The 'Fisties: Freaky Geekery
Sure, the Bay Area is pretty much tops in tech — but we're also tops in freakitude! So far this 'Fistie, we're casting a wider net, roaming around the world for the not just the coolest tech, but by far the weirdest. Don't worry, the winners are a home-town team. While great things were done by leaders in the field like Yahoo, Apple, Google, Sun, Intel and smaller companies like SixApart, Technorati, Odeo, Audioblog, Tribe, we don't want to coo over the best database or interface of the year. We want far-out, man! And so we begin...
5th Place — Neogentronyx:
As first reported by CNet, Carlos Owens is an Anchorage steelworker who moonlights as a designer of larger-than-life robots, known as Mech (or Gundam Mecha, if you're an otaku like us). His 18-foot monster of steel, pistons and microcontrollers is a true testament to imaginiation and ingenuity. Not to mention totally bitchin'! Carlos and his team are currently looking for funding to continue the project. We suggest that they get Don King to kick in for a second Mech, and then sell the rights to the fight on Pay-Per-View.
4th Place — Kegbot:
While Kegbot won't actually save you from getting up off your a** to get a beer, what it will to is help you monitor your consumption by generating reams of data about how much and how fast you and your friends dispense of a keg. Originally developed by Mike Wakerly to make sure that people weren't drinking more than their share of the beer money, it became a sensation at Codecon. Build one for yourself — you can even set it up to cut off your friend who's an angry drunk (better do it early, though).
Win, place and show geeks after the jump!
3rd Place — Lapis
Now this is something that gets us all hot and bothered — a well done conference presentation! Kidding (kind of). It helps that the presentation is about a prototype game for the Nintendo DS called Lapis that simulates the process of clitoral stimulation and orgasm. Think Nintendogs, but with a horny, fuzzy bunny. Heather Kelley, a designer in UbiSoft's Montreal studios, came up with the concept that includes using both the touch-screen and the built in microphone for tickling and cooing. Sadly, the demo is no longer available for download.
2nd Place — Michael Lynn
Michael Lynn lands in second place for, in our own words, "Stickin' it to the man." At a conference on security, Lynn, who worked at Internet Security Systems, had prepared a presentation on a vulnerability in Cisco routers that had been fixed but not disclosed. When Cisco caught wind of it, they convinced his employer ISS to bar him from speaking. So he quit (he now works at Juniper Networks in Sunnyvale). Cisco replied by ripping the relevant pages out of the conference materials. When Lynn started delivering an alternate presentation, the audience response was so negative that he went ahead and gave his original prezzo, causing Cisco and ISS to sue him and the FBI to open up an investigation. He's settled with Cisco -- ISS and the FBI are still after him.
1st Place — Stanley by Stanford Racing
We reported on this a bit ago, but while thinking about who we were going to give our 'Fistie to, realized that Stanford's Stanley autonomous vehicle project was going to get the win. First, they get the nod on the Bay Area Geek Pride tip. But really, we're excited about this technology because it could solve one of the biggest problem facing The City. Namely, the lack of decent delivery options. A mesh-networked fleet of small, electric vehicles that delivered decent pizza would immediately clear up the only real sticking point in the San Francisco versus New York debate. Get crackin', Cardinal!