Gadgety News

I was looking for Light-sabers for the Wii as my bro got one with the Force Unleashed game for crimbo and I was thinking about getting him another one or this duo pack by Thrustmaster.

But then I happened across the fabulous Custom Saber Shop which must be 100% Proof Geekahol!

The site classes itself as “your one stop shop for illimunated saber blades, hilts, supplies and tutorials” and I can’t disagree.

There is everything that you could possibly need when heading off to construct your own Jedi weapon of choice.

There are forums where you can discuss your project and seek assistance and a gallery where you can display your handiwork

There are some quite crafty people out there (meant in a positive way) looking at the ‘Custom Sabers’ gallery.  Of course there is a whole load of ‘Replica’ sabers from the Star Wars series of films featured as well in their own gallery section.

So, if you want your own special saber or would like to build one that your favourite Jedi or Sith uses then hop along to the Custom Saber Shop!

Have a film freak in your family?

Short of ideas what to buy them for crimbo? How about this little lot?

There’s a whole bunch of gear going up for auction - I’m talking bout original props going under the hammer on December 11.

Cool stuff ranging from Luke’s actual Empire Strikes Back Lightsaber to The original Gizmo - the animatronic puppet used in Gremlins, with control box and wires included!

Take your pick and check out the guide-prices:

• C-3PO face for $83,000 and hands for $30,000.
• Mohawk and Brain Gremlins puppets for about $7,000 each.
• The original Jor-El tunic wore by Marlon Brando in Superman for $51,000.
• His t-shirt in Apocalypse Now for $20,000.
• An original set of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, bound in red cloth, signed by Tolkien, and containing a fold-out map of the Middle Earth for $124,000.
• For the same amount you can also snatch an 82-inch flying saucer made of wood, steel and fiberglass from Forbidden Planet.
• First editions of James Bond novels inscribed by Ian Fleming, including one that said “To the real James Bond from the thief of his identity”, which was dedicated to American Ornithologist James Bond.

I’m not particularly fussy and you have 500 objects related to movies to pick from - so, go on - make mine a Happy Christmas

 Daily Telegraph

Firebox has just made this natty little stocking filler available

The Lightsaber torch is a full-sized replica of the Jedi’s chosen piece and even makes the trademark “pfshwoooahhh” noise when you turn it on and off.

Class!

Maglite? Pah!

This torch emits a Jedi friendly blue light from its 4 ultra bright LEDs.

It’s powered by three AAA batteries which those lovelies at Firebox will chuck in for gratis for a limited period.

Go get it for £9.95 now!

Who wouldn’t want their own R2D2?

How about one that stands 15 inches tall and is voice activated?

This most famous and loved of the R2 droids (sorry D4!) will respond to around 40 voice commands!

He can even be set to a motion sensor so that he sounds an alarm when he detects movement - that should work to confuse any would-be ne’er-do-wells or at least your drunken partner

And bless ‘im, R2 will happily follow you around as well swiveling his head as he does so.

Being R2D2 he’ll occassionally get grumpy and fall into “bad mood” mode  which can simply be remedied with an “R2 behave yourself!” 

His talents know no end as he can replay sounds and dialog from Star Wars and has been known to groove to the cantina music. 

No need to bargain with a Jawa - just click here and pay $169.95.

BookofJoe

Whether you’re Jedi or Sith breakfast is still the most important meal of the day.

So, you need a decent toaster - but this one will do your toast a little on the dark-side as it will singe a silhouette of the Dark Lord of the Sith.

The Darth Vader Toaster should arrive by Imperial Transporter in January 2009 and the product can now be pre-ordered for $54.99 from the official Star Wars webshop.

Get one and while munching that bacon butty think to yourself  “I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire!”

Nerd Approved

Ok, stop your sniggering class!

Granted ‘Thrustmaster’ does sound almost like a piece of home exercise gear bought from a shopping channel but it is a company responsible for possibly the best two Wiimote accessories of all time.

First up, and for me the coolest, are the red and blue dueling Glow Sabers.

Both are sporting 17 LEDs and thus require 3AAA batteries a piece.

Once the much anticipated Star Wars game hits the stores this pack should fly from the shelves like they were in some kinda Jedi Supermarket Sweep!

The other natty bit of kit is the Dual Trigger Gun (complete with Nunchuck holster!).  It should bring any FPS or shooty-shooty-death-kill Wii game truly to life.

The Nunchuck rest is said to allow the gamer a “very stable shooting position”.

The Glow Saber 2-pack is available right about now for $34.99, while the Dual Trigger Gun should land in short order for $17.99.

GoNintendo

Everyone of a certain age that marvelled at the 3D projected scene in the first screened Star Wars film have longed to see a mini Princess utter those immortal words, “Help me Obi-wan Knobe, You’re my only hope” in real life.

