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Hot Wheels' latest RC Cybertruck puts a Cyberquad in your hand for only $100
Hot Wheels has a new $100 RC Cybertruck on the way, and it's got the Cyberquad ATV in the package.
The Hot Wheels RC Cybertruck is a mini Tesla for $400
If you're feeling pretty hype about the Tesla Cybertruck but don't have $39,900 to spend on one, maybe Hot Wheels' newest RC vehicle is more your thing. Sure, it's only 1/10 the size and made out of plastic, but here it only takes $400 to live out your Tesla dreams.
Hot Wheels' real-life 'Rocket League' RC cars land November 1st
If you've ever wondered what Rocket League would be like in real life, this RC version is as close of an approximation as you'll get to the video game. As teased earlier this year, Hot Wheels and Psyonix have teamed up to build an actual physical version of Rocket League. The set comes with two radio-controlled battle-cars -- Octane and Dominus -- an arena, and a ball, with more cars planned as expansion sets. You won't be able to wreak havoc with your Xbox One, PS4 or any other controller, however, as Hot Wheels has opted to use an Android and iPhone app for input instead.
Batmobile toy uses augmented reality to show the driver's view
Batman's got plenty of wonderful toys bearing his name, from his trusty Batarangs to his super Batcomputer. However, none are more famous than the Batmobile. And, while diehard fans might be a little down on the design of the latest version as seen in Batman v Superman and Justice League, they certainly won't be disappointed by the sheer amount of cool tricks packed into Mattel's new radio-controlled model. With its own built-in dash cam, augmented reality features and the ability to spew real exhaust, this new ride is exactly the kind of thing Bruce Wayne would have built if he went into toy design instead of crimefighting.
Hot Wheels AI is the love child of slot cars and Roomba
Model cars and track racing are the bread and butter of Hot Wheels, but they might look a little long in the tooth compared with flashy console games like Gran Turismo and Need for Speed. With the new Hot Wheels AI set, toy autos get a bit of a boost -- not just in speed, but in intelligence. Now you can race against a computer in the real world, right there on your living room rug.
Watch a 4-year-old drive a dump truck by remote control
To prove the toughness of its latest FMX truck, Volvo turned it into an RC racer and handed the "keys" to the luckiest 4-year-old ever. The results were what you'd expect: Pure chaos. To be fair, young Sophie probably guided the vehicle better than we would have at that age (or even now). However, steering a multi-ton rig from afar ain't easy, so she managed to hit obstacles, roll the vehicle into a pit and (safely) crash through a house. At the end of her trip, the vehicle emerged relatively unscathed and was still driveable.
This remote-controlled car moves on land, sea and air
We probably have drones to thank. They've helped the price of flying vehicles plummet from the days of gasoline-powered helicopters, but what about water? Or racing on land? For those, you might want to consider Takara Tomy's newest radio-controlled vehicle, the Earth Rider RC (or the 陸海空RC, "Land Sea Air RC"). At the Tokyo Toy show, we got to see it fly down roughly six feet to neatly land on the water, where its tires keep the car afloat -- and those important electronics out of harm. The same propellers that can put it into the air can then glide the RC across the water, like like a pond skater, except for, well, the propellers, wheels and things...
This remote-controlled robot can run faster than you (video)
RC cars and helicopters are cool and all, but if you want a combo breaker in your collection, here's something different: a multi-legged robot that runs. At the moment, you can only get this remote-controlled sprinter called the OutRunner through Kickstarter, where its creators are trying to raise $150,000 to fund its production. It's available in two different versions that can run on various terrains, including grass, asphalt and dirt. The basic model called the OutRunner Core is a 1.5-foot tall, 3-pound machine that ships with six legs and can move up to 10mph with a battery that lasts up to an hour. Too slow? Well, there's also the OutRunner Performance, a slightly larger version (2-feet tall and 5 pounds) that ships with 12 legs, an HD camera, and can run up to 20mph for up to two hours. Also, the OutRunner Performance can be controlled with an app as well as with its remote control, and can live stream video and sensor data to a smartphone. Unfortunately for those whose expensive toy funds have run dry, neither of these come cheap -- you'd have to pledge at least $249 to get a DIY kit of the basic model.
This R/C racer can shame sports cars with a 188mph top speed
The R/C Bullet might be tiny, but it's so fast it can leave some supercars in the dust. The 1:10 scale model with four-wheel drive was recently timed at 188mph, beating its own 171.96mph world record (as shown after the break). The spaceship-like speeder is the brainchild of Nic Case, already a savant in making radio-controlled cars and breaking records. He built a Schumacher Mi3 R/C before the Bullet, which also held the Guinness World Record in 2008. In fact, he's refining the Bullet even further, hoping to top 200mph. Unfortunately for R/C enthusiasts out there, it doesn't look like he has any plans to mass produce his creation -- you're probably better off saving up for a still-speedy-but-much-slower Traxxas.
