Elon Musk's Boring Company Delivers $600 Flamethrower (theverge.com) 106
Last December, Boring Company CEO Elon Musk promised to sell a Boring Company-branded flamethrower after selling 50,000 Boring Company hats. Well, sure enough, 50,000 hats were sold and Musk is delivering on his promise. The Verge reports: Mark this down as one of the promises Elon delivers on, apparently, because it looks like the Boring Company flamethrower is here. Redditors in a few SpaceX, Boring Company, and Musk-related subreddits noticed earlier this week that the URL "boringcompany.com/flamethrower" started redirecting to a page with a password box. And at least one user was able to guess the original password, too: "flame." (It's since been changed.) Behind that password was a shop page that looks just like the one for The Boring Company's hat. But instead of a $20 cap, they found a preorder prompt for a $600 flamethrower. "Prototype pictured above," the listing reads. "Final production flamethrower will be better."
Plasma would be more appropriate (Score:5, Funny)
Why "flame"? This doesn't exactly work with the push against the carbon industries. Perhaps something like a plasma thrower would be more appropriate. You could generate that with electricity.
Maybe you could ionize the flame and accelerate it with an electric field as a compromise?
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Björk had the best use of a Tesla coil [youtube.com]
I've got eclectic taste in music, and I appreciate performance art, but I just don't get her at all. I don't understand the energy in her audiences. I feel like I'm watching a foreign comedian and I see that the audience appreciates the act but I don't know the language.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Plasma is unstable. It takes a level of power quite difficult to handle just to generate the small jet for a plasma cutter. If you want a plasma thrower, such a thing could be built - but you'll need to carry around a foot-wide umbilical to the nearest substation to supply power and cooling water.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Remembered for the hat or the flamethrower?
Re: (Score:3)
"Tesla fan" is going to take on new connotations if it becomes trendy for them to carry around flamethrowers as a sign of support for Musk's companies.
Maybe it'll end up that Tesla fans start getting hired to run security, in the way that Hell's Angels used to be. Then we'll end up waking up one day reading about how 7 people were charred to death during a ruckus at a Radiohead concert...
Re: (Score:2)
Musk is doing this to drum up PR to get investors to keep buying stock in his companies which are unable to subsist on their own without the public dole.
As opposed to GM?
Re:Hat (Score:5, Interesting)
I expect he'll ultimately be remembered for taking generally-dismissed technologies, building PR campaigns styled after P.T. Barnum, and creating reasonably-successful companies using excitement to offset the extremely-high risk that led to the technologies being rejected the first time around.
Musk's PR stunts are exactly that. There is little scientific value (besides a dead-weight test) in launching a car into orbit... but by doing so, he can inspire another round of news stories and keep his name in front of the upcoming generation of engineers. Similarly, of course he's going to sell branded flamethrowers, because every reckless idiot (myself included) is going to think "Gee, I could probably spare $600 for that" and start clearing space in the living room next to the life-size Boba Fett statue. It'll be a great conversation piece, and a piece of history if/when the tunnels become successful.
I'm not going to opine on whether showmanship is a good or bad thing for investment purposes, but I am happy to see the public eye turning toward the real challenges to progress. Yes, the rockets blow up, the permits are a hassle, and building new manufacturing factories requires obscene amounts of money... but those problems are not insurmountable, with enough persistence (and funding). Don't worry about how hard your math homework seems, little Timmy... just give it another try, like your hero Elon Musk!
Re: (Score:2)
Space-X is alive only because of the money it got upfront from NASA for launches they may or may not deliver.
This is just not true. SpaceX has had a wide variety of non-NASA customers. Falcon 9 launched 18 times in 2017, which is 20% of all launches globally and about 2/3rds of all US launches , and the vast majority of those launches were not for NASA http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_chr/lau2017.htm [skyrocket.de]. Moreover, SpaceX has delivered cargo launches to the ISS repeatedly for NASA, and with the exception of one launch in 2015, all of those have been successful.
