Volkswagon aren’t the only ones using Star Wars as a means to draw attention to their vehicles. Toyota of Japan is using 2 very famous droids to sell their Toyota Prius, namely C-3PO and R2-D2. It’s not quite as interesting as the Darth Vader kid commercial, but it it definitely interesting hearing C-3PO speak Japanese, after all, he is a protocol droid fluent in over 6 million forms of communication. I wonder if R2′s beeps have been translated as well?

[via YouTube]

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This version of the game is the free version. There is a premium version that contains twice the number of games and removes all the ads but this free version is pretty fun despite not having as many games. This version only includes 5 mini games, 1 of which has to be unlocked later by gaining enough coins. The initial 4 games you’ll be able to play are Chase the Numbers, Scrolling Silhouettes, Missing Tiles, and Anagrams. All of which are pretty challenging, except for maybe Scrolling Silhouettes which to me is a bit easy. It’s supposed to train your visual/spatial ability so if you’re good at this, this game will be really easy. In Chase the Numbers, each game will flash a series of numbers on some tiles. Then they’ll flip over. You must tap on them in order from lowest to highest. The farther you get, the more tiles they add. This game trains your memory. In Missing Tiles, you’re suppose to count the number of tiles missing from the board quickly. This trains arithmetic. Last game is Anagrams in which they’ll give you a word and you must pick between a series of other words that are made from the original. This trains language processing.

Even though the free version of Clockwork Brain only contains 4 games and 1 unlockable game, it’s still pretty fun and challenging. Like most games of this type, you’ll want to play each game over and over again to increase your mastery of them as well as train your brain in those areas to make it faster. It’s not an easy task and some people will have more trouble on certain types of games than others. Overall though, I’d definitely check out this version of the game to see if it’s something you might be interested in playing daily instead of straight out buying the full version. I’m a firm believer of try before you buy and like when developers offer a free version to try out.

Clockwork Brain is available now in the App Store for Free. It is a universal app and is Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.Requires iOS 4.0 or later.

Description

Train your brain and challenge yourself with A Clockwork Brain!

Discover a series of ingenious mini-games especially created to test various cognitive abilities such as visual, spatial, logic, language, arithmetic, and memory.

Explore a unique mix of innovative puzzles alongside twists on well-known conundrums!

Everything in the game has been lovingly hand-painted with influences from Victorian Steampunk and Mayan art.

Sprocket, the robot, will be your guide! Let the games begin!

[PLAYER REVIEWS]
♥ “Instant fun!”
♥ “Great game! My brain is sore from working out!”
♥ “Super addictive, great theme, fun and challenging games! Love it!”
♥ “Visually stunning and entertaining.”
♥ “So fun and challenging….officially addicted….getting nothing else done this weekend!”
♥ “Really cool game! Love the antique theme, can’t wait to play some of the extra game packs.”

[FEATURES]
★ Enjoy four free, addictive mini-games!

★ Get challenged with bite-sized, fast-paced gameplay full of brain-training goodness!

★ Collect tokens as you play and unlock special Upgrades!

★ Train every day and win even more Tokens with Daily Rewards!

★ Compete with others on OpenFeint and Game Center and collect great Achievements!

★ Sharpen those verbal skills with nine languages! (English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Italian, Greek)

★ Expand your brain-games collection by purchasing premium game packs!

★ See how long you can survive in the fiendishly difficult Insane Round for even higher scores!

[INCLUDED FREE MINI-GAMES]
★ Scrolling Silhouettes: Trains Visual/Spatial Ability
★ Anagrams: Trains Language Processing
★ Missing Tiles: Trains Arithmetic
★ Chase the Numbers: Trains Memory
★ Size Matters (Unlockable Bonus): Trains Visual/Spatial Ability

[PREMIUM MINI-GAMES]
★Word Length: Trains Language Processing
★Sculpt Away: Trains Memory
★Directions: Trains Visual/Spatial Ability
★Points of View: Trains Logic
★Label It!: Trains Language Processing
★What Has Changed: Trains Memory

Purchasing premium content will remove all ads from the game.

[via App Store]

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Star Wars is a really popular subject with me here so every now and then, I’ll post up neat Star Wars related things I find around the net. I’ve posted a few Cubecraft models before and they’ve been pretty popular here so I’m posting this Darth Vader / Anakin mini papercraft by Gus Santome. The above images are the finished product. To download the ,pdf file to make your own, head on over to his site here for full instructions.

