Wonder if that long awkward silence is because everyone's trying to think of a non-obvious joke about this whole thing. [Thanks, OMG! Ponies!]

The Stereo Realist Model 81 3-D Slide Projector was manufactured in 1950 by the David White Sales Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It has dual lenses—with 3.5" focal length, f.2.8 aperture—and runs on two 500-watt bulbs which are cooled by two separate fans.

Not old school enough for you? Fear not, my dear readers, for you have to feed two slides at a time into this thing—to create amazing stereo images—by hand: There's a slide tray on the top of the projector, with a rotary carrier that pushes the slides when you activate the handle on its back.

Darth Vader is now for sale on eBay, and I wouldn't be surprised if the great Ralph McQuarrie owned or saw one, once upon a time. [eBay via Star Wars Blog]

The $50 Darth Vader Nintendo Wii Sensor Bar Holder is essentially a sculpture that holds your sensor bar in the place of a lightsaber. So while you flail away at Wii Sports Resort, onlookers will enjoy the tacit implication that you are not only besting the game but the entire Dark Side of the force. Well, that, or your friends will realize that your fascination with a 30-year-old movie franchise is depleting your bank account and adversely affecting your overall grasp on reality, especially when playing Wii. [StarWarsShop via ChipChick]

Monitor his state? Give him physical feedback about his environment? Amplify his powers? Pick his nose? Facial massages? Shave him? I think I'm going with scratching his face when it gets itchy. It makes perfect sense. [Walyou]

During the episode in which the humans and the Cylons discover a devastated Earth, they come across the remains of its civilization. One of the things they found partially covered in the radioactive soil was a "2000-year-old, ancient Cylon." That was the exact phrase in the script, which was used by VFX supervisor Gary Hutzel and chief model maker Pierre Drolet to create the Cylon head you see above.

Like Ralph McQuarrie did for Darth Vader, the pair took inspiration on classic samurai armor designs.
The result clearly came way too close to the Sir Dark Lord Van Vader Von Ham of Shin's helmet. So close that they took a couple of layers out of the helmet, to make it look like the skull on the right, which is the model that finally ended up in the actual shot:

Beautiful design either way, although I liked the full helmet better. I don't care it looked like Vader's, specially when McQuarrie also did art for Battlestar Galactica (some of it is under these lines.) [Darth Mojo—Thanks Alice]

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.

Kind of demeaning for the ol' baddie, no? I mean, turning one of the most celebrated villains in cinema history into some kind of $40 gimpy clinger-on... I mean, it's almost like an out-of-touch filmmaker taking a storied franchise, reshooting key scenes with poorly planned updates and cut footage from 1977, and then selling the resulting schlock back to us as if it were the second coming. I mean, if that actually happened. Did it?

But back on task. If this were an Anakin Skywalker Back Buddy, and it resembled Hayden Christensen, I might not be so critical. It'd be more fitting, is what I'm trying to say.

This Darth is available for pre-order and ships in August. [Star Wars Shop via OhGizmo]

Sadly, its $30 price tag won't get you James Earl Jones shouting at you like a Marines instructor. Instead, it will play AM/FM radio or act as a speaker for your digital audio player. However, with its glowing red time indicators I like it better than the Darth Vader alarm clock. [Playthings via Toyology]

The concept is simple: 100 of the best underground artists and designers working today were given a scale Darth Vader helmet to customize as they saw fit. Some of the most notable artists involved with the project include: Shag, Peter Kuper, Attaboy, Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, Dalek, Paul Frank, Ron English, Jeff Soto, Michelle Valigura, Frank Kozik, Wade Lageose, Joe Ledbetter, Alex Pardee, Suckadelic, Cameron Tiede, Mister Cartoon, Marc Ecko, and Amanda Visell. Plus, new artists are added to the lineup from time to time.

Since it's conception in 2007, the Vader Project has been displayed at various Star Wars conventions around the world, but the exhibit at the Warhol marks it's first appearance in a museum setting. So, if you can't make it to Pittsburgh in time, hopefully the project will come to you sometime in the not-too-distant future. [The Vader Project]

I got this tattoo about 8 months ago. I believe it perfectly sums up my feelings towards George [Lucas]. I love Star Wars, but I wish George would retire and leave the series in better hands. Just thought you should see it. I love you guys! Keep up the good work at Giz!

