‘Star Wars’ BB-8 gets an evil twin?

Just in time for Force Friday II, when merch for the upcoming Star Wars film comes out, Disney together with Sphero unveiled new droids we’ve definitely been looking for. One is a tiny incarnation of R2-D2 (at least that’s what it looks like to us based on the video) and another is what Hollywood Reporter calls the evil twin trope incarnation of Star Wars: The Force Awakens’s BB-8. Called BB-9E (or if Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson had his way, BB-H8), the new droid will be debuting in the Dec. 15 film as part of the Astromech unit of the First Order. BB-9E helps keep the starships and machinery running. The toy itself is being called a “rolling menace” and you see it toppling a Jenga tower in the video above.

The BB-9E is almost identical to BB-8, down to the markings on the body, but this time it comes in black and gray and has a more angular head and a red-eye, making it look similar to Darth Vader with his helmet on. The BB-9E will be available for US$149.99 (around CA$190), while if you’re more interested in R2-D2, the iconic droid goes for US$179.99 (around CA$220).

Source: Variety

Apple Stores are celebrating Force Friday with special learning sessions

Apple stores around the world are joining in on Force Friday II on Friday, September 1 and though the weekend with new and exclusive Star Wars Today at Apple sessions and a new lineup of third-party Star Wars app-enabled toys.  Force Friday is a huge Star Wars merchandising event where new toys, technologies and apps pertaining to the popular franchise are released. Many of the toys from the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi movie are expected to surface as well.

Apple stores around the world will host new Kids Hours coding sessions with the Droids from Star Wars and a How To session to learn to build their own Star Wars trailer in iMovie.

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TCl unveils BlackBerry KEYone Black Edition with updated specs

TCL has revealed a new BlackBerry KEYOne which is all black and has twice the storage and even more RAM. The BlackBerry KEYOne comes with 64GB of storage as well as 4GB of RAM for improved multitasking and overall speed improvements. This version goes tactical by replacing the silver accents with matte black finish added to the device's aluminum frame offering. The new device will be available to Canadians for $799 

Nest to release cheaper version of its award-winning Learning Thermostat

Perhaps a far cry from what Nest Labs has been known for but now under new management, it looks like the company is looking to attract new customers into its fold—those who can’t afford the more premium products. Nest, under CEO Marwan Fawaz, will introduce the Thermostat E, which is a new, cheaper take on the Learning Thermostat. It drops the price from US$249 to $169 and is built to blend into the background instead of standing out as Nest products have been known to do.

The Thermostat E will have a white polycarbonate plastic replacing the metal ring. The LCD screen is covered with a frosted display that fades to light gray when it isn’t in use. The Thermostat E takes a more minimalist approach to design. You’d see some activity when its motion sensor is triggered, there will be large orange numbers that’ll show the current temperature. And while the Thermostat E works with the Nest app and it learns your heating and cooling habits, this gadget comes with an automatic schedule built-in and based from data Nest has collected over the years from its users. It doesn’t have a c-wire connector either, but Nest claims this won’t be an issue for most homes. What Nest is highlighting with the Thermostat E is its ability to save you money over time. Nest’s own studies claim a smart thermostat can save you around US$131 to $145 a year (around CA$160 to $180).

Source: CNN + Wired