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Disney puts all of its movie VR experiences in a single app
If you've got a VR headset, you've probably noticed that finding compelling virtual experiences isn't as easy as it could be. Disney is hoping to fix that, at least for its own properties, with its new VR app on Steam. It puts all of the company's virtual offerings -- including experiences for Star Wars, The Avengers and The Jungle Book -- in a single location. And best of all, it's free and compatible with both the HTC Vive (which runs SteamVR) and the Oculus Rift.
'Hamilton' and 'Star Wars' collide in your dream jam session
Unless you've been living under the proverbial rock for the last year or so, you've likely heard of the musical sensation Hamilton (16-time Tony nominee) and its creator / star Lin-Manuel Miranda. As it turns out, Miranda isn't just an American history buff -- he's also a pretty serious Star Wars fan. He managed to squeeze time into his busy schedule last year to compose a song for The Force Awakens called "Jabba Flow," heard in the cantina in Maz's castle.
The makers of 'Titanfall' are working on a 'Star Wars' game
Respawn is ready to break out of the Titanfall mold... and in a way you probably didn't expect. The game studio has announced that it's working with EA and Lucasfilm on a third-person Star Wars action/adventure. It's saying precious little about the title, which doesn't even have a release date, but it will run on the Unreal Engine (according to job listings) and "pay respect" to the series' universe at every step. Suffice it to say that this won't just be Titanfall with lightsabers and AT-STs. It's not a guaranteed success, but Respawn's early track record suggests that it'll take Star Wars seriously.
The 'Star Wars' holographic chess game is nearly a reality
"Let's be real: Any article you read about Magic Leap or any AR platform, the first thing they talk about is Holochess." That's Mike Levine, the former senior effects specialist at LucasArts and the current CEO of mobile game developer Happy Giant. Levine is working on a new project with Corey Rosen, the former creature-effects supervisor at Industrial Light & Magic, and legendary monster designer Phil Tippett -- the man who created Holochess for the original Star Wars: A New Hope. Together these sci-fi comrades are building HoloGrid: Monster Battle, a tactical collectible card game that takes numerous cues from the classic Holochess scene. Forty years on, Star Wars still exerts a huge influence on Tippett's life. "It's really weird," Tippett says. "It's like being in some kind of time bubble or Groundhog's Day. It keeps coming back."
Engadget giveaway: Win a 'Star Wars' prize pack courtesy of ThinkGeek!
You may still be reeling from the recent sweep of date-related events (Pi day, Alien day, and 420) but the ride's not over yet. Tomorrow is May the 4th, which is observed by many as a Star Wars "holiday" and may garner a lot of attention this year on the coattails of the recent blockbuster The Force Awakens. To help celebrate, online gadget purveyor ThinkGeek has delved into its large offering of Star Wars gear to help one lucky reader get into the spirit. To kick things off, we have a life-sized BB-8 floor lamp with adjustable LED settings and a stand "so it doesn't go off adventuring." To help set the mood throughout the house, we also have a BB-8 table lamp, a Death Star mood light and Bluetooth speaker. To help fly that fan flag when you're out in public, we also have a Chewbacca messenger bag and three Star Wars beach towels. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning. Winner: Congratulations to Jeff M. of Atlanta, GA!
Recommended Reading: A look at what music does to your brain
The Surprising Science Behind What Music Does to Our Brains Belle Beth Cooper, Fast Company You probably enjoy listening to music while you're in the office, at the gym or to relax in the evening. But did you know just how much playing some tunes affects your brain? Fast Company dives into the science behind what music does for your creativity and overall mindset.
Disney's streaming app gets Marvel and 'Star Wars' cartoons
To cater for fans who don't want to purchase digital downloads or Blu-rays, Disney launched its own streaming service called DisneyLife. For £10 a month, UK subscribers can watch a huge selection of Disney movies and TV shows, stream music and download books and apps. However, since its debut in November, the service has yet to include anything from the company's other big subsidiaries, like Marvel and Lucasfilm. Luckily, that's set to change on April 18th, when DisneyLife becomes home to Star Wars Rebels and a handful of animated Marvel book and animated shows.
'Star Wars: Battlefront' gets Lando Calrissian in Bespin DLC
DICE just can't stop making wonderful downloadable content for Star Wars: Battlefront. And although we already knew the game was getting new goodies this summer, the developer has now shared more details about the Bespin DLC. Most notably, beloved character Lando Calrissian is being added into the mix along with Dengar, the ruthless bounty hunter from The Clone Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. Both arrive in June.
The original 'Star Wars' trilogy is returning to theaters
If you yearn for the heady days when you could watch the original Star Wars movies in theaters, you're in for a treat. Alamo Drafthouse (a very big fan of classic movies) has arranged screenings of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi in special locations over 20 cities over the course of August, starting in 7 cities on August 6th. These are the tweaked re-releases from 1997 (sorry, no despecialized versions here), but they'll give you a hint of what it was like to see the adventures of Luke, Leia and Han in their initial format.
