sportsdirect: Forever Geek

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Forever Geek

How to Make Your Own Lightsaber
Buy ‘Tron: Evolution’ Video Game, Get A Free Lightcycle
Review: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
7 Really Cool Designs from the Good Design Expo 2010
New Season Of ‘Doctor Who’ Being Split Into Two
Star Wars Meets Indiana Jones In Weird, Yet Fun Live Mashup Performance
Inception Fans Express Their Love
Get Inside Yoda’s (Edible) Head

Posted: 31 Aug 2010 05:00 AM PDT

It is kind of ironic for a non-Stars Wars fan to be posting about it – two days in a row – but I can’t get over this DIY project that this guy shared on Slothfurnace.

This is the item that gave the guy the inspiration to create his own lightsaber: the Obi Wan Kenobi Episode IV “A New Hope” lightsaber. For the life of me, I can’t seem to find any other information on this dude, but I suppose that’s not important. He says he found the replicas that Hasbro and Master Replicas are selling have this “extra fat windvane piece that is pretty much meh.” And, just because of that, he decided to go for his own version.

You can find the step by step build log at Slothfurnace. If you are a DIY-er, I have no doubts that you will be able to follow him – all seven pages of documentation! For the basics…he used aluminum tubes, a light tube, LEDs, AAA batteries, wiring, switches, and a sound board – among many other things. He also made use of machinery such as a lathe – hardcore, methinks.

Here’s his “schematic diagram” if you’re interested.

The final result is breathtakingly beautiful.

For a DIY project, this lightsaber is quite awesome, isn’t it?

Here it is displayed beside the original static Obi lightsaber.

What can you say?

Buy ‘Tron: Evolution’ Video Game, Get A Free Lightcycle

Posted: 30 Aug 2010 12:49 PM PDT

First the good news, if you buy the Xbox 360 Tron: Evolution game you’ll receive a lightcycle replicate created by Sideshow.

Second bit of good news, the lightcycle actually lights up and comes with it’s own case created by Kotaku.

The bad news? You’ll pay up to $130 for the limited edition of the game, which wouldn’t be so bad if it was even worth the regular retail price, but as ToplessRobot points out:

The game is either a basic platform/beat-’em-up combo, or a racing game on lightcycles — not the lightcycle game, mind you, since that would be awesome, but fixed-track racing missions where the light walls generated by the lightcycles don’t seem to factor in at all.

So now you have to figure out if you’re willing to pay $130 for a collectors item for Tron: Evolution or if you’re happy renting or buying the basic game at a discounted price.

Review: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

Posted: 30 Aug 2010 12:00 PM PDT

For the first time ever, Lara Croft has shed her Tomb Raider moniker, and taken up residence in a game that’s only available as a download. Maybe even the most radical shift of all: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is not played from a third-person perspective. Instead, it’s “isometric,” which means you play from above, looking down at an angle.

And it turns out, this fresh new take on gaming’s most iconic female is exactly what the doctor ordered, because Guardian of Light absolutely cannot be missed.

Lara Croft’s latest adventure finds her doing what she does best — raiding tombs and taking out mystical baddies — but her tired formula has been replaced with something that holds that indefinable fun factor that keeps you coming back for more and more. And don’t let the fact that it’s a downloadable game deter you; the “fat” has been cut away to give you the tightest, most honed experience possible.

I could go over the story for you, but it’s ultimately beside the point, because the real focus here is on the perfectly-polished gameplay. And in another first for the series, Lara has herself a co-op playing ally named Totec that radically alters her typically lonely occupation into a blast of a side-by-side campaign. You and a friend can team up to play through the game’s fourteen levels, though only on your couch for now; an update is coming in late September that will enable online co-op. The single player game is a similar but decidedly different game, with unique features in the levels for both.

Crystal Dynamics has crafted a dazzling, detailed new world for Lara to explore, and you’ll want to explore every crevice and crack for power-ups and other findable goodies. The new isometric vantage point is a tremendous asset here, as Lara’s environment is filled with endless puzzles to solve and vicious creatures to fight. Fortunately, Lara herself is just as spry and handy-with-two-pistols as ever, and she gets a full arsenal of weaponry to boot. Everything from machine guns to flamethrowers and missile launchers are at your command, and finding those extra goodies hidden throughout the levels will help you unlock more cool new weapons to try out. There are also points to collect, and the better you play, the more weaponry you’ll gain access to as well.

