The Empire is watching U

Unfortunately, this new TIE webcam offered by Wesco LTD has a clip that looks like a butt, or one set of Yarna's boobs. That won't hold us back from adding it to our ultimate collection of Star Wars computer peripherals! (Amazon.uk, via Engadget)

Sony's PS2 'Glowing Sword' Game

So yeah, it looks like a lightsaber game. It acts like a lightsaber game. But it's not a "lightsaber" game. Sony unveiled an interesting new motion tracking game-play system for the PS2 at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival on August 12, which should be available by the holidays this year. The new games will be using the PS2's Eye Toy, which isn't so new anymore. Some of the things that will make the new Eye Toy games different are the 1:1 motion-tracking capabilities, which should make movement instantaneous on screen, as well as the updated color-tracking system. The most notable game to be introduced is 'Hero', which will feature a fluorescent green sword used by the player which the Eye Toy will track and represent on screen as a glowing sword used to deflect objects and parray enemies.

Pros: Looks like a lightsaber. You get to swing a sword around. It's not for Wii.

Cons: It's not a lightsaber (Sony, did you even ask George Lucas?). You have to swing a sword around (Put on a sweatsuit and remove breakables from living room). The glowing sword on screen just hovers with no hands or character attached to it. Not even a mention of PS3 compatibility (even for backwards compatible systems). It's not a lightsaber.

Read more from:
Engadget
Dark Zero
Kotaku

New Indy game early 2009?

It feels like forever that we've been waiting for some real next-gen content, and of course LucasArts leads the way creating completely playable environments with Digital Molecular Matter and euphoria technology (GTA4 uses euphoria, but not DDM). First we'll get The Force Unleashed, but hopefully not too long after that we'll get more of an Indy fix. Some retailers are projecting a March-or-so 2009 release date. My Lego buzz is just starting to wear off too.

The more I think about it, the more this looks like it might be Grand Theft Auto: Indy Nights... or something to that effect. Notice the San Fransisco setting?

Keep an eye on the LA Indy game site:

"Indiana Jones debuts the revolutionary new euphoria technology from NaturalMotion, which delivers never-before-seen lifelike action and awareness to every character in real time -- so you'll never see the same thing twice. For the first time ever, euphoria enables interactive characters to move, act and even think like actual human beings, adapting their behavior on the fly and resulting in a different payoff every single time. This next-gen technology imbues Indy and his opponents with unparalleled environmental awareness and survival instincts. They'll stumble, then attempt to maintain their balance; brace themselves for falls, then get back up; and reach for nearby ledges when falling. Each action results in an authentic, varied performance every time.

Complementing euphoria will be Pixelux Entertainment's Digital Molecular Matter (DMM) technology, which brings a level of realism to next-gen games never seen before by making completely interactive environments that react as they would in real life. From crumbling walls to shattering glass and even swaying organic plant life, in-game objects have material properties that behave realistically all in real time.

Indiana Jones also features completely interactive Hot Set™ environments, where every setting is open-ended and completely destructible in a way that only next-generation consoles can deliver. Use your wits and daring to make each spring-loaded environment a weapon as you dispense of foes in clever and unexpected ways. Also, embark upon thrilling chase sequences that remain true to the spirit established in scenes such as Indy's pursuit of the motorcade in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the mine-cart scene in The Temple of Doom, and the free-for-all aboard the tank in The Last Crusade. Face Indy off against a devious longtime rival, reunite him with old friends, and meet more of his most trusted allies throughout the world."

R2 teh rular of UR intranetz

Gizmodo explains it best:

"These gigantic Japanese nerds just rigged up an R2-D2 DVD Projector into a server monitoring system that alerts them whenever a system is down. R2's got Nagios, a monitoring app, an IR controller, and the ability to project what's wrong for the people to see. The video illustrates how it works in a dramatically geeky manner. These should be standard issue in every server farm around the world. [Syun - Thanks Motohiro!]"


- I was a tad disappointed. If they went through that much trouble, they ought to have made R2 beep an alarm and wheel up to the closest intern dressed as Obi Wan Kenobi to display the failure report.

Robots rule...

In The Know: Are We Giving The Robots That Run Our Society Too Much Power?

Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. I'm on your cell phone.

