I remember growing up around Heathkits and TAB books. My dad was an electronics hobbyist, and I dreamt of robotic companions like K-9 scurrying around the house. Of course, we never built that army, but my lifelong dream of easily-sourced and rapidly-built robots and other gadgets just might become a reality if Bug Labs has their way.

You see, the problem with trying to make your own MP3 player or PDA is that there are scant few electronics interface standards. The chips of yesteryear were simple enough to talk to each other with relative ease. Today we've got a mishmash of manufacturers, and a lot more specialization. Interoperability is the stumbling block. What we really need is a sort of common language for electronics. Much like that the http protocol does to make all websites work and talk together. Bug Labs is hoping to create just such a lingua franca for electronics components. Imagine having a bunch of building blocks, like electronic LEGO's that you can connect together to make things work.

Will it be successful? Will you someday be able to make your own iPod? Only time and energy (and money) will tell. But I'm hoping Bug makes this a reality, because I still want a K-9 that can talk to my fridge.