Lara’s trademark dual pistols never run out of ammo, nor do her claymore remote-detonate bombs. Lara’s also given a javelin-like staff near the beginning of the game by Totec, which continually regenerates itself, giving her an infinite supply of these powerful, mystical spears. There are giant boulders to move, grappling hooks to swing on, platform triggers to activate, and jumping puzzles galore, but none of it ever feels trite or overdone. If anything, these puzzles offer a welcome respite from the sometimes endless waves of enemies Lara frequently has to blast her way through.

Speaking of which, many of the larger enemies themselves are remarkably fun to kill, as they tend to explode in creative ways upon death. Boss battles can be maddening but gives the player an extremely rewarding feeling, when you finally take down that monster that refuses to die. Kill enough enemies without taking any damage yourself and your power-up meter will fill. Once that happens, you’re rewarded with extras like health and ammo that automatically regenerate on their own.

Sure, it’s not perfect. Some of the gauntlet-runs you have to undertake are downright evil in difficulty, and occasionally you’ll go up against an enemy A.I. that has no interest in attacking you. But the game offers so many overwhelmingly positive features, I’m inclined to overlook these trifling issues. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is a blast, and the best reason yet for spending money on Xbox Live Arcade.

One last thing. It’s worth noting that Guardian of Light is a game that co-publishers Eidos and Square Enix are committed to supporting, with no less than five DLC add-on packs planned for release before Christmas.

7 Really Cool Designs from the Good Design Expo 2010

Posted: 30 Aug 2010 09:52 AM PDT

The Good Design Expo, which takes place at Tokyo Big Sight is a 3 day event that shows off more than 2,000 design-conscious items, here are 7 of the designs that really caught our eye with their cool designs, including several “everyday use” items.

1. Centry Outdoor Security Robot

My only problem with this camera is that the last image you might capture is someone cooling it for it’s neat design.

2. Tread-Walk: Treadmill-controlled personal mobility robot (Waseda University)

This is a pretty funky design, but let’s be honest, we could just walk to power where we are going!

3. Underwater camera housing (Sigma)

I’m pretty sure I’ve seen cars painted in these colors, if nothing else your camera sure will stand out!

4. USB Clip: Tiny USB flash drive that doubles as paper clip (Emami Design)

This may be the perfect item if you’re compiling your own annotations when reading, you can literally leave those notes right where you left off!

5. X-Frame Folding Vehicle alters shape to suit driving style (Nagoya Institute of Technology)

I’m in America where various people can barely fit in their cars, I wonder if the shape can be adjusted for width?

6. Laptop Cases made from recycled brewer malt waste (Kouhei Okamoto)

I love these cases because not only are they green, but they really stand out, even if they are rather simplistic in design.

7. Metaphys Cortina humidifier (Gourmandise Inc.)

Another simple design, for the minimalist this is the perfect way to accent a room without showing off a god awful looking humidifier.

As I mentioned above, there are over 2,000 different items at the conference, you can see items which received awards by visiting the Official Good Design Expo page.

New Season Of ‘Doctor Who’ Being Split Into Two

Posted: 30 Aug 2010 09:29 AM PDT

Steven Moffat recently revealed at the Edinburgh International Television Festival that the next season of Doctor Who is going to be split in two. The 13-episode season will features 7-episodes in the spring and 6-episodes in the fall.

According to io9, Moffat said the split would be between two distinct stories with no annoying cliffhanger type scenario:

Looking at the next series I thought what this show needs is a big event in the middle [...] I kept referring to a mid-season finale. So we are going to make it two series – seven episodes at Easter building to an earth-shattering climax, a cliffhanger we could never normally do because it would be too long before it came back. An enormous game-changing cliffhanger that will change everything. The wrong expression would be to say we are splitting it in two. We are making it two separate series [...] With an Easter series, an autumn series and a Christmas special, you are never going to be more than few months from the new series of Doctor Who [...] Tart that I am, we will now have two first nights and two finales, twice as many event episodes as we had before.

