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Victorinox Announces Cybertool
Gryff writes "Victorinox, makers of the fine Swiss Army line of knives, has just announced a Cybertool version. It has 13 different screwdrivers and a total of 34 functions including, according to the pictures on that page, tightening peripheral cables, pulling chips and setting dip switches. And - hey! - it's see-through to match your iMac and Visor.
"
I had a Victorinox, lost is skiing and looked at Victorinox and Wenger models to replace it. The Wenger won by a hair, I thought the scissors were slightly better.
George
But Victorinox doesn't make te Swiss Army Chainsaw. Larry Wall does.
--The basis of all love is respect
First off, manufacturers like Victoriknox have geared themselves up to selling knives by the crate to thousands of customers, not by the unit to millions of customers. They aren't geared to end-customer retail, and would lose money setting themselves up for this sort of thing.
Secondly, manufacturers would usually piss off their channels by selling direct. If I were selling Victorinox knives retail, I would be peeved to find myself in direct competition with Victorinox itself!
That being said, it would make a hell of a lot of sense for them to link you to both online and brick-and-mortar retailers. It makes their channels happy, sells more knives, and is a lot cheaper for Victorinox than setting up their own international retail operation.
--The basis of all love is respect
The hex set, tweezers, and DIP switch pen/probe are useful. Beyond that, the rest doesn't look up to snuff. Here's what I could use when traveling:
:) or simple cable tester and a toothbrush for those 3AM-in-wiring-closet moments.
1.) Inspection mirror!
2.) Internal flashlight with short fiber optic concentrator (like those US $5 attachments for Mag lights) hinged opposite so it can be directed at the mirror.
3.) Guillotine-style wire stripper (like a cigar snip with distension tension).
4.)Ratchet crimper for RJ-11. (move it over for second crimp on RJ-45).
5.)Ratchet screwdriver with long, thin extension.
6.) Flip out RJ-11 or RJ-45 coupler and MDI-X adapter. (Use snap in modules for what you need to carry.)
7.) Maybe a basic voltmeter?
8.) Magnifier. (Great for fiber too)
9.) TP time domain reflectometer
10.) Pill holder. (hari-kiri, headaches, irregularity, gastic reflux, ulcer, anti-hair loss, stimulants, sedatives, etc.)
Now all I need on this thing:
+ a flip-out dentist's mirror so I can peer behind a case that's against the wall
+ an LED to light the area because it's under the desk against the wall
+and a thingy that tells me if the socket I'm feeling is a DB15, DB9, DB25, or PS2, DIN, or RJ11 or RJ14
Something that magically flipped the cable I'm holding to orient said DB or DIN or RJ plug the right way would be a bonus.
[
does it have an Ethernet port?
I'd settle for RS-232 even.
--
Someone you trust is one of us.
1. run linux?
2. run rc5des? (and how many keys will it get?)
3. run beos?
4. have drivers in the next kernel?
-Chris
... and it's quite nice! The bits come in handy and IIRC I can swap them out for other styles when necessary (there's a Victorinox shop in STamford CT last time I looked)..
;)
I'll still wear my Swiss Army "Leatherman" (all the blades lock) but this fellow is a welcome addition to my Swiss ARmy collection..
(and the translucent sides are cooler than they sound.. Just ask the nerd who owns one..
IMO, Victorinox have done a fine job in designing the CyperTool without sacrificing the compact size and quality you will expect from a swiss army knife. They have added enough tools to repair most of the things the average geek will have. If they were to add even more tools, it would have sacrificed the compact size and thus making it another Swiss Champ and also making it another "kit" due to the fact that they can't fit some of the tools into the knife itself.
I myself, own a Swiss Champ and that thing is pretty heavy, however it will fix almost anything I encounter almost on a daily basis; it comes in very handy when there isn't a toolbox nearby. Because I own the Swiss Champ, I am fairly familiar with the tools that are featured in the CyperTool, and therefore, I will explain some of the little features that it may include:
The pliers itself has a built in wire cutter, though it will only cut wires up to #15 copper. Since this tool is meant for "electronics" repair, the wire size restriction shouldn't be a problem since wires used in most electronics are #18+ anyway.
The large flathead screwdriver has a 2 position feature: you can make it straight (as pictured on Victorinox's page), or u can make it bent into a 90 degree angle which will allow you to provide more torque or when you are operating in tight spaces. It also features a wire stripper; again, it may only work well with #15 wires that have a soft plastic wire covering.
The universal hook featured, I don't think it comes in very useful in terms of electronics repair other than pulling wires at its side; maybe they added that into there just to take up space?
The patented mini-screwdriver can be removed, and it fits right into the corkscrew where it is stored, however they could have just make a mini-screwdriver bit for the socket type screwdriver.