Adobe's Lightroom 5.3 RC brings RAW support to Sony's A7, other new cameras
If you're tired of cludging RAW files from your spanking new Sony A7r or Fujifilm XQ1, there's now relief from Adobe with release candidates for Photoshop Camera Raw 8.3 and Lightroom 5.3. The latter app, part of Adobe's Creative Cloud suite, is purpose-built for manipulating RAW photos, making its support critical for early-adopting image pros. The software will also work now with the Sony A7, Nikon AW1, Phase One IQ260 and IQ280 and Nikon Coolpix P7800, with preliminary support for the Sony RX10, Nikon D5300 and Olympus Stylus 1. Adobe's also squashed some bugs, like auto white balance and Flickr publishing issues. There's still one yawning gap in Adobe's resume, though, as the first smartphone RAW camera, the Nokia Lumia 1520 isn't supported yet -- hopefully that'll be remedied shortly after its arrival.
UPenn robots spring into action, save wooden hero (video)
Like you, we assumed that the University of Pennsylvania robotics team wouldn't be able to top the wow factor of that amazing video of Quadrocopters playing the James Bond theme, but if this doesn't best it, it sure comes close. Marvel as a quadrocopter, RC truck and a team of scale shipping-containers-turned-autonomous-robotic-boats band together to aid a wood artist's model. It's quite the site to behold, and according to the University, all the researchers have to do is tell the boats the final shape -- in this case a curved, floating bridge. Video's after the break.
Griffin MOTO TC Monster truck offers Bluetooth control, so-so software
When Steve assigned me the Griffin MOTO TC Monster truck (US$49.99) to review, I basically assumed this was going to be the best review assignment ever. Sadly, it was not. This Bluetooth-managed truck offers solid hardware features, but its software is just not up to the task. The hardware consists of a standard RC truck that's well-built as these things go -- we buy a lot of RC trucks and helicopters in our household. The MOTO TC Monster truck was reasonably put together and stood up to use by excitable boys both indoors and out, with the most fun occurring when running it across roads, driveways and sidewalks. It pulls power off of a rechargeable battery that's quite easy to install and remove, although you do need a Phillips screwdriver. It takes about an hour to pull in enough charge for a good session of driving. Where the product really broke down was on the iOS side of things. Although easy to pair with Bluetooth (you do need a long flat probe to get to the pairing button), the software itself was poorly implemented. It felt like a total afterthought. The MOTO TC Monster truck offers several driving modes: A nearly impossible-to-use two-handed wheel-and-shifter shown at the top of this post (imagine if you will, trying to hold your phone, watch the car, and use both hands to steer). A tilt-to-drive mode that kept flipping during use because the dev forgot to disable autorotation. A drag-to-move mode that was merely meh (and that had the same flipping-screen issues). A pre-programmed figure-8 and serpentine mode that actually was the most successful of the four. The built-in help screens were particularly frustrating because they looked exactly like the screens they were intended to explain (albeit slightly darker), but blocked all user touches until dismissed. In the end, this unit received a big old score of "meh" from both myself and my junior testing squad. We wanted it to be a lot of fun and it really wasn't. That being said, we have a "virgin" Griffin MOTO TC Monster truck that hasn't experienced the rigors of testing available for one fun-loving TUAW reader to win. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before January 6, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a Griffin MOTO TC Monster truck valued at $49.99. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Ceton's Media Center Companion apps for mobiles hit RC status, add new features (video)
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. %Gallery-162800%
Q2 and Q4 Xbee controllers have the gimbals to handle your most unwieldy robotics projects
Yes, we've seen an XBee radio interface with RC robots before, but Quantum Robotics' open-source Xbee handheld controllers have enough gimbals, push buttons and toggle switches to leave us starry-eyed. The Q2 and Q4, both open for funding on Kickstarter, use a XBee wireless transceiver to transfer data and a Parallex Propeller to act as the main processor, and both models put most controllers to shame with a ton of options. While the Q4 uses four PlayStation-style joysticks, the Q2 sports two RC gimbals, and both can be modified to add extra functionality based on the project at hand. Clearly, the more complicated the robot, the more fun these controllers are -- take a look at the Q4 interacting with a hexapod and a robotic arm in the video below.
