If you find yourself in a disagreement with a friend or co-worker you can either settle it using a grownup approach like polite discussion, or with a set of these awesome RC Battletanks. Controlled via an accompanying Android or iOS app they can turn any neutral cubicle into a militarized zone in no time. More »
Remote control toys that are controlled by an iPhone or an iPad are nothing new. We’ve written about remote control cars using smartphones as controllers in the past. Anoter remote-controlled toy designed to work with the iPhone or the iPad is controller has turned up called the iSpy Tank.
The coolest part about this remote controlled tank is not that you can control it with your iOS device, but that the remote-controlled tank also has an integrated camera. This lets you see exactly what the tank is seeing on the screen of your mobile device. That means you can control the car without line-of-sight to the vehicle, from a range of up to 20 to 30 meters (~65 to 98 ft.) away.
The remote-controlled toy can also capture still images or record videos. Control is handled using an app that runs on the smartphone and the app can send the video directly to a computer using your Wi-Fi network. The iSpy Tank is available right now for $99(USD) over at iHelicopters.
If you’re bored of the recent trend of tiny RC cars and helicopters, a company called Armortek has a line of incredibly detailed RC tanks that will surely pique your curiosity. The Centurion Mk5/2 is a 1/6-scale behemoth that even sounds like the real thing thanks to a gas-powered engine and real metal treads. More »
I never expected to find Bluetooth connectivity in a AA battery, but not only does this device now exist, it also seems quite practical. Once it infiltrates the battery compartment of your gadgets you can remotely toggle those gadgets on or off and more. This smart battery is called the Tethercell.
The inventors of the Tethercell – Trey Madhyastha and Kellan O’Connor – chose to make their device in the size of a AA battery because they claim that 60% of “primary battery-operated devices” use that size. Aside from the Bluetooth radio, the Tethercell is packed with other electronics, like a microcontroller, a temperature sensor and a voltage comparator. In turn, the Tethercell is powered by a AAA battery. So what can it do? Together with an iOS app and a Bluetooth 4.0-enabled iOS device, you can use the Tethercell to turn one or multiple gadgets on or off from up to 100ft. away. You can also schedule or set a timer to power off your gadgets and monitor your gadget’s battery level.
Pledge at least $35 (USD) on Indiegogo to reserve a Tethercell. Although it does reduce the available power of a device – you’re essentially replacing one of its AA batteries with a AAA that’s also powering something else – the convenience it provides could be worthwhile for many people – especially adults who want to limit their kids’ playtime with electronic toys. Not to mention its potential for pranks is quite high.
[via Ubergizmo]
Remember Romo, the adorable iPhone-faced track-equipped robot? We met up with Romotive in Vegas at CES 2013 to play with the 3rd generation model that was recently launched on Kickstarter. The company also gave us an exclusive first look at a 3rd generation prototype with Lightning connector. We sat down with CEO Keller Rinaudo to discuss the new robot and catch up on what the team’s achieved over the past year.
As a refresher, we first encountered Romo when we covered it for our Insert Coin feature in October 2011. Back then, the robot used rudimentary analog electronics and plugged into the iPhone’s headphone jack. After a successful initial Kickstarter campaign, Romotive moved from Seattle to Las Vegas where we caught up the team on our stage during CES 2012. The 2nd generation model was available both pre-assembled and it kit form with support for iOS, Android and Windows Phone. It was upgraded to digital electronics but still used the audio interface to control its tracks and featured hacker-friendly auxiliary ports. Hit the break for more.
Gallery: Romo gen 3 hands-on
Continue reading Romo gen 3 gains Lightning connector, we go hands-on (video)
Filed under: Cellphones, Robots, Mobile, Apple
We know the holiday shopping spree has already ended and Christmas is long gone, but a neat new toy is being shown off here at CES from the folks at SilverLit. What we have here is an awesome RC Car that is controlled by your iOS device of choice, but that isn’t all it does. The RC car has speakers, moving doors, actual headlights and more that all work seamlessly with your iPhone or iPad. Listen to music, or annoy your co-workers with this gadget.
While we’ve seen RC cars and other devices controlled by our favorite smartphones before, SilverLit added a few nice features that makes their Mercedes-Benz quite fun. The device is actually meant to be an awesome replica Mercedes-Benz for your office desk or garage. It then doubles as an RC car. It doesn’t just drive around endlessly searching for a garage however, it has other functions.
We first mentioned this a few weeks ago, and now we have the details. Instead of sitting on a desk, you can use this to secretly annoy and surprise co-workers and office mates. The built-in speakers actually jam out and plays your devices iTunes library. Once paired with the SilverLit app you’ll be able to play your own music playlist. Here’s a quick video of it in action although you might not be able to hear the music.
