rc

RC car transforms into a quadcopter

If Chitty Chitty Bang Bang were made now, it would probably look a bit more like something Batman or James Bond would drive, but we'd like to think it would look a little more like this.

Called simply "B," the toy, which is currently being funded on Kickstarter, is the creation of U.K. computational-engineering PhD student Witold Mielniczek. Unlike other remote-controlled toys out there, it's also a multitalented piece of gadgetry that's able to traverse both ground and sky.

Most quadcopters we've seen to date have four "wheels" at the corners, horizontally aligned with helicopter blades spinning inside. Mielniczek has tilted the wheels upright -- and made them functional for ground-based driving. … Read more

Keep track of your business with Project Management Studio

If you're not tracking your business's resources, you could be wasting cash or time. There are many premium business management suites on the market, but they can cost hundreds. Project Management Studio looks to keep your funds in order by giving you a powerful program for free. However, clunky performance and a high barrier to entry hold it back from being useful.

The hefty download will take a while to finish on some connections. Once the program is up and running, you need to fill out a long form to earn a product key. You have to enter … Read more

$24,000 Transform Robot goes from car to humanoid

We've seen transforming robots before, and I'm not talking about anything related to Hasbro.

Researchers from MIT are among many engineers and tinkerers trying to design robots that perform different functions by changing their shape or appearance.

Japan-based Brave Robotics has designed a 1/12-scale RC car that can transform into a humanoid robot. It can shuffle around, grab footage with its Wi-Fi camera, and even fire little missiles from its arms. … Read more

Leave the competitors behind

RC Mini Racers is a Micro Machines-style racing game available for free. This game features 20 mini cars controlled remotely, lots of missiles, mines, turbo boost and much more, packed into an intuitive and positively uncluttered user interface.

The game ships with hard rock music to invite you into the race of the mini cars. At first, users can choose from three free cars from the 22 available, and then unlock others as they win races and gain some in-app cash. We liked the racing experience provided with the app, and the variety of racing modes. While at first users … Read more

Hobbyist builds working S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier

At least one scientist has tried to prove that the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier as depicted in "The Avengers" would fly about as well as an ostrich.

But that hasn't stopped an ambitious Russian modeler from creating a scaled-down version of the fictional aircraft carrier. And what do you know, it actually flies. … Read more

Protect against malware with Anvi Smart Defender

Anti-malware protection is almost as important as antivirus protection for keeping your PC safe. Many popular antivirus programs also include anti-malware scanners and other tools designed to block and remove threats. But count us among those who prefer to augment their antivirus solution with a top-quality anti-malware program. Anvisoft's Anvi Smart Defender is a free anti-malware tool that offers multiple scan levels as well as cloud-based scanning and extras that clean and optimize your PC and repair issues caused by malware and garbage files.

Five buttons define Anvi's features: Scan, Cloud, Guard, Optimize, and Update. We started with … Read more

Missile-launching, app-controlled Helo TC Assault takes to the air

Griffin has had a lot of success promoting its Helo TC app-controlled toy helicopter with an entertaining YouTube video. Now the company has released an amusing sequel to kick off the availability of its $59.99 Helo TC Assault, which fires nonlethal RedEye missiles from two spring-loaded launchers built into the mini copter's fuselage.

Like several other products that have started to use touch-based smartphone apps for remotely controlling ground and water vehicles as well as flying craft, the Helo TC assault is compatible with iOS and Android smartphones along with the iPod Touch. You download a free app, then clip on and connect the included "flight deck" accessory to your device and you're ready to start flying. … Read more

Traxxas XO-1: A radio-controlled supercar

The car pictured above does 0-60 mph in a scant 2.3 seconds, goes on to hit 100 mph in just under five ticks, and only costs $1,100.

No, that last bit is not a typo, because the Traxxas XO-1 only measures 27 inches from nose to tail. This is not a passenger car, but it's also not a toy. It's a remote-controlled scale race car and Traxxas says that it's the fastest in the world.… Read more

This iPhone-controlled RC car climbs walls

Recently, we did a short post on Dexim's mini iOS-controlled Monster Truck. Well, we've now come across a gravity-defying iOS-controlled car aptly called the iPhone Controlled Wall Climbing Car iW500.

What's the trick? Or should we say, what makes it stick?

Apparently, this RC car actually has an integrated vacuum that lets it hug walls and even drive upside-down on ceilings.

Like Dexim's App Speed Monster Truck, the car comes bundled with a transmitter that you plug into the bottom of your iPhone or iPod Touch (it should work with an iPad as well) and you download a free app to control the car. … Read more

$49 Griffin helicopter takes flight with iPhone controls

The typical $40 remote-control helicopter comes with a tiny, imprecise controller. Griffin's just-announced Helo TC turns your iPhone into the flight stick , with your choice of onscreen or accelerometer controls. Price: $49.99.

The kit consists of a dual-rotor 'copter and the Flight Deck, a case/sled that cradles your iPhone and controls the flyer via line-of-sight infrared. It also plugs into your iPhone's headphone jack, thus allowing the Helo TC app to communicate with the helicopter.

Want to see it in action? Check out Griffin's promo vid, which is not only surprisingly polished, but also pretty … Read more