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The Best Star Wars Book Is Now A Free Movie You Can Watch, It's Shockingly Good

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published

space battles

One of the things that we older Star Wars nerds can never stop talking about is how cool it was to be a fan in the ‘90s. Sure, we hadn’t had a new movie since 1983, but that didn’t matter because of the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

We had an entire galaxy of books, comics, and games taking place in our favorite galaxy, far, far away. Even better, all of it was (at the time) canonical, so each new piece of media added to this amazing sci-fi universe.

There were a few scattered books before it, like Alan Dean Foster’s Spinter of the Mind’s Eye, but the Star Wars EU officially kicked off with Heir to the Empire, the first in a trilogy of books by acclaimed author Timothy Zahn. This book introduced fan-favorite new characters like Mara Jade and Grand Admiral Thrawn, and this novel is generally considered one of the best bits of Star Wars literature ever made.

Sadly, Disney decanonized the EU and made so many wonky changes to the lore that adapting the book into a film or show is now impossible. Fortunately, that hasn’t kept fans from making their own fully animated, fully voiced adaptation of Heir to the Empire that you can now watch for free on YouTube.

Here it is…

There Is Another

What is Heir to the Empire about? Princess Leia is trying to hold the New Republic together in the face of a new threat: an Imperial Grand Admiral named Thrawn who has rallied the rest of the Empire under his command. Even worse, he has recruited an insane Dark Jedi to his cause. Whether the New Republic will prevail may depend entirely on Jedi hero Luke Skywalker, but he’s got his own problems. Namely, a mysterious woman named Mara Jade who used to work for the Emperor and is obsessed with his last command: killing Luke Skywalker, once and for all. 

Disney decanonized the EU many years ago, and while they brought Grand Admiral Thrawn back, they’ve made too many changes to franchise lore to accurately adapt Heir to the Empire into a movie or TV show. Fortunately, that didn’t keep a group of dedicated fans from doing it themselves. Recently, user DarthAngelus uploaded an ambitious adaptation of Timothy Zahn’s famous novel to YouTube. The entire thing is fully computer-animated and features a complete voice cast. Even better, the whole thing is clanker-free: the entire movie was made without using AI.

A Shockingly Good Fan Film

As a super-fan of Heir to the Empire, I was shocked at how great this fan film is. The animation is very smooth, and the movie does a great job of adapting everything from Luke Skywalker’s battle with a small army of Stormtroopers to the inevitable major space battle climax. Considering these events are almost certainly never going to be adapted by Disney, it’s awesome that fans took the time to bring such a great story to startling life. The fact that they did so without AI is just the cherry on top of a particularly tasty sundae.

Now, this fan film obviously isn’t perfect. Some of the voice actors do a better job than others, and some of the character designs are more than a bit unconventional for both mainstream Star Wars characters and those introduced in Heir to the Empire. But the good far, far outweighs the bad: most designs are great, the animation is smooth, and the acting is (quite frankly) far better than you’d expect from a fan film. Throw in the fact that you can watch it completely for free, and there’s basically no reason Star Wars fans shouldn’t check out this ambitious production.

You’re just one click away from watching Heir to the Empire for free on YouTube. With any luck, enough people will check out this amazing fan film that it will encourage DarthAngelus and other creators to make more of their own movies and even shows. Collectively, the fandom might be able to do what Disney has had trouble doing for over a decade: creating good Star Wars content!


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Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on May 10

The Moon is now in its Waning Crescent phase, which means we’re getting closer to the New Moon and a start of a new lunar cycle. Over the coming nights, visibility will reduce significantly. But for now, there’s still some features to be seen, so keep reading to find out what you can see on the Moon tonight.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Sunday, May 10, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. Tonight, 46% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide.