The Mercedes-Benz by SilverLit has integrated speakers that will blast your favorite tunes right from your iPad or iPhone 5 iTunes library. While this isn’t ideal for average users (as we don’t fit in the car) kids can enjoy it, as well as those wanting to have a little fun at the office. Then you’ll be able to make the SilverLit dance. Yes we said dance. The car lights flash to the beat, and the doors will open and close too. It’s actually quite fun and more than just your average RC car. So far pricing hasn’t been finalized by SilverLit, but it will be available this spring.
SilverLit Mercedes-Benz iOS controlled RC Car Hands-on is written by Cory Gunther & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Remotes only have a few select uses for our TVs these days, even with smart TVs, but the folks from Sony are changing how we use and perceive our remotes. At CES Sony announced a few new remotes that pack more than just some batteries inside, instead we have NFC support for easy mirror mode capabilities. Read on for all the details.
Earlier this week we shared the original details, and today we managed to catch up with Sony for a quick hands-on look at their new NFC enabled remote controls for their smart TVs. (read: the expensive ones). So you ask what this is for? And we’ll tell you below.
Want to share the song you’re enjoying on that Xperia smartphone, or the YouTube video you’re viewing on the small screen to the big one? Simply tap your NFC capable Xperia to your Sony remote and their One-touch mirror mode will activate. Within seconds you’ll be streaming that content or enjoying that music on the big screen and your home theater. We saw their easy-pairing approach already, and this is just one more aspect that will make their new smartphones and TVs great.
Sony doesn’t want us fumbling through settings, enabling share features or trying to pair our phone to the TV for hours. Let the built-in settings and NFC (Near Field Communication) feature do it for you. This is so dead simple the mass public should be able to adopt and enjoy the feature with ease. Simply tap your smartphone to the remote and a quick haptic feedback vibration lets you know the connection was received and mirror mode is active. A simple second tap and hold will kill the connection and let you get back to enjoying content on the Xperia display.
As expected, this feature will be exclusive to Sony’s own Xperia devices. While this makes sense for them, the mass public using iPhones or the Galaxy S III could also use this feature and I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of it soon. Hopefully one day soon they’ll open this up for all smartphones to enjoy.
Sony One-touch NFC remote mirroring Hands-on is written by Cory Gunther & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
What’s in a remote? If you’re Sony, it’s an opportunity to pack in some extra connectivity: select models (read: the more expensive sets, from the W800 range and above) from the company’s 2013 line-up will come with a new, NFC-capable clicker, perfect for hooking up your Xperia device for straightforward video and audio streaming.
Sony already showed us its easy-pairing approach using NFC on the Xperia Z, but the system has more uses than just streaming audio over Bluetooth to a speaker or headset. The TV controller – which Sony is calling the One-touch Remote – when tapped briefly against your compatible Xperia phone automatically pairs up a WiFi Direct connection, and begins screen mirroring.
That means photos, videos, music, and apps on the big screen, and in a way that’s probably so straightforward that we can even envisage the mass-market adopting it. Tapping the phone against the remote a second time cuts the connection, with a little haptic-feedback buzz from the Xperia to let you know it’s worked.
In fact, the limiting factor is likely to be the fact that it’s Sony-only right now. Just as with other customized NFC-based systems we’ve seen – Samsung’s S Beam comes to mind, on the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II – there’s no playing nicely between the technologies. Being able to hand your friends and family the remote and have their content almost instantly appear on the big-screen is great; having to frisk them to make sure they have a Sony Xperia first is less impressive.
Sony One-touch Remote adds NFC for easy Xperia screen-sharing is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
While Google already announced support for pushing YouTube video straight to Google TV devices, the company is now announcing support for the same function on new Smart TVs from LG, Sony, and Panasonic. Owners of Smart TVs from these brands can now use the YouTube smartphone app as a remote control of sorts.
At CES 2013 next week, YouTube will be showing off mobile pairing with a number of new devices from manufacturers like Bang & Olufsen, LG, Panasonic, and Sony. The online streaming video service also expects to have the same feature rolling out on other devices throughout the year, from manufacturers such as Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Toshiba, Vizio, and Western Digital.
This feature gives users instant access to videos and channels from the mobile app directly on their TV. They’ll be able to instantly watch videos they’ve found on their mobile devices, or queue them up to be watched as a playlist. The feature also allows multiple different users on the same network to add to a communal playlist, rather than just relying on one device for control.
We can only imagine this feature picking up more steam as it releases on more and more devices. The ability to queue up YouTube videos on your smartphone, and then push them to your television is something to be desired. Plus, watching YouTube videos is a group affair anyway, and it’s best experienced on the TV in the living room.
YouTube launches remote control support on new LG, Sony, and Panasonic TVs is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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