Big Mouth Billy Bass Videoconferencing 114
scubamage writes "Whilst browsing the net today, I found a link to a hardware hacking project by a well established Stanford graduate. His goal is to take those annoyingly popular Big Mouth Billy Bass singing fish, and not only allow users to interface it with their favorite linux box, but also to allow it to lipsync, and eventually be used as a videoconferencing peripheral. Quite an interesting read, complete with step-by-step instructions to make your own, and software source to be played with."
Just what we need (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Just what we need (Score:5, Funny)
Warning: the above link is not suitable for work, religious parents or the easily offended.
Re:Just what we need (Score:1, Interesting)
No, I'm serious. The world is full of stuff we don't like, it takes some bad karma to have to go to the trouble of putting together s shockwave animation to express one's dissatisfaction with something, especially one that isn't humourous or satirical. Relax, drink some chamomile tea, and go into the sunlight. Sounds like the author needs it.
pot, kettle, black (Score:2)
Re:pot, kettle, black (Score:2)
Are we talking about the same animation here? That single video loop with an unaccompanied vocal must have took the author about as long as it took me to post the link. It certainly took a damn sight less time than it took to stick a webcam into the guts one of one.
Now own up. You're all a bunch of Billy Big-Mouth Bass owners, aren't you?
Re:pot, kettle, black (Score:3)
Oh come on, that was the funniest thing I've seen all week. If I had mod points, they'd be going to the parent post.
Re:pot, kettle, black (Score:2)
Re:Just what we need (Score:4, Funny)
with frickin'
Wait: wasn't there an "Ask Slashdot" post last week,
about what to do with 120 old laser pointers...
Potentially "Whacking" (Score:2)
Distracting (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Distracting (Score:2)
Dammit (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, and Geeky Thanksgiving, one and all.
Oh great... (Score:5, Funny)
On the flipside, a talking fish, boss' office, you saying "WORSHIP ME FOR I AM YOUR OVERLORD" into a Mic...hmm...
Re:Oh great... (Score:2)
Re:Oh great... (Score:2)
Perfect for mother-in-laws (Score:5, Funny)
I'll add that to the christmas list. I wonder if I can get one with a blue rinse???
Mirror (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Mirror (Score:3)
The code listed here is for windows, but should be modifiable to work in 'nix with a little work, I think the main part is the hardware and understanding the parort<-->billy pinouts.
Wish I could see the original link though... anyone got an idea for which videoconferencing software to use with Billy? Personally I'd just love to hook it up at work
Other talking bass stories on Slashdot (Score:1)
slightly offtopic... (Score:5, Funny)
He was having a problem with the Billy Bass fish so he managed to rig one of our power supplies to connect to it and the fish started smoking so he called us to repair the fish because we didn't warn him not to connect the power supply to fish.
With the lack of a part number on the fish, we decided not to replace it.
okay... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:okay... (Score:2)
Who can get one of these working as a Babel Fish?
Or maybe one of the big burger chains could stick them to their drive-thru intercom.
Filet o Billy, anyone?
Why we don't have a cure for cancer (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Why we don't have a cure for cancer (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Why we don't have a cure for cancer (Score:1)
Though, come to think of it, people might start smoking more if they no longer had cancer to deal with...
Re:Why we don't have a cure for cancer (Score:1)
Re:Why we don't have a cure for cancer (Score:4, Insightful)
> are too busy trying to get animatronic fish to sing, "Livin' La Vida Loco!"
I can't tell if you were joking or not, but since you are modded +5 insightful, I figured a serious response was in order.
I myself am into computers and electronics, and have done my share of hardware hacking as well.
I know squat about biology.
The two fields have very little to do with eachother.
Please stop telling the electronic engineers of the world that they have picked a stupid thing to be interested in , and to go work on biology which they may very well hate.
You yourself have a trade, and I hope it is related to something you enjoy doing as well. You have the exact same potential to go learn how to cure cancer as anyone else, especially when that is a field you arnt interested in either.
If you are that concerned about cancer, you can go devote your life to that study instead of doing all the things you enjoy, cure cancer, and stop your bitching.
When some doctor does find a cure for cancer, are you going to dismiss that and complain that they didnt also solve the worlds energy problems and single handedly killed SCO too?
Re:Why we don't have a cure for cancer (Score:1)
Engineering is a perfectly noble profession, but it also seems to be one of the few where people get recognition for doing useless shit.
Re:Why we don't have a cure for cancer (Score:4, Funny)
Right, because biologists never do [slashdot.org] anything [slashdot.org] stupid [slashdot.org].
Re:Why we don't have a cure for cancer (Score:2)
New moderation category (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Why we don't have a cure for cancer (Score:1)
Re:Why we don't have a cure for cancer (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Why we don't have a cure for cancer (Score:2)
I'll have you know I'm posting this while waiting for the latest results from the petri dish cultures!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!! I'd write more but I think I'm on the verge of implementing the first cranberry-sauce-based forward-propagating neural net and I must get back to my research!
Just when I thought I wouldn't see any more.. (Score:4, Funny)
Wonderful (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wonderful (Score:2)
not for mafia (Score:5, Funny)
"Ey Chaaaalie, yah gonna talk with tha fish"
"WHA? Ey, I been a good guy to youz, why youz doin' this to me?"
Regardless, this strikes me as a giant leap in technology. Yessir, no longer are we going to have to put up with low-res, blocky, 5-color, bad-mime-show video. That's right, you've now got a high definition, 3D image right in front of you! Fish smell in 2004...
it's been /.ed.... (Score:1)
Obey The Fish! (Score:1)
Serious copyright violation (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Serious copyright violation (Score:2)
Re:Serious copyright violation (Score:2)
Re:Serious copyright violation (Score:2)
Re:Serious copyright violation (Score:3, Interesting)
In one of the more bizzare rulings, the courts determined that any tape manufactured for use in the Teddy Ruxpin (but not approved by the original maker) violated the copyright holder's exclusive rights regarding public performance...
