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LionDrover RC zebra replicates the thrill of the hunt
Back before we got this cushy blogger gig, we were looking into a rewarding career as lion bait. Good thing we didn't go ahead with that, since we hear the mortality rate isn't exactly top-rate, and now it looks like we'd be having our jobs replaced by a few infernal robots anyways. Some students over at Strathclyde University in the UK have developed an RC "LionDrover" vehicle that can hit speeds up to 30 MPH and is designed to give bored, captive lions the thrill of the chase. To heighten the realism -- last time we checked, most lions don't chase small 4-wheeled vehicles with hunks of meat tied on top in the wild -- the little vehicle sports some sweet zebra stripes. The LionDrover is a successor to the Lionrover, which has been around for a couple of years, and apparently a new version is in the works, too. Currently the bot is being tested out at Blair Drummond Safari Park, and should be joined soon by six similarly-fated companions once the funding is procured. There will also be versions for wolves and African wild dogs -- sounds like these are glorious days indeed to be a captive carnivore.[Via MobileWhack]
Hasbro's Nitro XRC -- nitro RC for kids
C'mon, everyone enjoyed seeing a Hasbro box on Chrismahannakwanzika morning; that usually meant you were in for some sort of top notch toy that'd long since purloined your fantasies. Although more commonly linked to their lineup of childhood gadgets, Hasbro is branching out and aiming to deliver a "radio controlled experience" with their new Nitro XRC lineup. Rather than relying on those dreadfully expensive, long charging, short-lived battery packs to get your ride movin', the Nitro XRC vehicles will be powered by nitro fuel -- the same fuel that powers professional racing R/C vehicles. With the ability to reach speeds of 25mph, Hasbro is being careful to market these speedsters to those 16 years and up; while you can find these in hobby huts and mass merchants, they'll be MIA from typical toy stores. Two models are currently being prepped for release, the Nitro XRC Ricochet and the Nitro XRC Revolution MT; the dirt starts flyin' when they drop this fall for $179.99 and $129.99, respectively.
