Ambient Orb

"At XPAU, I brought along a build status indicator that I put together for one of the teams we're coaching." "It's called the Ambient Orb, and it's a fist-sized ovoid of frosted glass that can be made to change colors." -- [quoting WilliamPietri]

A few of its colors:

Is generally updated with pager messages, but it can be controlled directly, through a serial port. Developer's documentation, for serial port control: http://www.ambientdevices.com/developer/OrbHDK.pdf

See: "Automated Continuous Integration and the Ambient Orb™" at http://blogs.msdn.com/mswanson/articles/169058.aspx

Alternatives:

Or go the cheap route (post-dot-com-crash), and fill up a baby-blue water-balloon, putting the blow hole underneath.

ColorUsbStatusLamp may be a more practical alternative: http://www.delcom-eng.com/products_USBLMP.asp (a USB-driven color lamp) (Big color picture of 'em on the ColorUsbStatusLamp page.)

See http://groups.yahoo.com/group/extremeprogramming/message/77509 for various links to various sites, including building a cheap $45 copy from a closet lamp and notes on running LEDs from parallel port lines.

Tiki mask, X-10 controller, and colored chili lights - as an idea: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/extremeprogramming/message/77527

The UrbanSim project (http://www.urbansim.org/) used old traffic lights. ...purchased from http://www.trafficlights.com/scottsig.htm

I still think the original Ambient Orb is cooler: http://theorb.com/

[See other BuildStatusIndicators.]