Real holos are in the works, and there are plans to make this somehow work with cell phone hand sets. I dunno... it still looks a little bulky at this stage.

Japan will figure out somehow though, I'm sure.

Luke's lightsaber is space bound!

Look for some footage and news in the next couple of days as the prop used as Luke's lightsaber (as opposed to the real one ;) in the original Star Wars makes it's journey from Skywalker Ranch to NASA 's Houston Space Center. As part of the 30th anniversary celebration, the original saber will be blasted off into outer space on the next flight of the space shuttle Discovery in October.

The journey begins August 28th (tomorrow!), and will include a full escort for the trip with Chewie, a troop of stormies, and more of our Star Wars friends who will usher the lightsaber over to the hands of NASA at a ceremony to be held at the Oakland International Airport.

KEWL!

Linkies:
Sci Fi Wire
TFN

Edit - Look for coverage by the official starwars.com blog, and on starwars.com tomorrow.

..and for the true space geek in you, check out NASA TV! Awesome live video from space.
__________________________________

Also... recent Battlestar Galactica news at FRAK

Random news o' the day/week...

After all, what would a proper fan blog be without random news?

~ This one really caught my mind's eye: What if David Lynch directed ROTJ? (Thanks TFN) There would have probably been more bunnies involved... and it would have been much, much weirder.

~ The true meaning(s) of the Force.

~ An inspiring tale of a fan, a camera, and a journey. We're next Neil, except I'll stay in Tunisia while you head up to Finland ;)

~ Everything the tech geek in you wanted to know about LFL/ILM, and then some (Thanks Club Jade). No, this article doesn't tell you how to build a real lightsaber :(

~ Anyone who has any interest in this has probably already read the chat with Sue Rostoni over at The EU Cantina, but I'll post it anyway. This is a second hand post thanks to Thrawn's Expanded Universe blog.


~ Natalie and Hayden are voted to have the worst on-screen chemistry (Thanks Google News and everyone else who already blogged this). Yup. It made me cringe too. I still wish I were in Natalie Portman's shoes, but not the black leather number - nor about half of her other costumes. Still cringing.


~ I've been meaning to get the TPB edition of the Star Wars: Legacy first story arc Broken, but truthfully I'm less interested in actually reading it than I am in the discussions surrounding canon issues (really, I am too chicken that someone is going to kill off Luke, Leia and Han somewhere along the line, and reveal it in Legacy). But since one of my all time favorites, Obi-Wan, is being featured in issue #16, I'll probably pick up just this single issue. The question of Krayt should be answered!





~ Ian Anthony Assembles a Galaxy in Toronto. More collectors should show off their lewt this way IMO.






Did all you starwars.com members check your email and take the survey?

That's all I got for now.

One landspeeder coming right up...

It's not quite a landspeeder, but I think with a little design tweak, we could have one sooner than later. Hover-craft is now available! Starting at $90,000. Low interest! (But, go ahead and see what your insurance company has to say about it) :P

For more info, read here on TMZ, and coolestgadgets.com, and check out the crazy video below. I wanna see it go 50mph!

I, Robocup

Since I am a big fan of the new Battlestar Galactica (see previous entry) and loved the movie and book I, Robot, I have some mixed feelings about the idea of developing robotics to perform human and super-human jobs, but aside from that... it's really frakking cool! I guess in respect to the new Transformers movie, and the droids we know and love from Star Wars, there is some hope for robots... as long as the former aren't Decepticons.

Robocup is an organization focusing on the development of AI, and what makes them even cooler, although still a little creepy, is that they use one of my favorite sports to perform field testing: soccer.

The heat is on this week in Atlanta, where Robocuppists come together to put their bots to the test. This is really cool stuff!

Finally! LucasArts acknowledges Wii was made for lightsaber games

Ever since the Wii was released I've been watching blogs on TOS rolling by from fans who have been reveling in the fact that there is finally a console made that is perfect for lightsaber style motion control in gaming. But where that game was, and when it would come, nobody knew (outside the Lucas-dome at least). Until now...

Jim Ward, president of LucasArts and all-around big wig, finally gave it to us straight up. Yes, they know it was meant to be. Yes, it's coming. Yes, they've played with it already. Thanks for rubbing it in Jim.

Digital Molecular Matter by Pixelux

Too cool...(original article)