Re: (Score:3)
ULA is alive only because of the money it got upfront from USAF for launches they may or may not deliver.
Fixed that for you. :-p
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I think the other (critical) poster has a small point. "mass simulator" is a lousy term. "test mass" or some such would be much better. It's got to be a real mass, not a simulation of a mass.
But, to me, launching his car seems a good move. The PR is probably worth more than the car, and he wouldn't want to launch some client's load on something that's so likely to blow up. Besides, it's a great excuse to buy a new car.
Re: (Score:2)
I agree fully on both points.
Yes, the test needs mass. Other folks would be quite happy to use a block of concrete, or sandbags, or even a weighted mock-up of their intended load... but Musk uses a sports car, and gets more headlines and more front-page pictures. Those are what he'll be remembered for.
Re: (Score:2)
I can understand what a hat might be good for. But what, exactly, might one want a flamethrower for? I suppose ISIS or the Taliban could find a use for a few gross of the product. But I suspect they could get a better price elsewhere.
(Indeed, Amazon offers a wide variety of devices from $300 down to a $11 "Culinary Torch - Auto Ignition Flamethrower Butane Burner Gas Torch for Camping Welding BBQ" A Culinary Torch for Welding BBQs? Yep. How have I gotten by all this time without one of those?)
Re: (Score:2)
Knotweed, perhaps. That sounds like a good application of a flamethrower.
Elon Musk Toilet Paper (Score:2)
If it's good enough for Spaceballs, it's good enough for Elon.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
What would kick ass is a small Elon Musk doll with a string in the back which when pulled makes the doll say "May the schwartz be with you".
Re: (Score:2)
It's actually legal is most states
As it should be. A flamethrower consists of:
1. A fuel tank.
2. A compressed air tank.
3. A hose
4. An ignitor
Since these components are legal, it seems silly to make it illegal to connect them.
Flamethrowers have legitimate peaceful uses, such as brush clearing.
What we really needs is a compact flamethrower that can be mounted on a drone.
Re: Worst thing is... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
A big torch is not the same as a flame thrower...
While I might agree with you that does bring up the question, what is the distinction between a big torch and a flamethrower? If we create a spectrum of things that produce flame, with step one being defined as "cigarette lighter" and step two as "plumber's torch", then how many steps would I have to go before getting to something defined as a "flamethrower"?
Re: (Score:3)
what is the distinction between a big torch and a flamethrower?
A torch shoots out heat.
A flamethrower shoots out burning liquid fuel.
Re: Worst thing is... (Score:2)
As it should be. A flamethrower consists of:
1. A fuel tank.
2. A compressed air tank.
3. A hose
4. An ignitor
Since these components are legal, it seems silly to make it illegal to connect them.
That doesn't seen to stop legislators though. To quote the late great George Carlin, "Selling is legal. Fucking is legal. Why isn't selling fucking legal?"
Re: (Score:2)
depending on location here in the USA from 15 to 85 percent of the time it's an enslaved or indentured servant woman's services being sold, which is not and should not be legal
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Sigh... and we had a serial arsonist here who started the fire that burned Lower Lake, CA. I bet he didn't use a flame thrower. You don't need one to start a wild fire. Faulty power lines throwing a few sparks is all you need. Gasoline and a match would do just fine. All this law does is probably send a few recreational users to Nevada.
Re: (Score:2)
A cigarette butt [telegraph.co.uk] isn't a burning stick; but it's close.
Re:Worst thing is... (Score:5, Interesting)
Wikipedia seems to disagree with you [wikipedia.org]. Maybe you know the citations necessary to go correct the article? They cited a Washington Post story which is weaker than a reference to a law might be.
In the United States, private ownership of a flamethrower is not restricted by federal law. Flamethrowers are legal in 48 states and restricted in California and Maryland.
Re: (Score:3)
Hmmm, my reading of 27 CFR 447.21 [cornell.edu] puts them in the same category as howitzers and mortars. IANAL; maybe there's something I'm missing?