Without any visual aids, tonight you can see the Kepler Crater and the Aristarchus Plateau. If you have binoculars, pull them out to catch a glimpse of the Gassendi Crater, Clavius Crater, and Mare Humorum. Finally, if you have access to a telescope, enjoy gazing at the Apollo 14 landing spot and the Schiller Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

There are two Full Moons in May, with the next due to take place on May 31.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete a full orbit around Earth, passing through eight different phases along the way. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the way sunlight falls on it changes as it moves, which is what creates the familiar full, half, and crescent shapes. In total, there are eight main phases in the lunar cycle:

New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

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Review: Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 are the best headphones you (probably) cant afford

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After spending a few months with them, I think the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 wireless headphones are the best headphones money can buy in 2026. That is — if you can afford them, which you probably can’t.

That’s not a knock on your earning capacity, but I’m making an educated guess that the average person can’t afford to drop $799 on a pair of headphones, no matter how good they are.

And they’re really good.

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 is a true luxury product

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 headphones

The PX8 S2 uses Nappa leather and aluminum.
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

I have to admit — my favorite thing about the PX8 S2 may just be the design. I’m a sucker for headphones with metal and leather components, and I’ve often criticized Sony for its all-plastic approach to headphone design.

Like other B&W products, these headphones use a combination of die-cast aluminum and Nappa leather, which his known for its subtle grain and ultra-soft feel. Most headphones feature “vegan leather,” which is just a tricky way of saying synthetic leather, which is usually a petroleum and plastic-based product. (Side note: Rebranding a plastic product as vegan is one of the crueler marketing tricks in the consumer world.)

close-up of details on Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2

The controls on the PX8 S2 are simple and intuitive.
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

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I love the design of the PX8 S2. The aluminum frame slides smoothly in and out of the leather-covered headband, and an exposed braided cable connects the earcups to the body. The metal touch controls are finely etched, and even the Bowers & Wilkins engraved on the earcups appears almost pixelated upon close examination. Every little detail is elegant and finely considered.

These headphones look similar to some other Bowers & Wilkins products like the Px7 S3 headphones, but with some nice upgrades. I will say, the headphones don’t look quite as good on you as they do on their own, and I have to give it up to the Apple AirPods Max 2 for overall cool factor.

But as I said when these headphones first came out, I still think they’re the best-designed headphones for sale right now.

How does the PX8 S2 sound? Really damn good.

bowers and wilkins px8 sw headphones close-up

These headphones are well designed down to the tiniest details.
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

For its newest flagship headphones, Bowers & Wilkins engineered a reference-quality pair of headphones, and while I’m not an audio engineer, I think they succeeded. These headphones produce a rich, balanced sound that sounds vivid and clear across the audio spectrum.

I don’t hear any sacrifices in bass, mids, or treble when listening to Radiohead’s Kid A, one of my go-to albums for testing headphone quality. The chaotic instrumentals of “National Anthem” have never sounded clearer to me, and that holds true whether I’m listening to Radiohead, Florence + The Machine, or Vivaldi.

To produce such deep sound, B&W uses custom-designed 40mm Carbon Cone drivers, which the brand promises deliver “our best sound quality ever.”

Now, let’s get technical. Unlike the new Apple AirPods Max 2, these headphones support high-resolution lossless audio over Bluetooth, not just via a USB-C connection. The headphones support aptX Lossless, AAC, and SBC codecs. They deliver 24-bit digital signal processing for the highest resolution audio.

If you consider yourself an audiophile, these luxury headphones won’t disappoint you.

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2: ANC is great, but not elite

close-up of details on Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2

The sound quality is superb, but noise cancellation is outshined by Bose and Sony.
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

These headphones offer decent passive noise cancellation and high-quality active noise cancellation. On a commute, on a plane, or in a crowded office, they deliver more than enough noise cancellation for my needs.

That being said, if you’re looking for the best possible ANC, then the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2) headphones still offer superior noise cancellation. At launch, these headphones were also missing the kind of spatial audio you’ll find on most flagship headphones. This has since been made available in an over-the-air update (look for the “True Immersion” setting in the app), but, once again, it’s not quite on the level of Apple, Sony, or Bose.

Likewise, while Sony and Apple both support Dolby Atmos, B&W doesn’t. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As a Bowers & Wilkins representative told me, most music isn’t produced for spatial audio. So, if you’re chasing true high-fidelity, reference-quality sound, immersive audio features can actually compromise the audio.