[via Mini Papercraft]

Although the game resembles its retro cousins, the game has its share of differences. First of all, the game has a social element to it. Mainly you can connect to Facebook and “brag” about your score after each stage. By bragging, the app posts up your highest score to Facebook so that they can be compared with those of your friends. The other difference is that the game allows you to purchase power ups before the start of each stage. If you’ve played games like Bejeweled Blitz, it’s similar in concept where you’ll have to earn gold bricks while you play. You can then exchange those gold bricks for power-ups like superballs, magnets, and multiballs.

Other than that, Brickout Deluxe Pro is just like any other brick breaking game. Controls are easy to learn and use. There is a little finger pad at the bottom of the screen, you slide your finger left and right to move. Basically your finger position corresponds to where the paddle position is. This dose make it a bit easier to play the game as you don’t really need to know where the paddle is, just your finger or thumb.

Overall, Brickout Deluxe Pro is a fun game for those who like brick breaking. With about 100 levels of play, this game should be able to keep you busy for a while.

Brickout Deluxe Pro is available now in the App Store for $0.99. It is a universal app and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.Requires iOS 4.1 or later.

Description

Brickout Deluxe Pro is an arcade classic brick breaker game with a revolutionary social twist that gamers have yet to experience. Compete with your friends and family from Facebook by signing in and see yourself compete against them on your very own personal leaderboard!

Brickout Deluxe Pro Features:

FACEBOOK & GAME CENTER LEADERBOARDS
You may have conquered your Facebook friends leaderbard, but do you think you are King of the Hill? Sign into Game Center and see how high your score ranks you on the worldwide Game Center Leaderboards.

UP TO 100 LEVELS
Gain experience (XP) to unlock and play in up to 100 levels* in up to 4 Zones. Each level has been crafted to test your skills and finger agility, gaining difficulty and complexity as you progress.

POWER-UPS!
Choose from 6 score-enhancing power-ups before you begin each level. Three passive and 3 active power-ups can be installed into your 2 power-up slots. Power-ups include: Barrier, Grow, Multiple, Superball, Magnet and everyone’s favourite – Multiball!

BUILD XP/RANKING & GOLD!
Complete levels to build your rank and increase your Golden Brick stash, then use them to buy amazing power-ups that will help you better your score and beat your friends!

SIMPLE PICK-UP-AND-PLAY CONTROLS
Simply slide your finger along the bottom touch pad area of the game’s screen to control your slider left and right. Double tap with your finger to launch any Active Power-Ups you have installed.

BRIGHT AND VIBRANT GRAPHICS & EFFECTS
Enjoy the rich and vibrant world of Brickout Deluxe Pro, with its colourful bricks and particle explosions, to its excellent sound effects.

MORE FUN ON APPLE APP STORE
Come and play our other hot games! Soccer Headers, Keepy Uppy, Santa’s Helper, Christmas Keepy Uppy and look out for our future games at facebook.com/FatFishGames or on Twitter @FatFishGames.

*1.0 contains 60 levels with 40 more to come in the next 1.1 update, coming soon.

[via App Store]

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I’ll start this off by saying that this isn’t the first Think Tank Photo item I’ve had come through here. In fact, the first bag that they sent me, the Retrospective 5 shoulder bag, is still being used by me on a daily basis to carry around my essential day-to-day photo gear. It however is a small bag so it doesn’t carry everything I need at all times which can be a problem when I need to carry a couple extra lenses or some extra equipment. Since there are times where I have to review several cameras at once, I can’t carry them all in the Retrospective 5 which brings me to what I have here today. This is the Think Tank Photo, Shape Shifter Backpack. The main attraction of this bag is that it is able to expand and contract enable to fit either more or less equipment. This means that it is a very versatile bag that can accommodate as much or as little equipment that you need.

Features

The first thing you’ll notice about the Shape Shifter when you first get it is how slim it looks and wonder how this backpack will fit all your equipment. It’s after you start unzipping everything that you see just how versatile this bag is and how much it can actually hold. When you unzip the portion that makes the Shape Shifter expand, it opens up to a full 4″ extra of depth. That’s a full 7-inches of depth that can be used to carry all sorts of equipment.

After unzipping the expandable section, there is another zipper located on the inside that opens up the main compartment. The zipper goes all the way around the outside allowing you to completely open up the backpack like a book so that it is easier to get at all the inner pockets and pouches. The main compartment has 5 Neoprene gear pockets that can be used to hold a variety of items depending on how creative you get. For instance, you can carry 2 DSLR bodies, and 3 rather large lenses. In my case, I am able to carry my Sony NEX-5N with 18-55mm kit lens attached, my 16mm pancake lens and fisheye lens adapter, two rather large Sigma telephoto lenses for my NEX-5N, and an extra Olympus PEN E-PL3 with 20mm Lumix pancake lens. That’s quite a lot I can fit into the 5 Neoprene pockets. On the other side of the inner compartment. there are 3 more nylon mesh pockets that can be used to carry miscellaneous equipment such as extra lens and body caps, battery chargers, and flash units. The larger nylon pocket is zippered while the smaller two are not. As you can see, there are a lot of pockets, and that’s only in the main inner compartment.

