This Is the Coolest Star Wars Toy Ever. For the past 3. 8 years there hasn’t been a robot more loved by fans than Star Wars’ R2- D2. ![]() It’s that time of the year again, when adult Lego fans with children old enough not to destroy everything they touch find out what they’ll be adding to their Lego.The first look at the game’s Starfighter Assault mode has the Millennium Falcon, bright lens flares, and yes, Yoda manning a laser turret. Sri Manjunatha Songs Download Free Telugu Latest more. Product Description. Get ready for festive fun with the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar. Behind the doors lie a galaxy of Star Wars minifigures, starships, vehicles. GameTrailers is your destination to see official trailers first. Powered by IGN, you can expect to see world-first exclusive gameplay and the hottest new tra. But that could all soon change when The Force Awakens hits theaters, especially now that anyone can own a tiny working version of the movie’s BB- 8 droid that can roll and balance all by itself. Star Wars fans got their first glimpse of BB- 8 in the original The Force Awakens teaser. And having only known droids in the Star Wars universe that could either walk, drive, or fly, they were immediately captivated by BB- 8’s unique spherical design, and that neat floating head that magically never falls off. It wasn’t until Star Wars Celebration, back in April, when a sassy real- life version of BB- 8 came rolling out on stage, that everyone realized that R2- D2 was about to face some stiff competition. For The Force Awakens, BB- 8 was brought to life using on- set puppeteers and visual effects. But for real- life appearances, the film’s special effects team was actually able to build a fully- functional BB- 8 that could be controlled remotely off- stage. It was rumored that Sphero, a company that’d been been making remote control robotic balls for years, was behind the real- life version of BB- 8. It wasn’t, but that didn’t stop the toy world rumor- mill from also getting excited about Sphero possibly turning its existing robotic toy ball into a miniature version of BB- 8. And good news for Star Wars fans—at least some of those rumors turned out to be true. What Is It? It’s a tiny replica of Star Wars: The Force Awaken’s BB- 8 droid that can roll and balance all by itself, exactly like the robotic sidekick we’ve seen in all the teasers and trailers so far. It goes without saying that most Star Wars toys require a healthy dose of imagination to bridge the gap between what kids are holding in their hands and what they see in the movies. Lightsabers with blades made of plastic tubes? What a rip- off. But aside from its diminutive size, Sphero’s miniature version BB- 8 appears to perfectly replicate almost everything we’ve seen the new droid do, at least so far. When paired with an app running on your smartphone or tablet, BB- 8 can autonomously explore your home, perform a series of pre- programmed movements, and even respond to voice commands. But at any time you can also grab a set of on- screen controls and send BB- 8 rolling and exploring wherever you want. ![]() With a price tag of $1. Sphero’s BB- 8 is one of the most expensive Star Wars toys to hit store shelves this weekend, but there’s little doubt this tiny droid is going to be a huge hit leading up to the movie’s release this December. Design. Except for the addition of a tiny floating head that always remains atop his body, Sphero’s BB- 8 is almost exactly the same product as the company’s robotic ball toy. At least in terms of appearance. BB- 8’s body is a smooth plastic ball, about three inches in diameter, that’s wrapped in detailed graphics that so far appear to be very durable. While playing with him for a few days we’ll admit that BB- 8 has had a few unfortunate run- ins with furniture and walls, but there’s not a scratch on him. We don’t know how well he’d hold up to blaster fire, but he should easily survive whatever perils are hiding in your home or office. On the inside, the internal self- righting mechanism that allows the Sphero ball to propel itself works similar to how someone inside one of those giant inflatable spheres can climb the walls to get it rolling. For BB- 8, this has been upgraded with a vertical support to holds its head in place using a magnet. The magnet is more than strong enough to hold onto the head should BB- 8 accidentally run into something, but it will occasionally pop- off if the tiny droid tries to roll under something where there’s not enough clearance. It’s incredibly easy to re- attach it to his spherical body, though, and those tiny antennas you see sticking up on top