B&W PX8 S2: Battery and call quality

close-up of usb-c port on px8 s2 headphones

The PX8 S2 headphones have up to 30 hours of battery life with ANC on.
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The PX8 S2 offers 30 hours of battery life with ANC engaged, which is exactly on par with the Sony XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2. (Apple AirPods Max 2 have only 20 hours, in comparison.) You can also get seven hours of playback with a 15-minute quick charge. So, pretty much in line with what you’d expect.

That said, there are some outliers. The Dyson OnTrac headphones offered 55 hours of ANC listening all the way back in 2024. More recently, the Soundcore Space 2 and Sennheiser Momentum 4 also offer 50+ hours.

Lastly, I’ve been happy with the call quality (and the noise cancellation on call quality) with the PX8 S2. They have eight microphones total, which is four fewer than the Sony XM6, but I haven’t had any problems here.

How comfortable are these headphones?

Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 in carrying case

Even the carrying case looks good.
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Mashable puts a big premium on comfortable headphones that can be worn for many hours without interruption. In recent years, the Bose QuietComfort line has been completely unmatched in this regard, and that remains true.

Because of the metal components, these headphones are heavier than some competitors. Notably, at 310 grams, the PX8 S2 do weigh less than Apple AirPods Max 2 headphones, which weigh 386.2 grams. However, the latest flagship QuietComfort Ultra headphones are lighter at 264 grams.

If you’re wearing headphones all day at work, you will notice the difference. That said, I haven’t found these headphones to be uncomfortable, even when wearing my glasses. You’ll have to decide if comfort or premium design is more important to you. Ultimately, you may prefer the lightweight feel of the Sony XM6 (254 grams).

The $799 question: Are the PX8 S2 worth it?

This question is really hard to answer unless I know how much you would miss that $799 in your bank account. For people who’d barely notice, these headphones are absolutely worth it, IMO. I’ve been using them for six months, and I’ve been unable to switch back to my Sony XM6.

I also think these headphones are durable and fairly futureproofed, so they shouldn’t need replacement anytime soon. I’m all for spending more for a longer-lasting, higher-quality product.

And yet… $799 is a big ask, and these headphones would probably be wasted on the average Spotify listener. But for audiophiles and people in the premium market, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

One last note: If you’re waiting on these headphones to go on sale, don’t hold your breath. Virtually all gadgets are getting more expensive in 2026, and these headphones almost never go on sale. When they do, they typically get a measly $10 discount. So, womp, womp.

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Make the upgrade to Windows 11 Pro — on sale for $9.97

TL;DR: A lifetime license for Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is on sale for $9.97 (reg. $199).


If you’re still running Windows 10, here’s the deal – Microsoft pulled the plug on support back in October of 2025, meaning no more security updates. If you’ve been putting off the upgrade, you can switch to Windows 11 Pro right now while it’s on sale for just $9.97 (was $199).

Windows 11 Pro brings a noticeably cleaner interface along with improved multitasking tools like snap layouts and virtual desktops, both of which are great tools if you regularly juggle multiple windows or work on several projects at once.

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On the security side, you’re getting biometric login, Smart App Control, and BitLocker encryption, which is a huge step up from an OS that isn’t getting security updates at all. These enhanced security tools add an extra layer of security when you’re logging into your computer, block untrusted or dangerous apps, and lock down your information if anyone gets their hands on your device. They’re a must for anyone handling sensitive files or working remotely.

Think about what’s actually changed since Windows 10 launched over a decade ago. The way we work, the security threats we’re up against, and the tools we rely on daily have all evolved. Windows 11 Pro is built with consideration for these changes. Whether you’re working from home, managing files, or just tired of your OS feeling dated, this upgrade brings day-to-day improvements that people truly notice. At $9.97 for a lifetime license, it’s an easy call if you’re still on Windows 10.

Protect your PC and upgrade to Windows 11 Pro for $9.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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