My kids note that I spend way too much time at my computer managing WUWT. So rather than fight it, they embraced the dark side for Father’s day. I love evil but harmless technology. TubbyCat, not so much.
BTW, the USB Missile Launcher is harmless, it shoots nerf missiles which you control via desktop app or via remote web controls that use your webcam (or the built in one in the launcher) to help you aim.
No animals were harmed in the making of this film.
Modify it to shoot paintballs.
funny but PETA would not approve.
RE: Use laser beams to scatter birds.
During winter time here in Burnaby, BC, crows congregate in tall trees at sunrise before starting the day’s hunt for food. They cackle quite loudly and wake up the neighborhood. I have found that shinning a small laser pointer ( 640-680 nm, ca. 5 mw) on the flock perched high in a tree will cause them to disperse PDQ.
I point the laser at the flock and slowly sweep the beam back and forth. Shortly after the beam hits the main body of the flock, the birds fall silent and in a blink of eye, they take flight with a furious flutter.
I have read that a combination of a video camera and laser beams are used to keep birds out of blueberry orchards. Here in BC propane cannons are used to keep the birds out of the orchards and prevent them from devouring the yummy blueberries. Everybody complains about the cannons since they are in operation from sunrise to sunset when the berries are ripe.
crosspatch says on June 17, 2012 at 7:34 pm:
Interesting, I had this very idea years ago only with a different goal in mind. Our garden was constantly raided by starlings. After chasing them out of the garden they would simply perch on the phone wire and laugh at me. I thought at the time that I would like to develop a .22 rifle with a servo mechanism and a webcam through a scope.
Not a good idea. A 0.22 has a range of about a mile. You should a 0.22 with fine birdshot.
I have an AirSoft Colt-Browning 0.45 semi-automatic handgun, I shoot plastic pellets at crows walking about the backyard or on the roof. However, the range is about ca 30 feet, but it works. Just pointing the gun at them will caus them to take flight.
Harold Pierce Jr says:
June 18, 2012 at 4:49 am
I have an AirSoft Colt-Browning 0.45 semi-automatic handgun, I shoot plastic pellets at crows walking about the backyard or on the roof. However, the range is about ca 30 feet, but it works. Just pointing the gun at them will caus them to take flight.
Walk into a cornfield full of crows carrying a stick and they’ll take off in onsies and twosies and circle just out of reach as you pass by. Walk into that same cornfield carrying a shotgun and the whole flock will take off en masse and scatter into the trees until you leave.
Don’t let Concerned Scientist Kenji near the controls if he and TubbyCat have “issues.”
Looked up this gadget… surfed… and discovered… magnetic buckyballs
Oh Anthony – I’m still rolling on the ground in laughter with this one. Do you realize that you can do some “Pavlov” work with this? Attach a pen laser to the device. (Turned on.) Fire at TUBBY CAT.
Cat will condition to firing and the laser. Thereafter, laser will make the cat jump.
REAL EVIL!
Max
Not only TubbyCat must be jealous of Kenji for not having its own Concern Scientist membership, but now he is getting picked on… you should get TubbyCat a David Suzuki Foundation membership.
Try thinkgeek.com for about $25. CyberGuys used to carry them, but no longer.
thinkgeek.com also has one with a webcam for real accuracy 🙂