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Death Star-like lasers become a practical reality
Like many elements of sci-fi, the superweapon in Star Wars' Death Star seems implausible: can you really combine multiple laser beams into one fearsome blast? Apparently, you can... if not quite as dramatically as you see in the movies. Scientists have developed a technique that uses diamond to merge multiple laser beams into more powerful ones. The key was to put an exceptionally pure diamond at the point where the beams converge, taking advantage of the crystal's inherent tendency to send the light's power in a specific direction. The material is good at shedding excess heat, too, which is rather important when you're funneling a lot of laser power into a small space.
Watch how 'Star Wars: Battlefront' portrays the Death Star
Ever wanted to blow up the Death Star in Star Wars: Battlefront? If the answer is a resounding "yes," you're in luck. EA has revealed that its Death Star paid DLC will arrive on September 20th, and has released a gameplay trailer to match. Suffice it to say that this will rekindle plenty of memories from the original Star Wars movie -- including things you might have wished for, such as a fight with a Star Destroyer and an on-foot assault against the Death Star.
'Star Wars: Battlefront' add-on will tie into 'Rogue One'
EA and DICE are determined to wrap up Star Wars: Battlefront's year of add-ons with a bang. The developers have used Star Wars Celebration to reveal that the fourth DLC pack will revolve around the Rogue One storyline. Rogue One: Scarif will let you play as rebel Jyn Erso or her Imperial nemesis, Director Krennic, as you fight for the original Death Star's plans on the planet Scarif. While you're not getting a look at actual gameplay just yet, EA vows that the add-on will be available in time for the movie's mid-December debut. Season Pass holders will get to play two weeks early.
Death Star map coming to 'Star Wars: Battlefront' this fall
Get ready, Star Wars: Battlefront buffs -- there's a ton of downloadable content coming your way. For starters, following the release of the Battle of Jakku in December, DICE will add more DLC content to its game tomorrow, January 27th. This includes the ability for player's to create private matches, support for new multiplayer modes in the Tatooine Survival map, and Battle of Hoth-themed character clothing for Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. While that's all fine and dandy, we know what you're here for: the Death Star.
'Star Wars: Tiny Death Star' puts you to work for the Empire in glorious 8-bit
There's no shortage of official Star Wars-themed apps on iOS, Android and Windows Phone, but Star Wars: Tiny Death Star might be the most retro of them all. A spin-off of NimbleBit's popular iOS classic Tiny Tower, Tiny Death Star puts you to work for the Empire as you buy, build and oversee the development of its moon-sized space station. It's the result of a partnership between Disney, LucasArts and NimbleBit, bringing together all of your favorite Star Wars characters in the familiar Tiny 8-bit style. You'll also employ 30 unique galactic "bitizens," including Wookiees and Ewoks, as you build as many as 80 residential and commercial Death Star floors. Like other freemium titles, Star Wars: Tiny Death Star uses its own in-game currency, called "Imperial Bux," which boost construction and lift time restrictions, meaning you probably won't go it Solo in your fight against the Rebels.
Future soldier: Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku on building a Death Star and Silicon Valley brain drain
Morning light shines softly through a large glass window as a travel-weary Michio Kaku gamely musters a smile. Just a few hours removed from a cross-country flight from the East Coast, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that this physicist is plain tired. Then the camera starts rolling. In an instant, Kaku looks rejuvenated as he plays to his audience and waxes poetic about his favorite subject -- science. In the world occupied by nerds and techno geeks, theoretical physicist and futurist Kaku is akin to a rock star. Chalk it up to a flowing mane of pepper-gray locks and the fact he co-created string field theory (which tries to unravel the inner workings of the universe). These days, Kaku can mostly be found teaching at City College of New York where he holds the Henry Semat Chair and Professorship in theoretical physics. When he isn't teaching, Kaku still spends most of his extra time talking science, whether it be through his radio programs, best-selling books such as Physics of the Future or appearances on shows like The Colbert Report, where he recently enlightened Stephen Colbert about the dangers of sending Bruce Willis into space to blow up a deadly asteroid. As fun as it is for Kaku to talk physics, however, he also considers it a matter of survival
Rare iPhone prototype hits eBay, branded with 'deathstar' test logo (updated with video)
While our thoughts on all things iPhone may be focused elsewhere, an unusual Apple prototype of its fourth phone iteration has caught our attention on eBay. On the back, you can see the same curious logo spied on experimental hardware as far back as February 2010 and as 9to5Mac notes, it doesn't pack the screws along the bottom edge, making it ever so slightly different to the final model. The phone (model number N90AP) also runs Apple's software testing framework, Switchboard, which is still happily ticking along on this particular prototype. Bids start at $4,500, or there's a Buy It Now price of $10,000 -- if you must have this obscure slice of Apple history. (Update: We've been sent a quick video tour of the device-- it's after the break.)
DARPA's crowdsourced UAV competition heats up, takes off (video)
Late last year, DARPA launched UAVForge -- a competition that invites contestants to create their very own unmanned aerial vehicles, and submit them for voter-based evaluation. The project is far from over, but competing teams have already started sending in their proof-of-flight videos, giving us a glimpse of what's to come. So far, it looks like the GremLion UAV (pictured above) is the early favorite, after coming out victorious in the first round of voting. Developed by a team from the National University of Singapore, the GremLion looks like a bite-sized Death Star and flies around using a coaxial set of rotors that expand tulip-style out of its shell. Also included in the UAVForge showdown is a guy known as X-MAUS -- an Arduino-controlled quadcopter that can apparently transform into a more aerodynamic plane form upon liftoff. And, rounding out the list of notables is a submission from TU Delft known as the QuadShot, which is basically a miniature B-Wing from Star Wars. Except it's real. Hit up the break to see all three in action.
