Navy Soldier Surprises Son Dressed as Darth Vader

Some dads really rock and go the extra mile to make sure that their kids have some great memories. When the video below was shot, Susie W’s kids had been separated from their dad for about 3 months. But dad had a surprise for them.
vader is home
The kids thought that they wouldn’t be seeing him until December. When their son said that he wanted a Star Wars party so he could be Luke and fight Darth Vader, he had no idea what was in store for him. Vader was supposed to be his older cousin, but the dad came home from his Navy deployment for a 96-hour leave and surprised his son, dressed as Darth Vader.

Ah. This video makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Imagine if Luke and Vader’s Empire Strikes Back fight had ended in a hug… Damn, that sounds like Disney Star Wars. What are we all in for?

[via Geeks Are Sexy]


C-3PO and R2-D2 Show Off Their Sexy Side

I’ve always thought of C-3PO and R2-D2 as a couple of endearing, but not exactly attractive little droids. These ladies are definitely not the droids I was looking for – but now I can’t help but stare.

sexy c 3po r2 d2

Image Credit: Philip Chilcote

These two were spotted roaming the aisles at Portland’s Rose City Comic-Con this past September, and photographer Philip Chilcote captured this shot of the pair strutting their stuff, while gold-plated Boba Fett hung out with his sexy lady droids.

And if you thought these outfits were revealing from the front… (slightly NSFW if you scroll down)

sexy c 3po r2 d2 2

Image Credit: Terri Nelson


R2-D2 Engagement Ring: R2-I-Do

Some Star Wars fans really go all-out, and this custom-designed R2-D2 engagement ring is no exception. This is no cheap Cracker Jack box trinket – oh, remember when the prizes weren’t all made out of paper? – it’s made from pricey metals and precious gemstones.

r2 d2 engagement ring 1

This amazing R2-D2 ring was created by Paul Michael Bierker as a custom-commissioned piece for graphic and tattoo artist Joe, who wanted to present it to his bride-to-be, Emily. The ring is made from precious metals inlaid with blue sapphires and a big-honkin’ diamond in the middle. Joe started out by sending along some concept images to Paul, and from there, he really ran with it.

r2 d2 engagement ring 2

And while Joe’s spelling leaves a little to be desired (baggets? saphire?) he more than makes up for it with his spirit and creativity. Joe has truly stepped up the game for geeks in love everywhere.

r2 d2 engagement ring 4

Check out this short video of Joe presenting this awesome droid ring to Emily, and a little more imagery of this jewelry masterpiece.

The only thing better would have been if he dressed up as C-3PO when he proposed to her. And yes, those were their Halloween costumes in the video. I think.

[Custom Made via ThinkGeek on Facebook]


Star Wars R2-D2 Inflatable R/C

The world’s – or should I say, the galaxy’s most beloved astromech droid, R2-D2, has just gotten yet another boost to its portfolio of devices and toys that will further enslave the minds and wallets of parents (and Star Wars fans) everywhere, coming in the form of the $59.99 Star Wars R2-D2 Inflatable R/C. Yes sir, can you say that this is the ultimate galactic accessory?

Since this is one R2-D2 that is inflatable, it is a good thing each purchase will be accompanied by a pump for easy inflation, instead of you having to huff and puff your way while roping in the help of a certain Big Bad Wolf. Unfortunately, while you cannot send any kind of holographic messages on this puppy, this inflatable and feisty droid measures over 65cm in height, and has detachable drive units that ensure R2-D2 remains compatible with other Star Wars characters. You can opt to spin it 360 degrees, drive forward, back, turn to both left and right, and get this – in the indomitable spirit of R2-D2, it also boasts of a self-righting system that ensures it remains upright even when knocked over or driven down stairs. Up to 3 units can be driven at once for some R2-D2 mayhem at home, and the handset requires a single 9V battery, while the drive unit runs not on lightsaber crystals, but a quartet of AA batteries.

[ Star Wars R2-D2 Inflatable R/C copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


What If Wes Anderson Directed the Next Star Wars Movie?

According to Conan O’Brien, Wes Anderson is the latest director to throw his hat into the ever-growing ring of potential future Star Wars directors. Check out his audition tape which is somehow even more Wes Anderson than Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums combined. [YouTube via Coudal] More »

Angry Birds Star Wars makes a landing, the Egg is strong in this one

Do you find it rather interesting that a game like Angry Birds have actually branched out to be such a phenomenally successful gaming franchise, so much so that I believe anything else that Rovio releases (which they did with Amazing Alex) will never be able to live up to the Angry Birds folklore and reputation. In fact, you can call Angry Birds as the Golden Goose of Rovio, and another golden egg has just been laid – this time around merging with yet another hugely successful movie franchise that was recently sold to Disney – Star Wars. What do you get when you put two and two together? Why, Angry Birds Star Wars, of course!

It should not be too difficult to find someone who is a fan of both Angry Birds and Star Wars, and you would be pleased to hear that Angry Birds Star Wars is now available for download over from the Windows Phone 8 Store. Basically, both Red Bird and Pink Bird have undergone an epic transformation in their timeless (and endless, at this point in time) battle against the Bad Piggies. Be prepared to go on an intergalactic adventure by grabbing your lightsaber, although it does make me wonder just how birds are able to grasp a lightsaber considering they lack the necessary digits to do so save for feathers.

You will be able to visit iconic Star Wars locations such as Tatooine, the Death Star and the beyond. After downloading the game, in can be installed right away.

For folks who are still running on Windows Phone 7.5, there might be hope for you just yet as there is a possibility of Angry Birds Star Wars arriving on that particular platform. The thing is, both Rovio and Nokia want to do everything in their power to ensure that the Angry Birds Star Wars experience on the older version of Windows Phone will not arrive gimped, making sure that some semblance of quality control has been put in as well. Keep your feathers crossed, folks!

