May 25, 2012

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Against all odds, there are people on Earth who haven’t seen Star Wars. And I’m not talking about hunter-gatherers in the Amazon rainforest. I’m talking about people who enjoy indoor plumbing, like my colleague Christine Erickson.

For 24 years, she’s been bombarded with quotes, jokes, memes, toys, commercials, sequels, prequels, parodies, marketing and countless cultural references that fly right over her ignorant little head like the Millenium Falcon making the Kessel Run. (She has no idea what I’m talking about there.)

Today is auspicious. Thirty-five years ago, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope debuted in theaters, blowing the sideburns off countless ’70s sci-fi nerds. George Lucas created an institution — dare I say, a cultural prerequisite — upon which all subsequent sci-fi owes a debt.

How dare you, Christine Erickson, work at a nerd emporium like Mashable having never seen this seminal space opera. Do you think you’re better than us or something?

Well, do you?

To remedy this affront on humankind, we’ve locked Christine in a windowless storeroom asked Christine to watch Episode IV for the very first time and share her experience live on the web. At 2:00 p.m. ET, we launch her into a galaxy far, far away, and you can follow her journey right here in this very post.

The #StarWarsVirgin Team

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You can also play along on social media:

• Follow Christine’s tweets: @christerickson.
• Follow the official hashtag: #StarWarsVirgin. Lots of awesome people will be chiming in!
• Follow the plot of the movie in real time as it unfolds: @StarWarsPlot.
• Lots of people have RSVPed for the event on Facebook. See what they’re talking about!
• Check in to Star Wars and follow along with Mashable on GetGlue. Be sure to use the hashtag #StarWarsVirgin when you share your updates.

We want to hear from you! Are you shocked that someone has never seen this movie before? Are you a Star Wars virgin yourself? Every tweet with the hashtag #StarWarsVirgin will be seen by our team, and the funniest, nerdiest, craziest ones will be included in our live blog, right here on Mashable.

So, fire up your hyperdrive and join us for this special, social experiment.

A huge thanks to Nick McKaig for providing the soundtrack to our video above. If you haven’t checked out his amazing acapella arrangement of the Star Wars theme, you’re really missing out. You can also download the track from iTunes. What better way to geek out on this holiest of holidays?

More About: Entertainment, features, Film, humor, live blog, Movies, Sci-Fi, Social Media, Star Wars, trending, Twitter

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May 25, 2012

1. Darth Vader (@DepressedDarth)

Basically Darth, depressed.

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On the 35th anniversary of the release of Star Wars, we’re celebrating the film phenomenon with a look at how — three and a half decades later — the series’ influence can still be seen in modern media.

Take Twitter for example. In addition to the official Star Wars Twitter account, currently enjoying nearly 220,000 followers, there are hundreds of parody accounts set up by dedicated fans.

SEE ALSO: 9 Star Wars Tech Accessories From a Galaxy Far, Far Away

We have collated our top 15 such entities. Take a look through our gallery above for some amusing accounts we recommend following if you’re a Star Wars fan. Let us know in the comments below about any others you follow that we haven’t listed.

More About: Entertainment, features, Film, Lists, Star Wars, trending, Twitter

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May 24, 2012

On May 25, 1977, the world met a little movie called Star Wars. Dubbed Episode IV: A New Hope, the film launched us into the heart of what would become a sprawling universe — the epic brainchild of writer/director George Lucas. The groundbreaking special effects were matched only by the tug of the story and its endearing characters. Lucas’s galaxy set the bar for all subsequent sci-fi films, and the rest, of course, is cinematic history.

That was 35 years ago. The Star Wars franchise has expanded and evolved since then — for better or worse, depending on who you talk to. But there’s no denying its tremendous cultural impact. As fully accredited sci-fi nerds, we at Mashable could not let this milestone pass without celebration. Friday, we’ll hold a live event right here on Mashable.com in honor of the 35th anniversary.

