star

R2-D2 gets revenge with 'Star Wars' pens

As witnessed by the unfortunate travails of R2-D2, Star Wars product merchandizing can go horribly awry. So sometimes it's safer to go with a simpler product for branding purposes, even if it means going analog (gasp).

Case in point: These Lego Star Wars Pens as seen on Uber-Review. The set pictured here includes Yoda, Darth Vader, and, yes, even the hapless, chirping R2-D2.

In addition to serving as perfectly serviceable writing instruments, these pens can be dispatched so you can mix and match their various parts while waiting for the next blockbuster arrives from the Lucas Empire. Because there … Read more

Open-source films attack Hollywood

It's 2018 and the Nazis are about to return from space to an unsuspecting Earth.

Sound weird? It could happen. And it does in Iron Sky, a new movie whose preview will be available for download on the 5th of May.

The story is a follow-up from the guys who made the cult film Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning. That $20,000 sci-fi parody of Star Trek has been downloaded 8 million times since it appeared on the Internet three years ago.

This is the story of Iron Sky:

In 1945, when World War II is almost over, SS … Read more

Wii virtual console releases for this week

This week's virtual console releases feature a classic beat-'em-up along with a sci-fi RPG--what do they have in common? Both games have you chasing the bad guys so you can get your girl back.

River City Ransom (1989, NES, 500 Wii points): River City Ransom is a classic beat-'em-up action game that takes you into the fictional town of River City. A dude named Slick has taken your girlfriend and the rest of River City hostage. Take him on solo or with a friend. Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom (1990, Sega Genesis, 800 Wii points): In … Read more

Tesla sues competitor over design ideas

Electric-car maker Tesla Motors has filed suit against a competitor, claiming the company stole trade secrets and copied design ideas.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in San Mateo County Superior Court in California. Tesla hired Henrik Fisker, CEO of car design firm Fisker Coachbuild, last year to design the body of its all-electric WhiteStar sedan. In the suit, Tesla alleges that Fisker and Fisker Coachbuild Chief Operating Officer Bernhard Koehler accepted the contract "to gain access to confidential design information and trade secrets, then announced a competing vehicle," according to a New York Times article.

Last year, Tesla … Read more

Apple cloning: Worth it?

It doesn't take much to put Apple in the news, and this afternoon's excuse is that a Miami-based company called PsyStar is selling a Mac clone.

Its Web site was down earlier--ostensibly because of the overwhelming reaction to its product. As Computerworld's Gregg Keizer reports:

Before its site went dark Monday, PsyStar was pitching an Intel-based system it said could be configured to run Leopard, Apple's Mac OS X 10.5. The machine, which was priced at $399 minus Leopard, $554 with it already installed, is powered by a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor … Read more

TiVo patent win against EchoStar upheld

Updated at 11:45 a.m. PDT with Dish Network's statement.

Another court has upheld TiVo's patent suit against EchoStar Communications.

A U.S. Appeals Court on Friday denied EchoStar's appeal on an earlier court ruling that said the company's Dish Network digital video recorders violated a patent held by TiVo. The ruling was first reported by Thomas Hawk's Digital Connection blog.

Friday's appellate court decision comes two years after TiVo's initial victory, in which a court found that EchoStar's DVRs (digital video recorders) "willfully infringed" on TiVo's patented … Read more

SlingCatcher delayed--again

This is just getting silly.

The makers of the popular Slingbox have been promising the SlingCatcher for almost a year and half now. And once again, the projected release date will come and go quietly.

Gregg Wilkes, vice president of sales for Sling Media--which is now owned by EchoStar Communications--told a frustrated customer in an e-mail that the goal to release the device during the second quarter of this year will not be met.

Wilkes writes: "Will the catcher ship in Q2? No. We are upgrading the user experience and making enhancements to the feature set. These may … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 698: Beacon will kill you

Today, Buzz is on your side, with such gems of wisdom as "don't shop at Staples," "bacon will kill you," and "how to opt out of Beacon." I guess that last one is pretty helpful. In other news of the day, we refuse to talk about the Google App thing, unless you can prove to us why we should. Thanks in advance. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 698

Google App Engine Blog: Introducing Google App Engine + our new blog http://googleappengine.blogspot.com/2008/04/ introducing-google-app-engine-our-new.html

California Lawmaker Proposes Music … Read more

Philippe Starck and "design is dead"

Philippe Starck had an epiphany, after all these years: "Everything I have designed is absolutely unnecessary," the French star designer admitted in a recent interview with the German weekly DIE ZEIT. I had the dubious pleasure of hanging out in the Starck-designed Volar club in Shanghai last weekend, and my initial reaction to his statement was: yeah, right! I've never really liked his pompose celebrity design. But then I read his quote again in the context of the whole interview and realized: he is right, actually. In fact, his thoughts are so poignant and humbling that it … Read more

Energy Star electronics ratings get corporate boost

The government's Energy Star program and the tech industry's Climate Savers Computing Initiative will work over the next three years to develop more-efficient standards for consumer electronics.

"Today's partnership announcement unites Energy Star and industry in an effort to rally the technology industry to reduce computer energy consumption and fight climate change," said Bob Meyers, principal deputy assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, in a press release.

Energy Star, launched in 1992 by the Environmental Protection Agency, is considered the first "green" U.S. consumer label for electronics … Read more