Personally, I think that's a bit odd.
Surprising !!! (Score:3, Funny)
In other news ... (Score:3, Funny)
Unfortunately for him.... (Score:3, Funny)
Get a job at Disney!! (Score:3, Funny)
Abraham Lincoln
Then came...
Pirates of the Caribbean
Haunted Mansion
Hall of Presidents
Bear Country Jamboree
And now the latest...
Big Mouth Billy Bass!
Not Disney. Anyone but Disney. (Score:1)
Do you really want to be associated with ethics violations [losingnemo.com] such as the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, the DMCA, sweatshop labor, and poor writing passed off as "classic" animation?
No? Then don't work for The Walt Disney Company. Work for a non-MPAA-affiliated amusement park chain such as any Cedar Fair LP [cedarfair.com] park.
Re:Get a job at Disney!! (Score:2, Funny)
But wait!! (Score:1)
Insanity? (Score:4, Funny)
Yeah, I'm sure every corporate exec wants to be talking to a fish (with your voice) about important company issues...
"Just one more thing, Fish... Uh, I mean, Johnson."
Re:Insanity? (Score:1)
Re:Insanity? (Score:2)
"Uh, a fi...ssss(COUGH)...
"What's that?"
"A uhm... Fish... uhm... told us."
"Did you say a fish?"
"Yes, a fish."
"Outstanding. I want that fish promoted."
All I can say is... (Score:4, Funny)
Blogzine.net [blogzine.net]
IF I EVER MEET YOU... (Score:1)
Site slashdotted.... hit google! (Score:3, Informative)
The Source [google.ca]
Localization? (Score:4, Funny)
A good use for this. (Score:5, Funny)
At this point, the guest is usually quite drunk, and doesn't have his wits correctly about him. This is when you turn on the billy bass. The host could retire to the other room, start up the laptop with a microphone attached, run his voice through some sort of modifier, and have a great deal of fun with the guest.
The fish would spring to life. "You! Yes, you! What the devil do you think your doing?" Wait to hear a response. "Yes, you, (insert name of guest here). Don't think I haven't been watching you. I know what you're doing."
At this point the host can opt for a number of fun pranks to play on his guest. Everything from a fake spiritual revelation "You know very well that that attractive girlfriend is not a good match for you. It's a sham. Introduce her to your host. It will be good for your soul", to just good hyjinks "It's finally happened, my friend. You've gone insane".
Ahh, what good times could be had.
Re:A good use for this. (Score:1)
Ah well if he fails... (Score:2, Funny)
...there are plenty more fish in the sea...
... or instead of wasting his time he should be fishing for better useful things to spend his time with...
...thankyou i'll be here all week
O WAIT!!! I see the connection, Penguin and fish
I know, nobody use a Cameleon do they, or do they? Unoriginal bastards.
Furby (Score:2, Funny)
...Jeff Foxworthy? (Score:2)
Re:...Jeff Foxworthy? (Score:1)
Re:...Jeff Foxworthy? (Score:2)
Popular? (Score:2)
Re:Popular? (Score:2)
Lessee: videoconference toy or free fish dinner. I'd take the dinner.
Singing Tux (Score:1)
Obligatory. (Score:1)
Harnessing humans to do your bidding. (Score:3, Funny)
I figure, I can spend a lot of time trying to make SNMP traps go to my pager/cell-phone/forwarded phone/mobile email widget, or I can just pipe them to the fish.
Because if the fish on the living room wall starts talking, my wife *will* find me to tell me about it.
Of course, I thought about this a couple of years ago...back when
Probably the Answer is No (Score:1)
I wish I had a... (Score:2, Funny)
What a way to get fired! (Score:1)
Dumb Ass Bass (Score:2)
ts'an old dupe... Does it counts ? (Score:2, Informative)
Sorta OT: InfoGlobe Hacking? (Score:2)
So, I was thinking of seeing if I could get one of those InfoGlobe Caller ID Display [thinkgeek.com] things and hacking it to display whatever I want from my server... Slashdot Headlines, weather report, new e-mails waiting, etc... Sorta like an LCD display, but much more visible.
Of course, I'm hardware challenged, so I have no clue how I'd go about it. Too little experience to go ahead, plunk down money, and void the warrenty, and assume I can get the thing to work somehow.
Anyone play with these things? Any easy way t
Re:Sorta OT: InfoGlobe Hacking? (Score:2, Informative)
HD44780 filetype:pdf
(generally pdf search gets straight to the datasheet if your lucky
By the looks of things it is ALPHANUMERIC so hacking should be fairly easy as font's etc probably don't need to be handled (unless you want specialised characters).
Once you have the datasheet you need to find the LCD contro
Re:Sorta OT: InfoGlobe Hacking? (Score:1)
Same goes with all i have said just s/LCD/VFD/ where appropriate - the controllers behind either are similar (just the PSU requirements differ
Re:Sorta OT: InfoGlobe Hacking? (Score:2)
It relies on persistence of vision to paint the text.
I'd still like to see if a serial port could be hacked into one.
-Z
Billy Bass tells it like it is (Score:1)
Let's see if they can make the fish sing like this... [b3ta.com]
(It's a Flash movie, and due to its content, I recommend headphones.)
An animated song from b3ta about the Billy. (Score:2)
Teddy Ruckspin (Score:1)
How about a hack for (Score:1)
Stick a wire up his ass and push the STFU button..
Now all we need is a.. (Score:1)
Blogzine.net [blogzine.net]
Look ma, no strings! (Score:1)