Hasta La Gadget!

In a wholly unsurprising move, Finnish game dev studio Rovio Entertainment is creating yet another entry in its prolific Angry Birds series — Angry Birds Star Wars 2. As its name implies, ABSW2 is the sequel to the first Star Wars-themed Angry Birds entry, which launched on various mobile devices last November. Its sequel will arrive on September 19th, and apparently features “over 30 playable characters.” There aren’t set launch platforms just yet, but we’re guessing “iOS and Android devices” is a pretty safe bet; Windows Phone 8 as well, perhaps.

What is surprising is that the newest Angry Birds entry has a physical twist that we’ve yet to see from the brand: something called “telepods.” The Hasbro-created toy is a physical representation of an in-game character, and Rovio Entertainment’s VP of marketing Philip Hickey tells us it works by using a mobile phone or tablet’s built-in camera to read the toy and implement it in-game — an interesting choice in a world where Activision’s NFC-based Skylanders rules the toy-based game landscape. As such, the toys likely won’t function on game consoles, making it likely that any non-mobile version of the game will require some custom work to adapt. Hickey also tells Engadget that the toys will be available at retail alongside the game’s September 19th launch, and that Rovio’s exploring the possibility of making them function with previous series entries.

Interested parties can get a first taste at San Diego Comic Con this week, and we’ve dropped the debut trailer just below for your viewing pleasure.

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Handhelds, Tablets, Software, Mobile

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Last week, we reported on a new Angry Birds teaser from Rovio that briefly discussed a “brand new” Star Wars game that looked to take on the prequels of the film’s saga. Today, Rovio has released a teaser trailer that gives us a glimpse at what to expect in the game, which is set for release on September 19.

First off, the game will feature “new stories, new levels, new characters, new powers, new sides to fight for” (could we fight on the Imperial side?), and the game will feature a completely new element that Rovio is calling Telepods. These are little toy figurines that you can collect and use in the game to “teleport” them into a level to use them virtually.

Players can collect more than 30 figures and then unlock new content in the game by scanning them with their smartphone or tablet’s camera. This will unlock new characters and super powers in the game, giving players more content to choose from and giving Rovio and yet another revenue stream.

The game will follow along with the Star Wars prequels, including The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. We still some of the characters from the original series, but we also see characters like Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn, and a young Obi-Won Kenobi. No sign of a Jar Jar Binks bird, however, which is a good sign so far.

While the Telepods will undoubtedly add more experiences to the game, players will still be able to play the game as normal without falling for materialistic practices, but if you’re the type who likes to collect things, especially Angry Birds memorabilia, then be sure to save up. We’re not sure how much each figurine will cost, but since there are 30 of them (multiplied by at least a few dollars per figurine), that’s at least $90 you’d be spending. Better count those pennies!

Angry Birds Star Wars II arriving in September with Telepods interactive figurines is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
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The thought of throwing away an old computer after we’ve spent a significant amount of money on it once upon a time, often leads us to simply leave it in its designated spot, dormant and gathering dust.

If your old technology is cluttering up your room or office, there are better ways of disposing your old computers or computer parts than simply leaving them to gather dust under a bed, in a closet or on a desk.

If you’ve made the decision that you will never need the computer or any of its parts in the near future then it’s time to make the decision on how and where to get rid of them.

Sell, sell, sell
There are numerous ways to sell your computers or parts. Some of the better places include garage sales, local second hand markets or websites such as ebay, gumtree and quicksales online classifieds. Even if your computer won’t turn on, there are many individuals out there who specialise in buying ‘dead’ computers and fixing them up for resell to make a profit.

Bin it!
If you want to dispose of these items quickly and without any hassle, the easiest way to do this is to simply chuck it in the bin.

Recycling
This is definitely the most environmentally-friendly way to dispose of your old computers if you no longer need them. According to the Environment Protection and Heritage Council in Australia, only 10% of computers which are thrown away are recycled; the rest end up in landfill. These computers which end up in landfill contain hazardous toxins which then seep into the ground. So you want to do the right thing but are unsure of how to recycle your computer? There are many companies such as ewaste who will collect your old computers and deliver them to a recycling facility.

Make a donation
This is a great way to get rid of your old laptops or desktops and help out an organisation in need at the same time! Some places which often need this kind of equipment are schools, not-for-profit organisations, charities, opp shops and local libraries. You will more than likely have to drop it off at their location, but the upsides are that you may be able to claim your donation as a tax deductible, plus you’ll get that warm fuzzy feeling of helping out someone in need.

The new offerings from T-Mobile, new Simple Choice Family Plan and the Jump program are now live. Customers can sign up for them from today.

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Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim opened over the weekend and it did not disappoint. While the monsters versus robots flick didn’t top the box office, it was all any nerd could talk about. What more could you really ask for from a movie of this ilk? I can’t think of anything else I would have wanted other than more giant robot versus giant monster action.

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