Taking a few notes from the Hindenburg disaster, China’s Amax Toys has created what appears to be a remote control flying zeppelin letting you recreate the glory days air travel. But upon closer examination, it’s actually a dual-rotor RC helicopter with a rollcage designed to only look like a blimp. More »
Remote controlled toys are dime a dozen, but once in a while, something new comes out that plays on such a premise, and the $59.99 R/C Quadcopter from Thinkgeek would definitely be one of them. All right, it might resemble that of a UFO from afar, but rest assured, it will not be the vehicle of choice for aliens to perform an invasion. Do take into consideration that this puppy is not suitable for those who are under 3 years of age since it contains small parts, but apart from that, let yourself loose with the R/C Quadcopter which comes in 4-Channel, 6 Axis Gyro, 2.4Ghz glory.
There will be a quartet of additional propellers that enables it to perform in a 360 degree mode, enabling it to perform aerial somersaults. It is nice to know that the R/C Quadcopter has kept up with the times, with the ability to be recharged via USB for its 3.7 V Li-polymer battery. A full charge is said to offer up to 7 minutes of flying time, which should be ideal to irritate the heck out of your pet cat or dog.
[ R/C Quadcopter for some remote controlled fun copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
These awesome little R/C tanks can be controlled with your iOS mobile devices. That means that you can have tank wars with all of your gadget-obsessed friends and family. They are modeled on real German army tanks used during Second World War, but these ones are palm-sized.
They go by the name RC Tank Combat Raj USB (Or the less exciting “model number RCCOMBAT34.”) They feature infrared sensors that you use to point your cannon at other tanks. Once you hit the enemy tank’s sensor at top of the turret four times, you win. They look like they have nice maneuverability and speed. Much better than that of a real tank.
The caterpillar rubber grips on the treads make it adhere to most surfaces and able to scale elevations of up to 30 degrees. These tanks will go for about 5 minutes before they need a charge. Then you just charge via a USB connection.
These awesome little military toys are compatible with all iOS models including iPhone 5, iPhone 4/4S, iPod touch, all iPads and the iPad mini. They retail for ¥2,780 (~$30 USD) each, or ¥4,980 (~$53 USD) for a pair over at Japan’s JTT Online, and you can use a service like White Rabbit Express to import them for a small fee.
[via Damngeeky]
It’s tradition, or an old charter, or something, that no self-respecting geek would ever surrender their TV zapper or their smartphone. Fortunately for Sky customers, those two things are now one and the same. The company has tweaked its Sky+ Android app to offer the same remote control functions found on the iOS version, letting users change channels, play, pause and rewind the picture. The update meanders out from today, and will work so long as your Sky+HD box is connected to the same WiFi network as your phone or tablet.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, HD
Doctor Who fans, listen up! Now is definitely not the time to back out from what is one of the cooler and more affordable Doctor Who merchandise. Heck, if you think that your other half might appreciate this a whole lot more compared to the umpteenth tie that you are getting him for this coming Valentine’s Day, then perhaps it would bode the both of you well to pick up the $34.99 Doctor Who Dalek R/C Watch.
Other than tell the time (which some would claim that this is its secondary function), the Doctor Who Dalek R/C Watch sports a detachable mini blue-colored Dalek that when placed on a flat surface and is within range of the digital watch, it can be controlled remotely using the buttons located on your new timepiece. Whenever not in use, make sure your favorite exterminator will remain attached to the watch or to a keychain.
This does seem to be quite a novel idea, and kids might just fall for it despite us being in the iPhone age at the moment. Who knows, it might just be as popular as those calculator watches with remote control capability from Casio all those years ago?
[ Doctor Who Dalek R/C Watch copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Nah, it is neither, but rather, chances are your neighbors and kids in the vicinity would be looking at the $14.95 Spaceman VFO Hand Sensor Electric RC Helicopter UFO. I am not quite sure just how true the claim of this being “the most advanced RC toy ever” is, but basically, it will be able to float around in a stationary manner just like that of a UFO as depicted in popular culture.
Well, the Spaceman VFO Hand Sensor Electric RC Helicopter UFO does not need you to have any kind of piloting credentials, as all you need to control it around would be the up and down movement with the IR transmitter. Of course, as its name suggests, you too, will be able to erly on the palm of your hand to control it, where placing your hand under the hovering helicopter in ‘sense mode’ will see some kind of modern day magic at work.
If you are feeling rather adventurous, then just turn off the lights when dusk falls, and you will be treated to a light show. Those who do not know that you own the Spaceman VFO Hand Sensor Electric RC Helicopter UFO might actually call the cops and say make a report of a UFO being in the neighborhood! It runs not on an alien energy source, but rather, will rely on old school AA batteries to keep it going.