Re: (Score:2)
A surface reading indicates this is about import/export. I suspect that is the key. There are many legal things that are controlled in import/export.
I'm pretty sure that mortars are legal unless it has changed... during my freshman year of college, my dorm roommate brought is civil war era mortar to school for homecoming. I'll never forget because he fired it in front of the dorm using a mixture of flour and gunpowder to create a bigger flash. He then put it in our room for the week following homecoming whi
Re: Worst thing is... (Score:2)
They can have my flamethrower... (Score:3)
I'll give you my flamethrower when you pry it from my scorched, dead hands.
Re: (Score:2)
Your proposal is acceptable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: Nice tool to have (Score:1)
All in the heat of the moment
Re: (Score:2)
So you follow http://www.the-whiteboard.com/... [the-whiteboard.com] ? I did notice that today's episode was about flame throwers.
I got my hat today. (Score:2)
I got my hat today. I feel like they waited for the flame thrower numbers before they sent out the hats. I'll probably invest in that and wear it around as I believe in the mission.
Re: (Score:2)
Wear your flamethrower around? Are you auditioning for the next Mad Max or something?
What is the "mission" for a flamethrower? ;)
Re: (Score:1)
What is the "mission" for a flamethrower? ;)
Alternative to raking leaves next autumn? A really cool way to light a barbecue? A fantastic incentive to get people to stop smoking? ("Yes... sure I've got a light...")
Re: (Score:2)
Which mission?
The other poster took one reasonable interpretation, i.e. selling flame throwers.
Another reasonable interpretation would be that you believe in automated tunnel construction.
Another would be that you believe in electric cars.
Another would be that you believe in dying on Mars.
There are so many wildly different interpretations of "I believe in the mission" in that context that it's impossible to make a reasoned interpretation. I'll give you credit for sanity and discount the "believing in sell
Security (Score:5, Funny)
”And at least one user was able to guess the original password, too: "flame." (It's since been changed).”
That’s just the kind of attention to security best practices I’d expect from a Founder of PayPal.
Re: (Score:3)
Thatâ(TM)s just the kind of attention to security best practices Iâ(TM)d expect from a Founder of PayPal.
Whooooooooooosh!
Dude, do really think they didn't expect - nay, didn't want the pass to be "discovered"? Really?
The replacement is probably just as "pithy".
Re: Shut up and take my money (Score:2)
A good guy with a flame thrower, obviously.
I'll take two.... (Score:3)
.... this place needs purifying.
Edgy +1 (Score:1)
Buy 9 U can (Score:1)
Typical Musk shipping delays... (Score:3)
Boring hats are already weeks beyond their originally quoted delivery dates, for a hat. I can imagine the safest way to keep your kid's hands off a flame thrower is to let them order one from Musk.
If you make a $600 deposit (Score:2)
do you get a Founder's Series flamethrower?
Spaceballs (Score:2)
The lunch box.
Finally! (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Scott Pruitt and Ryan Zinke appear ready to put in a large order as part of their efforts to "improve" public lands.
Evidently, they figure it will be a lot quicker to reach their goals than waiting for timber companies to do clear cutting or just waiting for global warming and pine bark beetles to decimate national forests.
Re: (Score:2)
The TSA will still stop you for having a nail file on your carry-on while the person in front of you wears one of these and passes through the airport security check without a problem?
For Elon Haters (Score:5, Funny)
'Flamebait' has a whole new meaning now.
A vision of the future (Score:2)
Elon's end game is becoming clear.
TBC produces tunnel boring machines, flamethrowers, hats. Add an anvil and some rocket engines to the catalog and he can rename the company ACME. Contract SpaceX for the 'instant delivery' option.
whats the monkpower (Score:2)
of thay flamethrower?
An exciting product from a boring company? (Score:2)
To quote B-grade sci-fi... that does not compute
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Can it be installed on the cars? (Score:2)
I want to know.
P.S. Flamethrower on normal cars, to deter car thieves, won the 1999 Ig Nobel Peace Prize.