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Disney offers a very brief glimpse of a 'working' lightsaber
Disney has revealed the retractable lighsaber you'll see when Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser opens at Walt Disney World Resort in 2022.
'Fortnite' adds lightsabers following Star Wars event
If you wanted to attend Fortnite's Star Wars event but missed out, you're probably experiencing a twinge of regret right now. The event included an expected Rise of Skywalker clip and a virtual appearance by director J.J. Abrams, but it also gave people lightsabers (and blasters) -- and yes, they're available outside the event. Suddenly, the notorious mechs from earlier in the year seem a bit weak by comparison. It's not certain how long they'll last, but you'll have to track down special Star Wars crates to arm yourself like a Jedi or Sith.
This 'Jedi: Fallen Order' lightsaber is also a motion controller
Twitch streamer and DIY gaming accessory buff Dylan "Rudeism" Beck, who created a hilarious Untitled Goose Game "controller," is at it again with the new Star Wars title Jedi: Fallen Order. He built a motion-controlled lightsaber and a force glove that make the game look more fun and sporty, according to his Twitch videos and a post on Reddit.
Watch the new 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' trailer
Getting all hyped for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and mere teaser image (above) not sufficing? Well, the new trailer is here to substantially introduce the final film that encompassed a trilogy of, well, trilogies. Let's watch shall we?
Lightsaber Academy helps you practice your Jedi swing
Toy lightsabers are a lot of fun: Kids love to strike poses, swing them through the air and jab the weapons at their friends as they pretend to be Luke Skywalker, Rey or even Darth Vader and Kylo Ren. But what they can't do with a standard lightsaber is actually learn how to wield one. Star Wars Lightsaber Academy, an app-connected toy introduced at this week's Toy Fair, aims to change that by putting kids (and adults) under the virtual tutelage of some of their favorite Force users.
Hasbro's Bluetooth lightsaber lets kids train to become a Jedi
Hasbro has a new toy for the future Jedi in your life. The Star Wars Lightsaber Academy is a suped-up version of the standard lightsaber that comes with its own training exercises and activities built in, according to The Verge. The toy connected to a smartphone app via Bluetooth to provide Jedis-in-training with interactive challenges that teach them to fight like their favorite Star Wars characters.
Lenovo’s ‘Jedi Challenges’ will let you do battle in AR as Kylo Ren
Lenovo has announced a Dark Side Expansion for its Star Wars: Jedi Challenges AR game, a free update that will let players battle Yoda, Rey and others as Kylo Ren. Along with added gameplay features, Lenovo is releasing a limited-edition Lightsaber Controller, just like the one Kylo Ren uses in the films, that glows while users are playing.
ICYMI: A real hoverboard for 20K, the worm robot and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-511213{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-511213, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-511213{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-511213").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Scientists have built a robot that is controlled by software directly modeled on a worm's brain, near cyborg-style. ARCA has built a hoverboard they say can actually hover above ground for up to six minutes and is being sold for $20,000. Meanwhile the U.S. Marines are discharging a robot for being a bit too loud for stealthy applications: The LS3 is being put out to pasture.
Homemade laser lightsaber is as risky as it looks
It's clear that there are a lot of Star Wars fans these days, but one of them just took that adoration to a decidedly geeky new level. Styropyro (he of laser shotgun fame) has built a lightsaber using a heavily upgraded 7W blue laser -- it's several times more powerful than what's needed to blind someone. While the beam isn't contained like the "real" thing, it's strong enough that it can burn through wire and other household objects. You probably don't want to build this at home unless you're exceptionally careful, then.
Your phone is a lightsaber in Google's desktop browser game
Since real lightsabers don't exist (yet), Google and the studios behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens are offering the next-best thing: A program that turns your smartphone into a lightsaber, which then takes out bad guys on your computer screen. Lightsaber Escape is live now -- open it in your desktop browser and then punch in the unique URL on your phone (or vice versa), and you're good to go. Your phone becomes a lightsaber handle and, as you move it around, the actual glowing sword moves on the desktop.
