Working Bug Labs hardware hands-on

As a publication whose bread and butter is handheld gadgets, we're obviously more than a little excited about Bug Labs' upcoming LEGO-style DIY electronics kit, which allows users to affix various modules to a small, open-source computer and create such magical products as a GPS-enabled digital camera with built in 3G modem and motion detector. While we've seen the hardware before -- including the BUGbase and current BUGmodules -- founder and CEO Peter Semmelhack invited us over today to check out some of the very first working applications, including the Linux-based PIM software you see running in the photos. Apparently we can expect pricing details shortly, as well as a demo of the final system in action, all leading up to an official launch before the end of the year. Check out the gallery below for even more hands-on action...

Gallery: First shots of working Bug Labs hardware

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[TTP @ Nov 20th 2007 6:24PM]

OMG.. it's the precursor to the tricorder!

[Tim @ Nov 20th 2007 6:23PM]

Is that a gameboy advanced SP?

[jam3243 @ Nov 23rd 2007 6:40PM]

this won't make me abandon my iphone but I'll still buy it.

[decypher44 @ Nov 20th 2007 7:06PM]

And now you can actually use Android for the first time...or so I heard.

[engadget @ Nov 20th 2007 7:11PM]

Can I get that kit under my Tree for Christmas ?

[Argot @ Nov 20th 2007 11:40PM]

I can haz?

[Pretol @ Nov 20th 2007 7:35PM]

It's a device that does everything, but nothing particularly great... Do you want a 5 pound mp3 player... or would you like to talk to your friends by holding a see-through brick to your head... Perhaps you're feeling like taking some crappy pictures of your children... Or perhaps, you want to take a gps on your walk, but when you take it out, screen falls off, and the gps clip-on flies into mud.

Total geekdom. I can't imagine anyone buying into this transformer propaganda. But it's just like every other gadget that tries to do everything, and ends up sucking at everything it does.

[daaper @ Nov 21st 2007 9:50AM]

You're right, it's not a perfectly polished product. Since you can't see any possible future uses from your narrow-minded viewpoint, we should abandon it completely and move on. Thank you for sharing your wisdom...

[kismet I @ Nov 20th 2007 7:43PM]

windows 3.1 on a gameboy yay.

[Devin @ Nov 21st 2007 2:26AM]

I'd personally wait to get this kit till they re-rev the boards. (Anyone else notice the orange hard-wired jumper cables?)

[Andrew @ Nov 20th 2007 9:50PM]

Warning: vapor may be harmful

[Mike Klein @ Nov 20th 2007 11:03PM]

A lot of readers hating on bug labs (mostly in other posts)...they don't seem to get the point.

These modules could very well see use in critical care/emergency arena in addition to in-car.

It's an innovative use of technology that I'm sure will find application in more than one domain.

Obviously it's not going to target the high-end dedicated/custom devices and you'll probably not be walking around with a few modules clipped to your belt anytime soon...but so what?

[Error404 @ Nov 20th 2007 10:58PM]

It's the GBASPDS!

[daaper @ Nov 21st 2007 9:54AM]

As a side note, people like you are the reason Japan is and always be light years ahead of us in technology innovations. Their culture is more willing to give new products a try, while you bash them for their efforts.

/rant

[daaper @ Nov 21st 2007 9:56AM]

this was meant for Pretol @ Nov 20th 2007 7:35PM

[Pretol @ Nov 21st 2007 2:02PM]

I'll actually be one of the few people to buy it. But time and time again shows that the most universal gadgets actually fail because people can't grasp them.

Apple many times has demonstrated that people can't deal with complex gadgetry. Take iPod. It's like any other mp3 player with less features, but made pretty and simple. EVERYBODY LOVES IT. Take iPhone. It's like any other smart phone, only with fewer features, and made pretty. EVERYBODY LOVES IT. Take even RAZR, same phone made pretty and simpler. People generally don't care for complexity, expandability, universality. What they care is simplicity, usability, fadability.

I remain pessimistic of general public's ability to accept a device that does "ANYTHING YOU WANT". How are you going to market it? At what department at your local circuitcity/bestbuy/wallmart/etc will this be sold? People don't walk around looking for "do anything you want gadget". So the audience for this product will be people that can't find a device to do what they want (that's sometimes me, and I'm a very small percentage of the population to begin with), or total geeks that just love gadgetry (that's me, there are a few more geeks).

[daaper @ Nov 21st 2007 2:12PM]

I agree that this product is not necessarily intended for the general public (at least not yet). However, I don't consider you or anyone else that reads this blog to be general public. Frankly, I was a little surprised to see so many shooting this down when it's clearly still in a very early stage of development. I just look at this as an experiment in modularity. Who knows, maybe it'll turn into a better way to keep prices down on future electronics by allowing you to customize more. I'm glad to read that your willingness to try new products isn't as close-minded as you initially let on.

[dj-kenpo @ Nov 21st 2007 10:29PM]

this is less DIY and more, buy it yourself.

if you're into DIY, it's still cheaper and better to just get an old ipaq pocketpc on ebay. $20 for an arm cpu touchscreen device. serial out means you can easily interface to a pic chip to control robotics, cf cameras, gps.. etc. that particluar ppc can run linux or win ce... need I continue?

if you just need 1 device to control your toy roboto or roomba then whatever.. but if you needed to buy say 20 units for soem sort of display or installation, this is one of the worst ways to go...


sorry, if bug labs reads this, it's great you're doing it and all... but it's lacking on anything that would appeal to more than the duct taper beginner diy crowd. not seeing anything here that I couldn't already get off the shelf for cheaper, with a little bit of thought.