Latest news with #AnakinSkywalker
Tom's Guide
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I test headphones for a living — these are my No. 1 travel pick for watching movies on the go
When I'm doing short hops around the country, I tend to stick with my trusty Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones to keep the noise of the world at bay. Noise canceling is the name of the game, and there's little better than the best noise-canceling headphones for that. When I go on longer trips, I want something extra to pass the time — and that means something that can give me the best movie sound possible. Whether that's on a lengthy ferry trip, a road trip that's going to last for hours and hours on end or a long-haul intercontinental flight, there's something extra that I want. The Sonos Ace and their Dolby Atmos sound for movies on the go are my weapon of choice for getting through lengthier travel. The Sonos Ace are a valiant first effort from Sonos, with excellent sound and good noise canceling. They're a comfortable fit as well, and feature a reasonable 30 hours of battery life. It's the Dolby Atmos for music and movies that really set them apart — there is no other pair of headphones capable of such excellent spatial audio. When a trip lasts longer than normal, I like to have a range of content to keep me entertained. I generally bring my iPad, so that I can do some light reading, but also to watch movies on a screen that's much bigger than my phone. But no-one else wants to hear the sounds of the post-apocolyptia in Akira or the whining of Anakin Skywalker as the plot of Star Wars Episode II unfolds, just as no-one else wants to hear it when I crank Crowbar. Neither do I want to listen to my movies over the speakers built into my iPad. Clearly, something must be done to remedy the situation. Enter the Sonos Ace from the top rope. They still block out the noise of the Greyhound bus/Boeing 787/Honda Prelude that I might be riding in, but they make sure that my movies sound their absolute best as I enter hour 11 of a long trip. "Oh, but the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have that Immersive Audio feature, why not use that?" For one, it's because the feature is designed for music rather than movies. It takes the track you're listening to and uses some clever audio algorithms to stretch out the frequencies and make your music sound 'bigger' and more spacious. I'm still not entirely convinced about its musical abilities, even then, let alone if I were to use it to watch my favorite movies. Any surround mix, be that an older PCM mix or a new Dolby Atmos one, has specific places that sounds should be coming from. The mix of the film tells your audio system where to place those sounds, whether you're using one of the best soundbars, best home cinema receivers, or, in this case, the best headphones. That means things need to be more exact when you're watching movies or you'll find dialogue coming from somewhere that's less than ideal, or a car chase that jumps from ear to ear. That's why you need headphones like the Sonos Ace, or even Apple's Dolby Atmos-certified AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 or AirPods Max. They're built from the ground up to be good for Dolby Atmos and surround mixes, giving you spatial audio from specially mixed Atmos music tracks on the likes of Apple Music, but also when you watch movies on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. So we've established why I want headphones like the Sonos Ace, but why the Sonos Ace in particular? There are other headphones that support the Dolby Atmos standard, like the AirPods mentioned above, so why have I opted for the Sonos Ace and their specific application? It's all down to the standard of their Dolby Atmos playback. The AirPods line are very good at playing back spatial audio mixes, placing sounds well in the virtual space around you. You can use them with an Apple TV as well, which is always a bonus, giving you Dolby Atmos playback if you don't have a capable soundbar or if you want to make sure you don't wake anyone up if you watch movies at 3am. They're good, but thanks to Sonos' experience with spatial audio in its smart speaker and soundbar line, the Ace are just better. The sound feels bigger and more immersive, with better placement and more natural head tracking to make it feel like you're in your own home theater — whether you're in a coach seat on a flight or the back of your mom's station wagon. So, every time I go on a longer trip (unless I'm driving, then everyone has to listen to my 24-hour death metal playlist — not sorry, I make the rules) I grab my Sonos Ace so that I can enjoy watching movies and make the journey go just that bit quicker. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Gizmodo