On the outside of the Shape Shifter, there several more zippered compartments. I’ll start off with the compartment that is closest to the straps. This one is used to hold up to a 17″ laptop. It’s a very large, flat padded compartment that can help keep your laptop safe during travel. When the Shape Shifter is compressed, it makes for a rather nice laptop backpack that is very slim. Even when expanded, there is still plenty of room for both your laptop and all your camera equipment. In my case, I use it to hold my iPad in which there is more than enough room for it.

On the front part of the Shape Shifter, are 3 more zippered compartments. The upper front compartment is one that you may actually use a lot. This compartment includes a handy organizer for accessories. The organizer has 4 pen holders, 1 larger pocket for maybe a small notepad, and 3 card slots for ID, credit cards, or any other cards of this size. Behind that is a larger pocket that holds the removable rain cover or whatever else you want to hold of this size. The compartment also includes 2 more pockets with Velcro straps on them to keep them secure. These can be used to hold a mobile phone, compact pocket camera, MP3 player, etc.

In the lower front compartment, you’ll find even more pockets to hold your equipment. This compartment includes 2 more zippered pockets and one large open pocket. The zippered pockets are made of some plastic-like material which seems to me like they would be water resistant and would be a good place to keep electronic items that might need more protection from the elements.

Below the lower front compartment, you’ll find yet another large zippered compartment. You can use this to carry more equipment or you can use it for carrying a tripod or monopod. The pocket is use to store the legs of either while the 2 included tripod straps are used to secure the tripod or monopod in place.  The Shape Shifter comes with 2 of these straps that can be left on the bag or removed if you don’t plan on ever carrying a tripod or monopod.

Like I said, plenty of pockets and zippered compartments to hold all your stuff. I like the fact that you can really use the bag for two different things. If you don’t need to carry around all that camera equipment, you can use it strictly as a laptop backpack and carry around all your laptop gear. When you do need to carry around photo equipment, the Shape Shifter easily converts into a camera backpack that can carry around almost anything you can throw at it. There really is nothing yet that I couldn’t hold in the Shape Shifter backpack.

The Shape Shifter also has its fair share of straps. The shoulder straps are nicely padded and very comfortable to use. They aren’t just regular shoulder straps however as they also include harness pockets, D Rings, and sternum strap. The backpack also includes a waist belt to help support heavy loads if you are carrying a lot of gear in your bag. What’s great about the waist belt however is that it can be removed if you plan on using something a bit more functional like the Think Tank Photo Pro Speed Belt. The Shape Shifter has a Velcro groove built into the bottom of the backpack that allows you to attach the Pro Speed Belt thus allowing you to carry even more gear by attaching their modular component systems. It’s a very nice option to have and you can really appreciate the fact that Think Tank Photo really thought out the design of the Shape Shifter.

Technical Specifications:

• Outer Dimensions When Expanded: 20”H x 12.5”W x 7”D” (51.0 x 32.0 x 18.0 cm) Outer Dimensions When Compressed: 20”H x 12.5W” x 3”D (51.0 x 32.0 x 8.0 cm) Laptop Compartment Inner Dimensions: 19” H x 12”W x 1.5”D (48.0 x 30.5 x 4.0cm)
• 3.75 lbs (1.73 kg)
• No Rhetoric Warranty Policy
• Exterior – All fabric exterior treated with a durable water repellent treatment (DWR) while fabric underside is coated with polyurethane (PU) for superior water resistance, YKK® RC Fuse (abrasion resistant) zippers, 1680D ballistic nylon, 420D velocity nylon, 3D air mesh, ultra stretch pockets, Rock Lockster® buckles, nickel plated metal hardware, nylon webbing, 3-ply bonded nylon thread.
• Interior - Neoprene gear pockets, 210D silver-toned nylon, 2x PU coated nylon 210T seam-sealed taffeta rain cover, nylon mesh pockets, closed cell foam, 3-ply bonded nylon thread.

