Hm... That sounds like an extremely interesting story...
Mike sent me one of his kits to whip up some software to drive the VFD. I put the board on the floor and plugged it in. Then I got up to check how the display was supposed to be connected. A minute later it smells like burning plastic; Since I hadn't been cooking lately, this was not expected. The voltage regulator got burning hot, cooked all the way through the PCB and melted the carpet underneath.