Disney Infinity's lightsaber is an elegant weapon for a civilized age
Disney Interactive may have passed up the opportunity to produce Star Wars-licensed games in favor of developing Disney Infinity, but that doesn't mean The Force is completely absent from the studio's toy-collection game. The Disney Infinity Fans community has uncovered a green lightsaber weapon hidden in the game. The lightsaber, according to a video posted by "Sheriff Woody," is given as a reward to players who collect every character in the game. Sheriff Woody got his hands on Phineas and Agent P - the two figures yet to be released in stores - and was able to complete his collection early, hence the reveal. The Force is strong with this one. [Image: Disney]
Sabertron: a foam lightsaber game that finally proves who's got the most midi-chlorians
Chances are you've clutched a lightsaber or two in your time, whether that be an inexpensive imitation of the iconic Jedi weapon, or a deluxe model. You may even be a veteran duelist, but unless you're willing to commit murder with a Star Wars toy (or, someone else could just score the bout, we guess), then the dance always ends with no true victor. If you think that something with a name like Sabertron can't solve this dilemma, then these aren't the swords you're looking for. Just launched on Kickstarter, the idea of Sabertron is pretty simple: foam sword, electronics to detect blows, LED scoreboard above the grip. The current prototype uses an Arduino board with accelerometer to register hits, with Xbee handling the wireless connection so swords know when they've merely collided, and when to shut off LEDs after an opponent's successful strike. Also, a control panel and screen built into the grip lets you pick between different game modes for one-on-one combat. During the year, LevelUp intends to created a chest/back mounted scoreboard with proximity detection that'll allow for multiplayer battles, with other accessories for the Sabertron range expected later. While it's aimed at Star Wars fans and live-action role players primarily, only a fun-sponge would be incapable of enjoying a few rounds of Alliance vs Empire with a buddy. And, with early bird pledges of $99 getting you a pair, breaking the will of Jedi scum doesn't have to break the bank.
Watch BioWare's lightsaber-fueled live-action SWTOR ad
Live-action trailers for MMOs (and games in general) are sort of hit and miss. On the one hand, a live-action video can be so over-stylized and vague that it leaves viewers saying, "Uh, what?" On the other hand, a well-made live-action advertisement has a way of drawing new interest toward a game and its world. If you're looking for a live-action trailer that falls in the "uh, what" category, it's hard to beat this head-scratcher for Guild Wars 2. But if you want to see a live-action that more successfully integrates real-life and video games, BioWare's new commercial for Star Wars: The Old Republic is pretty spot-on. The ad accompanies BioWare's announcement that new players, active subscribers, and lapsed subscribers who reactivate between today and October 20th will receive a JA-3 Subversive Battle Droid Mini-Pet and a JA-3 Subversive Speeder. Additionally, the studio confirmed that Game Update 2.4, slated for October 1st, will include new 4v4 Warzone Arenas and PvP tweaks. Check out the new ad after the break, and don't miss our coverage of SWTOR Game Update 2.4.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: bike-powered generator, world's largest wave farm and a DIY lightsaber
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. What would you give for a working lightsaber? This week Inhabitat reported that a laser hobbyist created an awesome (but totally dangerous) DIY lightsaber that can burn through wood. In renewable energy news, Scotland announced plans to build the world's largest wave farm, and an ingenious inventor created a bike-powered generator hidden inside his patio furniture. On the consumer tech front, Apple announced plans to produce a new line of Macs in Texas, and Intel is set to release its new Haswell chips, which could boost laptop battery life by 50 percent. Scientists discovered Arctic plants that have come back to life after being frozen for 400 years, while ninth graders conducted a science experiment to show that plants don't grow as well near wireless routers. And Ukrainian carpenter Valerii Danevych carves functioning watches -- including the gears -- entirely from wood.
Onyx Ashanti's beatjazz music machine does everything, looks good too (video)
Onyx Ashanti has sent us over a demo of his beatjazz controller, and we have to marvel at the direction he's taken with this custom electronic music machine following more modest efforts. Onyx's 3D-printed interface receives inputs from a voice / breath-operated synth in the headgear, while the two handheld controls incorporate accelerometers, joysticks and pressure-sensitive buttons. Using this kit and his own software, Onyx is able to create live digital music with an amount of control you would only expect from desktop-based production software. We've embedded two videos for your attention after the break -- a demo of his latest flashy build complete with lightsaber-like effects, and an earlier live performance that really shows what the beatjazz controller can do.
