Further proof that every generation of kids has it better than the last, Air Hogs new Hover Assault means youngsters no longer have to choose between an RC car or an RC helicopter. Because this is both, and manages to somehow up the awesome even further with a set of remotely fired missiles. More »
Infrared is making a comeback, and LG is hoping its new Optimus Vu II special edition – and a companion universal remote app – will earn it pride of place in the living room. Set to arrive in South Korea in September, the Optimus Vu II will control over 300 brands of TV, set-top boxes, A/V equipment and other technology, with the new QRemote app automatically recognizing when you’re at home.
When the Vu II figures out you’re connected to your home WiFi network, it automatically adds remote control shortcut buttons to its lockscreen. That way, even if your phone is locked, the rest of your family and your friends can use it to control your home entertainment system.
That addresses one of the main complaints about such multi-function gadgetry: making it convenient for several users often undermines security for one. Samsung has a number of tablets that offer universal remote features, for instance, but you’ll need to leave them unlocked – or tell everyone your PIN – if you want them to be able to access the control app itself.
LG hasn’t said much else about the Vu II, which implies the phone will be otherwise akin to its Vu sibling: big screen, somewhat odd 4:3 aspect ratio, and stylus support. No word on whether it will launch outside of Korea.
LG Optimus Vu II adds universal remote to the phablet mashup is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
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LG just outed the Optimus Vu II for the Korean market, designed around a remote control app, QRemote. The company’s translated PR claims (erroneously) that the new device will be “the world’s first smartphone using infrared,” letting it operate gear like set-top boxes and home appliances, including other companies’ products. The device is scheduled to launch next month in the maker’s home country, around the time the Tegra 3-powered Optimus Vu will go on sale in the US as Verizon’s LG Intuition. The company hasn’t released any technical details for the phone — in fact, other than the remote functions, we don’t even know if there are any changes from the current pen-capable model. In any case, it might give pause to another Korean maker about to announce an awfully similar product.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Household, Tablets
LG announces infrared-equipped Optimus Vu II and universal remote app originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 09:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
While there are plenty of ways to add a remote-controlled starter to your car so you can let the engine warm up before you get in it, it’s not common to find a car that you can actually drive using the same remote. A newly released car in China is capable of being operated from outside of the car using its remote control.
The BYD Su Rui includes a palm-size remote control which lets its owner operate it from outside the vehicle. Now before you get any funny ideas about life-size R/C car races, you should know that the remote is limited to a distance of about 33 feet, and the car won’t go over 1.24MPH. The remote also doesn’t have analog controls or a remote camera – just a D-Pad. Have you ever tried playing a racing game with a D-Pad?
Presumably, this capability is designed to allow its owner to park the car in tight parking spaces and garages from outside of the car. It’s not a bad idea for those circumstances, I suppose, but I think I’d rather have some sort of parking assist feature for those times, like Ford’s automated parallel parking feature. They also say you can use the feature to bring the car to you when the weather is bad – though the distance limit might present some problems with that.
Given its speed and distance limitations, I wonder how quickly a hacker will get their hands on one of these and mod it so there’s no speed limiter, and they can operate it from a greater distance. That’s certainly the first thing I’d try and do if I had one.
Prices for the BYD Su Rui range from 65,900 to 99,000 Yuan (~$10228 to $15579 USD). Not too bad as car prices go – especially ones with a remote control.
[via Car News China via Gadget Review]
Have you watched “Tomorrow Never Dies”, where 007 controlled his BMW 750iL with his Ericsson handset? Well, that was certainly fantasy back in the day, but just like how most folks wondered when will large scale touchscreen technology arrive in the real world after watching Minority Report and seeing how tablets and smartphones are all pervasive today, we would not bet against a remote controlled car being on our streets in a decade’s time, either. What you see above is actually a China-made remote controlled car, but it is still a far cry from what James Bond’s BMW 750iL is capable of.
