Star Wars Lightsaber Battle Game

My wife, bless her cotton socks bought me this for Fathers Day, it's kind of like those all in one joystick retro game jobs in the respect that it runs on batteries and plugs straight into your tv and has that retro 16-bit graphics going on.

So you plug the training droid in and put it on top of your telly - go through some calibration and a training round & you're ready to defend the galaxy!

The cool thing here is that it's a bit like an eye-toy, the training droid (the white sphere) has an 'eye' that detects the movement of your lightsaber. The lightsaber itself has no batteries - if I've figured this out right the training droid has 4 infra-red lights that reflect off the lightsaber and is detected by the camera (sensor?) back on the unit.

Whatever it all works very well, better than I expected actually. I found it works best with the lights off.. which kind of helps cos I feel a bit dicky waving this lightsaber around in broad daylight. Aah bugger it, who cares .. I've asked my wife (who's just got a new sewing machine) to do me up a jedi outfit so I can get into character next time I play.

This game did suck me in, I stand there at the ready - lightsaber poised to deflect incoming lasers (yeah you get to do that, its cool!) - learn special moves and duke it out with the big guys like Darth Maul (he's a first level pussy, my 3 yr old daughter brought him down).

This isn't a kiddy game though, I found it quite challenging on the later levels, I'm up to about 4 of 7 I think - not only do you have to know the right moves and get your timing right - you have to physically do it - and reasonably accurately. Holding the lightsaber in a poised position shows the lightsaber beam accross the screen matching the angle and position you're holding it - this allows you to block those incoming shots. Slash the lightsaber and it streaks accross the screen damaging whatever's in its path (and close enough - the guys in the distance you have to bounce their shots back). Special moves like swinging in a certain pattern causes more damage, or there's a special blocking move where you spin the blade.

I'm up to the big Jango Fett battle - it's very ticky, he flys accross the screen laying out a stream of laser bolts you have to deflect or (and this is really tricky) flick the blade at the right time to bounce the bolts back.

This is a really cool game, I loved it as any star wars fan would.

The game is a little hard to find, but it is available through K-mart in Australia for around AUD$60.

Saitek Eclipse Gamers Keyboard

My old keyboard is starting to die - the shift key is sticking, I suppose I could clean it or something but its more fun to see what's new and cool out there.

I browsed around Harvey Norman.. nothing thrilling and any decent keyboard seems to be closer to $200 than my $100 budget.

I find the Saitek Eclipse keyboard - yes I'm totally sucked in by the blue led backlit laser cut keys and funky design.

So it's got a cord - that's logical if its going to glow or the batteries wouldnt last long.

This looks like the perfect keyboard! I can't wait to get my hands on one - apparently it has 'soft keystrokes' so each key produces a softer tactile response and less sound than normal 'hard' keystrokes. Yummy!

AUD$89.95 online here --> [JUMP]

X-Box 360 will eventually make it to Australia.

Well that's just bloody typical - Microsoft Corp. announced that Xbox 360™ will arrive on store shelves;
Tuesday, Nov. 22 in North America
Friday, Dec. 2 in Europe
and Saturday, Dec. 10 in Japan.
Australian gamers can enjoy the Xbox 360 in early 2006.

Bah that's just typical that the Aussies have to wait.. and don't even get a fixed date.. its like .. yeah we'll send you some when we get around to it. Thanks maaate!

Rumour has it that it will be here Late Feb.. kinda late for a Christmas present.

I guess in the meantime I can pimp my old x-box up.



<-- found this clear case mod with lighting on ebay. I kind of like the clear glowing look..

Wireless Weather Station with Rain Gauge & Wind Direction

I found this recently - looks like a pretty top-of-the line weather station to me! - Beats my plastic rain guage nailed on the fence.

For AUD$200 you can have an array of sensors that Monitors & Measures: Inside and Outside Temperature, Air Pressure, Rainfall, Humidity, Wind Speed, Wind Direction & Wind Chill Factor.

That's a lot of measurements!