Solair Altius unmanned aerial vehicle, eyes-on (video)
It could just be us, but we tend to dwell on some fairly negative connotations when we hear the phrase "unmanned aerial vehicle" -- after all, the lion's share of media attention devoted to devices in that category tend to focus on military applications. Not surprisingly, the creators of the Solair Altius being strung from the rafters of the Artistan's Asylum hackerspace in Somerville, Massachusetts has far more peaceful intentions when they developed the plane.%Gallery-158272%
iRobot 110 FirstLook hands-on (video)
iRobot's Bedford, Massachusetts headquarters is literally crawling (well, rolling) with robots of all shapes and sizes, from friendlier household fare like Scoobas and Roombas, to the 450-pound Warrior battlefield 'bot, which patrols the perimeter, looking for mock IEDs. The highlight of our trip this week, however, had to be the time we spent with 110 FirstLook. Sure, durability is job number one, when you're building products for the military, but the plucky little robot takes things to a whole new level. At five pounds, you can pick the thing up and toss it -- in fact, the company encourages such action. The FirstLook was built to be thrown into dangerous areas, and it's rugged enough to smash through plate glass windows to get there. The 'bot has a patch of skateboard-like grip tape on its top, opposite the bendable antenna, so you can easily grab it with a single hand. You toss the FirstLook side arm, like a frisbee, and no matter what side it lands on, the rubber treads will cushion the blow a bit. If it happens to hit the ground upside down (with the antenna on the bottom), the triangle wings on either side can be slowly extended in either direction to right the robot. Same goes for when it bounces down a flight of stairs, unharmed.
Parrot AR.Drone joins with Epson Moverio BT-100: UAV gets down with HMD (video)
Let's say you've explored all the abandoned cathedrals in your hometown and have decimated all comers on the virtual battlefield -- if your interest in the Parrot AR.Drone has begun to wane, then take a gander at this bit of handiwork from Thomas Sohmers and dream of what could be. Essentially, he's taken the popular UAV from Parrot and has combined it with a transparent, head-mounted display that allows one to simultaneously view the AR.Drone and an overlay of its video feed. More than just a set of glasses, the Epson Moverio BT-100 was ideal for the task as it also features a handheld controller that just so happens to run Android. While Sohmers has met with good success in combining the two devices, the product isn't quite ready for mass consumption -- for example, it's said the AR.Drone can only rotate and move vertically at this point. While you'll have to use a bit of your imagination for the heads-up display component, you can find a demonstration of Sohmers' creation in a video after the break.
Battle Machines hands-on (video)
When Jada invited us up to its private show room at Toy Fair to do "battle" we were a little concerned -- last we checked we'd done nothing to offend the company. Thankfully, it just wanted to challenge us to a duel with its Battle Machines line of RC toys. A couple of years back the company debuted the line with a pair of cars that drive around playing laser tag with each other. Then, last year, things got really interesting Air vs. Land -- an RC chopper and turret that duked it for IR-equipped superiority. This year the company is expanding the line with Battle Quads (laser-wielding ATVs complete with rider) and Battle Heli (essentially one half of the Air vs. Land package, but programmed to perform rotor-powered dog fights). Neither of the new products were quite ready for a test run yet, but we did give the turret and copter combo a try... just for the heck of it. The toys are complete with blaster noises and, when shot down, an internal IC takes over the helicopter and does a little aerial death dance. After about 15 minutes we finally started to get the hang of piloting the aircraft but, by then, the Jada rep had us plummeting from the sky. Both the Battle Heli and the Battle Quads should be hitting shelves in August for $30 and $60, respectively. Check out the video and PR after the break.Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Force Flyer accelerometer-controlled RC helicopter, we go gloves-on (video)
Being able to wave your hand through the air and control a physical object -- as if by magic -- is everyone's dream. And if you say it's not yours, then you sir or ma'am are a liar. That's why we had to stop at the Regal Elite booth on the floor at Toy Fair. The company was showing off the Force Flyer, an RC helicopter you pilot with an accelerometer-equipped glove. The patented tech, called Glove Force Technology, adds a level of physical interactivity that's more Wii than RC. A small joystick you hold in your palm controls thrust, while tilting and moving your hand through the air gets the chopper to perform acrobatic maneuvers -- or plummet to the ground if you're an Engadget editor. The Regal Elite staff seemed to have pretty good control of the Force Flyer, which gives us hope that our difficulty in keeping the toy airborne was due more to our lack of familiarity and not with the quality of the device. The glove controller on hand was still a prototype (as is much of what's on the floor at Toy Fair), hence the New Balance logo, but the actual internals are around 80 percent complete according to a rep. The smaller, indoor Force Flyer should be hitting the market in late April for $49.95, followed by a larger outdoor version. Check out the gallery below and video after the break for more.%Gallery-147163%Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Wi-Spi Helicopter and Intruder RC toys put the childlike wonder back into spying on your neighbors
Sick and tired of spying on the neighbors the old-fashioned way? Good news, all. Interactive Toy Designs showed off two new products in its not-so-subtly named Wi-Spi line of remote control vehicles. Really driving the notion home is the Intruder, the name given to the little red sports car. The helicopter, on the other hand, is called just that, though we're sure you can intrude upon people with the thing, if you really put your mind to it. Both vehicles have built-in cameras that beam live feeds to your iPhone or Android devices. You can also record the video and upload it instantly to social networking sites, to really get that spying 2.0 feel. The Intruder and Helicopter are both arriving in the fall, for $100 and $120, respectively. Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
