GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 48

Ga
■ CHALLENGE
GOGGLES:
VR gear for
some serious
Jedi training in
Star Wars: Jedi
Challenges.

Geeky Gear
by Matt Cabral

A REAL
LIGHTSABER
(SORT OF)
AND THE
DROID YOU'RE
LOOKING FOR.

From a Galaxy Far, Far Away

STAR WARS:
JEDI CHALLENGES
THE POWER OF THE FORCE and augmented
reality collide in this lightsaber-swinging
collaboration from Lenovo and Disney. Bundled
with an AR headset, tracking beacon and
peripheral that looks exactly like the elegant
weapon wielded by Anakin, Luke and Rey, the
platform lets fans clash virtual blades with Dark
Side baddies in the comfort of their homes.
With a compatible smartphone - running the
Jedi Challenges' app - snapped into the goggles,
players can deflect Stormtrooper blasts, reduce
battle droids to piles of scrap and cut down
Kylo Ren. Fantastic details, such as the sci-fi
saga's familiar score and sound effects, as well
as the sparks that erupt when the AR blade is
dragged across your real-world floor, intensify the
immersion.

When not dueling detailed holograms of Darth
Vader, The Seventh Sister and other Sith foes,
players can use the controller to command tiny
units in a real-time strategy game. Set on five
different planets - Naboo, Garel, Lothal, Hoth
and Takodana - the tactical skirmishes turn your

living room floor into a sprawling, augmented
reality battlefield, complete with familiar
characters, vehicles, starships and even a tiny
Tauntaun-riding Han Solo.
Along with the dedicated lightsaber duels

and strategy-focused battles, each planet hosts
Holochess matches. Based on the game played
between Chewbacca and R2-D2, that famously
prompted C-3PO to warn, "Let the Wookiee win,"
the AR version sees miniature monsters duke it
out on a chess-like board.
Jedi Challenges' trio of games offer something
for Star Wars fans of all stripes, but its coolest
feature is the fact that it's an evolving platform.
While its packed with plenty of content, Disney
plans on continuously updating it with fresh
challenges. A recent, free update based on The
Last Jedi, for example, adds a new lightsaber
duel against a pair of Praetorian Guards, as well
as an island of Porgs to play with.
While you can't use Jedi Challenges'
AR-powered weapon to cut a grilled cheese
in half, it's currently the closest you'll come to
brandishing a real-life lightsaber.

R2-D2 APP-ENABLED DROID
BUILDING ON THE POPULARITY of its BB-8 app-enabled droid, Sphero has added
R2-D2 to its lineup of controllable astromech companions. Featuring details ripped
right from the films, the miniature R2 unit sports flashing LED lights, a spinning head,
retractable third limb and all the emotive "bleeps" and "bloops" you'd expect from the
galaxy's most famous droid.
Fans can command the bot's movements via their smartphones, but this
sophisticated connected device is much more than a remote-controlled "toy." R2 can
follow any path drawn on your screen's surface, take you on an augmented reality tour
of the Millennium Falcon, interact with other Sphero droids and even perform signature
animations, like excitedly rocking back
and forth. View a Star Wars film with
the iconic bot by your side, and it will
even react to the on-screen action.
Whether you're looking for a droid
companion or a new way to tease
your cat, Sphero's R2-D2 does not
disappoint.
48

ISSUE 03



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GEEK - Issue 3 2018

Contents
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - Cover1
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - Cover2
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 3
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 4
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 5
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - Contents
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 7
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 8
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 9
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 10
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 11
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 12
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 13
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GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 15
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 16
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GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 18
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 19
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GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 21
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GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 27
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 28
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 29
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 30
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GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 33
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 34
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 35
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 36
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 37
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 38
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GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 40
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 41
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 42
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 43
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GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 45
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 46
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 47
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 48
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 49
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 50
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - Cover3
GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - Cover4
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