vader

With every possible entertainment entity from the NFL to M&Ms supporting cancer awareness with special themed events and products, there's no reason the Galactic Empire shouldn't get in on the act.

Stand Up to Cancer, the celebrity-driven charity, is teaming with Lucasfilm to raise research funds by selling four specially designed "cancer fighting" T-shirts with "Star Wars" themes.

Perhaps I should clarify that the shirts themselves have no particular medicinal qualities, but all hands hope the money they raise will continue the fight against all forms of the deadly disease. Each of the four shirts (featuring Darth Vader, Yoda, and Stormtroopers) sell for $24.95, with all proceeds going to SU2C. … Read more

Rather than ride smelly Taun Tauns while you're looking for Imperial Walkers on the North Ridge, you can scoot over snow in "far, far away" style with limited-edition Star Wars snowboards and protective gear from Burton.

The Burlington, Vt., company and Lucasfilm have teamed up to offer a new series of Chopper Star Wars snowboards for kids and a specially designed Avid Grom R2-D2 youth helmet. And hey, what do you know? Just in time for Christmas! … Read more

I've been waiting half my life for the phrase "in your face!" to finally die. Now that it seems to be fading, I may have to contend with the rise of "On your face," as in "I'm gonna kick your ass, on your face!"

It's all thanks to a new technology that allows game players to actually fight their digital battles on their own faces. The iOS game Skinvaders uses an augmented-reality (AR) platform to take advantage of the devices' front-facing cameras and transform players' faces into the game terrain on which alien invaders must be defeated to save the world, or your face, or whatever... … Read more

Coming this December, they're the perfect touch for you romantic geeks out there: Darth Vader Lightsaber Candlesticks. Unsurprisingly, they're from the folks at ThinkGeek, the geniuses who also gave the world tauntaun sleeping bags.

The candlestick is an 8.5-inch-long metal replica of Darth Vader's lightsaber hilt, and it comes with three no-drip red taper candles. You can, of course, use standard tapers after you burn through those in the event that you have lots of romantic dinners. Now you're free to re-enact Anakin Skywalker's best attempt at romantic talk: "I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Not like here. Here everything is soft and smooth."

You can preorder them now; each candlestick will set you back $39.99, but they're worth it if you like your dinner lighting on *cough* the dark side. … Read more

Obi-Wan Kenobi may have been jolted out of his bed this morning by the millions of voices complaining about rumored changes to the original trilogy in the Star Wars Blu-ray collection, which will be available on September 16.

Entertainment blogger Devin Faraci was first to confirm with several sources that there will be several adjustments to the classic sci-fi movies: one for the original "Star Wars" (Episode IV), and two in "Return of the Jedi" (Episode VI). The New York Times has confirmed with Lucasfilm that changes are happening. To add even more fuel to the fire, there is video. … Read more

If you're a Star Wars geek who happens to get lost a lot, it's a good thing you found your way to this week's Crave giveaway. The prize is a Garmin Nuvi 255WT GPS unit preloaded with Garmin's newly released Darth Vader VoiceSkin.

That means the dark lord will be steering you around town with such directions as "Turn around when possible. I find your lack of faith disturbing," and "In 100 yards, take the exit left, and do not fail me this time!" Does your fancy-shmancy in-car nav system talk to you like that? We didn't think so. (Hear samples of the menacing commands here.)

Normally, the Garmin Nuvi 255WT GPS unit with a preloaded Darth Vader VoiceSkin would cost around $125.99, but you have the chance to snag it gratis.

So how do you try to win this week's prize? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read them carefully; there will be a test (in Bocce, of course). … Read more

Google shuts down Google Labs for greater company focus, Darth Vader makes it to Garmin GPS devices, and the space shuttle Atlantis touches down, marking the end of NASA's shuttle program.

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded:

Space Shuttle Atlantis ends final flight

Darth Vader voice comes to Garmin GPS

Google shuts down Labs

Make multiple calls in Gmail

CBS TV shows hit Amazon Instant Video

Road rage much? If you've got a Garmin, you can now get your Force freak on with Darth Vader as your co-pilot.

About a year after TomTom, Star Wars characters have come to Garmin navigation devices starting with the Sith Lord himself.

Available for $12.99 from Spot It Out's GPS App Shop, Garmin.com, and Best Buy, the Vader voice package features directions such as "You have reached your destination, impressive, most impressive" and "Traffic ahead. The Emperor has foreseen it."

I bet he didn't foresee Carmageddon.

Parts of the "Star Wars" score are thrown in, as well as TIE fighter and lightsaber sound effects.

Check out the demo below. I don't know who does the voice work, but the TomTom version sounds a little more evil. … Read more

Robots just became a whole lot more real this week as Japanese sex dolls help dental students perfect their technique and robot armpits assault your senses. We also pay equal time to Star Wars and Star Trek merchandise, and evaluate the forefront of giant hamburger technology and America's contribution.

… Read more