The pin also fits into the plastic casing (at its backside) near where the corkscrew folds out
They may have modified the ballpoint pen to have a "push-action", but that ballpoint pen may come in useful for writing down notes when you don't have a pen at all; the pen stores next to the toothpick at the knife's backside
I believe all the screwdriver bits are stored in the black metal fold outs, and the socket screwdriver & bitholder (it may be detachable) may also be another fold out tool
The reamer/punch features a 1 bladed side that comes in useful when you are trying to "drill" holes
Both the pliers and the scissors have springs (replacable) in them so they can open back up after you push down on them.
The Inox (international name for stainless steel) used in creating most of the parts of the knife are of the highest quality; the knife blade itself is VERY sharp, and the other inox tools are very hard to wear out.
I just called the place I ordered my Swiss Champ from, and they sell the CyperTool for $67, its expensive since its new; I got my Swiss Champ for $80, I think. Checked out Shaper Edge, their number is also on that page, the sales line is open 24/7, though they say they have the 11-7 store hours.
There is long running arguement about which swiss army knife is "genuine", and I will try to settle this. Both the Victorinox and Wenger knives are genunine/official according to the Swiss government. Victorinox (based in Ibach, in a Swiss/German canton) created the very first "swiss army" knife back in 1891, and then Wenger (based in Delémont, in a Swiss/French canton) started making their own in around 1893. There was an official decision by the Swiss government to make products made by both companies to be "official" in order to keep the cantons at peace. It means the Swiss Army will use 50% of the knives from each company (only recruits get a knife). The way the Swiss government defines it as official is by the use of the Swiss Cross; it is illegal to use the Swiss Cross without authorization by the Swiss government. Because of this agreement, Victorinox and Wenger agreed to use "Original Swiss Army Knife" and "Genuine Swiss Army Knife" respectively. While the meanings used by those slogans are confusing, both are genuine Swiss Army knives.
Wenger have traditionally supplied the soldiers from the German-speaking cantons, Victorinox from the French-speaking areas. They've done a very Swiss thing to share the business: Wenger is the "Genuine Swiss Army Knife"; Victorinox is the "Original Swiss Army Knife". So no-one loses out.
Victorinox made its first delivery to the Swiss Army in 1891, Wenger was founded in 1893. But today both, Victorinox and Wenger, deliver their knifes to the Swiss Army.
But anyway. Tomorrow I will head to the factory (it's on my way home) and buy such a Cybertool.
Now that Victorinox has provided the world with yet another multitool, Microsoft will follow suit with their WindozeTool: -Blades made of durable Win32 api's! -Has built-in reset when it GPF's when tightening a screw! -Has built-in biometric reader in grip to identify and then give all personal info of user directly to Billy "Money" Gates himself! -WindozeTool NT adds more "stability" and "security" by locking tools in place with rubber bands -all for the low, low price of $1999.00 (plus support on a per-instance basis)
"Dancing is the vertical expression of a horizontal desire" --Robert Frost
I just called the Australian distributers, Sheldon & Hammond Pty.Ltd,and they said that the CyberTool won't be available in australia until *sometime* next year.... pfft.
netsrek
i don't read slashdot anymore.
"Damnit, man, hand me that crimping tool, the needle-nose pliers, and that Knuth Vol 5! I'll get this bottle open if it's an O(N^10) operation!"
Let's be honest, Real Geeks (tm) crack the Corona mainframe and alter the delivery schedule...
Beer Dude: "Well, this doesn't look like a bar, but it's the address the computer said. Are you positive you have a liquor license?"
Geek: "Positive. Put the beer behind the Beowulf cluster in the back. Watch out for the cat5 cables..."
Nah... Real Geeks (tm) would probably create a time-accelerator, to make slow-brewed beer in 2 minutes. Either that or they'd engineer some nanomites to make beer out of water and concrete...
-- I can't think of anything witty to put here. Sorry.
I'll take plastic - preferably a strong, tough plastic with lots of UV inhibitors, of course.
I ALWAYS want a non-conductive handle on any tool I might use on electronic or electrical equipment - just in case I screw up and work it "Hot" by accident. I've gotten a few "pokes" in my time, and I'd prefer not to get the permanent one.
Belt and suspenders...
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
(The original version predates unix. Substitute "customer engineer" for "hardware engineer" and "administrator" for "root".)