Final Thoughts

I honestly never thought I would ever have the need to carry around a camera backpack. For the most part, I’ve been content in using more traditional shoulder bags but I’m finding that as I accumulate more and more gear and my stock of review cameras build, I’m needing something much larger to carry it all. Shoulder bags are great for carrying around one camera and maybe a backup lens or two, but anything more than that I’m finding that I’m using the Shape Shifter more and more these days. It’s very comfortable to use over long periods of time and isn’t very bulky at all.

There is one disadvantage though to using a backpack as opposed to the shoulder bags I’m used to and it is getting to your camera quicker. It’s easier just lifting up the flap on a shoulder bag to get to your camera as opposed to me taking off my backpack, unzipping the main compartment, and reaching into one of the neoprene pouches for my gear. It’s not as convenient. However, you can remedy this by hanging your camera from the shoulder harness D Rings if you know you’ll be shooting often with it.

Overall though, I’m loving the fact that I can carry around much more gear now and don’t need to pick and choose what I can and can’t carry due to limited space in my shoulder bag. With the Shape Shifter, I can carry more and be more prepared in case I run into a situation where I need something specific.

If you’re worried about long term reliability, don’t be. The Shape Shifter is very well made and really feels like it will last a long time based on the quality of materials used. There are no cheap looking parts anywhere on the bag. Every inch of the bag looks like it was built to last and hopefully that will be the case after long term usage.

Shop Links

• Shape Shifter – Black - http://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/shape-shifter-backpack.aspx?code=AP-691
• Pro Speed Belt - http://www.thinktankphoto.com/categories/beltstrapharness/belts/pro-speed-belts.aspx?code=AP-691

Please Support TheGamerWithKids

I love to bring you guys the latest and greatest reviews whether it be apps or gadgets. However, I can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned on the site, please do so by clicking our links to Amazon first and then purchasing the items.  This way, we get a small portion of the sale and this helps me run the website.

*This review is made possible with my affiliation with G Style Magazine. It is also featured at the G Style Magazine website which is a tech blog that focuses on the fashion aspect of tech. Please visit their site for the complete review and more images.

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Here’s something that I know tons of Xbox 360 owners were waiting for and that is the availability of Amazon Prime Instant Videos on their machines. Released earlier for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 owners were left waiting and wanting. Well, the wait is over as the new Amazon Prime Instant Videos app is now available for download. You’ll need an Xbox Live Gold account and Amazon Prime account however to enjoy the benefits.

Dear Customers,

You can already stream Prime Instant Videos on your Kindle Fire, your PlayStation 3, your Roku, and hundreds of other TVs, Blu-ray players, and set-top boxes. Today, we’re excited to announce that the Xbox 360 joins the fold.

We’ve also just added a new Watchlist feature, which helps you keep track of the movies and TV episodes you want to view later. You can add favorites and new discoveries to your list—then come back anytime to watch instantly. Try it on your Xbox 360, Kindle Fire, or your browser on PC & Mac … and Watchlist is coming soon to PlayStation 3 and Roku.

With instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV episodes,Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items, and over 145,000 Kindle books to borrow for free from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, Amazon Prime is an outstanding value and remains only $79 a year. Millions of people have already joined Prime. You can sign up for a one-month free trial today.

Thanks for being a customer.

Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO

[via amazon]

If you’re a fan of the Cut the Rope series, you’ll want to pick up this game. The new levels are very fun to play and the new gameplay elements really add to the challenge and creativity of the level designs. Other than that, the game is just more of what you love in the Cut the Rope games. The game is very responsive and there was never a time where I felt that I couldn’t complete a level due to bad design.

The regular price of this game is $0.99 which in essence is very little pay for 6 additional levels and 150 different experiments. It’ll take you hours of beat all the levels though it’s not that difficult to complete them all in a day if you really grind them out. It is a really great game though and both kids and adults will have fun playing it.

Cut the Rope: Experiments is available now in the App Store for $0.99 (free for a limited time). It is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.Requires iOS 3.0 or later.

Description

The NEW Handy Candy level pack has finally arrived to Cut the Rope: Experiments! Move the robo arms to catch, release, and drop candy into Om Nom’s mouth!

Cut the Rope: Experiments is a follow-up to ZeptoLab’s award-winning mobile game Cut the Rope, and features the familiar little monster Om Nom who is discovered by a mad (but not bad) scientist determined to study his candy-loving behavior through a series of experiments.

Cut the ropes, move robo arms, release candy into Om Nom’s mouth, collect shiny gold stars, and unlock new levels.

Join millions of people around the globe and help the Professor and Om Nom get through these wacky experiments!

