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Former Lockheed Skunkworks Engineer Auctioning a Prototype "Spy Rock"
ilikenwf writes "For a cool $10,000,000.00, the prototype of a surveillance rock full of spy gadgets could be yours! More importantly, server backups from the gentleman's time at Lockheed are included, being the real valuable in this auction, as it contains schematics and such. The seller seems to think that the current xBee radio products are actually based on his work with Lockheed. The proceeds will go towards legal action the seller is apparently taking against his former employer." This may be the most unusual eBay product description I've ever encountered, and one of the most interesting, too.
Does the rock also keep tigers away? Because if so, SOLD!
Something tells me that version 2.0 of these skunk-work projects will show up at your doorstep if you show serious interest in this offer.
To Terminate, or not to Terminate, that's the question - SCSIROB
Sounds about right for a second hand webcam in a Styrofoam rock.
Because a Rasberry Pi, slightly outdated cellphone, wireless router, digital TV tuner card or USB device, flash memory, styrofoam, and spraypaint aren't exactly that expensive as OTS component resources in regards to being able to roll your own. Outside of custom software and knowing how to put the hardware together, it should be possible for under $1000 easy.
It is a pity that the poster has never actually read the description of the auction, otherwise they would have found that:
"The pictures depicted from this auction show some of the early prototypes from the project; however, it should be noted that none of that hardware will be included in this auction as I had a non-intentionally set fire :) that transpired at my house in the storage area where my prototypes were, that destroyed most if not all of the prototype hardware from the initial project development with Lockheed. Those pictures were taken during the development process at one of Lockheed's SCIFs located in Northern Virgina, as is evidenced by the yellow caution tape you see on the floor there in the first few pictures. The last picture was one of the sample images generated from a RockCam installed across the street from one of the engineer's house."
and
" 1) Microhard Spectra 910 900MHz serial line radio with power supply (this was a prototype 900MHz radio that I believe went on to become the current generation of ZigBee-based XBee radios; 2) A collection of PC104-based enclosures and motherboards, with various interfacing such as serial ports, USB ports, etc; 3) A Mobile Wireless Technologies RM1000g AVS vehicle transponder with WWAN and GPS tracking support; 4) Novate wireless prototyping board; 5) GNU X-Tools cross compilation software; and 6) A CD filled with backup materials during several years of the company (the most valuable part of this auction obviously)"
So still some nice hw and docs, but certainly no "spy rocks" included. RTFA, guys!
Sounds like he was fired from the contract company that he was 10% owner of, and told that Lockheed did not buy the product (and thus no delivery of the final product). And now it appear that either Lockheed did buy the product after all or else it was sold at a later date to a third party (somehow xBee eventually got it). So he wants his 10%. The suit is against this contractor company.
"In 2002-2003, I was the Chief Technology Officer for a Boston-based hardware research and development firm, Advanced Wireless Automation (AWA)."
"Based upon my equity ownership in the company and the fact that all AWA computing resources were conducted on my own personal equipment using my own datacenter and my Internet connection, it is well within my right to auction off the backups related to the now-defunct AWA."
Will be interesting to see if there is really someone who buys before the auction ends. In effect, he/she will fund the legal campaign of his/her opponent ...
You know it's time for the next revolution when your rulers' names end with roman numerals.
One of the risks of working on DoD projects is they have a nice little loophole in patent law that allows them to take IP from one company and give it to another without risking legal consequences. There have been quite a few documented cases over the years of well connected 'buddy' contractors essentially going to the DoD and saying 'company X has cool stuff, but we do not want to pay for it, so how about we build it for you instead?' and getting the stolen IP. Since it is connected to 'national security' the normal laws are suspended.