Kevin sent us that message along with the photo of his tattoo when he saw our Should Goerge Lucas Be Condemned for Crimes Against Our Childhood post. I edited the really harsh words out of his message, but I share the feeling completely. [Thanks Kevin G]

Apparently, it's just a way to welcome a newborn girl into this world. Because nothing says "Have a wonderful life" better than a pastel-colored galaxy with the Dark Lord of the Sith kidnapping your baby. I would give it a 0.75 on the Jesus Switch Scale of wrongmodoness. [Cake Wrecks via Star Wars Blog]

Seriously, the level of detail in this thing is simply amazing. And the possibilities are endless. I mean, what could be better than El Señor Presidente fighting the forces of Evil with dual katanas? OK, scrap that. What could be better than President Obama fighting the forces of Evil armed with a lightsaber and a shotgun? Actually, forget about all this. It's silly. Just imagine R&B Barack singing a Barry White ballad to Palestinians and Israelis and all the rest of the morons tearing each other apart, bringing peace to the planet at last. Or failing that, pointing at them with his two index fingers and saying: "You, you, you. YOU!"

Must. Buy.

[Gamu-Toys via GusNYC—Thanks Gusto]

And on top of that, they expect you to pay $200 for a CRT with some black plastic added. [GeekAlerts]

The project, from Instructables user Ricardoaraujo, uses a normal toy lightsaber hilt, some AA batteries, a rubber hose and a couple of LEDs to build a weapon you'd be proud to kick Jedi ass with. Now all you need to do is knock back a couple too many Guinnesses and find some Obi Wan Kenobi-worshipping dork to smack around. Death by pretend lightsaber it shall be!
[ Instructables via Technabob]

Well, a girl can dream. But this prosthetic hand, inspired, I kid you not by spiders' legs, has scored highly in tests. Currently a prototype, Fluidhand is battery-powered, with five electric motors—one in each finger. Soren Wolf, an 18-year-old patient at Heidelberg University Hospital was the first person to try out the device, alongside the iLIMB, which, unlike the Fluidhand, is controlled using myoelectric signals from the stump of the arm.

The Fluidhand works on different principles, and its digits are based on the biological principle of the spider leg—elastic chambers in the joints are pumped up by miniature hydraulics, thus allowing flexibility. This allows each individual digit to be moved independently. Perhaps the most astonishing thing about the device is that it gives feedback to the stump, which allows the wearer to sense just how strong the grip is.

Of the two hands, Soren said that the Fluidhand just had the edge over the iLIMB. It is currently only a prototype, but the inventors are looking for investment. Maybe George Lucas would be interested. [UniversitatsKlinikum via MedGadget]

To start with, dork n mero uno—hairdresser Barney Jones—wasn't being interviewed for a documentary on the first Jedi Church of England. He was filming himself, "fighting" with "lightsabers" in the garden, probably while being watched by Yoda, Mace Windu, Obi Wan, and the rest of their imaginary pals, who actually were the only ones with actual girlfriends in the backyard at the time.

Vader, whose real name is not Anakin Skywalker but Arwel Wynne Hughes, pleaded guilty, saying in his defense that he had a "chronic alcohol problem" and he didn't remember anything at all. According to the two Joneses, however, Hughes jumped in the gardent shouting "DARTH VADER," wielding a metal crutch, wearing a helmet, a black bin bag, a cape, and with a lot of wine in his stomach. Laughing—presumably hysterically, like anyone would do after consuming "the best part of a 10-litre box of wine"—he proceeded to bang Barney Jones on the head, before smacking the thigh of family nerd cousin, Michael Jones.

With almost a box of wine in his body, Vader didn't remember a single thing, but his defense attorney said alcohol was "ruining his life." On the other side, the prosecution added that the two cousins "believe very strongly in the church and their religion."

