Tcm0

BTW for everyone looking for the programming block for the IRLink (although it's buggy): https://www.dropbox.com/s/ixw4gbx9uipeprq/HTIRLink.ev3b?dl=0 I think that there is a second edition of that block but it seems like I can't find it.

There was a "Out of the Box" community challenge for the EV3 when it first came out with the same rule. I built a Number five/ johnny 5 like robot back then: Brickshelf gallery with a LDD file and more pictures: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=534933

I'm still pretty satisfied with the backwards compatibility of lego. There are adapter cables for all the recent wire systems (apart from PUP but hey, that might get one in the future, too. They don't sell the PUP parts seperatly yet). It would be great if NXT and EV3 could communicate directly without 3rd party software but at least the sensors and motors are compatible (with the exception of the IRLink and the 9V adapter cable). Regarding EV3 and PUP it's again a hardware limitation - "normal" bluetooth VS BLE which wasn't that popular back then in 2013. But you can control PUP if you attach a BLE dongle to the EV3 and use EV3DEV. I think that both, the 9V adapter cable and the IRLink work with the EV3 if you use EV3DEV. And then there is the stupid AutoID function of the EV3. I have the impression that the single reason why the old adapter cables etc. don't work is the AutoID option.

Why infamous? I think that it's pretty good apart from that EV3 support is broken. But it has the most complete IR support when it comes to the lego IR protocols.

Thanks, that's probably what I wanted. I think that there is no official 1.04 and 1.05. BTW I also found 1.04: https://wiki.qut.edu.au/download/attachments/171509415/ev3-edimax.bin?version=1&modificationDate=1383238867000&api=v2 The hitechnic irlink sensor works better with these versions (at least 1.04)

Does anyone have a backup of the lego mindstorms 1.04 or 1.05 firmware? Can be both, education or retail.

Regarding the avaiblility of PUP parts: you can get the M-Motor from lego education retailers.

Actually there were 3. Don't forget the hogwarts express. But yeah, the last creator expert train came in 2016 (the winter holiday train). It might actually be possible that we'll get yet another train next year.

Personally I'm surprised that many people motorized the tender. Sure, it's probably the easiest way but I don't think that it looks very good. Here's my current (not final) way as a reference although I plan to use powered up parts in the future so that I don't need extra space for the IR receiver. The M-Motor is in the cabine.

Just a wild guess: maybe the remote can read the battery voltage?

Hmm. They probably stay at their current 9V-based system because motors driven with 9V seem to work good for the purpose. That means that they will stay with 6 batteries for the train base. That leaves 4 batteries for the remote. Seems like the new remote is confirmed. The last "upgrade" for the IR based remote was from 3 AAA batteries to 2 AAA batteries in the EV3 remote. It more or less confirms that we will get a new remote system (which consumes about double the enegry of IR).

But you would see the holes of the technic holes of the receiver in the trains since both of them are 6 wide. I can't see any on the photos.

I think that there is no market for a payed remote control app :D Serveral free ones would pop up in no time. You have to keep in mind that the trains still have expensive tracks and that the price shouldn't be much higher.

I don't think that it's related to Mindstorms. PF and Mindstorms are different teams and mindstorms sets last longer (the NXT lasted 7 years, that would make a new mindstorms come 2020). The NXT had it's best selling year at the end of the lifespan. Lego won't give us an app AND a remote. But I don't see them doing a Bluetooth BLE remote either as that's not the way bluetooth is used normally and it would be pretty expensive compared to IR. So either an app or a non-bluetooth remote. I don't think that they will use this one. Not enough power (it runs either on 3V3 or 5V), too expensive (because the battery is included) and too wide for 6 wide trains. Maybe some kind of variation that is battery powered and slimmer.

Regarding the new power functions: it seems that either the logo on the box is only a placeholder that doesn't show anything we will see or it's some new type of receiver based on bluetooth BLE and the WeDo 2.0 plugs that should be used with a phone. It would make sense because lego stated that they want to replace all future PF with the 2.0 system (http://www.technicbricks.com/2016/01/wedo-20-future-of-pf.html) and it makes sense to renew the trains first because they stay the longest on the shelves (and thus the older parts would have to still be produced during the next years). The sound capabilities mentioned can be simple sound files that you can play with a remote app from the phone (the first RC lego trains had sound included into the remote, too).