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
LEGO Star Wars Phantom Menace Podrace Wasn't This Cheap Last Prime Day, but Now It's Practically Free
It's hard to decide which is more surprising — the fact that Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is now 25 years old, or that LEGO has been creating amazingly detailed Star Wars-themed sets and models for just as long. The 25th anniversary celebration of LEGO Star Wars continues with this amazing diorama depicting the iconic podrace between young Anakin Skywalker and Sebulba on Tatooine, and Amazon's selling this adult set for just $54. The LEGO Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Mos Espa Podrace Diorama has 718 pieces and depicts the podracers as they blast through Arch Canyon, with faithful reproductions of both Anakin's and Sebulba's podracers. Once completed, the diorama is a foot wide, just over 4.5 inches tall, and 5.5 inches deep, perfect for any shelf or other prominent place to proudly display both your LEGO skills and your Star Wars fandom. See at Amazon You're probably already aware that in addition to being one of the most popular gifts and pastimes for kids, LEGO has made a huge impact with their model kits that are geared toward adults. These adult kits are more detailed and designed to be displayed after completion, not played with. (So, few if any moving parts and no pew-pew spring guns shooting tiny projectiles.) These kits are a great way to relive your own younger days when you were building and playing with LEGO sets all the time, and taking the time to build a detailed, intricate set like the LEGO Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Mos Espa Podrace Diorama is a fun and relaxing activity. This is just one of six LEGO Star Wars sets that are aimed at the adult LEGO and Star Wars enthusiast fanbase, and as part of the LEGO Star Wars 25th anniversary celebration it comes with a special anniversary brick that caps off the display. By far the most memorable scene from 1999's Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was the battle between young Anakin Skywalker and the vicious, underhanded podracing champion Sebulbla at the Boonta Eve Classic on Tatooine. The first Star Wars movie in 16 years heralded a new era of stories and canon and created a new generation of devoted fans. If you were one of those new fans, or if your fandom goes as far back as the very first installment of the Star Wars saga, you'll love the opportunity to display your fandom with this detailed and faithful representation of that iconic podracing scene. It's just $54 right now at Amazon during this 33% off sale as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of LEGO Star Wars. See at Amazon
Gizmodo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Hasbro's ‘Star Wars' SDCC Exclusive Is the Ultimate ‘Revenge of the Sith' Set
Dark side, light side, it doesn't matter. This year's Hasbro Star Wars exclusive at San Diego Comic-Con is certainly the chosen one, and we're going to take the high ground to acquire it. Celebrating 20 years of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Hasbro just revealed a six-inch Black Series set, exclusively for release at San Diego Comic-Con, of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi and their epic lightsaber duel over the lava on Mustafar. Retailing for $110, the set will first be available at Hasbro's booth (#3213) during Comic-Con, which takes place July 24-27 in San Diego, CA. From there, a limited amount will usually go on sale at But what do you get for your money? Well, Anakin and Obi-Wan of course, each with lightsabers and interchangeable hands depending on which moment of the battle you want to display. The set is divided into multiple pieces too, allowing you several options of how you want to pose the characters. Here are some images. Black Series is already the gold standard when it comes to Star Wars action figures, and seeing this massive moment in the franchise brought to life like this is incredibly exciting. Pop on John Williams' 'Battle of the Heroes,' and start acting out all your favorite lines: 'Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic, to democracy.' 'If you're not with me, then you're my enemy.' 'Only a Sith deals in absolutes,' etc. On the other hand, while the playset elements are undeniably detailed and nice, and these figures are a little more deluxe than your standard Black Series figures thanks to the interchangeable elements and whatnot, $110 does feel a tiny bit steep. That won't matter to most Star Wars fans but it's still a lot to pay for two figures and a few stands. Nevertheless, Revenge of the Sith has never looked better and we fully expect Comic-Con attendees to go wild for this one. What are your thoughts?
