Hasta La Gadget!

Silly me. I’ve been waiting all my life for a Jedi Master to show up and teach me how to build a lightsaber. Turns out all I needed was this infographic from electronics supplier Newark. Well, it will build you a lightsaber replica, not an actual lightsaber, but it is still awesome.

It just takes a few basic tools and pieces of hardware. Before you know it, you will be swinging away in a saber battle. This is a great way for people who are just getting started with projects like this to build something really cool.

Obviously, you can order the electronics you need from Newark. Build it and feel the power of the force!

[via Geekosystem]

Sony’s new 4K TVs are unbendingly plain but pretty much what a reasonable near-future human would really want in a giant TV: a big beautiful screen that doesn’t need extra curves or egregious size to give you eyegasms. It’s the type of TV that’ll end up trickling down into our living rooms because there aren’t any gimmicks that’ll be forgotten about the next time someone wants to throw needless features on the wall and see what sticks.

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CES 2014 is upon us, and even though I can’t yet set foot into any booths, plenty of companies are trying to get a jump on things with early product announcements. Perhaps one of the biggest items we’ll see at this year’s show – based on sheer size – is LG’s massive 105-inch Ultra HD TV.

This enormous set offers a large curved screen with a resolution of 5120 x 2160 pixels, which LG is calling “5K”. Yes, kids – this set has over 11 million pixels. Of course, my point and shoot camera has even more pixels, so I’m sure this isn’t the end of the display resolution wars. The display has a 21:9 cinematic aspect ratio, and incorporates a Harmon Kardon sound system, offering enveloping 7.2 surround sound using only speakers in the display.

While I’m pretty sure I’ll never have one of these in my living room, I’m certainly looking forward to checking it out on the CES floor this week.

LED light bulbs have been around for years now. These bulbs are made to look like a normal incandescent bulb, but use significantly more power efficient LED bulbs inside. The … Continue reading

If you regularly play FPSes on your big screen TV, then there’s a handy little gizmo out there that you might want to add to your arsenal. It’s called the HipShotDot, and it’s designed to improve your aim when playing FPSes that have a targeting reticle on screen.

Basically, the HipShotDot is a bright red LED attached to a small transparent suction cup. To use it, simply plug one end into an open USB port, then stick the LED directly over the center of the targeting reticle, then drape the remaining skinny cable down the screen and suction cup it in place. When plugged in, the LED provides a bright new point for you to focus on during FPS battles.

In my experience with the gadget, it definitely made it easier to focus on the dead-center point when aiming weapons. It works with any console or PC, and any FPS that has a consistent targeting point on screen. I suppose it would also work with air and space combat games as well. It also works with any display with a smooth surface. It definitely works with LCD, Plasma and CRT screens, though I’m not sure how well it would stick to a projection screen.

There are only a couple of minor drawbacks to the HipShotDot – first, it remains lit as long as you have it plugged into a USB port. This means that it stays on even during cutscenes and times when you’re not aiming. It’s small enough that it’s not too distracting, and its cable is quite slim too. Though I wish that it had a switch on the cord so you could at least turn it off when you shut down your console – since most consoles continue to provide power via USB when in standby mode. Still, the benefits far outweigh the cons if you’re really into FPS gaming like I am. Plus, the LED effect is kind of cool. It almost looks like a laser sight.

You can grab the HipShotDot online direct from Airdrop Gaming or from Amazon now for $29.99(USD).