We can only hope the judge will set Vader free and put those two in jail. [BBC News]

NEVER GETS OLD. I say.

[eBay via Star Wars Blog]

This wasn't a joke. This was serious.

No, crimper Master Hehol, this is not serious. This is just sad. Reportedly, the drunk Vader was neither a Gizmodo editor nor Eddie Izzard:

Again you ask? YES! [Daily Telegraph]

Note: for some reason, I first read wrench and did this image:

And then I got hungry, and had to do this one:

"The Emperor just kept trying to force my hand over some, mostly musical, issues... like the Death Star's muzzak." Lord Vader said in an exclusive interview to the Dyersburg's Rock Scene Monthly, "I was like, Palp, mate, you just can't play f*cking Celine Dion all day! It's bad for the troops! Put some Led Zep, dude!" Lord Vader also pointed out that the Santa Claus affair was the last drop. "He wants to replace him with Michael (Jackson) next year. Imagine that, that guy. In red velvet. And with a line of kids waiting to sit on his lap. That's trouble, I tell you. Big trou-ble," he remarked. "Anyway, I'm looking forward to playing guitar with the guys back at home."

Brian Lam, Gizmodo editor-in-chief and reputed banjo player, said that Vader's music skills were strong but he needed to go easier on the solos. "Yeah, Darth kind of rocks. It's just when he gets into one of his Pink Floydish solos... it's like, yo, Darth, dude, stop it already!" he declared while eating a lasagna and showing absolutely no surprise over the fact that Lord Vader owns a Sony PlayStation 3. "I mean, come on, it matches the decor for chrissake. And remember the rumors that say that [Sony CEO Howard] Stringer used to be a Dark Lord himself."

Stringer was unavailable to comment but a Sony spokesman denied that he was pals with Vader: "at most, with his third cousin, Jabba the Hutt." Coincidentally, the Hutts are also Arkansas residents. [Techware Labs]

Answering questions about the causes of this assault and Santa Claus' detention, Mr. Kwazansky pointed out that Imperial Intelligence had undeniable proof of Santa's production of WMDs at his factory located near the North Pole. "He is also a perv, you know," he added, "a guy who goes around his house clad in red velvet and has underaged boys assisting him all day long. Illegal sex? Forced labor? You gotta be kidding. We have the patent on forced labor too. Ask the wookies."

Later in the press conference, Mr. Kwazansky, 48 years old and still living with his parents, revealed that Santa may have been stealing industrial secrets from Imperial-exclusive defense contractor Sienar Fleet Systems. "And what's with the bloody flying reindeers anyway?" he said, "how the Force do they fly? I bet they have Twin Ion Engines up their butts. That's classified technology, people. Fatso is finishing his days in the Great Pit of Carkoon, I tell you." The spokesperson left the stage laughing maniacally, muttering something about how Santa was going to suffer for all those years of coal back at the Imperial Orphanage.

Commenting on the strike, UN's North Pole representative Kalle Jugercømmandersson said that "we don't understand this act of unprovoked agression. The North Pole has been weapons-free since 1959, when Timmy the Polar Bear was killed by a drunk seal using a 38." Then, he started sobbing, crying "and we are not little boys! We are little grown men!" out loud.

Lord Darth Vader was unavailable to comment at the time of this report.

(Photo of Santa being taken to an Imperial Shuttle—or something like that—courtesy of Michael Sibbernsen)

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Geeks, it's up to us. We need to bite this Star Wars toy stuff in the bud ASAP, lest our children and children's children think Darth Vader is nothing more than a flashlight, dust buster or some other mundane marketing scheme. Unfortunately, this one is already sold out. [ubergizmo]

This official Darth Vader suit should provide a good base for my Dark Helmet Spaceballs costume. The pleather pants and shirt go under molded pieces formed from the original casts, including the collar, shoulder pieces, gauntlets, chest piece and boots. For $760, I'm surprised it doesn't come with a master replica Lightsaber. Anyone know where I can get some black rimmed circle glasses, a pewter cobra ring with a faux emerald, and an extra large Darth helmet? [Costumes Inc.]