Well, if you have an iPhone it’s about to become a reality (well, kinda).

iHologram has been created for the iPod Touch and iPhone by designer David O’Reilly.

The application apparently gives the viewer the idea that the graphic is a 3D hologram jumping off the screen.

“The application works by assuming a constant viewing angle (35-45 degrees), typical for when the device is placed on a tabletop. The 3d scene’s perspective is warped using anamorphosis, the same technique used in Hans Holbein’s painting The Ambassadors. This application does the exact same but updates dynamically”, says O’Reilly.

Using the iGadget’s acceleromter, the software calculates rotation on the y-axis, so we can look around the environment around by turning the device, there are also controls for manual rotation with a slider on the left-hand side of the screen.

O’Reilly is currently looking for developers to help him further the project - frankly I NEED THIS APP!!!


Sprint to the link - Davidoreilly.com

Step back into the light and away from The Dark Side.

Light your path with this pretty funky Star Wars Lightsaber LED Torch.

Switch on this full sized replica and not only will it throw purifying blue light forth from the ultra bright LED, but you also get the trademark power-up noise.

Features:

• Full size replica Lightsaber style LED Torch
• Ultra bright blue LED never needs replacing
• Authentic sound effects when turning on/off

Get one now at Gadgets.co.uk

Fancy staring face-to-cockpit with Lord Vader?

Do you like the idea of Darthy V’s T.I.E. Fighter looming over everything you do?

Now you can chat to friends whilst the Sith Lord records everything you do thanks to his cam-prepped fighter.

It not only records audio, video and images, it also features sound effects from the movies.

A word of advice though - just be careful what you do in front of the camera - He’s all about the Dark Side remember and it would be just like the black-helmeted prankster to post everything you’ve done on YouTube

If that hasn’t put you off go and spend $33 at Play

Tomy have released a transparent radio-controlled R2-D2.

The mini light saber, which is also transparent, doubles as a remote control.

As well as contolling R2D2 around the place the remote also lets you rotate his dome as he rolls, beep and whistle, and illuminate his photoreceptor “eye”.

The transparent plastic lets you see the inner working of the R2D2 - not for squeamish droids!

This new Transparent R/C R2-D2 by Tomy is available from the Star Wars Shop for $24.99 - this is the droid you are looking for!

Via Geek Alerts

To truly be one with the Force a young Jedi should let it flow through them - let it guide them in making their own weapon, the Lightsaber.

Failing that, get a kit online - namely the Force FC Lightsaber Construction set.

The kit contains instructions and all the parts which enable you to create the weapon of your dreams from 1,000 or so different designs!!

You can change the color (red, blue or green) of your saber with the flick of a switch and they can’t do that in the films.

The Lightsaber kit is available from Play for £49.99

Never one to miss something StarWars related; hows about a light-saber room light from NCSX?

The hyper-kitsch Light-Saber room light measures 40cm/15.74″ tall.

They are available in either red or green and uses two AAA batteries which means that it’s portable and prone to being picked up and posed with methinks…………….also ideal for your office cube.

It will cost you $23US.  Another addition to your home from a galaxy far, far, away.

New from the guys who brought you the R2-D2 projector which appeared in my crimbo wish-list, is the R2-D2 skype phone and remote controllable webcam!

The blinged out chrome-look lightsabre makes sounds like it should and opens up to reveal the dial pad.  As well as being a skype phone it will also control the little R2-D2 which is a fully functioning, remote controllable Skype webcam.

The included software allows you to overlay different cockpits, such as the X-wing and the Millennium Falcon, over your webcam images for the ultimate Star Wars geek fan.

Via T3

Here are a few designs of toys that, if we all hassle Lucas and co should get made dammit!

The brains behind these toys is fellow Londoner McMorran.

“So, what else is there after the destroyed ‘Moisture Farm Playset’?” I hear you scream….  Well you need the charred remains of Luke’s Aunt and Uncle for a start to complete the playset!  Yup, they’re in the line up in suitably crispy form.

The rest of the selection on offer includes the ‘Force’ action figure (my fave), that dead Ewok from Jedi or a handfull of rocks from the Princess’s home planet Alderaan freshly destroyed by the Death Star.

Rah!

Brilliant, just brilliant!

What more is there to say?

Could you imagine a better way of utilising the Wii’s motion sensing controller than to recreate your favourite Star Wars face-offs?  We all know that Lucasarts have already announced a lightsaber peripheral for the Wii - just not when it will be released.  Never fear though; Play.com is offering an alternative for 15 quid.

The Wii Light Sword (not saber if any lawyers are reading), is a third-party add-on and looks remarkably like a short lightsaber with the Wiimote becoming the grip.

When Lucasarts release the Wii lightsaber it could do worse than copying the Force FX lightsaber that ranks 10/10 for coolness as it looks, feels and sounds like a lightsaber should - until then, “You can’t win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine……………”

Contact: Play.com and pick a side………….