APRIL FOOLS: SquirrelFinder - When You're Nuts for Squirrels

[Pat Logsdon]

<img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/logsdon_20040329_squirrel.gif" /> <br /><br />A few weeks ago, I received a very strange email in my PPCT mailbox. It was from a developer in the UK, and he wanted me to take a look at the software he was working on. He works for a company called Desipientia, and the product is called "SquirrelFinder". This has got to be the weirdest piece of software I've ever seen. 8O <br /><br />While I don't have a copy of the software to review, he did send me a screenshot. Apparently, they've developed some kind of CF unit that can detect a squirrel, track its distance, relative speed, the ambient temperature, and whether it has nuts in its pouch. I'm not entirely sure why I would want to know if the squirrel is carrying nuts. :?: There's also a gallery of squirrel photos that users can scroll through, and a logging function that will dump the data collected by the CF card into an Access-ready comma delimited file. <br /><br />Judging from the screenshot, the CF card must have an infrared sensor and a range finder. I'm guessing that the lumps are rocks, while the large mass at the bottom is the ground. As you can see, the distance to the squirrel, the outside temperature, and the speed of the squirrel are notated in the upper left corner of the "window". Sadly, the "Nuts" box is unchecked, so we have no way of knowing if the squirrel is packing. :mrgreen: <br /><br />Does anyone (<a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23035&amp;start=0">besides Steve</a>) think this might be useful, or are the developers chock full of nuts?

[chirurgen]

8O I would believe this if it were not 1st April, AND........
Some things to keep you right on 'software developed in the UK ' - we generally use the metric system and celcius for temperature. I realise that we are fairly half hearted about a total conversion to metric, but scientific programs would not use Fahrenheit, feet or mph as measurements!

[Kati Compton]

Hmm. do you think they'll be adding a chipmunk add-on? Or would there be compatability issues? I'd hate to have to turn off squirrel detection to find a chipmunk...

[thendless]

Well down here in the south, them tasty critters always find some way to hide demselves! them sneaky critters! Wid dis new software me and mah family can finally dine on all the squirrelies we have ever dreamed of!

[Terry]

8O I would believe this if it were not 1st April, AND........
Some things to keep you right on 'software developed in the UK ' - we generally use the metric system and celcius for temperature. I realise that we are fairly half hearted about a total conversion to metric, but scientific programs would not use Fahrenheit, feet or mph as measurements!

It uses the Country settings...he's showing the US version...

[enemy2k2]

" I'm not entirely sure why I would want to know if the squirrel is carrying nuts. "

To tell the difference between boy squirrels and girl squirels, like *duh*.

[Pat Logsdon]

Hmm. do you think they'll be adding a chipmunk add-on? Or would there be compatability issues? I'd hate to have to turn off squirrel detection to find a chipmunk...
I believe that chipmunks are indeed incompatible, but I've been told that it works a treat for detecting marmots.

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/logsdon_20040401_marmot.jpg

[davenicholls]

I love the company name, www.desipientia.com would be a great place to collect all the April Fools stories.

Nice one

Dave

[Kathy_Harris]

Darn, my dog would have loved that software. Oh well, back to sniff and chase...

[rocky_raher]

I'm not entirely sure why I would want to know if the squirrel is carrying nuts. :?:

Most of the better squirrel recipes call for including nuts, to add flavor and body to the gravy.

Also, a lot of dinner guests are alergic to nuts, so in that case you would have to restrict your quarry to non-nut-carrying squirrels.

[Kati Compton]

Also, a lot of dinner guests are alergic to nuts, so in that case you would have to restrict your quarry to non-nut-carrying squirrels.
Yeah - I think most canned squirrel items come with the "Caution: May contain peanuts or peanut pieces" warning label...

[backpackerx]

This little guy in my backyard keeps throwing the calibration off. I emailed the developer and he's making a patch for ver. 1.01.


Link no longer working

:oops:

[Kati Compton]

Graphic is broken.

[Melchior]

Don't believe it, it's not all it's cracked up to be.

I read on Dale Coffings' chat room that it only works if the squirrel is wearing a bluetooth headset or wearing a SPOT watch!

I thought it was too good to be true!

[Brad Adrian]

Yeah - I think most canned squirrel items come with the "Caution...
CANNED squirrel!?!? Are you kidding? The canning process destroys half the beneficial nutrients and vitamins. For me, "Only FRESH squirrel can rock MY world."