'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' digital downloads come to the UK
If you've ignored regional loopholes and a plethora of dodgy websites waiting for Star Wars: The Force Awakens to become available in the UK, your patience has finally paid off. The latest instalment in the franchise is now available for digital download from online stores like iTunes, Google Play and Amazon.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Toyota's wooden roadster and more!
Auto tech is advancing by leaps and bounds, but Toyota's latest car is a blast from the past. Meet the Setsuna - a gorgeous roadster that's hand-carved from 86 wooden panels. In other transportation news, Dutch politicians are hatching plans to ban all polluting cars by the year 2025. If the thought of sharing the road with self-driving big rigs makes you uneasy, this may put your fears to rest: six trucks with driverless technology just completed a 1,300-mile journey across Europe. We also took a firsthand look at VanMoof's new Electrified S smart bike, and a startup launched the world's first cargo scooter, which can easily tote up to 50 pounds.
Watch the first trailer for 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'
It's been barely three months since Star Wars: The Force Awakens swept into theaters, showing the world what's become of the far-flung galaxy since Return of the Jedi. Now that the film is available to purchase, the folks at Disney and Lucasfilm are turning their attention to Rogue One, starting with a brand new teaser trailer. Set before A New Hope, the film follows a group of Rebel rogues trying to steal the plans for the original Death Star. As such, you can expect plenty of throwbacks to the original trilogy, including classic stormtroopers, X-wing starfighters and Star Destroyers.
Comcast deal lets you buy 'Star Wars' from your set-top box
It's not that hard to get Star Wars: The Force Awakens through digital sources, but Comcast doesn't want to be left out. It just struck a deal that brings Disney's movies to the Xfinity TV store, both online and from your TV proper -- if you want to watch the adventures of Rey and Finn from your set-top box, you can. Only The Force Awakens is available right away, but Comcast will fill out the catalog over the "coming weeks."
You can watch 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' with BB-8
If you enjoyed Star Wars: The Force Awakens, April will likely bring more joy in the form of Blu-ray and streaming availability. Chances are that you'll sit down with friends and family to watch Finn and Rey on your own big screen, but if you find yourself alone, you could also enjoy the action with one of the film's stars. Thanks to a new app update from Sphero, the little BB-8 bot that first went on sale back in September will now watch and react to what's happening on screen with sounds and movement.
ICYMI: Teleport your hologram, changing ocean pH and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-681979{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-681979, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-681979{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-681979").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Microsoft Research developed a new 3D camera capturing system that creates a live-time 3D hologram of a person that can be sent to interact with other people, as long as they have a matching virtual reality set-up. If that's confusing, the video straightens it right up.
'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Blu-ray rip leaks to torrents
After grossing over $2 billion in theaters, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has made its long awaited debut... on the piracy scene. The movie is scheduled for release via download until April 1st, and the Blu-ray arrives April 5th, but now that the discs are pressed one has inevitably leaked out. TorrentFreak estimated that in the first 12 hours over 250,000 people had already downloaded a copy, and it's currently topping trackers like The Pirate Bay and Kickass Torrents.
Here's how 'Star Wars Battlefront' does Jabba the Hutt's palace
Part of the allure of Star Wars Battlefront is seeing how it translates classic scenes from the movies to the video game world. How will it handle Jabba the Hutt's palace, for example? As of this week, you now have a good answer to that last question. EA and DICE have posted a trailer for the imminent Outer Rim expansion that gives you a solid look at Jabba's home, whether it's the vast sail barge garage or the tighter confines of the throne room. The clip also offers a peek at the volcanic world of Sullust and the two new hero/villain characters, Greedo and Nien Nunb -- Greedo's multi-shot ability looks like it could be a real ace in the hole when you're surrounded by enemies.
'Star Wars: Battlefront' is coming to PlayStation VR
If you wanted something a little bit bigger to sink your teeth into for PlayStation VR, there's Star Wars: Battlefront. It's a third-party exclusive and, well, Sony's Andrew House didn't say much more beyond that at today's GDC event aside from it being a DICE-developed project -- just like the base game. He promised we'll hear more about it in the coming months. So, E3? Here's to hoping it's more than just virtual reality viewer for the game's collectible diorama pieces.
'Star Wars: Trials on Tatooine' VR experiment revealed
Last week we got an inadvertent early peek at a new Star Wars VR experience from Industrial Light & Magic, and now the full trailer has been revealed. RoadtoVR has the Trials on Tatooine trailer in its full glory, and it's even better in motion than the stills could reveal. You no longer have to take our word for it, this HTC Vive-linked "experiment" is way better than the Jakku Spy app that came out for Google Cardboard last year.
J.J. Abrams talks to SXSW about how technology has democratized filmmaking
After President Obama's keynote, a SXSW session featuring J.J. Abrams alongside his friend Andrew Jarecki (writer and director HBO miniseries The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst) was probably the hottest panel of the conference. Around 2,000 attendees showed up to get a tease of West World, the HBO series Abrams is executive producing, and hear a conversation between Abrams and Jarecki about how technology has changed filmmaking for the better.