Archive for ‘in the media’

Verizon Droid Phone vs. C-3PO

November 6, 2009

You’ve probably already seen the commercial for Verizon’s new phone Droid — as well as the fan spoof iDon’t Care. But how would the Droid phone measure up against a Star Wars droid?

Josh Wigler at MTV Movies Blog takes a closer look at why owning an actual droid from Star Wars would be so much cooler than Verizon’s Droid phone.

The Verizon Droid can connect to the Internet, which gives you access to a whole host of useful information from around the globe. But with your very own 3PO model, you could not only access all of that same information, you’d also have better storage space thanks to the droid’s AA-1 VerboBrain. In some cases, you’d even be able to take advantage of the droid’s TranLang III Communicator module, which allows for fluency in six million different forms of communication. If that feature doesn’t speak your language, I don’t know what will.

Even if the Verizon Droid doesn’t have the same storage space as a 3PO model, it certainly has more room than most affordable cellular devices on the market. What it most assuredly does not have, however, is a hidden lightsaber compartment with ejector like the R2-series astromech droid. That feature really comes in handy, particularly when you’re staring down into the sandy maw of a Sarlacc Pit.

For the sake of argument, let’s suppose that the Verizon Droid does have space for a hidden lightsaber compartment. It still wouldn’t beat out robot assassin IG-88, one of the galaxy’s single-greatest cybernetic bounty hunters. Most of us aren’t looking to contract out a mercenary — let alone a robotic one — but if ever the situation arises where somebody really grinds your gears, wouldn’t you at least want the option of a self-aware, rail-thin android killer at your disposal? It’s a fair question worth mulling over.

Read the full article here:
Is The Verizon Droid The Droid You’re Looking For… Or One Of These Star Wars Droids Instead?
(via MTV Movies Blog)


Star Wars Teaches Us About Career Management

November 4, 2009

The next time you want to chat with your boss about getting raise, or you need to ask a co-worker to stop screaming at you about lost memos, perhaps you should channel your inner Jedi Master or Sith Lord.

“It’s very dangerous putting them together. I don’t think the boy can handle it.” -Mace Windu
File Under: Human Capital Management; Succession Planning
Star Wars Moment: The Jedi Counsel assigns an impressionable and unstable Anakin Skywalker, who is supposed to bring balance to the Force, peace to the galaxy, etc., to serve as the “personal representative” for Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to the Jedi Council. Never mind that Palpatine makes most Jedi Knights uneasy and fear for the future of the Galactic Republic.
Real-World Lesson: Not the wisest idea to allow the “chosen one” and the best hope for the future of your company to be mentored or influenced by an individual you don’t fully trust.

“Commander, tear this ship apart until you’ve found those plans!” -Darth Vader
File Under: Project Management; Risk Management
Star Wars Moment: Rebels are able to acquire a secret set of plans to the Empire’s Death Star, and eventually exploit a weakness and destroy the moon-size battle station.
Real-World Lesson: If you’ve got to nail “The Big Project,” think carefully about the worst, most gaping vulnerability in the project. And don’t, under any circumstances, allow that vulnerability to leak out onto, say, the Internet.

Read the rest here:
What Star Wars Teaches Us About Career Management
(via CIO.com)


Star Wars Halloween at the White House

October 31, 2009


(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

This Halloween, President Obama and the First Lady hung out with Chewbacca, Ahsoka Tano, and the 501st stormtroopers as they handed out candy to 2,000 trick-or-treaters and military families who were invited to the festive party.

An odd cast of figures wandered around the North Lawn, including skeletons playing musical instruments, walking trees and Star Wars characters.

The president, dressed in casual clothes, was one of the few not in costume. Even Obama’s press secretary, Robert Gibbs, was dressed as Darth Vader, the Star Wars villain.


(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Read more here:
No trick: 2,000 kids knock on White House door
(via Yahoo News)


Crafty Star Wars Costume Ideas

October 29, 2009

In honor of Halloween this week, our friends over at the awesome scifi pop culture site io9.com asked me to guest blog for them about my favorite crafty Star Wars costume projects made by our talented fans.

If you’re a regular here on the Official Star Wars Blog and at Starwars.com, you might recognize a few of the projects like the adorkable Yoda costume for toddlers and the epic dog costumes of an Ewok, Darth Vader and Princess Leia.

