jedi

This May the Fourth, look back at amazing 'Return of the Jedi' art

Spark your sabers, feed your Rancor, and fire up the X-Wing. It's May 4, a fabulous makeshift holiday that plays off the saying "May the Force be with you" and gives fans of the sci-fi saga yet another reason to openly celebrate "Star Wars" films and culture.

To commemorate the occasion, check out an incredible collection of conceptual drawings for "Return of the Jedi" by legendary artist Ralph McQuarrie.

The illustrations, which hugely influenced the aesthetics of the sets, characters, and vehicles in the movie -- astounds due to McQuarrie's sensational use … Read more

Crave Ep. 114: Meet Zoe, a virtual talking head with emotions

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Researchers at Cambridge University have created a virtual talking head that expresses emotions and someday might be your personal assistant and a shoulder to cry on. Scotland may pass a law allowing Jedi to officiate at weddings. And the Image Toaster prints pictures from the headlines on your toast, making breakfast a whole lot more enjoyable. This, and more, on Crave. … Read more

Jedi in Scotland may soon perform marriages

If Scotland passes proposed legislation, it's possible that a Jedi officiant, complete with brown robe and lightsaber, could stand before two lovers and say, "Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of the Force to witness and bless the joining together of these two people in Jedi-blessed matrimony."

The Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill (PDF) backs several other updates to marriage law, including same-sex marriage. But the BBC reports that the allowance of a Jedi-managed wedding has incensed some religious conservatives in the region. The Free Church of Scotland spoke out against the bill, which opens the door for leaders of Jedism and other movements to officiate at weddings.… Read more

Leap Motion creator: It gives you Jedi powers

AUSTIN, Texas--The creator of the forthcoming Leap Motion controller sees his baby as much more than just a Kinect on steroids; he sees it as a tool that will enable us to do things in the real world that so far have been restricted to the realms of imagination and science fiction.

Translation: This thing will finally transform us all into Jedis and strengthen the Force within. Well, sort of.

During an on-stage demonstration of the technology here at South By Southwest Interactive over the weekend, Leap CTO and co-founder David Holz explained how the controller can be used to amplify motions, actions, and reactions, and make some of the old Jedi telekinetics tricks possible in a virtual space -- by using our real-world limbs.… Read more

President Obama is not the Jedi you're looking for

As just about everyone knows by now, President Obama got the entire Internet in a tizzy this morning by seemingly mixing up "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" references and trying to pass them off as a clever "Star Wars" line.

It's been much reported that, speaking about his negotiations with Republicans over budget reform, he complained that he can't perform a "Jedi mind meld." Cue a million anguished Twitter users in outrage, jokingly insisting on impeaching the president over his inability to remember that the line is actually "Jedi … Read more

Weird geek baby names of 2012 include 'Google' and 'Jedi'

Oh, what an adorable baby! What's his name? "Google?" Are you serious? Do you realize how many search results he's going to get when he grows up and googles his own name?

Naming a baby "Google" is a phenomenon that first came to our attention in 2005. Apparently, that was just the beginning. "Google" made the list of BabyCenter's most unusual baby names of 2012.

BabyCenter culled its list from a baby-naming survey of more than 4,000 parents. To make the list, a name had to be foisted upon at least two different kids. The spread of geek culture is evident in the list. For example, you can bet little Jedi's parents had a "Star Wars" theme wedding with Han Solo and Princess Leia action figure cake toppers. … Read more

Behind the scenes with the world's greatest 'Star Wars' collection

PETALUMA, Calif.--Driving along the back roads of this idyllic, easy-going Northern California town, you'd never know that behind the walls of one of the most unassuming buildings around is perhaps the best collection of geek memorabilia in the world.

Welcome to Rancho Obi-Wan, Steve Sansweet's homage to his life's passion -- "Star Wars," a non-profit museum dedicated to serving "the public through the collection, conservation, exhibition and interpretation of [the films'] memorabilia and artifacts." Formerly Lucasfilm's head of fan relations and a Los Angeles-based reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Sansweet … Read more

'Star Wars' Force Glove lets you move objects without touching

I'm sure I wasn't the only kid who watched "Star Wars" and then tried to move objects with the sheer strength and determination of my young Jedi mind. What I was missing was a Force Glove.

The Force Glove is part of Uncle Milton's line of Star Wars Science products designed to teach kids about science through "Star Wars." It grants the wearer the ability to move objects without touching them.… Read more

Giant Rancor ready to bite Star Wars Celebration VI

The sci-fi epic "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" featured a truly terrifying monster known as Rancor. For those unfamiliar with the reference, Luke Skywalker heroically fought the beast with merely a bone in a cave during the Jabba's Palace sequences.

A "life-size" Rancor makes a big debut later this month during Star Wars Celebration VI in Orlando, Fla., a massive fan gathering for devotees of the sci-fi saga held every few years. During the convention, saber swingers can interact with many exhibits, stars, artists, and other activities associated with the movies. … Read more

Looking ahead to the 'Star Wars' Lego sets

The next generation of "Star Wars" Lego hardware includes two sweet throwback scenes that will tempt any fan of the sci-fi series, as well as a cluster of exotic early-trilogy ships, according to images and information garnered from past toy fairs and a recent update on Lego's official site.

Jabba's Palace, pictured above, appears to be the easy winner in the summer 2012 collection with an all-star cast of nine characters including Leia as Boushh the bounty hunter and a captured Chewbacca. While the $119 tag might turn off some buyers, the charm factor appears high. We love Jabba's ridiculous form factor, his hyena-like minion Salacious Crumb, and the foreboding Han frozen in Carbonite. While the play area appears limited, other views indicate the 717-piece set offers far more detail than first meets the eye. … Read more