Hasta La Gadget!

Back in 2012, LucasArts revealed a new Star Wars game called Star Wars 1313. Based on the graphics of the game, it certainly looked impressive and immersive, although how well it would actually play will never be known as production of the game has since been halted after Disney announced that they would be pulling the plug on Star Wars titles. Well the semi-good news is that Star Wars 1313 is back, although not in the form of a video game, but rather used as a post-production tool for moviemakers.

This is thanks to a report that revealed that the company showed off the engine used to make the game at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts where combined with real-time motion capture, will “take the post out of post-production,” as the CG can be captured during normal filming instead of having to go through the modeling and animation process. While it holds potential, the company believes that it will be a while before this technology can be used as a complete replacement process and expects that graphics will be realistic enough within the next 10 years.

Admittedly it is a shame that the Star Wars 1313 game will never be played, but it’s good to know that the efforts of those who worked on it did not go to a complete waste.

Star Wars 1313 Sees New Life As A Post-Production Movie Tool original content from Ubergizmo.

How many of us, at some point or another, have actively fantasized about how cool it would be to own an Imperial AT-ST Scout walker? The answer should be "all of us." There’s a chance to make that dream come (kind of) true, and it only costs $15,698.62. Roughly.

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eBay seller Hollywood’s Finest is selling what it claims to be a life-size replica of the All Terrain Scout Transport aka the AT-ST aka the Ewoks’ Bitch. However it seems like Hollywood’s Finest didn’t bother looking up the canonical dimensions of the ill-advised vehicle. This replica is 16ft. tall, but the Empire requires its AT-STs to be about 28ft. high. I think the replica still looks imposing despite its height deficiency.

Hollywood’s Finest said that the replica is made from metal and wood. It appears that the trailer that it’s standing on will be included with the purchase; that’ll make it much easier for the person who buys it to haul it around. The replica can also be detached from the trailer, thanks to an integrated metal stand. The walker’s head can also be lowered between its legs using a built-in winch if you need to fit it in a smaller space.

Offer at least £9,800 (~$15,700 USD) on Hollywood’s Finest’s eBay page to get a chance at owning the AT-ST replica. Just know that your lawn gnomes won’t be afraid of taking it on.

[via Geekologie via TechEBlog]

Forget the face on Mars and it’s mysterious pyramid structures. The universe is even stranger than that. Case in point, Han Solo, frozen in carbonite has been spotted on the planet Mercury. NASA’s Messenger probe found a raised shape on the surface of the planet that looks just like our smuggler friend after Boba Fett caught him and put him on ice.

Here is the NASA press release on the discovery:

A portion of the terrain surrounding the northern margin of the Caloris basin hosts an elevated block in the shape of a certain carbonite-encased smuggler who can make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.

If there are two things you should remember, it’s not to cross a Hutt, and that Mercury’s surface can throw up all kinds of surprises. This block may be part of the original surface that pre-dates the formation of Caloris, which was shaped by material ejected during the basin-forming event.

Looks like NASA is finally embracing its inner nerd-dork. Good job, NASA. Now get back to the Moon already. It’s right next door for God’s sake.

[Fark via Gizmodo]

In the Star Wars space opera, most of us would be able to tell right from the get go just who are the bad guys, and which are the good guys who are all out to save the galaxy from the firm grip of a crazed Emperor Palpatine. Well, those who need to eke out a living have signed up with various Stormtrooper divisions, simply because the Rebel Alliance are unable to pay that well, not to mention they do not have the latest hardware to play around with. Still, this does not mean all under the Galactic Empire are evil, some of them have a heart so much so that they keep pet birds in their homes. If you are part of such a crowd, why not do so with the £24.99 Star Wars Death Star Birdhouse to stay in vogue?

Of course, the Rebel Alliance might not look on to this particular birdhouse design too kindly, especially when it has been used to blow up an entire planet in the past, so any representation of this particular symbol should not be used despite the fact that it houses a life (or more!) within. At the very least, this is the deadliest birdhouse in the galaxy, no? Made out of high quality ceramic, there are no exposed thermal exhaust ports that could compromise its structural integrity. Watch out for dropping “torpedoes” from above now!
[ Star Wars Death Star Birdhouse shows you’re all heart copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]