Google's gRPC project has reached beta status, according to a post by product manager Mugur Marculescu, who adds that it "opens the door for gRPC use in production environments". The open source project aims to simplify distributed application development, where clients call services running on one or more remote servers. Here …

An experiment to control a Tesla Model S using an Apple Watch has been documented by UK/Ukrainian global technology company and developer Eleks. With the Eleks app you can mimic the functions of the Tesla keyless key. This effectively allows you to used your Cupertino Watch as a keyless key-less, er, key, with which you may …

Geek Treat of the WeekGriffin’s Helo TC Assault helicopter is the latest version of its app-powered chopper. Griffin Helo TC Assault Like the Battling Gyro helicopters I reviewed here a few weeks ago, the new Griffin offering spices up your aerial activities by adding the ability to enter combat. When the red mist descends, the Assault allows …

Android App of the WeekIt’s two-for-one this week as I take a look at the Dijit remote control app and Griffin Technologies' Beacon accessory, which connects to your phone over Bluetooth and then operates your home entertainment kit. Dijit Android app screenshot   Dijit Android app screenshot Devices get basic layouts, such as this one for a Sky+ …

Panasonic was keen to tout its updated smartphone remote control for its new Viera TVs at its annual European Convention today but it was its touchpad-equipped remote units that caught our eye. The app - for Android and iDevices - offers the usual telly manipulation features, but there's one trick not seen on similar apps from …

iOS App of the Week CES 2012 Week We’ve reviewed a number of gadgets, such as the Gear4 Unity Remote, that allow you to use an iOS device as a universal remote for your TV and other AV kit. iDevices don’t have IR transmitters built into them so the Unity and its rivals all have to encompass both an app and a separate piece of hardware that acts …

Accessory of the WeekI’ve looked at a number of devices, including the Gear4 Unity and the ThinkFlood RedEye, that allow you to use an iOS device as a remote control for your TV, DVD player and other AV kit. The Surc is another. However, it takes a slightly different approach. Surc universal remote case for iPhone Instead of using a plug-in …

Geek Treat of the WeekParrot’s AR.Drone quad 'copter has been quite a hit with the radio control crowd, but its £300 price tag puts it out of most people’s price range. Griffin’s new Helo TC, on the other blade, is affordable enough to be a fun little treat for the more casual weekend flier. Griffin Helo TC iPhone-controlled helicopter The Helo …

ReviewThere are a number of apps and adaptors, such as the Gear4 Unity, which allow an iPhone to act as a universal remote control for your TV and other home entertainment kit. However, the RedEye from ThinkFlood is the most sophisticated remote control I’ve come across so far for this platform. Thinkflood RedEye Remote …

Some contracting jobs are fun. I love the sexy ones that task me with rolling my own data center or spending a week’s worth of off hours poking holes in someone else’s network. Some contracting jobs are terrible; 14 consecutive hours of testing cables and ghosting workstations will leave me a gibbering mental wasteland. One …

ReviewUniversal remote controls always sound like a good idea – one handy little remote to control all the digital gadgets cluttering up your front room – but they never quite seem to live up to the hype. The cheaper ones tend to be a finger-tangling clutter of buttons, while the more expensive models, such as Logitech’s touchscreen …

WorkshopIt’s funny how far mobile computing has come in the last ten years. It enables a flexibility of working that only a decade ago could have been considered by some to be in the realm of Star Trek. Notebooks and smartphones are well understood, while new waves of ultraportable computers such as netbooks and tablets (where are …

Poll ResultsPerish the thought that we at Freeform Towers should try to over-simplify things, but from the whopping 465 of you who responded to this week's Reg survey, it is clear that there is more to 'remote support' than meets the eye. In analysing the responses we agreed with comments from Reg regular Trevor Pott, that "a true 'remote …

WorkshopOne of the challenges of managing a remote desktop estate is security. It’s not a new problem, but it has been raised higher in the collective consciousness in the last few years, thanks to the proliferation of smaller, cheaper and more portable devices. Its not enough to blame human nature - although sitting here as I type I …

VidThe Israeli armed forces are developing a flexible man-portable robotic snake equipped with a camera, intended for battlefield surveillance missions. The experimental military snake was displayed on television this week. Needless to say, YouTube footage is available: (You need Flash and suitable firewall privileges to …

Tennis elbow is no longer the preserve of Murray and Federer, because a Wii peripheral has been served up that’s... well... a tennis racket with integrated Remote. Thrustmaster_tennis_wii Thrustmaster's Tennis Duo Pack NW The concept behind the Tennis Duo Pack NW is simple: just slot your Remote into either racket’s handle …

Nintendo has proven that it’s still got its finger on the pulse of gaming by unveiling the Wii Vitality Sensor (WVS). Wii_Vitality_sensor_02 Nintendo's Wii Vitality Sensor monitors your pulse The gadget looks much like the sensor a doctor or dentist would clip onto your finger before you go under the knife, and connects …

A Microsoft patent application for a "Magic Wand" has come to light, fuelling speculation that the firm’s 'Newton' videogame motion controller project’s still kicking. Xbox360_controller_patent Not much to look at, but this could be Microsoft's answer to the Wiimote It’s been rumoured for some time now that Microsoft’s …