Key Features:
- 150 new experiments (levels) across 6 colorful new settings, with more to come!
- 6 level packs: Getting Started, Shooting the Candy, Sticky Steps, Rocket Science, Bath Time, and Handy Candy
- New gameplay elements like rope guns, suction cups, rockets, water, and robo arms!
- New storyline featuring commentary from the Professor
- Find hidden evidence for the Professor’s photo album and share it on Facebook or Twitter
- New achievements and leaderboards – compare your progress to other rope cutters around the world!

[via App Store]

The Workmate Pro is a 2-piece case consisting of an inner layer of silicone and an outer shell made of polycarbonate. You must first place your iPhone into the silicone sleeve and then snap the polycarbonate shell around it. Unlike their other cases I’ve reviewed so far, the Workmate Pro case also covers the bottom portion of the screen where the home button is. This helps protect the home button area from drops as well as from dirt and debris. The outer polycarbonate shell helps protect from major drops while the silicone inner layer helps absorb the shock.

Not sure if you can tell by the picture but this is not a slim case, however it is slimmer than some other heavy-duty cases out there like the Otterbox. Those coming from slim cases will definitely find this case to be chunky though no matter how you look at it but the advantage here is that the design and bulk make it much more protective of a case and one that you would feel more confident using if you’re involved in an active lifestyle.

• Layers of silicone combined with high-quality polycarbonate shell absorbs shock during falls
• Slimline case provides extra protection without adding bulk
• Easily access all ports, controls & connectors
• Includes a screen protector & microfiber cleaning cloth

The Workmate Pro is a very good heavy-duty case. I found it to be very protective and like the fact that it does also protect the home button from dust and debris. It’s also a very grippy case which if great as I have found many cases these days to be too slippery when held and makes your phone more prone to drops. I like how the silicone sleeve protrudes through the back of the case and is part of the overall design. It gives your fingers a really comfortable place to grip on. On the negative side however, silicone is a major lint magnet so if you keep this in your pocket, be prepared to clean the lint off regularly.

At $19.99, the Cygnett Workmate Pro is very affordable and also includes a screen protector as a bonus.

Shop Links

• Black/Grey – Cygnett Workmate Pro Case for iPhone 4s – Black/Grey
• Grey/Orange – Cygnett Workmate Pro Case for iPhone 4s – Grey/Orange

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The Tauntaun Sleeping Bag is available now at ThinkGeek for $119.99 and is guaranteed not to smell like rotting Tauntaun.

Product Features

• Classic Star Wars sleeping bag simulates the warmth of a Tauntaun carcass
• Built-in embroidered Tauntaun head pillow
• Plush Lightsaber zipper pull
• Printed intestines pattern on inside of bag
• Great for playing pretend “Save Luke from the Wampa” games
• Teach your children about the best Star Wars movie ever
• Fully Licensed Lucasfilm™ Collectible
• 100% Polyester construction, Machine washable
• WARNING CHOKING HAZARD – Ages 3 and Up ONLY
• For indoor use only. Not suitable for camping.
• One size fits all. Enough room for adults, plenty of space for kids
• Bag Dimensions – 33″ x 67″ (not including head pillow or legs)

[via ThinkGeek]

Since today marks the 35th anniversary of the original Star Wars film, I figured I’d do a few Star Wars related posts today. Seeing as it’s also Friday, might as well make today fun.

What you’re looking at here is a Star Wars Lightsaber Umbrella. Living in Miami, an umbrella is definitely something I never want to leave home without but why carry around a plain old umbrella when you can carry around a lightsaber, that happens to also be an umbrella?

I really wish I had seen this before going on my Star Wars Weekend trip to Orlando as I would have definitely taken this with me into the park. I’m sure it would have been a real conversation piece and I would have gotten the nod from my fellow Jedi.

Available in 3 styles, Anakin, Darth Vader, and Obi-Wan, they retail at ThinkGeek right now for $39.99.

Star Wars Lightsaber Umbrellas

• Each umbrella has a different Lightsaber hilt (slightly scaled down for easier use).
• While it doesn’t light up, each shaft is anodized in the proper color for the saber’s blade.
• Each umbrella part has silk-screened insignia (either Jedi or Imperial) of the corresponding faction of the saber’s owner.
• Choose yer saber:
  • Anakin – blue shaft – Jedi insignia
  • Darth Vader – red shaft – Imperial insignia
  • Obi-Wan – blue shaft – Jedi insignia.
• Carrying sheath (with shoulder strap) included.
• Fully licensed Lucasfilm collectible.
• Dimensions:
  • Canopy Diameter: 47″
  • Total Length: 39″

[via ThinkGeek]