Disney and Sphero to release a Star Wars BB-8 robotic ball this year (and how to make your own)

Remember the Sphero? It’s a little robotic ball that you can actually control using your Android smartphone or tablet. Not many practical uses for such a thing, but it’s damn cool. For Star Wars geeks, it just got even cooler.

Sphero and Disney have confirmed that the BB-8 robot featured in the latest Star Wars teasers is not CGI. It’s an actual robotic ball that has a physical presence in all the scenes it’s featured in.

That’s cool and all, but an even better fact is that the two sides teamed up to release a special edition of the ball that is designed to look like the round BB-8 robot that will debut in the upcoming 7th Star Wars film (The Force Awakens). Pricing and release information haven’t been revealed, though we’re sure they’ll want it out on time for the film’s planned December 18th release.

That still not doing it for you? What if I told you it was possible to make one yourself? Industrial designer Christian Poulsen did just that by purchasing a readily-available Spheros ball and customizing it.

He used your typical paints for the look and feel, though he did have to slice into the robot’s innards to install neodymium magnets to make sure the robot’s head stayed put during its frantic rolling.

The paint job isn’t the greatest on his rendition, though he never claimed to be an artist. Be sure to take a look at his step-by-step process in photos over at his website, and if it seems too daunting a task for you then take comfort in the fact that an even better version will be officially available later this year.

[via IGN]

Mobile Roar 87: Samsung Galaxy S6 impressions, Apple Watch reviews, and Star Wars

Previous episodes of the Mobile Roar Podcast

This week we’ve got the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge in the house. Chris shares some of his first impressions of the devices. We also talk about the Apple Watch reviews, the device that should have been the HTC One M9, the downfall of Sony mobile, and of course our wins and fails of the week, and app picks! Thanks for watching/listening!

Big News

• Samsung Galaxy S6/Edge first impressions

Quick Hits

• Apple Watch reviews are out


• HTC One M9+ is official


• T-Mobile stops selling the Sony Xperia Z3


• Android Phone Rankings

Wins/Fails

• Joe: Star Wars digital release / Samsung reliability tests


• Chris: Instagram update brings Color and Fade tools / still didn’t fix upload quality

App Picks

• Joe: AutoMate & Pixel OFF


• Chris: Snapchat update (Friendship status)

Follow Us

• Joe Fedewa (@tallshmo)


• Chris Chavez (@gamercore)


• Kevin Krause (@youdontknowkev)


• @mobileroarcast

Subscribe

Hear us on Stitcher Radio
Subscribe on iTunes
Add RSS feed
Download MP3

All 6 Star Wars films are headed to Google Play April 10th for $20 each

Many of the Star Wars junkies out there likely already have both the original and follow-up trilogies on DVD, VHS or Blu-Ray by now, but what about digital? Lucasfilm and Disney have been reluctant to go that route for quite some time, but those fears seem to have melted as all 6 Star Wars movies will be available for digital purchase online beginning April 10th.

Stores where the goods are available include iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and yes — Google Play. The films will cost you each to start, though that’s not much more expensive than these movies usually go in the digital realm. You can also snap up the entire collection in one fell swoop for .99, saving you about if you’re addicted enough to plunge for it all at once.

There is one unfortunate catch to this: these aren’t the original, unaltered films. They’re the “special edition” re-releases that change up a bit of the original sounds, dialog and visuals for purposes of remastering and fulfilling George Lucas’ original vision.

Star Wars purists (we’re talking about the hardest of hardcore) will likely have an issue with that, though those of you who don’t know right from wrong in this regard will likely be fine. You can place your pre-order right now at Google Play and expect the films to unlock as the calendar turns to April 10th.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is now $2.99 on Google Play (down from $9.99)

Star Wars fanatics looking for a deep game to sink their teeth into have no reason not to take advantage of today’s deal. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — one of the greatest Star Wars RPGs ever made — is now on sale for .99.

That price is down from its usual .99, so you’re getting a pretty good discount that you won’t want to miss out on. The game originally launched years ago on PC and Xbox, but it was ported over to Android for those who want their fix on the go. The awesome thing is that this is the full game as you’d have played it on the aforementioned platforms, with no compromises.

That said, the file size is a hefty 2.4GB, and you’ll want to be on WiFi before downloading it. This is the lowest price this game has been since its introductory promo price back when it launched in December, so if you’ve been waiting for better deals then this is likely as good as it’s going to get. Check it out at Google Play right here.

May the 4th be with you: The 5 best Star Wars games for Android to celebrate your fandom

It’s May 4th, and you know what that means — it’s Star Wars day! With the most recent Star Wars convention long packed up and a film on the way later this year, there hasn’t been a better time to be a Star Wars fan this generation.

But if trailers and panels and all sorts of promotional happenings isn’t whetting your appetite as we await the first film in a new trilogy, perhaps some games will. We’ve put together a quick list of the 5 best Star Wars games for Android to play as you celebrate your fandom on this glorious day. Check them out and go have some fun!

5. Angry Birds: Star Wars

It’s Angry Birds as you know and love, except the birds and pigs are all Star Wars characters and they continue their battle in galactic space. Awesome Force powers can be dished out to help you achieve your goal of knocking down the pigs’ defenses, too.

Download Angry Birds: Star Wars for free

4. Star Wars Force Collection

This collectible card game allows you to stack up on companions to help take out the evil Empire. Use support cards to upgrade characters such as Yoda, R2D2 and Chewbacca. Some cards are more rare than others, and you can trade them with your friends to help complete your collection. You can also fight against your friends to see whose team and strategy is the most sound.