We want you to join in the fun!

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When?

• Friday, May 25 at 2:00 p.m. ET

Where?

• Right here on Mashable.com. Join us for a live blog event that will feature some surprises and special guests.
• You can also follow along and participate on Twitter using a special hashtag, to be announced. Your funniest, nerdiest tweets could be featured on Mashable. All the details will be revealed Friday afternoon!
• RSVP to our Facebook event, and let us know that you’ll be attending.

Why?

• Because Star Wars rules, that’s why.

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So, mark your calendar, dust off your limited edition storm trooper helmet (shut up, we know you have one), and join us Friday in a galaxy far, far away.

Images courtesy of LucasFilm, via Wikimedia Commons and Star Wars Wiki.

More About: Entertainment, features, live blog, Sci-Fi, Star Wars

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May 8, 2012

This isn’t the first Star Wars-themed peripheral we’ve featured. Not by a long shot. Not even today. It’s not even the first AT-AT case mod we’ve had, but we can safely say it poses the most danger to the alliance. With a mini-ITX mainboard, Intel Core i7-2600K CPU and 8GB of RAM, this walker might actually have enough brains to avoid a harpoon and tow cable, and with elaborate watercooling the Hasbro plastic shouldn’t get scorched either. The icing on the imperial cake is weapons and interior that light up with the touch of a remote. Want to see how modder Asphiax made it happen? Then pewpew the source link.

AT-AT PC Case Mod: and you thought it was just geeky on the outside originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 08:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 7, 2012

Has there been a gaping R2-D2-shaped hole in your gadget life ever since the Motorola Droid 2 R2-D2 Edition bowed out? The good crew at Instructables knows your plight and has designed the R2-D2 Dark Roast Edition to give your astromech desires an almost literal jolt of energy. The team’s do-it-yourself project modifies a BUNN industrial coffee maker — no slow-drip home unit here — with a float valve and a generous mix of aluminum, brass, copper and steel welded on top. If you’re particularly ambitious, you can even make R2 bleep his delight when you’ve got a fresh pot lined up. Constructing a Dark Roast Edition requires a good amount of electrical and metalworking savvy, but it might be worth your time while you wait for C-3PO to reach stores.

Continue reading R2-D2 Dark Roast Edition makes your coffee astromech-style, puts brew into ‘homebrew’ (video)

R2-D2 Dark Roast Edition makes your coffee astromech-style, puts brew into ‘homebrew’ (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 19:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 5, 2012

If you enjoyed all those not-at-all tiresome “May the 4th be with you” tweets yesterday, then this is likely right up your equatorial trench. Wicked Lasers, makers of the eye-meltingly powerful S3 Krypton laser has developed a $100 attachment for the same that will bring a few not-so-little boys’ dreams true. The ahem LaserSaber add-on takes the pin-sharp beam of light from the company’s S3 range of lasers, and sends it down a 32″ polycarbonate “blade”. A so called magnetic gravity system imitates the powering-up and down of those other famous sabers, but they stopped at adding sound effects. Bear in mind, you’re still dealing with imperial levels of light here, so dueling is most definitely not recommended, but if you want the nearest thing to the real deal, remember, May the 5th we told you.

Continue reading 32-inch ‘LaserSaber’ lights up your Star Wars dreams, burns the curtains (video)

32-inch ‘LaserSaber’ lights up your Star Wars dreams, burns the curtains (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 May 2012 16:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 4, 2012

1. Luke and Leia

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May 4 has been dubbed Star Wars Day, rightly named for its tagline, “May the fourth be with you.” The pun-inspired day was created in appreciation for the Star Wars film series and the massive culture it has inspired.

Since the original movie was released in 1977, Star Wars has expanded into video games, television series and seemingly endless amounts of merchandise.

Behind all of the movies, spin-offs and reboots, there is a core cast of beloved characters (and some not so beloved, in the case of Jar Jar Binks).  Take a look as the Internet pokes fun at the iconic characters of Star Wars.

