Way back in October 2007 we told you that George Lucas would be making a live-action series focusing on minor characters from Star Wars instead of the major ones we all know and love. Almost four years later, it seems the idea of ever seeing this live-action show is still living in a galaxy far, […]
Years before Lucasfilm created the AT-AT and Boston Dynamic’s Big Dog terrified the world, the US Army was working with General Electric on the “Walking Truck” project, basically a large walker which was controlled by a lever-pushing operator.
The rapture has come and gone, but the Maker Faire powers on. Despite warnings of a May 21st doomsday, folks came out in droves for the annual celebration of all things DIY, and we were there to bring you the best in homespun inventions. This year’s Maker Faire was light on robots and big on corporate sponsorship. Among the giants supporting the little guys were Google, ASUS, and HP, but El Goog’s presence extended beyond its dedicated tents. The new Android ADK was big with at-home tinkerers this year, spawning a number of little robots and at least one DIY alternative.
Perhaps no other trend proved more pervasive than 3D printing, however — every time we turned around there was another MakerBot or RapMan pumping out everything from statuettes of attendees to cutesy salt shakers. There were robotic building blocks, a Heineken-themed R2-D2, DIY drones, custom keyboards, and a ton of repurposed gadgets, but it was an arena of destructo-bots, tucked away in the farthest corner of the San Mateo County Event Center, that really blew us away. We came away sunburned and bedraggled, but lucky for you, we did all the dirty work so you don’t have to. To see what made this year’s Maker Faire, hop on past the break for a video of our favorite DIY finds.
Gallery: Maker Faire 2011
Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
Continue reading Maker Faire 2011, in pictures: Arduinos, Androids, and angry robots (video)
Maker Faire 2011, in pictures: Arduinos, Androids, and angry robots (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 May 2011 17:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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At the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Shanghai, industrial robot company Yasakawa equipped a couple of its manufacturing machines with lightsabers and choreographed a violent ballet for them to perform. The resulting battle is more exhilarating than the duel at the end of Phantom Menace and the performances are less lifeless than those in Attack of the Clones. Best of all — Lucas can’t add 30 minutes of new CGI scenes and re-release the video below in 3D.
Continue reading Industrial robots do Star Wars better than Lucas
Industrial robots do Star Wars better than Lucas originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 May 2011 16:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We’ll tell you what: if you even blink these days, you’re gonna miss a special guest on the Engadget Podcast. This week we’ve got Joystiq‘s Chris Grant in the house to shoot the shizzle on Sony’s network hurt and the Wii 3D IMAX rumors bubbling up all around us. And we lure Richard Lawler to step out on his old lady, the Engadget HD Podcast, for a romp on the possibly slightly wilder side of the tracks. Let’s do it: let’s talk tech.
Host: Tim Stevens
Guests: Chris Grant, Brian Heater, Richard Lawler
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: You Shook Me All Night Long
02:15 – Apple iMac hands-on, with dual 30-inch displays! (video)
03:00 – Apple iMac refresh official: Thunderbolt and next gen quad-core processors
03:45 – AT&T officially announces HP Veer 4G, available May 15th for $100 (update)
04:55 – Star Wars Blu-ray set ships Sept. 12th/16th (world/NA), has 40 hours of special features
06:35 – Dish Network, EchoStar will pay TiVo $500 million to settle DVR lawsuit
07:55 – Latest Windows 8 leaks reveal cloud-based settings, more app store evidence
09:35 – Droid Charge review
11:16 – Verizon document suggests LG Revolution will have Netflix pre-installed
13:47 – Sony promises ‘phased restoration’ of PlayStation Network and Qriocity starting this week
20:22 – Sony woes continue as SOE confirms data breach (update: 24.6 million accounts affected)
31:03 – Sony responds to Congress: all 77 million PSN accounts compromised, finger pointed at Anonymous
33:52 – BlackBerry Bold 9900 hands-on (update: video)
34:30 – BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 (Bold Touch) official
34:45 – BlackBerry Bold Touch makes brief appearance on RIM’s website
35:05 – Android apps on PlayBook eyes-on (video)
35:48 – RIM announces BlackBerry 7 OS with better browser and BlackBerry Balance, but no legacy support
38:10 – Nintendo drops Wii price to $150 from May 15th, throws in a free Wii Wheel and copy of Mario Kart
48:05 – Nielsen estimates show first drop in TV ownership in 20 years, Mayans nod approvingly
50:40 – We won some Webby Awards, and now you can win a BlackBerry PlayBook!
51:44 – Listener questions
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Filed under: Podcasts
Engadget Podcast 238 – 05.06.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 May 2011 12:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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LucasFilm has chosen Star Wars Day (May The 4th) to finally reveal more information about the upcoming Star Wars Blu-ray releases, due to hit shelves September 16th. The three editions include The Complete Saga with all the movies included, or the original trilogy / prequels by themselves. When the counter hit zero the official website has dropped the curtain on… absolutely nothing since it’s down, likely crashed by the refreshing of a billion fans around the world. Before it crashed completely we snagged the release dates (September 12th internationally, 16th in the US) and a list of special features (included after the break along with the Blu-ray announce trailer) that breaks down the commentaries on each disc plus several new documentaries. Currently the site is refreshing to the standard Fox page, the plan is apparently for a promotion where fans share the page on social media networks which unlocks additional artwork as more people continue to visit throughout the day. We’ll let you know if R2-D2 can get the servers back up, until then we can all just imagine what the three new documentaries might be like.
