Remote Control Toys
Remote control gadgets are probably one of the most fun toys out there. Here we share our experiences with the latest R/C gadgets we’ve found.
Looking to buy for a remote control gift this Christmas, check out our remote control toy gift guide.
Swann Helicopters with Wireless Cameras – Say Cheese!
I remember flying model airplanes with my dad, filling them with fuel and running around the field with the rather large control box with an antennea on it… not to mention the little orange ribbon tied to the top of it, I guess to protect others from flying into it. I also remember our plane ending up on someone elses frequency and flying into a tree. Good times they were… good times.
My how times have changed, Swann, the guys that bring you advanced security sytems, proudly introduces three new additions to its line of RC helicopters: two that feature on-board wireless video cameras and another that is controlled by your iPhone, iPod or iPad. The Sky Eye and Black Swann actually let users record their flights as videos or you can opt for still photos all with the touch of a button and then you can easily share them with friends via the included USB cable. Continue reading » Swann Helicopters with Wireless Cameras – Say Cheese!
Upside Down Helicopter
Since the world is getting more and more topsy turvy these days (the Arab Spring of 2011, snow that was supposed to show up in Christmas making an appearance only now, the works!), why not go with the flow by picking up the $79.95 Upside Down Helicopter? This remote controlled helicopter, as its name suggests, is capable of flying upside down. Boasting two pairs of contra-rotating coaxial main rotors that can unclip easily from each swash plate, when you invert and reattach them, the rotors will deliver a similar amount of lift as well as gyroscopic inertia to prevent it from crashing down to the ground.
Heck, it will even be able to move up and down, as well as make its way left or right in mid-air. There is a switch on the infrared remote that does away with the need to reverse joystick directions or remove the horizontal tail rotor. The rechargeable battery delivers up to seven minutes of flight time, although the law of diminishing returns apply here since it will take a good 50 minutes to juice it up fully. At least it plays nice with USB charging, making it a viable option while you work at the office to take 7 minute breaks each hour with an Upside Down Helicopter to go with your upside down workplace.
Parrot AR.Drone gets a 2.0 model
We have been following the status of Parrot’s AR.Drone since it was first revealed at CES two years ago. At CES this year, Parrot has officially introduced the AR.Drone 2.0.
The flying quadricopter has a new camera, software, as well as a new look. What you see in the picture is its “outdoor hull” which is designed to reduce wind resistance. It still has the old mod with secondary hull to protect the blades.
The camera for the AR.Drone 2.0 is in 1280 x 720 resolution, to show a view from the sky. A piloting application known as AR.FreeFlight 2.0 allows the user to record their own HD videos, to watch or share with other AR.Drone users.
Another development is “Absolute Flight” which allows the AR.Drone 2.0 to connect to a device via Wi-Fi, and all on-board instruments will appear on screen with a cockpit view. The AR.Drone 2.0 will also have some light-emitting diodes positioned on the landing gear that will help the pilot track the orientation of the AR.Drone 2.0 in flight.
The AR.Drone 2.0 also has some new stabilizers so it will stay in flight, and Parrot is working to provide developers with a new software development kit. You should be seeing the AR.Drone 2.0 sometime in Q2 2012 for a price of about $299.
Swann has trio of new RC helicopters
When it comes to remote controlled helicopters, you cannot really go wrong with a name like Swann backing such an endeavor. After all, this company has had ample experience in the past, rolling out decent RC helicopters, and they now have a trio of new additions with two of those sporting on-board wireless video cameras, while the other will be able to “talk” to an iPhone, iPod and iPad. Both the Sky Eye and Black Swann will allow you to record your flights as either videos, or you can also snap still photos with but a single touch of a button. Needless to say, these images and videos can be retrieved only after you land the helicopter and transfer it to a PC via USB.
Something tells me that with this new, albeit rather obvious, spying capability, your neighbor who loves sunbathing in the nude might just think twice before going out in his/her birthday suit. Let us take a look at the three RC helicopters in greater detail after the jump.
Continue reading » Swann has trio of new RC helicopters
iLaunch Thunder loves your iPhone
Feel like you are the President of the US with the £79.99 iLaunch Thunder – imagine you hold the “nuclear football” in your hands, and you have already been sent all the relevant launch codes to send a reply to North Korea’s recent nuclear attack on one of your country’s military bases – all it takes is a single press of a button, and a retaliatory missile is sent all the way back to North Asia. Of course, this is nowhere near as serious, and does not endanger a single human life, but it might help you experience a feeling of power albeit momentarily.
No longer do you need to throw bits of paper or rubber at your colleagues to irritate them (or paying tit for tat), but all you need to do is adjust where this sleek missile launcher is supposed to point at, where its air-powered pistons will then get to work, shooting safe, spongy projectiles up to 8 meters away. Of course, the iPhone is not the only device that enables control of the iLaunch Thunder, as the iPod Touch and iPad will get the job done as well. Bluetooth connectivity is what delivers the commands over to the iLaunch Thunder, and sporting a rotating angle of 270 degrees with the ability to tilt up or down through 45 degrees, you have quite the weapon on your desk.
Micro Mosquito Helicopter 3.0
The Micro Mosquito Helicopter 3.0 is said to be world’s smallest, lightest, quietest, fully-functional RC helicopter. Now those a re a whole lot of superlatives when it comes to describing it, and we are glad to say that you can drop £49.99 for this puppy, as it is now available over at the gadget mavens known as Firebox. Just in case you are in need of spare rotors, those will cost you £7.99 a pop. Playing with it is a wonder, as it tips the scales at just 15 grams, despite being so small that it is capable of taking off from your palm as well as land on it. Hopefully your piloting skills would be up to snuff, though.
The counter-rotating blades on the Mosquito make it extremely manoeuvrable, and once you have managed to get the hang of its twin-toggle, digital proportional transmitter, you won’t have any issue handling this like a boss. It does not matter whether you are trying to have it go up, down, hover around, move forwards, backwards, left or right – it will obey your every command like magic.
Pinoky brings stuffed animals to life!
Bringing stuff animals to life can either be cute, like in Mary Poppins, or horrifying, like in Akira.
The Pinoky is really nothing more than a claw with a magnetic grip which has the power to shake a part of stuffed animal. This includes an arm, a leg, or, if you are a snake, the whole body.
I will let you decide what the effect of the Pinoky is, but there is a video after the jump if you want to see it for yourself.
Continue reading » Pinoky brings stuffed animals to life!
iControl Helicopter
We saw the iControl Ferrari the other day, so here is something which is far less grounded – a helicopter, so to speak, that will take to the skies while your iOS or Android-powered device functions as the controller. The iControl Helicopter will ship with a Smart Link Control which will make it plug into any iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Android device, giving you full and total control of the toy helicopter as you manipulate the simple touchscreen controls to move the Helicopter around in the air. Of course, just as how all roads lead to Rome, so too, can you ditch touchscreen controls and tilt your device instead – forwards, backwards, left and right to make sure it is capable of ensuring the Helicopter goes in the direction of your choice.
With a three channel control, you and another two friends will be able to fly the iControls together, where built-in advanced gyro directional stabilizers are there to make sure that they are a cinch to control. You can juice up the iControl Helicopter after a long, hard day of flying via USB. Just bear in mind that infrared technology is in use here, making this a purely indoor flying experience since a combination of wind and short transmission range might eventually lead to a loss of control.
