An average Darth Vader helmet will set you back a few hundred dollars, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this one fell only slightly short of a thousand.

From the manufacturer:

The biggest problem to overcome in translating 2D art into a three dimensional object is the issue of perspective. Drawing a three dimensional object on a flat two dimensional surface is one of an artists’ greatest skills. Adding width, height, depth, light and shadows which trick the eye into believing it is seeing a real object requires enormous talent. But often perspectives are cheated by the artist to create an effect not achievable in the real world. In Ralph’s Vader art, the helmet dome and the right side of Vader’s mask have had their perspective cheated to deliver a more looming, menacing look. Jay needed to address these issues while remaining faithful to the overall design.

Beginning work at the end of February 2008, Jay quickly established a routine of modeling sections and sending renderings to the eFX team for review and comments. Incorporating the comments of three sets of critical eyes here at eFX, as well as his own astute observations, Jay would remodel the parts send more renderings and we would discuss the choices made until everyone was satisfied this interpretation was faithfully following the original art. These images show the painstaking process of how jay’s renderings were constantly overlaid and checked against the original artworks and how exhaustive the comments and discussions were to sculpt this piece as close as possible to the original art.

The helmet itself is constructed from fiberglass, lined with leather and uses machined metal for some of the details.

The $900 price-tag might sound excessive, but for the 250 people that picked one up it must have been reasonable – as it has already sold out. [Fashionably Geek]

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I have been doing the rechargeable battery thing for years now, and still find myself having to buy evil disposables because they take so long to charge and I always forget to put them in the charger. They also take up space and look pretty damned ugly.

The InCharge battery station looks good, sorts your batteries for you and is sensibly sized. It also dispenses the battery of your choice at the touch of a button. It is a finalist in the Greener Gadgets Design Competition, but it is just a concept – which makes the chances of it ever climbing out of the ether pretty slim. [Coolest Gadgets]

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E-ink might be easier on the eyes than a backlit liquid crystal display, but it is rather tough to see in the dark. Enter the Kandle, an e-book light that is designed to minimize glare, thanks to two carefully positioned LEDs. Annoyingly, it uses CR2032 batteries, which are not rechargeable, but they are light and not too expensive if you buy them in bulk.

From the manufacturer:

The Kandle features a new patent pending design that attaches to eBooks and printed books without blocking the screen or page. The perfect accessory for any eBook, the Kandle is designed for the Amazon Kindle 1, 2, and DX, Sony Reader Digital Books, and other eBook Readers. The Kandle boasts double pivoting arms that allow for easy positioning and adjustment to tailor the screen illumination. The Main Pivoting Arm rotates 90 degrees from its closed position, and the Upper Pivoting Arm rotates another 70 degrees for complete customization. Unlike other eBook lights, the Kandle is powered by two lifetime x2 LEDs that are optimized to distribute light evenly without creating glare or eyestrain. The Kandle features a new patent pending design that attaches to eBooks and printed books without blocking the screen or page. The perfect accessory for any eBook, the Kandle is designed for the Amazon Kindle 1, 2, and DX, Sony Reader Digital Books, and other eBook Readers. Unlike other eBook lights, the Kandle is powered by two lifetime x2 LEDs that are optimized to distribute light evenly without creating glare, thereby minimizing eyestrain and screen hot spots. Petite and light, the Kandle is ultra portable and folds into a closed position where the LEDs are fully protected from scratches or breakage. Petite and light, the Kandle is ultra portable and folds into a closed position where the LEDs are fully protected from scratches or breakage. Ships with 2 CR2032 batteries included.

Price: $25 [Coolest Gadgets]

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TokyoFlash, has decided to make a splash in consumer electronics – and I like the way they think.

The Kisai Escape C Pod is a wireless gadget designed to be worn around one’s neck or on a keyring. It streams music and phone calls when linked to a Bluetooth capable MP3 player or phone, and while we have seen gadgets that do this sort of thing before, I don’t think any of them have looked quite as good.

The device, which resembles some sort of alien artifact also has love for Skype, and to prove they haven’t stepped away from their indecipherable watch roots, the blue LED’s around the edge light up to tell you the time (as long as you can figure out how to read them).

The price is expected to be between $150 and $180.

[TokyoFlash via Technabob]

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Anyone who does a lot of cycling will be well aware of the convenience of backpack hydration systems that use soft bladders to store water. They make it a lot easier to lug a respectable volume of water on a long bike trek – but for day-to-day use they are total overkill.

Enter the Vapur, a soft, reusable water bottle designed for regular use.

From the site:

Unlike rigid water bottles, Vapur is completely collapsible. This means it goes more places and fits in tighter spaces than any other bottle. Whether you are hiking the trails, passing through airport security or visiting the museum with your family, Vapur makes water infinitely portable.

The water bottles seem to be sold out for now.

Price: $8.95 [Red Ferret]

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