It’s a special Force Friday II edition of the show this week, with guest Brendan Nystedt. Brendan is WIRED’s market editor, which means he spends his days here testing and recommending cool products. Also, he’s really into Star Wars; fortuitous considering this week is when all the toys for the next Star Wars film are released. Brendan tells Arielle and Mike how the Star Wars merchandising market has grown over the years, what surprises were unveiled in this week’s Force Friday toy announcements, and which Star Wars toy is the must-own item of the season.

Some notes: Brendan rounds up the best Force Friday Star Wars toys. Here’s his shirt. Brian Raftery’s profile of Ahmed Best, which is a must-read for all Star Wars fans. We all want a giant porg, but Sphero’s R2-D2 will freak out your cat.

Recommendations this week: Robot Chicken Star Wars, the Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker, and George Lucas: A Life by Brian Jay Jones.

Send the hosts feedback on their personal Twitter feeds. Arielle Pardes is @pardesoteric, Brendan Nystedt is @bnystedt, and Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab.

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