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
People make iMac look-a-like disk drives because iMacs have no drives. People make iMac look-a-like mice because iMac mice stink. Clearly, there is a need for clear plastic in those products :) But you can't accesorize your iMac with this knife, because there is nothing to unscrew on an iMac!!! The only opening pops off- there is no way to open the rest of it up. What they need is a clear-plastic chainsaw to open up the iMac case... or a clear-plastic paperclip to reboot the things. ~luge
IAAL,BIANLY
... is the Victorniox SwissTool, but with a nicer wirestripper (another poster referred to it as a guillotine-type stripper), the screwdriver and bit-holder off the CyberTool, a mirror, a light, a crimper, and perhaps a lighter (as someone else said - fun with fire for pyromaniacs). It's okay that the thing would have to be bigger.
Come to think of it, perhaps a better CyberTool would be more or less the same size and construction as a SwissTool, but would replace the SwissTool's tools with aforementioned mirror, crimper, stripper, screwdriver (preferrably ratchet) with bits, light, and lighter - no other tools onboard. You'd use it along with another knife. Two holsters on my belt, and I don't need my toolbox except to solder.
Where have the great inventions of the world come from. Have they come in an expensive lab equipped with expensive equipment? No, while these inventions may have been improved there, the fact of the matter is that it is the tinkerer that has done the most to advance technology.
But if we allow devilish tools such as this, the age of the tinkerer is brought even closer to the edge. And that is a future that I don not want to live in. Could I like in a future that requires more than a roll of ducktable and an all-purpose bendable iron wire to live? Could you?
It is time to start the backlash. Time to return to the day when the freedom of invention was available to more than the select few in a lab. Fight with me my brethren! We'll fight, and we'll win!
N.B. - Actually, I think the tool looks pretty cool
14 digits of Pi are all we need.
Admittedly, having all those swappable screwdriver heads stored in the knife is pretty cool--one less thing to have in my bag.... ;)
Is there any talk of releasing it under the GPL? ;-)
Beige shall be the colour of computers and the colour of computers shall be beige. Black shall they not be, nor either shall they be grey, unless they will then be painted beige. Translucent anything is right out.
I always find that a nice bottle of champagne puts me in the perfect mood to flip some dip switches.
Seriously though, what's the deal? I think even my official Boy Scout pocket knife had a cork screw. Like all those 12 year olds often find themselves in an occasion to need it. Honestly, don't they know that whiskey the prefered hard liquor of the Boy Scouts of America?
It's never going to replace my Leatherman.
And, on a different note. I found out upon going to Switzerland that the locals all agree that Wenger is the Genuine Swiss Army Knife.
I think it's odd that even on their page where they sell the cybertool they mention it as an novelty.
Joseph Elwell.
...is this meant to be used?
...and this thang here, pop it in the cork, and look! Lets all have some cognac!
::
Presumably not in a big computing facility, since they should have multiple sets of full-size tools for use (we ain't all elves...) -- and if somebody's a pro doing field work, or is in their own home, then odds are pretty good appropriate tools are owned, as well.
So, unless you're trying to fix a laptop while deep in the jungle...
---------------
User A: Damn! The ThinkPad is on the fritz!
User B: No prob, mate, got mah handy-dandy Cybahknife here.
User A: You're what?
User B: Ah said, a Cybahknife.
User A: What_ever_. Just fix the damn thing.
User B: And lookee here, hold it here, I'll pop the battery port while you use the other end to ope' the beer can.
User A: What the...
User B:
User A: Aiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeee!
as fanatical Gerber and Leatherman fans storm the area, trampling all the local wildlife, followed by folks claiming that their K-Bars are the only real knives and demonstrate by felling young trees. Eventually, tho', A and B enjoy some warm cognac, warmer (!) beer, and a fixed laptop.
:: fade to black
Only the dead have seen the end of war.
BTW: did you see the 'executive' model there? Nail file, scissors and a small blade (for opening letters?). That's it. Sez a lot about the abilities of the targeted executives. Maybe they should also make a 'boss' model: no tools any more, just the red plastic, to throw at underlings...
Use The Source, Luke!
You're just soooo wrong. My NeXTs look excellent in black! Can you imagine them in beige? Bleugh!
eris:~$ dd if=/dev/zero of=~/.signature bs=1 count=120
On a machine called eris, surely you should be using /dev/random, not /dev/zero? :-)
"The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike." -- Delos B. McKown
Actually, I have one and wouldn't be without it. It's small, the blade is sharp, the file has a screwdriver tip which is ideal for getting to small screws that are inaccessible to the larger models (due to the tin opener getting in the way), and the scissors are useful for stripping wires if nothing else. And it comes in black :-)
Of course I also have a larger one, too. Sadly, they don't seem to do them without the corkscrews any more -- you used to be able to get a crossheaded screwdriver instead of the corkscrew -- much more useful.
"The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike." -- Delos B. McKown
".. I like pork!"
- Brak