Gizmodo: missile launcher

Guy Finds Missile Launcher In His Backyard, Government Lazy About Retrieving It

Sean Fallon — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EDT

A resident of Comal County, Texas named Jarrette Schule found a military issue missile launcher in his backyard. Figuring that the government would surely be looking for it, he made some calls. Amazingly enough, no one seemed to care.

But Schule spent Tuesday afternoon calling the FBI, Homeland Security, the Sheriff's Department - every agency he could think of. He was stuck in a bureaucratic limbo.

"Everyone was handing it off to everybody else," Schule said.

He was surprised at the amount of work it took to get the military to pick up its lost missile launcher.

Schule called the military police at Fort Sam. But their jurisdiction doesn't extend off the post. Schule's information was passed along to an Army criminal investigator, who visited Schule on Wednesday morning - about 19 hours after he started making phone calls.

Markings identified the weapon as a guided missile launcher built in 1996. It still has the 13-digit military stock number that will be used to identify its origins and, possibly, how it might have wound up on the property of a man who lives miles from a military installation. Could there be crazy Texans out there hunting deer with black market military missile launchers? Honestly, I wouldn't be that surprised. [MySA News via Neatorama]

USB R/C Tank Missile Launcher Gives You the Ultimate Office Warfare Weapon

Sean Fallon — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:20:00 EST

USB missile launchers have been around for a while, but this version is mobile—allowing you to infiltrate your ~~co-worker's~~ enemy's ~~cubicle~~ trench and win the battle for office supremacy.

Each tank can be controlled within a radius of 25-feet using a USB radio transmitter and the included PC software. Throw in the 12-foot range of the foam dart warheads and anything within 37-feet of your computer is a potential target. In fact, as many as four of these tanks can be controlled from a single PC interface, so you could conceivably create your own tank battalion to take out several targets at once—or lay down some serious firepower on a single high-value target. [RED5 via Toyology via OhGizmo]

Wiimote Mod Adds IR Targeting To USB Missile Launcher

John Mahoney — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:40:00 EDT

Using the Wiimote's IR sensor elegantly duct taped in place, Instructables user toelle was able to mod everyone's favorite USB toy to launch precision, infrared-guided attacks, just like the big boys (kind of). Using a custom script which looks for IR sources to aim at, you can lay down precision fire by, say, putting your TV remote with the buttons taped down next to the cat. Or attach a small remote to the cat—now we're talking. [Instructables]

USB Missile Launcher Comes With Webcam For Optimal Accuracy

Jason Chen — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:50:45 EST

USB Missile Launchers have been around for years and years and years, but why did it take this long for someone to stick a webcam on it? Seriously, what could be better for aiming a foam dart at that punk Bob from accounting than being able to see where you're aiming in first person view? If I had one of these instead of a standard Missile Launcher, I could have nailed Dvorak through the heart and recorded the thing at the same time. Oh technology, why are you never here when we need you? [IWOOT via Shiny Shiny]

USB MSN Missile Launcher Ads Video Streaming to Office Warfare

Mark Wilson — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:36:39 EST

We've been following USB missile launcher development for some time now. And what we have witnessed today, ladies and gentleman, may be the greatest watershed moment in USB armament history. The USB MSN Missile Launcher features a webcam that, when coupled with MSN messaging service, allows your friends to shoot you from anywhere in the world. Wait a second...does that sound backwards to anyone else?

We're guessing that the ultimate idea is for both ends of an IM chat to have access to USB weaponry, firing one another's missiles in an odd sort of truce-fueled war...as if two opposing countries decided to attack themselves at will in order to save the trip. But we're guessing what was not said yet is that you can remotely control your own missiles as well, launching a full attack at coworkers while you stay home "sick" for the fifth time in a month. Just don't expect your MSN Missile Launcher to be fully functional upon your return.

We'll get you the full scoop during the missile launcher's official release at CES. Because we're sure that this specific research is why Gizmodo will be paying up the nose for a week of gambling, buffets and escorts. [cheeky via geekalerts]

Wiimote Controls USB Missile Launcher

Travis Hudson — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 14:15:31 EST

In today's episode of "More Cool Wiimote Hacks" we revisit our hero, the Wiimote, ready to megadestroy a cat with the help of a handy USB Missile Launcher. This hack isn't nearly as impressive as some of the others out there because it utilizes the directional pad, and not the motion control. A+ for effort though, and good luck thwarting that villainous cat. – Travis Hudson

[Via newlaunches]