Moffat talked about the shows budget as well, stating: “I don’t understand numbers. It’s a decent budget. I beg for money and more rubber green people and eventually they say OK, you can have a third rubber green person.”

He also talked about the possibility of finally seeing the Doctress:

I think about it sometimes and maybe it will happen someday. It wouldn’t have been right this time [...] A woman can play the part. You have to remember the single most important thing about regeneration is you must convince the audience and the children that’s it’s not a new man, it’s not a different man, it’s the same one. It’s a bigger ask if you turn him into a woman.

[Via The Guardian]

Star Wars Meets Indiana Jones In Weird, Yet Fun Live Mashup Performance

Posted: 30 Aug 2010 09:19 AM PDT

How do you make Indiana Jones fans and Star Wars fans sit down together to watch their favorite movies simultaneously? You create a live action show that mashes the two together based off fan fiction.

The show happened at Disneylands “Star Tours” attraction and follows a fan made collaboration of both Indiana and the Star Wars cast.

Here’s the official Synopsis from YouTube:

This is the Full Show Best Version utilizing three different cameras.

A special Last Tour to Endor event was held at Disney’s Hollywood Studios during Star Wars Celebration V. In “Raiders of the Lost Jedi Temple of Doom – A Fan Film of Epic Proportions”, a writer and a director come together to create a special show where the worlds of Indiana Jones and Star Wars meet for the creation of the world’s greatest fan film.

Seth Green (Robot Chicken) and Anthony Daniels (C3PO) guest star and George Lucas is in the audience. Watch for George’s reaction to the show at the end.

You’ll see Indiana Jones take on Boba Fett, Darth Maul, Darth Vader and more and he tries to save Princess Slave Leia.

Apparently the show is a big deal, guest starring Seth Green, Anthony Daniels and Big Poppa George.

Here’s the video:

What do you think about the mashup, It’s a bit funny, a bit disturbing, but definitely worth a watch for both Star Wars and Indiana Jones Fans

[ToplessRobot]

Inception Fans Express Their Love

Posted: 30 Aug 2010 08:31 AM PDT

My love for Inception is well documented, as is my proclivity for all things LEGO. Not that I needed an excuse to post another article about both, but this fan-made LEGO construction is too good not to share.

Most impressive is the way the builder scaled his work to create a sense of size and depth. A lot of thought went into this piece, and it shows. (And if you’re among those not impressed by the movie — or this LEGO piece — let’s see you do better.)

LEGO fans aren’t the only ones inspired by Inception’s most eye-popping set piece. Click through for three mind-blowing, genuine works of art based on the “folding city” scene from the movie.

by Godyna

minimalist fake novelization cover by bigoldtoe

wallpaper by RockLou

Get Inside Yoda’s (Edible) Head

Posted: 30 Aug 2010 06:01 AM PDT

Some people have all the time (and creativity) in the world! I remember posting an entry about Steve Jobs’ head – not the real one, but one made of cheese – earlier this year. While the ingenuity of Ken has to be admired, I still do not think that the Cheesehead looked appetizing. It didn’t occur to me that I would see something slightly less appetizing than that. (Not because it’s ugly, but simply because it looks as if it shouldn’t be eaten.)

Yes, that image up there is Yoda, and while he must be the most adorable character in Star Wars (I acknowledge that that statement is wide open to argument), the idea of eating that thing does not appeal to me. Still, there is no denying that the person behind this unique cake is brimming with talent.

The gal who created this edible Yoda is tchitwood, who displayed the masterpiece at Instructables. She is an artist taking beginner cake decorating classes – yep, just beginner – and she thought it would be fun to try her hand at making a sculpted cake. While she did not explain how and why she decided on Yoda as the subject, she did provide details as to how she created the cake. (I won’t go into that – you can read the entire process at Instructables.)

This much I got – she used red velvet mix for the actual cake and covered it with fondant. The cake is layered and has buttercream icing in between the layers. That sounds really yummy to me, but I know that I might not be able to eat anything that came from this:

Poor Yoda looks so abused! Then again, this particular head was created to be eaten…