I particularly like the bit with the rocket on top and spinning balls underneath - yeah that looks way cool and functional... like watch out for my weather station man or it will fire that silver rocket at yah - yeah its a self defence mechanism.. don't piss it off!

The forecast is displayed on the system's screen in an icon style and the barometric pressure trend is displayed as a bar graph so you can see at a glance how fast the pressure is rising or falling.

This is an excellent weather station that fills the needs of the enthusiast as well as those with a more professional interest such as farmers, schools, or anyone with a serious interest in the weather - or anyone (like me) who just wants another LCD display showing them up to the minute information on things they didn't really care about it the first place. AUD$199 [JUMP]

T-Shirt - Teabagging - The Complete Frag

Yeah I was introduced to Teabagging first time I stepped into Halo 2 online.

If you don't know what it means - you better ask somebody.

AUD$29.95 - a great Christmas gift for your teenage kid.. or 34yr old dad of who still hasn't grown up.

find it and more cool T-Shirts here [JUMP]

This isn't a technology product as such but you wouldn't wear it unless you're an online gamer.. so damn it this is my Blog and I'll put it in if I want. Nyah!

Pimp My PC

Modding your PC is cool - but this is just darn weird.

If you have to smoke around your PC I guess this would come in handy and for AUD$12.50 it's a cheap conversation starter.

You don't have to use it to light fags though, you can use it with your cigarette lighter powered accessories such as a mobile phone charger.. ahh now it makes a bit more sense.

Get one here [SMOKIN-JUMP]

LaserPod the new Lava Lamp

I love anything that makes me feel like I'm living in the future, or in a mad scientist's workshop, either works for me.

So I had my plasma ball which died some years back, I have my rocket shaped genuine Mathmos lava lamp ... and now I spy this little beauty.

The marketing hype reads 'the LaserPod uses super advanced technology to generate the purest light known to man'
okaaay .. so how do you qualify 'super advanced technology' .. ? I mean I expect stolen alien technology here. What it does have is three electronic lasers, and three blue and purple LED's. The light is projected through a crystal and output into one of the electroplated diffusers (the domes that go on top of the aluminium base). hmm that sounds Frinkish maybe it is alien technology.

The effect is quite amazing - and not too expensive at AUD$139 You can also get the liquid diffuser accessory now for AUD$29.95 - which is another tall dome that you can fill with any type of fluid. Any type! mmm.. don't go there.

You can leave the diffuser off and the light is projected onto the ceiling. If you're out camping it will be projected into space, where it will be received by Aliens who will abduct you and torture you for stealing their technology and use the LaserPod as a nose probe.

Read more about the LaserPod here [HYPERJUMP]

R2D2 Interactive to be released in Australia - TOMORROW!

When I first saw this.. like 2 years ago it went straight on my 'want' links. R2-D2 was always one of my favourite star wars characters. I thought when I grew up we would all have our own astromech droid and robots would walk the streets with us. okay that vision is still 20 years away .. or more.. but in the meantime this will do.
It has not been available in Australia except through special import (for around AUD$400+) - well when I opened my new Kmart catalogue yesterday there it was! On sale even! Tomorrow even! AUD$250 - it's mine!
Man.. I'll be there at 8am when the doors open to buy my R2' and the new Episode III DVD that went on sale today (unless my wife picks me up a copy.. she knows how I've been counting the days).

OK So what is it? It's a little R2-D2, about 35cm high and is interactive! Speak to him like 'Hey R2! - Go on patrol' and he'll dutifully clear your house of unwanted pests. 'Hey R2 do you remember Darth Vader?' and he'll tremble.. cooolness.
'Hey R2! throw me a lightsaber and fix me a snack' - stunned silence.. okay.. one day I'll get an Astromech with a bit more brains.. but for this money I'm sold!
The R2-D2 interactive droid has a rotating head, voice recognition, a cargo hold, a utility arm with drink holder, motorised feet so he can move and a foot lock, mood status indicator, light beam, sonar navigation and Infra Red location sensor. mmm.. thats a lot of robot for $250!
Want to see more? follow me [JUMP]