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
James Webb Space Telescope sees 1st exoplanet raining sand alongside 'sandcastle' partner world
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Noted sand-hater Anakin Skywalker may want to cross the planetary system of YSES-1 off his list of potential summer vacation locations. Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have discovered a planetary system orbiting a youthful star located 300 light-years away. The system's two planets, YSES-1 b and YSES-1 c, are packed with coarse, rough, and frankly irritating silica material (we get you, Anakin, it does get everywhere). Astronomers say this discovery around a star that is just 16.7 million years old could hint at how the planets and moons of our 4.6 billion-year-old solar system took shape. As both planets are gas giants, they could offer astronomers an opportunity to study the real-time evolution of planets like Jupiter and Saturn. "Observing silicate clouds, which are essentially sand clouds, in the atmospheres of extrasolar planets is important because it helps us better understand how atmospheric processes work and how planets form, a topic that is still under discussion since there is no agreement on the different models," team member Valentina D'Orazi of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) said in a statement. "The discovery of these sand clouds, which remain aloft thanks to a cycle of sublimation and condensation similar to that of water on Earth, reveals complex mechanisms of transport and formation in the atmosphere. "This allows us to improve our models of climate and chemical processes in environments very different from those of the solar system, thus expanding our knowledge of these systems." One of these extrasolar planets, or "exoplanets," YSES-1 c, has a mass around 14 times the mass of Jupiter. On YSES-1 c, this silica matter is located in clouds in its atmosphere, which gives it a reddish hue and creates sandy rains that fall inward towards its core. We guess that the future Darth Vader didn't build too many sandcastles in his youth, but that process is analogous to the formation of sandy matter that YSES-1 b is undergoing. Already possessing a mass around six times that of Jupiter, the still-forming sandcastle planet YSES-1 b is surrounded by a flattened cloud or "circumplanetary disk" that is supplying it with building materials, including silicates. Not only is this the first direct observation of silica clouds (specifically iron-rich pyroxene or a combination of bridgmanite and forsterite) high in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, but it is also the first time silicates have been detected in a circumplanetary disk. The JWST was able to make such detailed direct observations of both planets thanks to the great distances at which they orbit their parent star, which is equivalent to between 5 and 10 times the distance between the sun and its most distant planet, the ice giant Neptune. Though this technique is still restricted to a small number of planets beyond the solar system, this research exemplifies the capability of the JWST to provide high-quality spectral data for exoplanets. This opens the possibility of studying both the atmospheres and circumplanetary environments of exoplanets in far greater detail. Related Stories: — Scientists discover super-Earth exoplanets are more common in the universe than we thought — Does exoplanet K2-18b host alien life or not? Here's why the debate continues — A hidden 'super-Earth' exoplanet is dipping in and out of its habitable zone "By studying these planets, we can better understand how planets form in general, a bit like peering into the past of our solar system," added D'Orazi. "The results support the idea that cloud compositions in young exoplanets and circumplanetary disks play a crucial role in determining atmospheric chemical composition. "Furthermore, this study highlights the need for detailed atmospheric models to interpret the high-quality observational data obtained with telescopes such as JWST." The team's results were published on Tuesday (June 10) in the journal Nature, the same day as they were presented at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Anchorage, Alaska.
The Star
11-06-2025
- Science
- The Star
QuickCheck: Is the Sahara the world's largest desert?
I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Anakin Skywalker's awkward attempt at wooing Padmé aside, he does have a point. He knew better than most about the downsides of sand, having been born on the desert planet Tatooine. It was hot and covered in endless sand dunes, much like the deserts on our own planet, Earth. One of the most famous deserts on earth is the Sahara Desert. Located in North Africa, this vast plain of sand is often thought of as the largest desert on in the world. However, is this common conception true? VERDICT: FALSE Not only is the Sahara not the largest desert in the world, it isn't even the second largest. A desert is defined as an area with very little precipitation. In other words, it has everything to do with how much rain a location gets and not its temperature. So, by definition, the title of the largest desert in the world goes to the polar desert known as Antarctica. Apparently, snow doesn't count. The land area of the continent at the South Pole measures about 14.2 million sq km, dwarfing the Sahara's 9.4 million sq km. This means that the Arctic in the North Pole, with a surface area of 13.9 million sq km, is the second largest desert, leaving the Sahara with the bronze. The Sahara is the world's largest hot desert; however, it too has experienced the odd snowfall. ALSO READ: Does the Sahara Desert ever experience snow? So, either you're getting thrown into a Sarlacc pit on Tatooine or crawling into a Tauntaun carcass on Hoth, just remember that deserts, hot or cold, are just places that don't get much rain. REFERENCES resource/deserts/ com/environmental/earth/ geology/largest-desert-in- science-environment/the- worlds-largest-deserts