I also posted Amidala makeup tips and pointers on how to give your Boba Fett costume that special weathered look. There’s also links to masks you can print out and wear right now.

Read more:
DIY Star Wars Costumes (via io9)


Chewie is the Ultimate Sidekick

October 15, 2009

Novelist and Star Wars fan John Scalzi often pontificates the finer points of the saga as only a fanboy can. Read his latest column about why he thinks Chewbacca is the best sci-fi sidekick ever!

1. He’s alien
Dude’s a seven foot pile of shag who walks around naked, save for a bandolier. He communicates by howling. He’ll rip the arms off a droid just to make a point about sportsmanship. Face it, you’re not going to run across anyone like that on a day-to-day basis.

2. He’s not too alien
At the same time, he’s not a gelatinous mass or a cold-blooded reptile — he’s furry and (almost) kind of cuddly, has sympathetic blue eyes and a Scooby Doo-like streak of neurosis in him, allowing Han to berate him from time to time in an amusing fashion.

Read full article:
Three Cheers for Chewbacca: SciFi’s Ultimate Sidekick (via AMC)


Stormtrooper Road?

October 14, 2009


(Photo: Don Day/KTVB.com)

Somewhere in Idaho there’s a graffiti artist who wants to remind us that ALL roads lead to the dark side — even desolate farm roads.

Read more here:
Where did the mysterious Stormtrooper come from? (via KTVB.com)


Darth Vader on the National Cathedral

October 7, 2009

If you picked up Dan Brown’s new best-selling thriller The Lost Symbol, you might have noticed a very interesting tangent in the mystery about the hidden carving of Darth Vader on the Washington National Cathedral.

In the 1980s, while the west towers were under construction, Washington National Cathedral held a decorative sculpture competition for children. Word of the competition was spread nationwide through National Geographic World Magazine. The third-place winner was Christopher Rader, with his drawing of that fearful villain, Darth Vader. The fierce head was sculpted by Jay Hall Carpenter, carved by Patrick J. Plunkett, and placed high upon the northwest tower of the Cathedral.

First, bring binoculars! Darth Vader is very difficult to see by the naked eye. Leave the building through the ramp entrance at the northwest corner of the nave, through the double wooden doors of Lincoln Bay. Go down the ramp, and step into the parking lot. Then, turn around and look back up at the tower closest to you. Near the top of the tower is a gablet, or small peaked roof, located between the two huge louvered arches. At the bottom of each slope of this gablet is a carved grotesque. Darth Vader is on the north, or right-hand, side. There is a carved skull situated on a gablet much closer to the ground that many people often mistake for Darth Vader. From this skull, Darth Vader is up and to the left.

Download a PDF of the self-guided tour here.

Read more about it here:
Darth Vader: Star Wars Villain on the Northwest Tower


Cad Bane Crashes CW Press Junket

September 22, 2009

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Lucasfilm’s Big Rock Ranch is hosting the Clone Wars Season Two press junket today, and the Star Wars galaxy’s new blue-skinned baddie Cad Bane dropped in for a few photo-ops with the press (that’s him posed with a few clones and Obi-Wan voice actor James Arnold Taylor above). We’re posting a few shots of the costume here for any ambitious costumers hoping to Bane it up for Halloween this year. Thanks to Jocelyn Knight for the photos!

(more…)


Sith Fashion at The Emmys?

September 21, 2009


(Photo by WireImage.com/Mathew Imaging)

We already know how Star Wars costumes have influenced designers from Project Runway, but this is the first time we’ve seen a celebrity show off a designer dress that would easily blend in at any formal party thrown at the Death Star.

Granted, we would never give actress Kristen Wiig a Grade D (like Yahoo did) for her fashion sense. We proudly give her an A for Awesome!

Read more here:
2009 Emmys Red Carpet Report Card
(via Yahoo)


D23 Star Tours II Announcement Presentation

September 21, 2009

d23.jpg

For those unable to make the Star Tours II announcement unveiled at Disney’s recent D23 event, Ricky Brigante of Orlando Attractions Magazine has sent up a video of the full presentation here. Thanks to Ricky for the heads-up!