WowWee – MiP: Tiny Robot with dance moves

This was introduced at CES 2014, which took place recently in Las Vegas, MiP is basically a very well balanced robot, a Bluetooth-controlled balancing two-wheeler with gesture sense technology and an app controlled environment. Like us humans, this robot from WowWee has been given a chirpy personality, offering endless fun, i.e. gameplay, dancing, balancing acts, etc. Developed at the University of California, MiP can be easily controlled using your Android or iOS device with the help of an application available on these platforms. In addition, you can control this robot using hand and object movements.

In the box there’s an attachable tray, which allows MiP to carry objects around while still balancing upright, and it can even support the weight of another MiP. If you’ve got a group then they can be linked into a coordinated dance mode, keeping in time with each other like small, glowing line-dancers.
If you’re feeling competitive and have more than one MiP in the room you can enter battle mode to box each other, using the app, until one loses its balance.

MiP, which stands for Mobile Inverted Pendulum is actually the product of a collaboration between WowWee and the Coordinated Robotics Lab at the University of California, San Diego. The result of that partnership is a few nifty innovations that, technology-wise, lift the little robot above other recent robot entries like RoboMe (also from WowWee) and Zoomer the robotic dog.

The black and white body, round head and emoticon eyes is quite different. It stands roughly 7-inches tall and has no feet. The base instead features two large wheels. The torso includes a mode light and two pose-able arms. This robot has useless appendages and arms simply serve no purpose. You can’t even pose them to hold MiPs tray — MiP has a slot on its chest for that.

wowweemip

First of all MiP can, without human intervention, balance and move quite effectively on those two wheels. Give MiP a push and it will right itself. The two-wheel locomotion makes MiP highly maneuverable. It’s also incredibly easy to connect MiP to your mobile phone via the free app.

When connected to your smartphone, MiP’s chest glows green. The app doesn’t look like much, but once connected to MiP, it gives you impressive control over the robot. Using two thumb-driven virtual joysticks, one to control direction and the other speed (as well as whether it’s traveling forward or backward), Then you will be able to maneuver MiP around obstacles with ease — it can responded smoothly to the slightest thumb movement.

wowweemip-balance

MiP is not the best toy robot, but it may have the most potential. If WowWee continues working with the researchers and adding features to this app, we may soon discover that MiP has a whole new set of capabilities. Is the battery-powered robot worth $99.99? It’s a bit more expensive than Zoomer, but the technology inside may be more sophisticated. Plus, you get that app. On the other hand, MiP does need work. Its autonomous modes are confusing and somewhat disappointing. It can only stack if you drive and those arms are an embarrassment.

Final Conclusion

Pros:

  • The self-balancing technology is impressive.
  • The remote-control app is spare, yet easy to use and makes driving MiP a breeze.
  • It really can balance and carry a load.
  • Epic synchronized dance.

Cons:

  • Modes are not engaging.
  • Arms are useless.
  • Needs more polishing.

uTorrent Remote: Control torrent remotely

uTorrent is a pretty popular BitTorrent client for computers. With the remote app, you can control the activity of your file sharing on the move. You can check progress of your current downloads, stop or resume them. You can even add new downloads remotely. This is ease the pain of accessing target machine again and again.

What is uTorrent Remote?

According to uTorrent.com, “μTorrent (uTorrent) Remote is a remote control that lets you access μTorrent running on your home computer– from anywhere on the internet, including most mobile phones and tablets.”

screenshot-2screenshot-1

So how it is done?

First of all, you need to open Preferences in uTorrent on target machine, click on ‘Remote‘, and enable remote access by checking “Enable uTorrent Remote Access”. Give your computer a name and associated password and you’re ready to go. Now put these credentials in uTorrent Remote app to start using in Real Time!

preferences-utorrent-remote

Unfortunately, there isn’t an app for iOS but they have a mobile-friendly website which can let iPhone and iPad users have the same functionality as the apps for other platforms. You can even create a shortcut on your home screen by opening the page in Safari and clicking the “Add to home screen” button in the Share menu. Link for remote uTorrent can be found here: https://remote.utorrent.com.

The uTorrent Remote interface is very user friendly and how it works will be clear to anyone who uses uTorrent. It’s not quite as polished as the desktop apps, but it is almost as complete, letting you do pretty much anything you can do on your computer. Just remember that to use it, your computer needs to be on and uTorrent needs to be running.

Price: Free

Platforms: Android, Windows

Play Store link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.utorrent.web&hl=en

Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote

Doctor Who fans, you simply have to get this gizmo. Non Doctor Who nerds, this will appeal to you as well. Resembling the fabled Sonic Screwdriver from the cult british show (or a mysterious glowing probe), this programmable universal infrared remote lets you interact with any TV with gestures. With 13 supported gestures and 3 memory control codes. Enough to control most Earth-based “low-tech” consumer devices, we reckon.

The sonic screwdriver is a fictional tool in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spinoffs. It is a multifunctional tool used by The Doctor. Its most common function is that of a lock pick, but can be used to perform other operations such as performing medical scans, remotely controlling other devices and tracking alien life. It can, with the exception of a deadlock seal or wooden lock, open any type of lock and operate many computers, whether their origin is alien or human. Though all this was only limited up to TV but still you can show off your über cool Screwdriver as a Universal Remote.

Here is sneak peek of how the original Sonic Screwdriver work :

Compatible with almost all home entertainment equipments, such as iPod docks, TVs and Blu-ray players.

  • Guided Setup: teaches you how to use it with spoken prompts.
  • FX Mode: thirteen authentic special effects sounds from the universe of Doctor Who.
  • Bright illuminating tip: lights up in use and pulses when in standby.
  • Advanced gestures recognition technology: thirteen gestures multiplied by three memory banks means up to 39 remote control codes can be stored.
  • Hand polished: copper plated, high quality, die-cast metal construction.
  • Special features: Personal Lock Code facility and secret communication to discover.

It is packed with advanced electronics that help make it the most realistic Sonic Screwdriver ever built.

sonic-screwdriver

Electromagnetic emission: The sonic Screwdriver gets its classic green glowing tip courtesy of a hyper-bright green LED. however, as the tip in this also has to emit the infrared pulse of a remote control, a multi-wavelength solution is needed. The result is a custom manufactured, three-chip 5mm LED: one IR indium gallium nitride chip and two green gallium arsenide chip, encapsulated in a single transparent epoxy lens.

Motion Sensing technology: at the heart of this, a tiny state of the art three-axis accelerometer constantly measures the forces acting on the device so that the embedded microcontroller can determine if the Sonic Screwdriver is being moved. The silicon MEMS sensor is so sensitive that it can detect and measure 1000th of the force gravity. The accelerometer is fabricated from single-crystal silicon by deep reaction ion etching (DRIE) process and protected from the environment by a hermetically sealed cap at the water level.

One more thing is this gizmo comes complete with its own protective and attractive display case Fabricated from engineering grade ABS, the tough, crystal clear cover fits snugly over an analogue of the TARDIS console. The stand is decorated with authentic Gallifreyan script and provides the perfect containment, mounting and presentation for a Sonic Screwdriver of this quality.