For starters, this full-sized, road-legal sedan that can be controlled via a remote control is extremely limited in its mobility. We are looking at a maximum speed that would be unable to overtake your everyday jogger – a mere 2km/h, tops. Not only that, it will function when the operator is no more than 33 feet away. The thing is, this is the first full size remote control sedan to date, and we do hope to see vast improvements made to it soon, especially concerning the top speed.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: This RC car shoots and speeds, This remote controlled armored drink carrier will ensure your beverage is delivered safely,
Chinese web titan Tencent and TCL Multimedia have torn the wraps off the Ice Screen, a jointly developed 26-inch smart TV with a 1,366 x 768 display that allows users to browse the web, access videos, music and games through QQ services. Under the hood, the Android-powered television houses a dual-core Cortex A9 1GHz processor, a Mali 400 GPU, 4GB of RAM and support for a memory card of up to 32GB in size. An IR remote and an app for devices sporting version 2.2 or higher of Google’s OS can be used to control the tube, which can sit horizontally or vertically in its stand. On the connectivity front, the panel packs Wi-Fi, a pair of USB ports, HDMI and a 3.5mm headphone jack. You can plunk down ¥1,999 (roughly $315) for an online pre-order before its September 3rd launch. More details await in the press release after the jump.
Continue reading Tencent and TCL unveil Ice Screen: a 26-inch Android-based smart TV
Filed under: Home Entertainment
Tencent and TCL unveil Ice Screen: a 26-inch Android-based smart TV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Aug 2012 10:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
If the Moleskine notebook buried in your bag serves as more of a design accessory than a place to jot notes, imagine the impressed looks you’ll get when you pull out Molla Space’s new line of black moulded notebooks. More »
Fans of Windows Media Center will have a new remote control option soon, as Ceton has pushed out some release candidates of its mobile device Companion apps. Beta testers should be seeing some new features including an updated program guide with infinite scrolling, plus universal search through the guide, movies, recorded TV, TV series and channels, as well as series recording management and overall speed improvements. Currently only the Windows Phone and iOS clients are considered at RC level with the Android version not quite there and lacking the guide search feature. Those in the test group can hit the source links to make sure they’ve got the latest versions of the apps and services for their HTPC, while those of us on the outside looking in can get a quick preview from the demo video embedded after the break and pics in the gallery.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Software
Ceton’s Media Center Companion apps for mobiles hit RC status, add new features (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Aug 2012 18:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We love a tasty mélange of gadgets, and that’s just what photographer / hacker David Hunt has served up with a Raspberry Pi board inserted into his DSLR’s battery grip. He used the handle for power, while exposing the Pi’s USB, network and video ports for easy on-camera access, and so far he’s managed to transmit images via WiFi and ethernet. But the Raspbian Linux OS opens up a world of potential DIY accessories, like wireless tethered shooting (with the addition of a WiFi dongle), cheap USB instant backup, storage, remote control from anywhere in the world and an intervalometer for timelapse photography. That’s just for starters — with the credit card sized board now in so many hands, the permutations are endless.
Filed under: Digital Cameras, Misc. Gadgets
DSLR gets dollop of Raspberry Pi for future home-baked camera accessories originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Aug 2012 10:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Media server all-rounder Plex has just rolled out a raft of goodies for Android and Google TV in its latest release, version 2.2.1.2. If you notice more pep in its step, the maker said on its blog that “yep, this is a performance and stability release,” adding that image and page load times in particular have been boosted. The other major upgrade is the addition of Plex iOS or Android remote control support for Plex on Google TV, letting you couch surf with smartphone in hand. It was also revealed recently by Ouya that Plex would be supported on its Android gaming console as soon as it’s released. Feel free to hit the source to find the new version, then the sofa — but forget about the pony, you can’t have everything.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablet PCs, Networking
Plex brings extra hustle to Android, remote control to Google TV, Ouya support, ponies for everyone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 09:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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