

security?! 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 19:17 GMT

Paris Hilton

Unlike the wired version, this weapon appears to present an alluring target for enemy hackers wishing to remotely redirect its destructive power against its masters.

Military boffins advise the use of one-time pads.

As for Ms. Hilton, we must redouble our efforts to protect her from these new threats. It appears that she has been outfitted with a protective metal coating, which is a step in the right direction.

distance an issue, get the newer model 

Posted Friday 14th December 2007 22:38 GMT

Thumb Up

the newer one (wired) uses a spring to fire an air plunger. I get 15-20 feet consistently with mine. Problem is, the software hates Windows 2000-doesn't render right so to click the buttons to steer, you gotta click off them a bit.

Now I know there's linux and windows support for batteries of these, but you've gotta use up USB ports for each. I wonder if one wireless transmitter can control multiple launchers. If they're fixed to one channel, no one else in line of sight can have one of these. If they're different channels, you'd have to have multiple transmitters.

With a multi channel option, I wonder if one of those widgets that amplify or increase the range on IR based television remotes would work as a range extender? Could I hack the IR output of my PDA to drive this as well? Hmmm.

I want one. I rilly RILLY want one 

Posted Saturday 15th December 2007 00:21 GMT

Flame

But if NSA's monitoring all my communications through their secret ATT wiretap I expect I'll have a brigade of incompetent Feebs crawling up me arse a few days after placing my order. Anyone know a good Paypal proxy?

I have one! 

Posted Saturday 15th December 2007 00:42 GMT

Thumb Up

on the desk and if any overly sized workloads are detected i.e the boss with a shitload of work - missles away!

BOFH series material methinks

When you mentioned Batteries... 

Posted Saturday 15th December 2007 01:15 GMT

Pirate

... I thought maybe the BofH had found a way of installing a cattle-prod warhead on these...!

Kzzzzttt!!!

Needs a motion sensor... 

Posted Sunday 16th December 2007 18:06 GMT

http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/room-defender/index.html

For those who prefer holding governments to ransom in their lunch hour... 

Posted Monday 17th December 2007 09:48 GMT

...when are they going to release the Wireless USB Orbital 1,000,000,000,000,000 watt death laser with sub-atomic space zoom and six port USB 2.0 hub? (Drivers only available for the Linux crowd.)

Say that demand after me....

"one biiiiillion dollllllaaaaarssss!"