It will probably not end well for the social media savvy Stephen Colbert, whose dedicated fan base was able to trounce the four "official" names that NASA provided. NASA has all but confirmed that the node will be named Serenity, which was the top vote getter amongst the NASA-sanction entries.

However, rumor is Colbert might still get his wish, sort of, as Comedy Central is pimping the Colbert Report NASA appearance as evidence of the fact that the stuffy government space agency is going to bestow a named toilet on cable's most outspoken fake news commentator. [io9]

The pico projector and 3G modules are the most interesting of the group. The DLP powered display has a 480x320 resolution, 9 lumens and integrated stereo sound. The 3G modules can be used to send text messages but also place calls and of course, transmit data.

I still haven't played with a unit, but there are about half a dozen gadgets I'd like to try making with a bug kit now that the 3g and projector modules are coming.

Bug Labs Announces New BUGmodules and Applications at CES 2009

Five new programmable multimedia and connectivity modules to encourage further development of open source hardware movement

NEW YORK, NY, Jan 7 2009 /PRNewsWire/ - Today, Bug Labs announces five new BUGmodules that will be unveiled at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. At the Bug Labs Test Kitchen (located at booth #IP209 in the Sands Expo Innovation Pavilion), the team will showcase several innovative new BUG applications which fully demonstrate the endless possibilities of BUG, the open source modular consumer electronics platform.

Each BUGmodule represents a specific gadget function (e.g. a camera, a keyboard, a video output, etc.) that can be snapped to the BUGbase, a programmable Linux-based mini-computer with four available BUGmodule slots.

The five new BUGmodules are:

* BUGprojector, a mini pico-projector module, incorporating DLP® Pico™ technology from Texas Instruments. With a native resolution of 480x320 pixels, stereo playback and a brightness of 9 lumens, users can project videos, photos and presentations on the go.

* BUGsound, an audio module, providing a flush-mount 20-mm speaker and omnidirectional microphone with hardware stereo codecs and four 3.5-mm stereo jacks for third-party inputs, outputs, headphones and microphones. Use BUG as a portable music player, speakerphone, audio processor or more.

* BUG3g GSM, a 3G mobile radio with SIM card input, enabling BUGs to connect to any high-speed GSM network. Users can place calls, send and receive SMSes or transmit data, opening a world of possibilities for mobile and telephony applications.

* BUGwifi, a dual-function 802.11b/g wi-fi and Bluetooth™ 2.0 + EDR radio, offering yet another wireless data connectivity option for the BUGbase, while providing a gateway to a variety of peripherals such as keyboards, mice, headsets and more.

* BUGbee, a low-powered 802.15.4 radio, enabling BUG developers to create short-range personal area network (PAN) applications for home automation, sensor networks, automotive and more.

All new BUGmodules will ship this quarter, with pricing, technical specifications and availability information announced on the Bug Labs blog (http://bugblogger.com) in the coming weeks.

These five modules complement the initial batch of BUGmodules, including BUGlocate (GPS), BUGcam2MP (digital camera), BUGmotion (motion sensor and accelerometer) and BUGview (touchscreen LCD). And with the recent addition of BUGvonHippel, a breadboard module enabling users to add virtually any interface to their BUGbase, developers are given more control in making BUG the center of their device universe.

"We're really excited about advancing the world of ‘hardware mashups,’ and we believe these new modules will help the open source community take consumer electronics to a new level," said Peter Semmelhack, Bug Labs' founder and CEO. "For example, adding the BUGprojector with BUGcam2MP and BUG3G would make a great device for displaying online video calls in a group setting."

Additionally, BUGprojector incorporates technology from Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN), and marks the first BUGmodule developed in partnership with a major consumer electronics manufacturer.

"We believe that the BUGprojector has tremendous potential for open source electronics," said Frank J. Moizio, Manager, DLP Front Projection Emerging Markets business "We are excited that the DLP Pico chipset is enabling such innovation and creativity with a company like Bug Labs.”

This is Bug Labs' (http://buglabs.net) second year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In 2008, the company won the CNET Best of CES Award for Emerging Technologies.

The list of connections available is a slurry of anagrams, sure to make your inner soldering iron fill with the warmth of envy:

* Power
* DAC
* ADC
* I2C
* I/O X
* GP I/O
* SPI
* I2S
* SERIAL
* GROUND (x2)

The vonHippel, named after an MIT professor who wrote Democratizing Innovation, which may as well be the Bug Labs manifesto. Whether it also kills vampires like von Hippel's fourth cousin van Helsing remains to be seen. It's $79. [BUG Store]

The problem the company dealt with was this: how do you build a PC capable of withstanding extremes of temperature, moisture, impact and dust, but then let some dude in the field plug in his iPod or digital camera, and screw it all up? Says Einck: "How do you hang on to a tablet if it has all this junk hanging off it? We embed all that stuff in BackPacks."

BackPacks are modules that can attach to (yes) the back of a SwitchBack PC for added functionality that can have equally ruggedized certification. Some BackPacks will be standard. The first includes "all the ports you would get on a PC," says Einck: PC card, USB 2.0, serial port, VGA, audio in and out. But Einck says the real point is to customize BackPacks for specialized needs: "You could have a BackPack with a 3-megapixel camera, iPod dock, and temperature probe to check the weather," he says.