Press Release
[ Angry Birds Star Wars makes a landing, the Egg is strong in this one copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]


SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: November 8, 2012

Welcome to Thursday evening everyone – just one more work day to go and we’ll have arrived at the weekend once again. This afternoon we received more information about that massive Twitter password reset that occurred earlier in the day, while we learned that a number of Windows Phone 8 handsets will be available to order at both Verizon and AT&T tomorrow, including the HTC Windows Phone 8X. Verizon is expecting to complete its roll out of 4G LTE by mid-2013, while we learned that Grand Theft Auto V will feature Rockstar’s biggest in-game world yet.


Hulu has launched its new Hulu Kids service for paying subscribers, while the Samsung Galaxy Express and the MiFi Liberate are headed for AT&T. The creators of Expendable Rearmed have been working with NVIDIA to bring the classic Dreamcast game to Android, and we heard that Foxconn may be thinking about expanding into the US. Google began teasing its Niantic Project earlier today, and speaking of Google, it launched Free Zone today as well, a new program that will attempt to give feature phone owners access to basic Google services.

Hitachi has revealed its lineup of HDTVs and Smart TVs for fall 2012, and scientists have spotted a “Super Earth” in the habitable zone of a star that’s 42 light years away. The HTC One S has popped up at T-Mobile with a price tag of zero dollars, and AT&T is willing to shave $100 off the price of a new tablet so long as you’re willing to sign a two-year data agreement. Flomio has taken to Kickstarter to raise funding for its FloJack NFC reader for iOS, and Mimo has introduced a new touch screen monitor that’s compatible with OS X.

We learned when Star Wars: The Old Republic will be going free-to-play, and GameFly is offering BioShock as a free download for a limited time, so if you haven’t played it yet, have at it. AT&T has backtracked somewhat on its FaceTime restrictions, and the Humble Bundle for Android 4 has launched with six games that are all worth checking out. Finally tonight, Chris Burns gives us his review of Evernote 5 for iOS, so be sure to have a look at that. That’s all for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, enjoy the rest of your night folks!


SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: November 8, 2012 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Chewbacca Cake Is Soft, Not Chewy on the Inside

Check out this awesomely detailed Chewbacca cake that also looks a bit like Bigfoot. Hopefully it won’t taste like hairballs and make you cough up fur like your cat. Normally, I would be afraid of a Wookiee pulling my arm out of it’s socket, but I could eat this thing all day long and just laugh at how it can’t kill me.
chewbacca cake
This fantastic geek cake comes from Crazy Cakes and yeah, this thing is crazy alright. Crazy-delicious and crazy-detailed, that is. The hand painting is just amazing. You would think that a Chewie cake would be chewy, but I am assured that it is soft and tasty.

I want one for my birthday, just so that my family can sing “Chewie birthday to you. Chewie birthday to you. You look like a Sasquatch… and you smell like one too.” That would be sweet.

[via Between The Pages]


Zoe, the Custom Astromech Droid Gives R2-D2 Some Serious Competition

Don’t get me wrong, I love R2-D2, but Podpadstudios‘ Astromech droid is plain beautiful. Just look at the detail and all of those lights. Her name is R11:E1, a.k.a. Zoe. Her creator named her after Zoe from Caprica, which also warms my cold dead heart.
R11 E1
She’s not just all show. The ‘bot is powered by three 25Amp 12v SLA batteries, two running the 24v drive system and the third running the 12v electrics. Zoe has many gadgets onboard and built-in, including a router and IP webcam which broadcasts at charity events.

zoe droid 2

She’s got an on-board sound system, a fire extinguisher, working utility arms and claws, a 140db siren, working holo-eyes, periscope, a smoke machine ported through exhaust, lots of LED and el-wire, with light reactive paint, and a full working on-board DLP projector setup to display Princess Leia’s message from Star Wars. Holy crap! How did they get all of that in there?

Now THIS is the droid I have been looking for!

[via Walyou via Nerd Approved]


Star Wars: The Old Republic goes free-to-play next week

We’ve known for a while now that Electronic Arts and BioWare are planning to take Star Wars: The Old Republic free-to-play, but for months, both companies were silent on an actual date for the switch. That all changed today, with Electronic Arts confirming that Star Wars: The Old Republic will be going free-to-play worldwide on November 15. That’s exactly one week from today, so those of you who have been waiting for the switch don’t have much longer to go before it actually happens.


Those who don’t pay anything will have a full list of restrictions to deal with, and recently Damion Schubert added one more limitation to that already long list. If you’re playing for free, you’ll still be able to level your character all the way to 50, but expect it to take a little longer than if you were a monthly subscriber. That’s because Schubert says free players will earn experience at a slower rate as they play the game, though experience boosters will be available to purchase with Cartel Coins.

On the other side of the coin, those who continue to pay a monthly subscription fee after the switch will actually earn experience faster. Schubert says paying players will earn experience as if they were using these aforementioned experience boosters. He also said that paying players will be given “two more quick slot bars, a new purchasable Cargo Hold tab, and a monthly grant of Complimentary Cartel Coins,” so there are some clear benefits to remaining a paying subscriber once the free-to-play option goes live.

Finally, he pointed out that everyone who has ever payed a subscription fee will automatically become a “preferred status” player, which means that you won’t face the same limitations of free players. Free players can get preferred status by spending a total of $4.99 in the store, though Schubert reassures that free players can get to level 50 and experience what the main story has to offer without ever paying a cent. Will you be checking out Star Wars: The Old Republic when it goes free-to-play next week?

[via Eurogamer]


Star Wars: The Old Republic goes free-to-play next week is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.