lightsabers

The lightsaber chopstick isn't the newest idea in the galaxy, but a previous attempt at capturing "Star Wars" magic in chopstick form fell woefully short by virtue of just being a translucent stick.

Now Kotobukiya is doing lightsaber chopsticks right by embedding LEDs into the food-gathering gadgets. Now you can look forward to bathing your sashimi in the warm red or blue glow of a miniature lightsaber.… Read more

It seems doubtful we will live "in a galaxy far, far away" in this lifetime, but we can at least build incredible homages to the "Star Wars" saga in the meantime.

One could say that Brad Lewis -- a BioWare senior visual-effects artist who works on the Star Wars: The Old Republic role-playing game -- wields a certain affinity for "Star Wars." After all, his personal blog Slothfurnace features systematic build guides for half a dozen previously created lightsabers that completely outshine those frail plastic toys that occupy countless toy shelves. … Read more

The last time we caught up with Wicked Lasers, it was to check into the Spyder III Pro Arctic, a laser so powerful it requires wearing special eye protection and comes with the warning that it can blind instantly and set fire to skin.

Since then, Wicked Lasers has dodged a potential Lucasfilm lawsuit and set about figuring out how to make the Spyder even more like a real-life "Star Wars" lightsaber.

The result of that effort is the $100 LaserSaber, an add-on to the $300 Spyder. It's a 32-inch polycarbonate blade with an aircraft-grade aluminum hilt.

According to the sales pitch, the LaserSaber features "an ultrasmooth magnetic gravity system that can 'power up' and 'power down' the blade."

This may sound like a dream come true for legions of "Star Wars" fans, but there are some big, honking caveats involved.… Read more

We're believers: WINTER IS COMING. Technically I guess it arrived a year ago, but Jeff and I are finally catching up to the "Game of Thrones" hype and spend the first few minutes of today's episode discussing the George R. R. Martin books and the anachronisms of the show.

The reviews are in for Microsoft Kinect Star Wars and nobody is impressed with the glitchy gameplay and a story that seems to appeal more to kids than fans of the original movies. With years of anticipation in the making, Jeff echoes the fans in the galaxy … Read more

Forget the flowers this Valentine's Day. Go for a lightsaber-lit dinner, the open-source iNecklace, and the flirtatious Fingle app. Bridget Carey shows off tech to woo the nerd of your dreams.… Read more

This week, Donald and Eric consider the future of space, the dark side of romance, and the proper way to dispose of AT-AT excrement. Also, the Keyboard Cat toy plays us out, and in Geek News, Eric confesses his deep hatred of Orcs.

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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

Japan is killing it this week with a working demo of touchable 3D, subway rail lightsabers, and a pregnancy simulation vest that's a little too realistic. Plus, a $900 robot that will shame you into weight loss, and Eric's take on the upcoming Star Wars game The Old Republic.

… Read more

The Force is now strong with train commuters in Tokyo. Lucky subway travelers are able to wrap fingers around handrails that have been transformed into life-size lightsabers.

According to Japan Trends, the lightsaber handrails are part of a promotion by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan for the release of the complete "Star Wars" saga in a Blu-ray boxset.

These are not just lifeless wrap-arounds. The lightsabers have built-in LEDs. Squeeze a button and it lights up. You'll have to provide your own sound effects, but I know you've been working on those ever since you saw the first movie.

Unfortunately, the handrail lightsabers are fixed in place, which makes it difficult to carry out epic battles in the train aisles. Perhaps you could sneak a Spyder III Pro Arctic laser or JediBot onto the train with you and re-create your favorite scenes from "The Return of the Jedi."… Read more