I just signed up for a new Beta service called Yoics today. (I wonder how that is pronounced by the way?) It’s a very interesting Remote Desktop sharing service, and it works with PCs and, most importantly, Macs. The underlying technology appears to be VNC, which I appreciate because it is a mature technology. But it seems they’ve managed to make it extremely simple to use.

Yoics allows you to share not only your remote machine’s desktop, but also the drives in your machine and even devices like Webcams!

That’s right, you could set up Webcams all over your house, and use Yoics as a remote security monitoring system. But wait! There’s more! If you happen to have a Drobo file storage unit and the accompanying DroboShare network adapter, you can also directly connect to it via Yoics.
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Last Christmas I got both a remote control helicopter and plane, and I’ve been practicing a lot. So when my buddy Bruce sent me one of these YouTube video clips I realized just how much more practice I need.

The following are some of the finest remote control pilots I’ve seen. I cannot express to you how much dexterity and concentration this takes, because these guys make it look much too easy.
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I guess it takes practice to master any skill, but seriously… this guy must have practiced a LOT!

I’ve never seen a remote controlled airplane do anything like the stunts this guy performs – much less doing them inside a gym where you could hit walls, the ceiling and the ground.
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I’m no pilot, but for Christmas I did get two new awesome remote control toys: A Blade CX2 electric helicopter and an AeroBird Swift electric airplane. These are not the cheap kind you get at Toys R Us, but the high end ones that come only from hobby stores. (Reviews coming soon…)

Having never owned any high-end R/C machines before I unpacked my toys and proceeded to immediately crash them, with impunity!

After this costly little experience I decided that perhaps it would be less costly to get a little “virtual” practice before I put myself in the poor house buying replacement parts.

Not wanting to spend a fortune on flight simulation games either, I began searching for free ones that would be both entertaining and educational. Here now is my thoroughly tested list of top free flight sims.
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Remote control cars and planes are cool, but there is nothing like being able to fly a remote control helicopter around inside your house.

Of course, if you’re going to do that, you’ll need one of these special new RC units with the dual rotors and built in fuzzy logic chip. This sucker will buy you plenty of hours of fun chasing pets or people throughout your house and property.
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