Sigma R&D shows Kinect sign language and Jedi savvy to win gesture challenge (video)
Sigma R&D has won first prize in a gesture challenge to show just how much more talent -- like sign language translation and light saber fun -- can be unlocked in a Kinect. Normally the Microsoft device can only scope body and full mitt movements, but the research company was able to track individual fingers with a Kinect or similar sensor, plus its custom software, allowing a user's hand to become a more finely tuned controller. To prove it, the company introduced a virtual lightsaber to a subject, tracking his swordsmanship perfectly and using his thumb extension to turn it on and off. The system even detected when a passing gesture was made, seamlessly making a virtual transfer of the weapon. The same tech was also used to read sign language, displaying the intended letters on the screen for a quick translation. The SDK is due in the fall, when we can't wait to finally get our hands on a Jedi weapon that isn't dangerous or plasticky. To believe it for yourself, see the videos after the break.
Bug-zapping lightsaber built in minutes, ready to fry pests
Simulated Jedi training not passing muster? Something more firmly grounded in reality might fit the bill. Hack a Day's bug zapping lightsaber, for instance, is suitably real -- and what it lacks in actual lasers it makes up for in insect annihilation. As the amalgamation of a Star Wars toy and an electrified bug racket, the zapper saber isn't exactly a looker -- two layers of metal mesh wrap awkwardly around the toy's telescoping blade, secured only by electrical tape and the sheer will of the force. All told, the contraption was constructed in roughly 20 minutes and Hack a Day reckons that more elaborate ones can be crafted with a tad more time and materials. Head past the break to catch the build process in motion.
32-inch 'LaserSaber' lights up your Star Wars dreams, burns the curtains (video)
If you enjoyed all those not-at-all tiresome "May the 4th be with you" tweets yesterday, then this is likely right up your equatorial trench. Wicked Lasers, makers of the eye-meltingly powerful S3 Krypton laser has developed a $100 attachment for the same that will bring a few not-so-little boys' dreams true. The ahem LaserSaber add-on takes the pin-sharp beam of light from the company's S3 range of lasers, and sends it down a 32" polycarbonate "blade". A so called magnetic gravity system imitates the powering-up and down of those other famous sabers, but they stopped at adding sound effects. Bear in mind, you're still dealing with imperial levels of light here, so dueling is most definitely not recommended, but if you want the nearest thing to the real deal, remember, May the 5th we told you.
Behind the Mask: The Force Unleashed
Now that The Old Republic has hit the shelves, it seems like everyone has something to say about it. Cryptic seems to acknowledge it in its own unusual way: by lampshading it. Enter the Unleashed, Champions Online's newest free archetype. No, you're not misreading me here; the Unleashed is not a gold archetype. If you make an account right now, you can play the Unleashed from the moment you enter the character select screen, without spending a dime. Since it's the ninth free archetype, you'd think that he'd be a stable, bread-and-butter class. However, the Unleashed is nothing but. His wackiness approaches the Impulse, but where the Impulse is kind of ineffectual, the Unleashed is deadly efficient. Interested in a sword-wielding knight who slings force blasts? Hit the jump and we'll see what Cryptic's take on a Jedi can do.
NASA developing tractor beams, no plans for Death Star... yet (video)
Fully functional LightSabre aside, a tractor beam has to be high on most geek wish-lists; lucky for you NASA has started working on one. Before you drop your sandwich (or whatever that object in your left hand is), this won't be for sucking up star cruisers, but the more modest task of sample and space dust collection. The basic concept has already been proven, but now NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist has given boffins $100,000 to make the dream a reality. Three potential methods are already on the table, which in lay-terms resemble laser tweezers, a light vortex and a conceptual rippling beam. Once developed, it could signal the end of traditional mechanical sample collecting -- and just plain luck -- consigning robotic arms to the history books. Check the video after the break for science-tastic mock up of how it might work.
