Gizmodo Australia » rc

Surely, This Remote-Control Bowling Ball Is The Devil’s Contraption

Jack Loftus — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

You though that Roger and the Dude got mad when that guy stepped over the line in The Big Lebowski? Just wait until they run into this bewitched remote-control bowling ball. The Dude most certainly does not abide, man.

Sadly, there’s more tech involved here than witchcraft, which doesn’t exist. Instead, this cheater’s bowling ball, created by the nefarious folks at 900 Global, uses an internal “weight screwed onto a threaded shaft inside the ball”, and perhaps an incarcerated hamster to steer itself down the lane and into the intended target.

I joke about cheating, but the goal here is actually to help young children and those with physical limitations bowl better. Perfection ain’t cheap though: The 900 Global ball will run you $US1500. And your immortal soul! [Popular Mechanics via Gawker TV]

The G-Bound RC Car Drives On Water

Sean Fallon — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:20:00 +0000

It’s no miracle, the G-Bound remote-control car can drive over water thanks to a waterproof chassis and inflatable tyres.

Unfortunately, the maximum range on the G-Bound is only about 10m, so I wouldn’t take it out to the lake unless you don’t mind swimming after it. Not that it matters — it appears to be a Japan-only release for the moment. [G-Bound via Hobby Media via Coolest Gadgets]

Mini HoverDrone Goes Up, Down And Into The Junk Drawer

Jack Loftus — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:30:00 +0000

For about $US20, this tiny HoverDrone will hover and flash its little lights. And then the dog will eat it.

Sorry, it’s inevitable, as proven in the ThinkGeek demo video below.

ThinkGeek is billing this as the smallest hovering device they’ve ever sold, so there’s that too. Requires a handful of AA’s and the controller has the ability to control two drones at once. [ThinkGeek via DVICE]

This RC Tissue Box Could Save You From The Swine Flu

Sean Fallon — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +0000

A tissue box that you can drive seems stupid at first, but it could be a hot product given our current state of hysteria over germs. I say quarantine the sick and deploy RC vehicles to handle it.

You can already deliver tissues, so all you need is an RC Cooler for drinks and an RC Ramen cart for soup. [Rakuten via Crunchgear]

Mario Kart Micro RC Racer

Jesus Diaz — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Desktop. Mario Kart. Desktop. Mario Kart. Desktop. Mario Kart. I’m going to keep repeating that until you understand the scope and significance of this toy. Especially if you are furry and have four legs. These will be great stocking fillers.
These diminutive radio controlled Mario Karts—made by Tamiya—are just 55cm x 35cm x 45mm and weigh 41 grams, which make them perfect for desktop racing. You can also buy a whole bunch of them to create a giant track that spans through all the the office. For $US90 each set—including two cars and a race track—however, it will be quite expensive. But totally worth it. [Firebox via Toylogy]

RC Girls Would Be A Nerd’s Dream Come True

Sean Fallon — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:20:00 +0000

At the Kajimoto Laboratory, engineers have developed a helmet that can be used to guide the visually impaired by tugging their ears. It seems that this guy dreams of a day when it could be used to tug something else.

Unfortunately for nerds, the woman isn’t a robot — she still has free will. On the other hand, technology like this does have potential in navigational devices that don’t require visual cues. [Kajimoto via Engadget]

Toss Recon Scout XT Over Enemy Lines To See The Bad Guys Naked

Mark Wilson — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:30:00 +0000

The Recon Scout XT looks like a power walker’s dumbbell, but that doesn’t stop the R/C device from being useful to military ops in the field.

Weighing just 1.6kg (including the controller), the robot can land from heights of nine metres onto concrete without sustaining damage. Toss it over a fence, drive it into a bunker and, all the while, a soldier can watch a wireless video feed on the controller’s small screen (ranges span from 100 feet if venturing indoors to 300 feet through line-of-sight). The bot will even activate invisible, IR illumination if the area gets too dark.

Of course, the Recon Scout XT is surely meant to assist in violently vanquishing the enemy. But we like to imagine other, MASH-esque usage scenarios involving a uptight sergeants running out of the bath with their shower caps still on. ROFL! [Defense Tech]

Nerds Fly R/C Helicopter Cam Over Under-Construction Apple Store

Adam Frucci — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:40:00 +0000

Guys. Cool it. I’m sure the glass roof of the new NYC Apple Store will make giving Apple your money even more transcendent, but you can wait a couple months until it’s open. Seriously. [ifoAppleStore via Purns]

Plunging Toy Helicopter Confused for Life-Sized Version

Rosa Golijan — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:10:00 +0000

Police patrols, three South Carolina Fire Department trucks and a battalion chief rushed to the Wando River where a helicopter had plunged into the water. A toy helicopter measuring 0.6 metres. That’s what? Over ten times smaller than the real thing? Confusion understandable.

With all the panic during rush-hour, only one man actually had the two brain cells it takes to realise that the ‘copter was a wee bit too small. I hope they give that particular officer an award of some kind. Or better yet, a promotion to a department that wouldn’t give me a ticket for racing an RC car. [Post and Courier via Obscure Store]

Photo by Locutis

Another Game Gets Refused Classification in Australia

Nick Broughall — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:16:07 +0000

David over at Kotaku is pointing out that the OFLC has refused classification to the RPG Risen, based on the fact the game contains “sexual activity and drug use related to incentives or rewards.”

Personally, sexual activity is an incentive in itself and has its own rewards. Sure, it may not be appropriate for kids, but that’s (again) why we need an adult-only rating for games. As for drug use – while I don’t find it that interesting outside of having a cool beer after a hard day’s work or a nice glass of wine with a meal, there are plenty of benefits in medicinal drugs in real life, so why not in a game?

Of course, the game is being developed for both PC and Xbox 360, so I’m sure plenty of pirated PC versions will make it into the country anyway.

[Kotaku]