Target your co-workers with USB air darts
By Marc Perton 
posted December 2nd 2005 5:00PM
posted December 2nd 2005 5:00PM
It's been a while since a USB toy excited us as much as these compressed-air darts — available through Marks & Spencer, of all places, for a mere £19.50 ($33.43). The USB-powered darts come in a set of three, are, uh, Mac and PC-compatible, and can be controlled via a mouse. We're already making plans to figure out how to control a set over VNC so we can deploy these against the dude in the next cube while we're a safe distance away. He'll never know what hit him.
[Via the Ferret]
These will be purchased tomorrow, there is no other option.
I wish they cost less, around $20, so you could get 5 and have an artillery barrage =-)
SWEET!
best USB device to date.
So is the base motorised?
Sounds like it could be modified for other uses. I'm thinking mini airsoft mp5 and a webcam :)
And YES! They ship to the US!!! Plus they have a Buy 2, get 3 promo going on!
oh my f... this is probably the most amazing thing ever invented. i wonder if my cat will find it as amazing as i do, come time for me to lock on as he tries to scratch my couch.
ok id have to addmit...i was always one to poke fun at all those usb powered devices, but i really think these are cool! 3 for the price of 2 is very tempting too!
Here's a direct link:
http://www.marksandspencer.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Product_Id=1900505&portal=locayta
mj
But how can we order them... The site only ships to UK addresses?
buy three of these take a laptop you got laying around hook them to the laptop. hook the laptop to an rc car. vnc to the laptop. you got an kick ass office tank
Reply to #6, marks and spencer only ships to the UK. Does anyone know of a distributor for the states?
It's a shame they don't ship overseas. Haven't found a place that imports them either. If anyone finds a place in the US or that ships to the US, please post it here. It'd be a damn fine gift for my employees.
this is the single coolest thing ever to be attached to a usb plug
Marks & Sparks are a demented store. YUears ago I bought some stuff online and I cross checked that they allow overseas purchases then at the end they insist upon a UK address for shipment! Seems it's the same today. They loose countless orders by doing this.
Note also that by shipping to a UK address they aree making you also pay the horrendous UK VAT of around 20% on this purchase (probably already in the quoted price). So it would be so easy for them to use that to cover overseas shipment.
It just needs a built in Webcam for targeting.
So Cool!!!!
I'm really glad I live in the UK :-)
I know what will be on my present list :D
I am so jealous.... I wish they shipped to the united states... that would so be on my wish list... lol
There has to be a way to get these in the States. Anybody been able to identify the manufacturer?
Thinkgeek should carry this!!!
Those that say they don't ship abroad, did you even bother to LOOK at the website? Add them to your cart, and at the checkout screen click the "NOT UK" link, then pick United States... geez...
Now, someone from the UK needs to buy a bunch of these and put them on eBay for us yanks. Bet you could make some money.
In regards to comment 19... that's only the billing address. when you actually checkout it won't allow you to ship to the US.
heheh brilliant idea...
host a site where it's pay per use
-enable webcam
-people pay to shoot you while you work (via remote control over the web)
I'm LMAO here because you could make a lot of money in a day if your expressions were lively enough... throw some papers in the air everytime too... turn on sound and yelp or something...
be better with an auto loader...
or on a pr0n webcam site... shootthenakedchick.com
(this really is a money maker but the logistics/programming involved are beyond me, if you use this please send some cash my way)
Hahaha that's awesome. I'm so gonna get that.
http://oosterhouse.wordpress.com/
how sweet is that?
Scoobydoo, did you even BOTHER to FINISH checkout? They don't ship overseas. geez...
Another idea:
* Laptop with Wifi & bluetooth
* Bluetooth RC car
* VNC
* Webcam
* 10X USB Darts
Goal: Mobile Tank
Scooby, you can enter in a non-UK address, but then once you complete your credit card info, it just tells you that your address is invalid and kicks you back and asks you to reenter an address, and that they only deliver to the UK.
BEST *EVER* USB DEVICE
Will have a Linux driver in no time. Bring on the browser-based burgular shoot-em-ups...
Wow, forget controlling these suckers with a mouse! If you could hook these up to a joystick and control them seperatly from your mouse that would be great.
And seriously, any UKers that want to make some money do not hesitate to list these things on ebay, I'd have no problem covering shipping to the states.
Seems like an ok device, but can it also make toast?
I sent in a comment on their website begging them to ship to the U.S. Maybe if everyone else does the same....
Here's a link:
http://www2.marksandspencer.com/help/contact/contact.asp?q=dlv
Now if only it came with a USB powered compressor
w00t, i bought 3. God knows what i'll do with em, but 3 for 2, and i added a bunch of random stuff i'll give to my mum as presents to get the free delivery too :D
Good ol' M&S.
-Raz
want shipping to the states?
LMK here and i'll see how many are interested, then i'll go clean up the stock of them at M&S, work out shipping and stick 'em on eBay if you want.
Hook it up J. Pepper! I'm in!!!
This is probably the best USB toy I've seen ever! Why doesnt it ship anywhere else? Dammit!!! I put in an order for 5 before looking at shipping... marg. This sucks arse!
Sorry guys (& ScoobyDoo), no overseas shipping. Here's their FAQ page where they say they don't.
http://www2.marksandspencer.com/help/delivery_info/index.shtml#overseas
If they did there'd be about 10 of 'em on my list, and I like that mobile tank idea :-)
Anyone wants to ship a couple to San Francisco, and make a buck, drop me an email at my site, I'm game:)
I'll secont Brady's comment. Anyone willing to buy a few (i'm thinking 3 for 2 deal) and ship to San Francisco area, send me an email chadnt@gmail.com. Yes I'm actually serious :-)
Or if these ever go on ebay let me know.
omg...
How are these not available in the USofA or on eBay??!?!
PERFECT holiday gifts for the high-tech office!
Seems like there are a few interested parties...
it costs roughly $34, factoring shipping and packaging costs from UK to the US would come up to a price of $45-50 depending on weight for one.
Does these seem like a reasonable amount?
If so, I can do a trial run tomorrow, run down to the M&S store in town and grab a few to stick onto eBay tomorrow night and post a link back here.
Interested?
Weapons of Mass Distraction and amusement! Oh, the potential shenanigans that ensues!
J. Pepper,
Could you check into the 3-for-2 offer (if it applies to instore purchase and if it counts for 3 of the same item), and how much it would cost to ship to San Francisco Bay area for both 1 & 3 of those? I don't need any sort of rush shipping, whatevers cheapest. If you could, pls drop an email to chadnt@gmail.com with how much it would be. No hurry, I can't guarantee I would buy for sure, but I'm very interested.
Thanks
Don't the Canucks have M&S? I distinctly remember driving up there (to Windsor) as a kid with my British parents and shopping there. (As well as them using an innocent child like myself to smuggle back meat pies and black pudding, but that's another story...)
Very interested in seeing these on eBay!
Nothing on eBay yet. I'll keep looking.
I am interested in the image you all (#33 excepted) have of how these work. Are you imagining a range of 18 inches? a yard? or do you have gleeful images of launching to two cubicles over? I predict a wave of disappointed reviews because we're letting our imaginations get ahead of what we're actually likely to get for 20 quid.
if you're counting potential customers, count me in.