Download Star Wars Force Collection for free

3. Star Wars Rebels: Missions

You’re a rebel looking to do your part to dismantle the Empire. You play the role of Ezra Bridger as he goes from camp to camp trying to destroy as much of their operations as possible. You’ll be able to build a base that gives you boosts and bonuses, and you’ll also have the chance to drive an AT-DP (yes, the awesome giant robots the Empire uses to bring about destruction) to take out a mass legion of Stormtroopers in one go.

Download Star Wars Rebels: Missions for free

2. All the LEGO Star Wars games

Because LEGO + Star Wars = awesome. There are two mobile-specific games to sink your teeth into, both of which follow the chronicles of Yoda. The original lets you quest with either Yoda or Count Dooku, while the sequel features Yoda and the master manipulator known as Darth Vader.

The other collection of LEGO Star Wars games — the ones that originally launched on console — was recently reworked for a mobile launch. It’s available for .99 and lets you take on dozens of characters (and features over 100 in total) as you battle through the events of all 6 Star Wars films. Not a bad deal at all.

Download LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles for free

Download LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles 2 for free

Download LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga for .99

1. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

This is probably the best Star Wars experience you’re going to get on mobile. It’s a classic RPG that got its start on PC and Console, and the full game is available to play anywhere you can haul a smartphone or tablet. You play as a Jedi who is stuck in a conflict between the Republic and the dark side of the Sith lord.

The irony? The actual conflict is internal: will you stick to your guns in protecting the Republic and living up to the honorable Jedi code, or will you fall victim to the benefits of being part of the world’s problem? That’s something only you can decide after hours of gameplay for just .99.

Download Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for .99

Honorable Mentions

There are a good deal more Star Wars related or themed games that are worth your time that you should definitely check out.

• Tiny Death Star —  A Star Wars-themed Tiny Towers game


• Star Wars Pinball 3 — Pinball, with Star Wars backdrops and sound effects


• Star Wars: Commander — Clash of Clans meets awesome LucasArts goodness


• Star Wars: Galactic Defense — A Star Wars tower defense game

Other stuff to get into

Don’t forget that Google Play also now has all 6 Star Wars films available for digital viewing. At each — or for the lot — it’s not a cheap route for filling your hunger for Star Wars, but if you don’t already have a physical collection and don’t fancy Blu-Ray and DVD discs then it’s not a bad route to go at all.

There are also themes, books and other cool apps that you can check out, all of which can be discovered with a simple search for “Star Wars” over at Google Play. Check it out, and let us know what you’ll be doing to celebrate Star Wars day!

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga finds its way back into Google Play for $6.99

Earlier this year Warner Brothers released a Lego Star Wars game onto Google Play, but it was promptly pulled and never heard of since. Well, it’s popped back up and now available for all to download.

This .99 download is comprised of two games Lego Star Wars: The Video Game, and Lego Star Wars 2: The Original Trilogy. These two games combine to cover all 6 Star Wars episodes series. It features 36 levels of story content, over 120 characters, and more, all draped in Lego dressings for those who don’t mind the quirky styles.

Lego games are simple, but are fun enough to check out. This particular game features Force powers and lightsaber battles, the ability to mix and match characters by swapping lego bricks and other cool things you won’t find in a typical Star Wars game. You’ll also have two control styles to switch between. It doesn’t sound like a bad package for .99 so if you’re a big Star Wars fanatic and have yet to check it out be sure to head here for the download.

The Google app can now answer Star Wars character trivia

In case you haven’t heard, today is May 4th — Star Wars Day — and to help celebrate, Google has pushed out an update to their Search that makes brushing up on your Star Wars trivia easier than ever.

Both Android and iOS Google apps can now answer all your questions about Star Wars specific characters and with more than 400 included, we’re sure all your favorites made the cut. We should note, it’s not general Star Wars trivia — only questions related to Star Wars characters themselves will pull up one of their handy cards.

This is because of a partnership Google has made with Disney and LucasFilm to pull information straight from the Star Wars Data Bank, an online website filled with everything you could ever hope to learn from the Star Wars universe. To get started, simply open the Google app and speak “Ok Google” (or type out your questions the old fashioned way).

Google (Playboard) | Google (Play Store)

ZTE reportedly working on a smartphone called the Star 3 with a 5.5-inch 4K display

We’ve just started warming up to the idea of smartphones outfitted with 2K displays, and already it seems manufacturers could be looking towards 4K in this year’s devices. We’ve heard rumors that Samsung could be looking to equip this year’s Samsung Galaxy Note 5 with a ultra high-def 4K display (up from last year’s 2K display).

Today MyDrivers is reporting that ZTE could be looking to introduce their own 4K smartphone this year, codenamed the Star 3. The device will allegedly come equipped with a 5.5-inch TFT display carrying a eye-blistering 806 ppi. To keep this device from eating up too much battery, the display employs some kind of “crystal structure” tech which is less taxing on the CPU.  The Star 3 will also allegedly feature the world’s narrowest borders, which we assume are in reference to the bezels.

Of course, nothing at this point is confirmed and there’s no real way to validate any of these claims. While we don’t often see ZTE devices launch outside their homeland of China (at least not their high-end models), it would be interesting to see another handset hit the market with such a crazy high spec. It’s still a little too early to say, but it seems 2015 could officially be the year of the 4K smartphone.