Have you come across any other Star Wars memes? Share them in the comments below.

More About: Entertainment, features, memes, Star Wars, trending

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May 4, 2012

1. Volkswagen: The Force

This pint-sized Darth Vader discovers the Force through the 2012 Passat.

Shares: 5,062,058

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In honor of Star Wars Day (May the fourth be with you), here are the 10 most-shared Star Wars-themed ads on YouTube. You’ll find advertisements from companies such as Volkswagen, Adidas and ESPN with cameos by your favorite Star Wars characters and celebrities in your favorite Star Wars scenes.

Thanks to our friends at Unruly Media for compiling the list.

Which of these ads tickled your funny bone the most? Let us know in the comments.

More About: Advertising, Business, features, Marketing, Star Wars, trending, YouTube

May 4, 2012

In a remarkable video created specifically for Star Wars Day, talented vocalist Nick McCaig created this 90 track tribute to film composer John Williams and his iconic Star Wars theme.

According to McCaig, he spent 300 hours of production time putting together this YouTube masterpiece, recording the video on a Canon EOS 7D and editing on Adobe Premiere. Even though his lovely voice is lashed onto a healthy dose of autotune, the force is most definitely with this dude.

This is not the first pitch-perfect cover tune Nick has created, but this one even tops his first-rate Simpsons theme song vocalizations he created this January.

And may the fourth be with you!

More About: Music, Star Wars, trending, YouTube

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May 4, 2012

1. Darth Vader Headphones

Tune out the cruel, cruel world with these sleek Vader headphones.

Price: $49.99

Click here to view this gallery.

In our minds, every day is Star Wars Day, but May 4 is extra special. The date has become the official holiday for Force fans worldwide due to its very logical slogan: “May the fourth be with you.”

To celebrate, we’ve collected our favorite Star Wars gadgets and tech accessories from around the web. Whether you’re a die-hard merch collector or a casual Skywalker aficionado, we think you’ll find something quirky and nostalgic in this mix.

SEE ALSO: 14 Weird iPhone Cases You Won’t Believe

How are you celebrating May the Fourth? All-night Star Wars marathon? Costume contest? We’d love to hear it, so tell us in the comments below.

Thumbnail image courtesy of Line Draw

More About: accessories, features, Gadgets, Star Wars, Tech, trending

April 19, 2012

Tupac — at least the holographic version — seems to be everywhere these days, even in a galaxy far, far away.

Still, it might be a good way to get some kids to appreciate Star Wars, which is going for on 35. Not that everyone would agree. One YouTube commenter notes with (we hope) tongue in cheek, “George Lucas has gone too far with these additions. Leave Star Wars alone!”

More About: hologram, Star Wars, tupac, viral videos, YouTube

April 2, 2012

Kinect Star Wars isn’t released until Tuesday — but fans of the George Lucas franchise are already horrified by what they’re seeing in early posts about the Xbox 360 game.

The game uses the Xbox console’s camera to incorporate physical movements — meaning you can swing a light saber or toss items using the force. But leaked videos of the dance sequences added into the game have left some fans slack-jawed.

A blog post from Topless Robot called this element of the game “the worst thing in the Star Wars universe” since Jar Jar Binks.

The video of Han Solo dancing in the chamber in Cloud City — where he was frozen in carbonite in Empire Strikes Back — has garnered almost 1,600 dislikes on YouTube since it was posted last Thursday. One of the recent comments read “Alternate name for this level: Dancing on Star Wars’ Grave.”

Another YouTube video features Princess Leia in her famous slave outfit dancing to a cover of No Doubt’s “Hollaback Girl”. More videos will likely be uploaded as fans pick up the game Tuesday.

What do you think of the video above? Is it as offensive as some fans claim? Tell us in the comments.

More About: kinect, Star Wars, Viral Vidoes