Update: There’s also a short (really short) YouTube trailer meant to push the “Feel The Force” content unlocking promotion on the site, it’s embedded after the break. [Thanks, Taylor T Farmer]
Update 2: It appears the site is up now, calling on fans to unlock more of an embedded video with various “exclusive imagery” by sharing the page on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you could also not do that, wait a few hours for someone else to finish unlocking it and avoid ending up on our block list along with everyone who plays Farmville. Your choice.
Update 3: As of about 3 p.m. Eastern the site has been fully unlocked, so feel free to click through and check out the entire video, or just peep the box art for all three packs in our gallery here.
Gallery: Star Wars Blu-ray box art
Star Wars Blu-ray set ships Sept. 12th/16th (world/NA), has 40 hours of special features originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 May 2011 09:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Now you can reserve that Storm Trooper uniform. While the Star Wars: The Complete Saga, Star Wars: Original Trilogy and Star Wars: Prequel Trilogy Blu-ray sets were originally announced with a release date of September and later popped up in retailer databases for September 27th, it has settled in for a September 16th arrival. Blu-ray.com points out that’s a Friday which should open things up for plenty of retailer events around the launch and leave fans with the entire weekend to tear through the movies and all the extras coming along with them, no time off of work needed. Star Wars.com has also been updated with the new date so we’re confident this one will stick, update your calendars and preorder plans accordingly.
Continue reading Star Wars Blu-ray release date set for September 16, 2011
Star Wars Blu-ray release date set for September 16, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 08:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Gadget Lab Notes is an eclectic roundup of gadget news briefs and intriguing products that catch our eye.
In the Future, Why Walk When You Can Wheel Around on the Peugeot XB1?
The XB1 is a cross between those hovercrafts from Wall-E, a robot, and a silver Honda Civic. The fully electric tri-wheeled concept vehicle would include GPS and smart phone integration, and top out at 35 km/hr. If the slew of recent concept bikes, trikes, and scooters are any indication, it looks like future humans won’t have much use for their legs.
Peugeot XB1 [Yanko Design]
Now That The iPad 2 Is Available, Let’s Move On To Some iPhone 5 Rumors
What would iPad 2 launch day be without some fresh iPhone 5 rumors? This time in the form of mold engineering diagrams. The images, from iDealsChina, show a slightly larger display (edge to edge) and essentially the same form factor as the iPhone 4. The design appears to match a photo of the bezel that they also released. Although the renders could be phony, it’s worth noting that the site has a track record: they previously leaked accurate renderings of the 4th gen iPod Nano before its release.
China’s Latest iPhone 5 Rumors [iDealsChina via Macrumors]
GroupMe Texting Service Is Poised to Get Big at SXSW
Group texting service GroupMe, which lets you easily send texts to a group of people regardless of carrier or phone model, looks like it may be a breakout hit of SXSWi. Having used it at this year’s CES, I can attest to its awesomeness. It’s an efficient way to deliver a message to a group of friends or colleagues. Watch out if you have a limited texting plan though—add a couple of drinks to the mix, and you could wake up to dozens of ah, colorful, messages just waiting to be read (that is, unless you were the sender).
GroupMe [GroupMe via FastCompany]
Get Your Race On With an iPhone Steering Wheel Speaker
Similar to the Wii steering wheel wiimote, this circular speaker has a place in the center where you pop in your iPhone 4. Two external speakers add some audio oomph to your game play, while the circular shape makes steering in racing games a bit more fun and realistic.
iPhone 4G Steering Wheel With Speakers [Focal Price via Ubergizmo]
This Is Not The Droid You’re Looking For: R2-D2 Hacked With an Xbox 360 and Projector
On second thought, this fun mod, which includes luminous blue LEDs, a speaker, and an Xbox 360 as a brain, might be the droid you’re looking for after all. The built-in projector displays images 15-50 inches away, and R2’s hull includes touch-sensitive buttons and auxiliary hookups for other input devices (like a Wii or Playstation) if you just want to use the projector. R2 also has HDMI out and optical audio out.
Star Wars R2-D2 Xbox 360 [Instructables via Dvice]
Don’t Arm Wrestle Your Opponent If They Are Wearing the x-Ar Exoskeleton Arm
The x-Ar Exoskeleton Arm is designed to provide arm support, particularly for those who constantly have to lift or transport heavy objects. The x-Ar attaches to the arm at the wrist with a cuff and uses steadicam-inspired technology so that arm movement is not hindered, just made more powerful. I hope these are available to rent before the next time I have to move.
x-AR [Equipois via Crunchgear]
It’s time to mark your calendar Star Wars fans, whether you plan to be first in line to check out the new 3D-converted editions of each movie, protest their rerelease in a new format or just avoid the theater altogether now that The Phantom Menace has officially been slated to return next year on February 12th. The effects guys at Fox, Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic reckon the immersive visuals of each flick lend themselves to being viewed in 3D and the yearly releases of the movies should be good test of both whether a 3D conversion really is worthwhile and if audiences are interested in paying to watch it. Of course, there’s also the alternative of just grabbing the Blu-ray discs (original trilogy only, if you so desire) skimming the Red Letter Media review and calling it a day, but we won’t get pushy.
Continue reading Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace returns to theaters in 3D February 12, 2012
Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace returns to theaters in 3D February 12, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 03:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The wait is over. Podracing is finally going 3D. Jar Jar Binks, too. And Darth Maul–remember when he was still an okay thing to dress up as for Halloween? On February 10, 2012, Lucasfilms will be re-issuing the film that turned the world against it. The film will be hitting theaters in three glorious, midichlorian-laced dimensions.
The reissue was supervised by Industrial Lights & Magic. Lucasfilms insists that “the meticulous conversion is being done with utmost respect for the source material, and with a keen eye for both technological considerations and artistic intentions.” It’s been a while since I’ve seen the movie–can someone remind what said “artistic intentions” were?
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