Although the target for SwitchBack today is military and on-site heavy-duty commercial work, Einck sees the BackPacks as a way to integrate work and (rough) play, with BackPack style docking at home, at work, and in your car:

"Pop it in your desk, it handles all your work stuff, then take it home, put it in your dock at home. When you go hiking, you use the built-in GPS to get yourself out of whatever quagmire you got into, then pop it back in your jeep and go."

ROPER MOBILE TECHNOLOGY ACQUIRES BLACK DIAMOND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY; ANNOUNCES SHIPPING OF SWITCHBACK RUGGED ULTRA MOBILE PC

Shipments of SwitchBack PC Commence for Customers in
Military and Industrial Markets

October 29, 2007—Tempe, AZ—Roper Mobile Technology today announced the acquisition of technology development firm Black Diamond Advanced Technology. Roper Mobile Technology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Roper Industries (NYSE: ROP), is a leading provider of fully rugged, highly customizable mobile computing solutions for challenging environments. With this acquisition, Roper Mobile Technology announces the commercial availability of its flagship product, the SwitchBack PC. Debuted last fall as the world's first rugged UMPC (Ultra Mobile Personal Computer), the SwitchBack is a powerful Windows XP-based PC in a lightweight, rugged form factor.

"Over the last year, we have experienced an overwhelmingly positive market response to the SwitchBack PC and its unique modular design. With the completion of this acquisition, the SwitchBack is exploding onto the market and our first customers have been pleased with the technology and service we are providing," said Justin Dyster, former President of Black Diamond Advanced Technology and current Vice President of Engineering at Roper Mobile Technology. "Our BackPack initiative is already a success, with many customers placing orders for the Standard BackPack and with several more in military markets ordering Custom BackPacks or working with us to develop their own."

"The UMPC is emerging as a highly viable form factor for use in vertical applications currently supported by rugged mobile computers," said David Krebs, Practice Director, Venture Development Corporation. "The SwitchBack is uniquely positioned to support many of these applications and its design emphasizes the need for more platform-based modular computing solutions."

"The strength of Black Diamond's highly talented Research and Development team combined with Roper Mobile's established global resources in sales and service will greatly accelerate SwitchBack's market success," said Gene Yazbak, President of Roper Mobile Technology. "Roper Mobile is pleased to expand our capabilities in order to retain our fierce focus on innovating disruptive technologies, like the SwitchBack, that go the extra step to anticipate customer needs in harsh environments."

The latest version of the SwitchBack PC is the most powerful version yet. Operating on a Windows XP or Windows Vista platform, it utilizes a 1.0 GHz Intel® Celeron® M processor, 2GB of 400 MHz DDR2 and up to 120GB of optional storage. It has passed rigorous environmental testing and meets military specification MIL-STD-810F and IEC 60529 standard IP-67 for operating in conditions of extreme shock, vibration, temperature and immersion.

The standard SwitchBack PC is equipped with a condensed QWERTY keyboard, removable hard drive, hot swappable battery and a 5.6-inch WSVGA sunlight viewable touch screen with stylus. Wireless capabilities like Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi b/g and GPS can be integrated. The newest SwitchBack also has a patent-pending Status & Control feature that enables remote diagnostics for automatic troubleshooting in the field. This first of its kind diagnostic tool intelligently manages and controls vital functions of the PC including:

Primary & secondary battery levels
Temperature fluctuation
Accelerometer to measure drops
Power consumption
Input and output shortages

The BackPack Program
The SwitchBack's patent-pending BackPack Technology allows the user to incorporate multiple devices into a single BackPack such as a digital camera, biometric security, an RFID reader or any combination of I/O options.
The BackPack (standard or custom) attaches onto the back of the SwitchBack and interfaces to the computer through a special ultra-wide, high-speed connection to the Switchback. This design is so flexible almost any electronic peripheral can be designed to interface with the SwitchBack.

Today, customers can order the Standard BackPack which includes:

Type II PCMCIA
USB 2.0 Port
Serial Port
VGA output
Audio Line In
Audio Line out

Roper Mobile also works closely with its customers to design customized BackPacks that are right for them. In addition, customers can choose to utilize Roper Mobile's BackPack Development Kit which allows them to build their own BackPacks.

Pricing & Availability
The SwitchBack PC and the Standard BackPack are available immediately through Roper Mobile Technology. For pricing and information on custom BackPack Modules or a BackPack Development Kit, contact Roper Mobile at 480-705-4200 x 230 or at sales@ropermobile.com

Setting the remote up is easy, using their walkthrough which lets you name rooms, devise "scenarios", and come up with stuff you want to control. There's web connectivity as well, allowing you to update the software and the remote.

Not only is the AVL300 a breeze to set up, the IlluminEssence Lighting Modules worked from corner to corner of a 2,500 sqft house using RF to control all lighting throughout. Controlling the entertainment system using IR worked flawlessly as well, with 19 out of 20 tries being successful (the last was blamed on user error).

It's a bit pricey—$549 on Amazon—but if you're into home automation then the AVL300 is a good way to go. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Amazon via RemoteShoppe]

The "ruggedness" of the UMPC comes from the housing that meets the military standards for shocks, vibrations and extreme temperatures. Unfortunately, it has a weak, 2-hour battery life and is powered by one of those Intel Celeries. At least it has a true, hardware keyboard integrated, which can't be said about the other UMPCs out there. A Black Diamond rep told Gearlog that the Switchback's price will be consistent with other rugged devices—so expensive as hell. – Travis Hudson

Rugged UMPC with Breathalyzer [Gearlog]
Press Release[Mobility Today]

Cool Adjustable Lights [Cool Hunter]
Product page