Rasp Pi skydive: Ballsy Baumgartner best beware Brit bionic Babbage Bear

Austrian high-altitude geezer Felix Baumgartner had better watch his back, because there's a furry Brit contender for the world skydiving record preparing to leap into the void from a breathtaking 39,000m. Tomorrow (Saturday), weather permitting, Raspberry Pi Mascot Babbage Bear will ascend to the stratosphere over the green …

[Robert Helpmann??]

Godspeed Mr Bear

From the product page:

His duties* include (but are not limited to):

Protecting you from magic blue smoke.

I hope this will not be an issue with any of the electronics involved, but it's good to have some insurance, just in case.

[Anonymous Custard]

Bionic Babbage Bear of Borg better beat Baumgartner's breathtaking balloon bound.

[Alister]

Blimey!

[Anonymous Coward]

@Anonymous Custard

"Bionic Babbage Bear of Borg better beat Baumgartner's breathtaking balloon bound."

Unless it goes horribly wrong, in which case it will be:

"Bugger bugger bugger bugger bugger bugger bugger bugger bugger bugger bugger bugger bugger."

[Anonymous Coward]

A bit like Steve Austen then

'First up, the poor chap's had his right eye surgically removed to allow installation of the PiCam'

[Pen-y-gors]

I am shocked - SHOCKED

at this appaling cruelty to a defenceless bear. How could he? Surely the electronic gee-whizery could have been put in a little backpack, with the webcam in a helmet? There is no need at all for this brutal disemboweling and disemocularising in an attempt to turn Ted into some bionic half-borg, half bear.

Shame on you sir, SHAME! The Ursine Defence League know where you live!

[Mr Young]

Re: I am shocked - SHOCKED

Don't worry, bears of the future will appreciate the heroic efforts of these early pioneers - "Today I'm going to rip some humans throat IN SPACE!". I feel a little scared now...

[Phil O'Sophical]

Re: I am shocked - SHOCKED

Surely the only cruelty here is that the op was probably done without anaesthetic? The plucky chap has had an inoperative glass eye replaced by a high tech one that can see.

Good man that bear!

[Martin Budden]

Re: I am shocked - SHOCKED

Don't worry, all teddy-surgery is performed by qualified specialists.

[James Micallef]

Re: I am shocked - SHOCKED

I don't know about the Ursine Defence Leauge knowing where you live but the RSPCA certainly do

[Ged T]

Terminator Beginnings: The Bear Truth

With so much on-board tech, cameras for eyes, Sky-high launch platforms, dead-pan expression, is this the start of real life imitating art?

Farewell, plucky bear...

[SW10]

...and wir attracting the kidz, narteyemin, yeah?

"Along the way, he been honing his Raspberry Pi flight computer system"

is a good effort, but maybe

'Long the roadz him bin pimping hiz P'eye, lak, to mek er blingin flaght compooter, narteyemen?

would be better?

[Pen-y-gors]

Re: ...and wir attracting the kidz, narteyemin, yeah?

I think I've found a bug in Google translate - it reckoned that was English. Although it did suggest:

Did you mean: Long the roadz him bin pimping hiz P'eye, lak, to make a blingin flight computer, narteyemen?

I have no idea what it means....

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: ...and wir attracting the kidz, narteyemin, yeah?

Bless your heart! It's quite simple, really! Let's just break it down, somewhat:

Long the roadz = All along

him bin pimping hiz P'eye, lak = he has been promoting the use of his RaspberryPi

to mek er blingin flaght compooter, = to make an exceedingly goog flight computer,

narteyemen? = innit?

There now. Better?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: ...and wir attracting the kidz, narteyemin, yeah?

Bendithia eich calon! Mae'n eithaf syml, mewn gwirionedd! Gadewch i 'jyst dorri i lawr, braidd yn:

Long the roadz = Pob hyd

him bin pimping hiz P'eye, lak = mae wedi bod yn hyrwyddo'r defnydd ei RaspberryPi (mae fel cyfrifiadur Dragon diwrnod olaf ...)

to mek er blingin flaght compooter, = i wneud cyfrifiadur hedfan hynod o dda,

narteyemen? = innit?

Yno nawr. Gwell?

[Pen-y-gors]

Re: ...and wir attracting the kidz, narteyemin, yeah?

Llawer gwell, diolch. Pam na ddywetsoch chi hynny yn y lle cyntaf?

[Allan George Dyer]

Re: ...and wir attracting the kidz, narteyemin, yeah?

There seems to be an epidemic of keyboard failures here. The consonant keys appear to be reppeatinng. Perrhhaps ssolch llanfr ddyotsccy ammlly llochylloch yn lllllllylllllllllllllllll

[Paul Johnston]

Re: ...and wir attracting the kidz, narteyemin, yeah?

What does ddywetsoch mean?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: ...and wir attracting the kidz, narteyemin, yeah?

Bendithia eich calon! Mae'n eithaf syml, mewn gwirionedd! Gadewch i 'jyst dorri i lawr, braidd yn:

Been a while since I've seen ROT13 in action, I must say.

[Anonymous Coward]

What,

No radiation sensor?! I'd be especially interested to see if there is a sudden increase this evening when that large CME hits.

Also useful would be a 3 axis magnetometer.

[Robert E A Harvey]

Now you are being ridiculous

>Also useful would be a 3 axis magnetometer.

What would a bear use a magnetometer for?

[Christopher Lane]

Does anyone know how this works from and aircraft/air traffic control point of view?

[Anonymous Coward]

Indeed - a 747 ingesting the payload as it ascends.

Doesn't bear thinking about.

[Lester Haines]

You have to have a NOTAM from the CAA.

[John Gamble]

The Flight of the Cybearg

Blowing raspberries[1] at us from above...

---

1. Also known as the Bronx Cheer in the U.S. Sorry, I don't know if there's a Brit equivalent term.

[Jonathan Richards 1]

Re: The Flight of the Cybearg

I don't know about blowing raspberries, but in that first picture B.B. appears to be pissing himself. This is either because he is anticipating the flight, or he can see some web-cam-fitting bastard approaching with a scalpel...

[Anonymous Coward]

Where is the outrage from all of the union sympathizers? Here you have a bear that didn't elect for that surgery, being made to work in unsafe conditions and isn't even getting paid for it. This bear does not have the working conditions he was promised. He should go on strike.

[smudge]

You can add "being forced to work on statutory holidays" to that, because they are planning to have another go on Bank Holiday Monday.

Because of an equipment malfunction, the bear didn't jump from his platform, but still landed safely in a field, and got some damn good photos on the way.

I raise my glass to Babbage Bear!

[graeme leggett]

perhaps if/when he survives the next one, he can have an extra day's holiday in lieu. Or if he likes the south east - Lewes.

[preppy]

Bear in the Air

The surgery is COMPLETELY unacceptable!!

What's wrong with a helmet-cam, as used by all other dare-devil leapers?

It's a disgrace! You should all be ashamed of this flagrant abuse of defenceless bears.

PS Where's the video footage?

[Martin Budden]

He's not taking much equipment up.

Just the bear necessities.

[Anonymous Coward]

! ! ! THE END OF THE WORLD IS AT HAND ! ! !

Has anyone considered what might result if an inter-galactic craft piloted by bears (Ursus space-farus) should be cruising by and snatch him up? Perhaps thinking they were saving his life? Only to discover that their warm, cuddly friend has been cruelly gutted and stuffed in the name of science?

Surely we we all face their wrath in the form of planet-busting fusion bombs!

Oh, woe is us.

Stan.