Retro

If you really love Tetris, you're bound to have a lot of books about Tetris. You've also probably got a DVD archive of your greatest Tetris performances. It just goes with the territory.

Odds are, if you've got that many books and DVDs about Tetris, you might as well go all-out and display them on a Tetris-themed bookshelf/DVD organizer.

Courtesy of the handiwork of Instructable user odecom5, the online DIY showcase Instructables has step-by-step instructions on how to build your own Tetris bookshelf/DVD rack.

This isn't some half-hearted production, either. All five of the … Read more

Star Wars just turned 30, and with it, a whole slew of silly names just turned 30, too.

Greedo? Oola? Pablo-Jill? Isn't anyone in space just named Steve?

There are enough silly names in the Star Wars universe to inspire an equally silly game, so I've gone ahead and done that.

Of the words below, all you have to do is figure out whether each one is a Star Wars character, a baseball player from the days of yore, or a Thai food dish. You'll be amazed at how hard it can be.

Good luck! The answers … Read more

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective.

Case in point is the Sharp Shootin' Remote Control.

It's shaped like an old-school pistol. It changes channels. It emits a "bang" noise. End of story.

You also get a sheriff's badge with the price of admission.

The $15 remote is programmable with only one function from your existing remote, so it won't consolidate or replace the huge assortment of remotes cluttering your coffee table...but that's not really the point, is it?

Now, if it's functionality and consolidation you crave out of your remote … Read more

If you've looked at a television, a movie screen, or a billboard at any time in the last year, you're probably already aware that Transformers is coming. And if you've done any of those things in the last 20 years, you probably already know the story: transforming robots from another planet fight other transforming robots while Earth hangs in the balance.

Let's see...robots, cartoons, new movie coming out...yep, this means merchandising and lots of it. The Transformers movie is going to get toys, toys, and more toys. Transformers is getting everything from action figures … Read more

LOS ANGELES--I'm really wishing I brought my X-wing with me down here today.

As I arrived at the Los Angeles Convention Center for the opening of Celebration IV, the biggest Star Wars fan fest ever--which just happens to be timed to the 30th anniversary of the release of the original Star Wars--I saw endless numbers of people decked out in the attire of both the Empire and the Rebellion.

Which made me think I should suit up and join the fight. Alas, I left my wings at home.

But anyway, there are thousands of people here, many of whom … Read more

If you're a serious Star Wars fan and you're in Southern California, your street cred is on the line if you don't get your kiester down to the Los Angeles Convention Center. Stat.

That's because, the Associated Press reports, beginning this morning and going through around 2 a.m. Thursday, all six Star Wars films, the good three and the, ahem, not so good three, will be showing there.

Ah, George Lucas and his creative mind. Bless his heart.

The marathon is part of the 30th anniversary Star Wars Celebration IV, which kicks off Thursday and … Read more

Here's a story for you. I recently invested in a cell phone with a QWERTY keyboard, and one of the things I love about it most is that there's no more need for triple-tapping or that whole T9word thing. The thing I hated most about T9word was its tendency to say "car" instead of "bar" when I was trying to text my friends and say "We're at this bar..." (Yes, I know there's a "next" key. That's way too complicated after midnight.)

That was more or less … Read more

If you haven't noticed by now, we had a blast at this past weekend's Maker Faire. The above photo links to yet another gallery of some choice projects we found Crave-worthy.

The 'C' in ICFF stands for 'contemporary,' and indeed, you're not going to see any Chippendales or mahogany armoires on the show floor. So it was a tad bizarre to see an old-school Adirondack outdoor chair among all the experimental pieces. As it turns out, however, this chair by Douglas Homer for Loll Designs isn't your average piece of patio furniture. That's because it glows in the dark.

This line of furniture is appropriately titled "AfterGlow," and in addition to the Adirondack, Loll has also designed an ottoman and an armless double seat. These could … Read more