Video: Kindle 2 sees the wrong end of a laser, recommends you don't panic

If there were anything a frequent traveler needs more than a towel (and money, and identification, and maybe a cellphone...) it's a Kindle 2. To celebrate its ability to provide free access to the world's great information repository from absolutely anywhere (within in the United States that has cellular access), Adafruit Industries has turned the K2 into something of an ode to Douglas Adams's great epic: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. After a little burning action courtesy of its Epliog 35 watt laser (which we've seen in action before), the e-book reader now sports the most valuable advice ever given to a man (or alien). Sadly it still won't give you directions to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, but it will at least let you download and start reading it in under a minute. Ford Prefect would be proud.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 13th 2009 11:20AM]

I get to use one of these machines at work every day, except it's the 80 watt variation.

Cool, cool stuff.

[Johnny Socko Posted Mar 13th 2009 11:30AM]

This is incredibly awesome. Ever since I got my Kindle 1, I've been longing for a way to change the startup screen to "Don't Panic".

Of course, nobody has mentioned the ironic part of all this: As of the last time I checked, THE "HITCHHIKER" SERIES IS NOT AVAILABLE ON KINDLE.

[the steven Posted Mar 13th 2009 11:37AM]

Too late, www.xkcd.com did this a few days ago...

[DonutYankee Posted Mar 13th 2009 11:40AM]

I want this. Badly. I love the Hitchhiker series.

[jsmrekar Posted Mar 13th 2009 12:24PM]

Just watched the BBC TV show on my roku. I thought. This reminds me of a kindle. Then I saw the XKCD the next day. Then I see this today. I can't figure out if it is a strange coincidence or if it was always there, but one of those - when you drive it around you see it phenomenon.

[tbonet Posted Mar 13th 2009 12:31PM]

That was some fantastic glare.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 13th 2009 12:36PM]

I caught this post at just the right time: http://img.skitch.com/20090313-nq8qy1xyhqtet6aqpgdkf8isse.png

[jeezmo Posted Mar 13th 2009 2:52PM]

Maybe kindle will help us find the question for which the answer is 42.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 13th 2009 2:50PM]

I got it and I love it. Dont Panic! Now where did I park my spaceship?

[Micmoo Posted Mar 13th 2009 3:39PM]

So long and thanks for all the fish!

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 13th 2009 5:53PM]

Very nice!