Atari Arcade: Old School Gaming Meets Modern-Day Tech
I’m sure that by now you’ve probably heard how mobile devices, for better or for worse, are the preferred gaming console of consumers worldwide; it’s not so much that the “gaming experience” is better on your iPhone, iPad or Android handset–it’s just that we always have them with us, making casual gaming and impulse purchases that much more accessible. With the video game industry still in a state of flux, many publishers and developers are fighting this move to mobile gaming tooth and nail–while others, like Atari, are embracing this new trend. But Atari also knew that simply porting their existing library to modern devices might not be enough to capture the attention of today’s more savvy consumer; so they partnered with the folks at Discovery Bay Games to create a piece of retro hardware to give new life to older classics–and thus, the Atari Arcade Duo-Powered Joystick was born… +Continue Reading
It’s true…and I’m not going to apologize for it. If you’ve read any of my pieces before, you may already know that in addition to loving gadgets, I’m also quite fond of gaming–and I’m a bit into collecting as well. So when you think about it, Pokémon Rumble Blast really is the perfect storm: It’s a fun game, that’s played on a really cool gadget (the Nintendo 3DS), and involves collecting–what more could I ask for?
Yes–I know the title may be a bit cliché, but there’s really no better way to describe the RingO from Vogel’s. With tablets (the iPad, especially) playing an increasing role in our everyday lives, accessory companies are always looking for new ways to cleverly integrate our favorite tabs into our daily activities–some with more success than others; but it still seems that in order to transition our tablets from one activity to another, we’re constantly swapping cases, stands and mounts. That all ended when we opened the box to our RingO All-in-One Pack for iPad 2…and we couldn’t be happier.
I think our own Editor-in-Chief, Mitchell Whitfield, put it best when saying that there is nothing wrong with “embracing your inner man-child.” So when I was asked to review the Air Attack RC Helicopter from Swann, my inner man child and I both jumped for joy. After all, there’s nothing like getting a new toy when it isn’t Christmas or your birthday–but this toy was special to me, since Ive loved anything and everything RC ever since I was little. Cars, boats, airplanes, the whole sha-bang. But most recently, because most of them are so affordable and easy to fly, helicopters have been at the top of my list–and the Air Attack from Swann has definitely been one of my favorite copters to fly.
Alright, lets fly into the hardware, shall we? Ah, word play. Anyway, if you read 
beginner flyers. The remote has a free movement joystick, meaning you can get the copter to a certain elevation and let go of the remote, and it will still stay in place; a small touch, but really helpful when flying. But, while the gyro did help a lot for stabilization, I sometimes felt that either the remote or the copter was unresponsive when I was trying to do certain maneuvers. I also tried to fly the copter outside (though it isn’t recommended) and had a lot of trouble; I wouldn’t even have attempted this if it weren’t for the size of this copter. I tried it indoors, but it was a bit difficult because either my roof was too low or I had too many obstacles around the house. So, I figured I would fly it with a bit more open space–and even the slightest breeze when flying outside would throw this copter off course. Which just shows that you should always follow the instructions; and it also shows that you should think about how much space you have in your house to fly before purchasing a large helicopter such as the Air Attack.
people who are just starting out, I would recommend a smaller, more indoor-friendly copter, like the Micro Hornet; with it’s 40 dollar price and diminutive size, it’s an excellent first heli. But for the more experienced flyers, I would definitely recommend you go pick up a Swann Air Attack RC helicopter; just make sure you have the space to do this helicopter justice.
Not long ago I was forced to confront what you might call an ‘inconvenient truth…’ something had gone terribly wrong in my home network. Performance was down and drop-outs and “failure – device not found” warnings were becoming more and more frequent. To make matters worse, I just wasn’t sure just where the real problem was.
I learned years ago that there’s nothing wrong with embracing your inner man-child; because of this, my love of toys, video games and RC has never dissipated. One particular segment that’s captured my heart in the last year is RC helicopters. Unlike radio control planes, helicopters can be flown indoors and are pretty easy to fly–and the prices are much more reasonable. So after getting a bunch of emails from you, our loyal readers, we realized that you were getting a bit confused and overwhelmed by the number of helicopters you’ve found at your local malls and hobby shops, and needed a little push in the right direction to help you find a great little heli for less than $50. Well guess what? Help has arrived–and our recommendation may surprise you…
Having just returned from a family trip to San Diego, I’m here to tell you: Having fun can be expensive. And I’m not just talking about leaving town; even taking your family of 4 to a single Baseball game quickly pushes past the $200 mark–and that’s not even including souvenirs…or expensive seats! So leave it to your friends at YourTechReport.com to find you some great summer values–and in true “Gadgets You May Have Missed” fashion, this summer value has been hiding in plain sight and comes from our friends at Nintendo… 
Yes…I’m aware that my title is a bit of an oxymoron. I’m also aware that as my family increases in size, it gets increasingly difficult to enjoy my home theater the way nature intended: late at night, in my family room, with my surround sound system blaring. And while I might miss the days of putting in my favorite Blu-Ray or DVD anytime I wanted, it’s nothing a great pair of headsets couldn’t fix. Of course, in this new digital age, being tethered simply wouldn’t do–so my great pair of headsets had to be wireless; and when you start putting words together like “great, headset and wireless,” one company quickly comes to mind: Sennheiser. I’ve had great luck with Sennheiser products over the years, so when we talked to them about a great home theater headset that wouldn’t break the bank, they sent us the RS 170 Wireless Headphones–and we’ve been grateful ever since.
I just got back from my photo shoot with the Traxxas 1/16 Summit VXL, as well as a quick test run…and I wish you could see the smile on my face; because more than any specs, photos, or information I could give you, this smile will tell you everything you need to know about this fantastic RC truck.
Android App of the Week – Sentinel 3: Homeworld
Android App of the Week – 3D BioBall
Bite The Bullet – DoDonPachi Resurrection: Deluxe Edition Review
