I THOUGHT this was a microphone....

[danhughes]

Do you know what this is:



I bought it at a thrift shop yesterday. I thought it was a computer microphone, but it turns out the tip of the "mike" is actually a pushbutton.

The heavy base is 2 3/4 inches in diameter (Roughly, just a bit smaller than a tennis ball). The bendy arm has a USB plug and is plugged into the base.

On the front of the base are a USB port and another computer port (don't know what it's called, but you should recognize it from the photo). On the back is a tiny glass window or lens; looks like maybe a light bulb or perhaps an electric eye.

The button element also has a red glass window, and a smaller rounded lens just like the one on the base.

Does anyone recognize this thing? Hope I got my sixty cents' worth.

[stevieb]

A USB-powered reading light, perhaps? That normally plugs directly into a USB port on a laptop, but has the heavy base to be used with a desk-top computer?

[danhughes]

No, that's not a bulb at the tip - it's a pushbutton click switch.

[stevieb]

I thought maybe the red dot on the head was a light or LED. If it isn't I am stumped.

Hey, did I ever tell you I invented the Dark-emitting diode? It was called the DED. I would have gotten rich off the invention, but once I had it perfected, it worked so well, after I put them down, I could never find the ones I made...

[Monkey Allen]

I think you should get your coat...

[ErichS]

Maybe it's a remote trigger for a usb device. Both plugs look like usb. I've seen the little square plug on some printers. So one plug would connect the computer to the base, and the other would go from the base to the device - a camera perhaps -- maybe like what might be used for a drivers license photo?? - or not...

[drossfile]

the other socket on the base appears to be a usb output, like you'd find on a digital camera. it's like you have the input for the gooseneck mystery device, and then an additional input and output on the base.

strange. i have no idea what the hell that thing is.

[dgatwood]

That's the big red button.

http://www.85qm.de/up/BigRedButton.swf

[darrin_h2000]

My wife knew what it was...but I cannot say in open forum.

[tarnationsauce2]

It looks like the goose neck plugs into the base via another USB port making a total of 3 USB ports on the base.
I have no clue what that thing is.

[Ember]

I think that there is a good chance that they are two different things. The base being a USB hub with two USB type A ports and a USB type B port which would go to the computer. So the base is a hub and the gooseneck is a peripheral. Any chance the gooseneck is a camera?

[Harvey Gerst]

Have you tried plugging it in and seeing what the computer says it found as new hardware?

[Mr. ROUSH]

That's a USB hub with a gooseneck light.. these are primarily for use with lap tops.. there are quite a few designed with red led's though I can't imagine them being very helpful.. but that's surely what that is if you ask me.

[darrin_h2000]

It looks like what my dentist rigged up to take pictures of my colon...makes me wish I didnt wake up early.

[Shadow_7]

reading light? (laser beam)

webcam?

microphone?

button for flipping slides in power point? (only works in windows version 1.1, service pack 19, enterprise edition)

The lost red button from the presidential bomb shelter? Is it radio active?

All just guesses of course. Any specs on the base? Make? Model? Serial? Voltage? Seems like something worth taking apart for only sixty cents. It might be some sort of talk back microphone, only works when the button is pushed in. Although USB audio devices have been late bloomers IMO, and that looks like something from the 60's.

[antichef]

clearly a refinement of the Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_the_Martian ) - careful with that thing!

[dgatwood]

Originally Posted by darrin_h2000

It looks like what my dentist rigged up to take pictures of my colon...makes me wish I didnt wake up early.

Why was your dentist taking pictures of your colon?

[antichef]

Originally Posted by dgatwood

Why was your dentist taking pictures of your colon?

I LMAO at that, then tried to come up with a good follow up, then gave up and made my lame post about the space modulator. Couple hours later, I still got nuthin

[stevieb]

Originally Posted by dgatwood

Why was your dentist taking pictures of your colon?

To figure out why he was talking out of his ass, of course.

[dastrick]

Originally Posted by dgatwood

Why was your dentist taking pictures of your colon?

Somebody must have really CHEWED YOUR BUTT OUT.