are made from flexible plastic so there’s little risk of them snapping off in a collision.It’s about as kid- friendly as a $1. Amplitube 3 Keygen Team Beat Man . BB- 8’s head. Instead of a micro. USB port on BB- 8’s body which would mar its smooth finish and its ability to roll freely, the toy’s internal battery is topped up using an induction charger. You simply set BB- 8 on an included base (which doubles as a lovely display stand so it doesn’t roll off your desk) and the toy will automatically start charging. It couldn’t be easier. And three hours of charging gets you about an hour of playtime. It’s also important to note that Sphero’s BB- 8 is an app- connected toy. If you don’t have a tablet or smartphone running Android or i. OS that can download the free accompanying app, the most you can do with BB- 8 is charge the little droid and trigger a few cute head movements while it’s on its base. Not exactly exciting, and certainly not worth $1. As far as apps for toys go, though, Sphero’s BB- 8 app is a wonderful thing. It’s as Star Wars- branded as a Star Wars app can get (which is a good thing) and is saturated with graphics, animations, and sound effects all taken from the Star Wars universe. If you’re planning to buy Sphero’s BB- 8 you’re probably already a big Star Wars fan and will undoubtedly love all the little Star Wars touches. But the app is also incredibly well laid out, responsive, and surprisingly easy- to- use without having to sit through a long tutorial—although they are included the first time you use it. No complaints there. Most of the software that accompanies an app- connected toy seems like an after- thought at best—they feel as if they were developed at the last minute with minimal testing because they can be easily fixed and updated well after the toy’s been released (although they rarely are). But it’s clear that Sphero has put just as much development and care into the BB- 8 app as the company did with the toy itself. And that just adds to the overall enjoyment. Using It. When BB- 8 is fully charged (indicated by a series of charge status lights on the inductive base) all you have to do is make sure Bluetooth is activated on your mobile device, launch the app, and that the tiny droid is nearby. The connection between BB- 8 and your mobile device happens automatically after just a few seconds, with no need to fiddle with pairing settings. Once BB- 8 is connected to your mobile device you have your choice of three different modes of play: Patrol, Drive, or Message. Patrol is BB- 8’s autonomous mode, and is akin to letting an excited but blind puppy run wild in your home. BB- 8 doesn’t have any on- board sensors, so he’ll continuously crash into walls, feet, and furniture while he explores a space. But by keeping tabs on the toy’s speed and heading, the accompanying app allows BB- 8 to learn the ins and outs of a space so he can eventually build a rudimentary map of a room allowing him to later avoid obstacles he’s already run into. When BB- 8 is out exploring on his own, the app shows his current speed, how far he’s traveled, and the path he’s taken while he criss- crosses the floor. See that Stormtrooper icon? That’s where BB- 8 ran into my foot, and identified it as an enemy and something to avoid in the future. The lack of collision sensors means that will be a common occurrence, but the tiny droid is at least smart enough to not get stuck. If he runs into an immovable object he’ll simply back off and head in another direction. Collisions aren’t a problem, but falls might be. The lack of sensors, or any kind of insight into what dangers lie ahead, means BB- 8 can easily accidentally roll down a flight of stairs, or off a table. And while the toy is made from durable plastic, it’s far from invincible. A fall onto concrete could easily dent, damage, or crack the plastic sphere, which would put an end to BB- 8’s ability to roll. So an ounce of prevention when you’re using BB- 8 in Patrol is worth about $1. As fun as it is to watch Sphero’s BB- 8 roll around your home by himself and react with adorable head movements and sound effects when he hits something, the real fun of the toy is driving the droid yourself. In Drive mode there are two on- screen virtual joysticks that let you take control of BB- 8, but driving a perfectly round sphere can be a little tricky at times because you’re not always sure which direction is forward. But like the original Sphero toy, there’s an easy way to keep track of where BB- 8 is headed. The joystick on the left is used to drive BB- 8 forward and back, or steer him left and right.
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