Star Wars Stormtroopers use Mac System 6
The evil Galactic Empire is well-known for cutting corners in its engineering, with gaping chasms scattered seemingly at random throughout the Death Star without a single guardrail in sight. It turns out the Empire's computer systems are also woefully out of date; as designer Matt Chase demonstrates, it seems Imperial Stormtroopers, like TK-421, are still using System 6 on their Macs. From the contents of TK-421's email inbox, it appears a Stormtrooper's work is never done. Not only is there some mandatory target practice scheduled, Darth Vader keeps sending increasingly frantic messages concerning a pair of missing droids. The final email, pictured above, is a rather ominous message from rebels@rebelalliance.org threatening to blow up the Death Star. Not to worry, TK-421; any attack against the station would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they've obtained. Check out the full graphic of this decidedly old-school Mac desktop here. Note that one or two items in the graphic may be NSFW depending on your locale, especially if your boss is anything like Darth Vader. [via Neatorama]
Destroy the Death Star from the comfort of your iPhone
Wanna blow up the Death Star? There's an app for that! At least there should be soon. StarWars.com has word of the upcoming iPhone and iPod Touch game "Star Wars: Trench Run," letting players do the cool stuff Luke Skywalker did in Episode IV (minus the whining), namely: blow up the Death Star. Developers say "Trench Run" uses simple motion controls, relying on a player's command of the iPhone's accelerometer to avoid walls, other ships, gun turrets, and inexplicable solid beams laid across the trench (video). Manage all of that and they can take their shot at the Death Star's exhaust port and send the Empire reeling. Why did they never cover that port, anyway (YouTube)? If blowing up a space station the size of a small moon isn't a player's cup of tea, they can engage in dogfights with TIE fighters over the Death Star instead. The game's pitch promises music, sound effects, and clips from the movie for immersive gameplay, varying degrees of difficulty (from Easy to Jedi), and Leader Boards to let pilots see how they rank with other would-be Jedi from around the world. As exciting as blowing up the Death Star may be, the game screams for in-app purchases. Can pilots buy "Battle of Hoth" expansions down the road? And fly against the second Death Star? Can we?!? I mean... can they?!? Please? Until then, "Star Wars: Trench Run" has a price set of $4.99. No word on when the game will hit the App Store but it needs to happen soon. The Death Star must be stopped! [via starwars.com]
What will you do with your old iPhone?
So like a gadzillion people have asked me: "What do I do with my old iPhone now that I'm upgrading to a spiffy new 3G unit?" I thought about doing a top ten list. I thought about clever and amusing ways to use an old iPhone. But seriously, it just comes down to this. So read my lips. Jailbreak it. Unlock it. Give it away or sell it. The end. Get yourself a copy of iLiberty+ or ZiPhone or whatever tool you like. Once unlocked, you can sell it for a badzillion dollars on eBay, because contrary to what I originally thought, AT&T isn't going to let you walk away with a new 3G iPhone without signing over your first born, your personal bank account and possibly your soul. So the demand for 1st gens is going to go through the roof (as will the demand for posthumous mobile air conditioning units once AT&T is through with you). Over at Google, those $250 refurb iPhones from a few weeks back are going for $500 and up. Ebay has relative bargains at $350 and up. If you have a child, a spouse, a dog or any other loved one, you can now give them the phone with a T-Mobile or AT&T SIM and they're good to go. If any of these loved ones are foreigners ("votre chien", for example, in the case of those north of the border but within the Quebecois borders), they should be able to use a non-US SIM in the unlocked unit (i.e. "Le Rogers Fido"). As we've posted before, AT&T says it will reset your contract to 2 years once you get the new iPhone, so your old one will be completely free, clear, and contract-free. No one (except, perhaps, your dog) will sanction you for unlocking it.
Conceptual hotel takes a note from the Death Star
We can't say with a straight face that the capital of Azerbaijan is high on our list of places to vacation at, but for Star Wars fanatics, the case could be different. Reportedly, Heerim Architects has dreamt up a couple of "lunar inspired" projects for the Asian country, one of which (Full Moon Bay) looks an awful lot like the Death Star. Granted, the building looks entirely different from varying angles, but we're choosing to focus on the one that brings back fond memories of light sabers blazing and wookiees waltzing. Truth be told, we've no idea if these facilities will ever break ground, but we're absolutely certain the powers in Dubai are already planning to recreate the entire Star Wars universe if this thing goes forward.[Via Inhabitat]
Star Wars gets Lethal
Ubisoft has announced today that they're developing a new, original Star Wars game for the PSP and DS. Entitled Lethal Alliance, the game will take place in the time between the so-so Episode III and the good Episode IV. You'll play as Twi'lek Rianna Saren and her security droid Zeeo, and it's your job to uncover the most lethal weapon the Empire has ever come up with: the Death Star (cue dramatic music). GameSpot has some screenshots of the PSP game, and also an interview:On [the] PSP, we wanted to utilize the powerful hardware by making an action-packed, fun-filled game set in beautiful environments... Both versions of the game offer local Wi-Fi capabilities... On PSP you will play Twi'lek versus Twi'lek, while on DS you will play droid versus droid.[Thanks, steve & daniel-kun!]