[ Spaceman VFO Hand Sensor Electric RC Helicopter UFO copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
GoPro cameras are great for capturing race-track or extreme sports footage, but Lehmann Aviation wants to take the compact camcorders to the sky with the new autonomous LA100 UAV drones. Designed for those who want to capture bird-level footage but don’t have time to learn how to fly a glider or other aircraft, the LA100 is fully automatic and follows a preset flight-plan at 80-100m height, coming straight back after its finished the loop.
Along the way it’s gathering footage from the GoPro, which can be mounted either on the top of the drone for forward-facing shots, or underneath for a view of the ground as it whizzes past. The LA100 can in face support two cameras simultaneously, despite weighing in at 850g.
The predominantly carbon fiber and foam wing is 92cm across, and it can fly in conditions of -25 degrees centigrade to 60 degrees centigrade, and even if there’s a strong prevailing wind. Maximum flight time is five minutes, with a range of up to half a kilometer, and it’s launched by simply tossing it forward into the air.
Lehmann Aviation is asking €990 ($1,338) for the LA100 UAV – though that doesn’t include a GoPro camera – which is a whole lot less than the company’s more professional drones. More detail in the video below.
[via Designboom]
Lehmann Aviation LA100 drone takes GoPro to new autonomous heights is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
HTC doesn’t have a smartwatch like the Pebble, but it does have the HTC Mini, an NFC-equipped remote control and handset accessory which will be exclusively offered in China alongside the HTC Butterfly. The svelte handset – resembling an old candybar-style dumbphone – hooks up via Bluetooth to your Butterfly, so HTC suggests, and can be used for making calls without pulling the smartphone out of your pocket, as well as other things.
NFC is used to pair the HTC Mini with the Butterfly – aka the non-US version of the DROID DNA – after which point it works as a remote terminal. In addition to calls, it can show messages on its monochrome display, calendar entries, and call logs.
However, it will also apparently work as a remote control, useful when the Butterfly is plugged in to your TV and used as a media device. Then, the Mini can navigate through menus when the Butterfly is tethered near to the screen via HDMI; it also looks like it can be used to trigger the shutter in the camera app.
Finally, there’s a handy “find my phone” feature which makes the Butterfly ring when you’ve put it down somewhere and can’t locate it. No word on how much the HTC Mini might cost, though we’re hoping the company releases it as an accessory in markets other than China.
HTC Mini is your Butterfly’s candybar remote control and handset is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Netflix has officially detailed its Apple AirPlay alternative, DIAL, created in collaboration with YouTube and promising intuitive second-screen entertainment. Already garnering the support of the BBC, Sony, Hulu, and Samsung, DIAL – or “discovery and launch” – aims to streamline the second-screen experience, by automatically discovering compliant devices and starting up apps on them. So, the Netflix app on your phone will be able to spot any Netflix-compatible TVs nearby, and open up the functionality instantly.
That way, rather than forcing users to open up an app on their phone or tablet, and on their smart TV or STB-enabled TV, and then make sure they’re paired together, it should be a one-button process. That’s pretty much what AirPlay does – automatically locating other AirPlay gadgets on the same network – but whereas Apple’s system is limited to the company’s own hardware, DIAL is being offered up freely.
Unlike AirPlay, however, DIAL doesn’t include any screen-sharing abilities; instead, that functionality will be left up to the app developers themselves to initiate, should they want to. Instead, it’s being positioned as broader than that, in the expectation that more developers will jump onboard if it’s more flexible.
What DIAL can do that AirPlay can’t, meanwhile, is prompt smart TV users to download and install relevant apps if they’re available, to unlock new features, as well as open up web apps on internet-connected sets. Chrome support may also be added, allowing the browser on your laptop to open up apps on your TV.
All well and good, but compatibility is the key to success, and there DIAL has something of an advantage already. According to Netflix, current-gen Google TV hardware already has support for DIAL, and there’s some support in 2012-range Samsung and LG sets; Sony is also expected to get onboard, since it and Samsung were apparently instrumental in testing DIAL during its development.
Netflix will be allowing DIAL adoptees to use the phrase “based on DIAL” in their branding, though will be licensing out use of the logo itself separately. There’ll also be a mandatory registry – which currently includes Pandora, Hulu, the BBC, Flingo, and more – for “first screen” apps (i.e. those shown on your TV) with DIAL support.
[via GigaOm]
Forget AirPlay: Netflix and YouTube out DIAL for second-screen simplicity is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
The problem with robot vacuums like the Roomba is that they’re only designed to deal with dirt on the floor. The rest of your house—from furniture, to counter tops, to shelves—is left for you to clean: a chore made considerably more awesome with this remote control duster. More »
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