As a member of the Brookstone Review Crew I get the chance to review some of the coolest gadgets Brookstone has to offer, and cool gadgets they do have! The Rover App-Controlled Spy Tank is just one of the “cool” things that have arrived at Shibley Smiles. Actually it arrived under the tree for my oldest son who seems to enjoy techie stuff just like I do. I wasn’t sure what he was going to make of the Rover and I wasn’t really sure all what it did.
Rover is the new age remote controlled vehicle. No joy sticks to figure out or batteries to charge and re-charge, and re-charge once again. Your remote control is an app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod.
Mission Possible.
Whether following friends and family, navigating the office or investigating the activities of your dog, it’s all possible with this audio/visual-enabled and photo-taking Rover. Its built-in microphone transmits sound back to your device in real time. So you can hear everything as it’s being said. The manually adjustable camera streams live video and takes still photos. Giving you total access to see what’s going on in other rooms. Even take pictures as proof. Low-light setting? No problem! The undetectable infrared night vision lets you see items in the dark. Mission. Accomplished.It’s App-Controlled!
The Rover Spy Tank is App-Controlled by your iPod touch® (2nd, 3rd and 4th generation), iPhone® device, or iPad® tablet. It generates its own Wi-Fi wireless connection for your smart device (no frequency interference!). The impressive wireless range lets it travel up to 200 ft. unobstructed, up to 100 ft. around walls into other rooms. Navigate it with the on-screen driving arrows or use the G-Drive Mode that uses your device’s accelerometer like a steering wheel in your hand. To get started, simply download the Free App from the iTunes® App StoreSM.
With the Rover ready to “rove” we used the quick guide to get it started, it is really rather simple. Just download the free app from the app store. Turn on Rover and let your Wi-Fi find it. Open the app and start your spying mission. It seemed pretty cool at first but I kept losing the connection to my iPad. So I thought I would try it on my iPhone to trouble shot the connection issue. I seem to lose connection often on my iPad (another thing to look into on my to-do list). However I found the same problem on my iPhone. So I did what any intelligent person would do and bought some new batteries and reset the Rover. Turns out that all it needed was some new juice. It is as good as new.
The Rover is just cool. With the on board camera it is easy to control. In fact I can sit in the living room and send rover into my daughters room on the other side of the house with out getting up. Rover can go up to 200 ft unobstructed and 100 feet with obstructions. When the app fires up you are greeted with the Rover’s view of what is in front of him. The camera from Rover is transmitted onto the iPad so you can see where you are going. At any time you can take photos of what is in front of Rover. You also have the option of zooming in to get a closer look.
Rover is also equipped with audio so you can spy on your unsuspecting victim. The audio is sent from Rover to the iPad so you can see and hear what is going on wherever Rover is located. There are two different ways you can control Rover. I find the button method the easiest because it gives me the best view of the camera. You have four arrows, two green arrows on either side of your screen to move Rover forward and to the left and right. The orange arrows under the green arrows send Rover backwards and to the left and right.
For littler hands or less coordinated fingers you can use the iPad, iPhone, or iPod’s motion to control Rover. In G Drive mood you can tilt your device forward and it will move forward, tilt to the left and right to turn and tilt back for it to move backwards. The only disadvantage with controlling it this way is you can not watch the screen at the same time. This method works better when the Rover is within view so you can visual see where you are controlling in.
Another feature that we have yet to use is the “recording a path”. Rover can record up to 30 seconds a path. You simply select “Make a Path” control your Rover where you would like it to go and select “Make a Path” again. The Rover will remember the path and be able to maneuver the path on its own.
Overall the Rover Spy Tank is a fun and pretty cool toy for the spy loving, techie in your life. It is definitely “way cooler” then your average remote control vehicle!
Disclaimer: I received the above product(s) at no cost to me by the company or representing PR agency. Opinions are my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. You may read more of my disclosure here.
SavingwithSaveOne says
Wow, I’ve never seen anything like that before. That’s an interesting product. I like it.
Nels A. says
I guess this qualifies as a good gift the “person who has everything” though I doubt I could afford it. Very interesting though, thanks for the review. It is always fun to see what new products people are linking to iPads and iPhones.
clayton roney says
sweet!!!!! wish i had one!!!!!that yould be good to see what my wife is saying on the phone!!!