Star Wars

More students and parents are approaching higher education like any other big investment, researching schools' relative merits and the values of their diplomas so they can make informed decisions. Trouble is, the data can be hard to find -- and what's available isn't always trustworthy. Should Washington step in?

It's a question that echoes across the Internet, on blogs and message boards, and in the content of a specialty wiki called Brickipedia: "Why are Legos so expensive?" Our search for an answer starts in Denmark, and ends in the playrooms of countless children around the world.

Starbucks is partnering with India-based coffee-bean provider Tata Coffee to help it open its first retail stores in India. According to the agreement, Tata will help Starbucks source and roast beans, as well as develop the new stores.

Bidding for an original Darth Vader costume from the "Star Wars" movie series failed to reach the undisclosed reserve at a Christie's auction Thursday. Auctioneers had expected the costume to sell for between 160,000 pounds and 230,000 pounds ($250,000 to $365,000). The top bid was 150,000 British pounds (roughly $236,000).

Cult classics used to rule in midnight screenings. But in recent years, blockbuster films like Eclipse, The Dark Knight and Avatar, have proven that it's a strategy that can supercharge both ticket sales and buzz.

Below are some of the best reads for investors from around the Web: How to use Google (GOOG) to predict the unemployment rate. ____________ Is Star Wars a textbook example of game theory in action? ____________ Uh oh! Famed short seller Jim Chanos is targeting the automakers as his next...

When Star Trek debuted in 1966, it offered an idealistic, utopian vision of mankind's future. From the kicky, space-age costumes to the integrated, multinational crew, it suggested that, if humanity ever gets its act together, there will be no limit to its capabilities. In this vision, as future...

The Toys R Us Big Toy Book, whose arrival ranked right up there with Santa and the Easter Bunny when I was a kid, is set to arrive at homes across the country this weekend. WalletPop had a chance to get a sneak peak at some of the hottest deals in the book (and Toys R Us's own break-down of the...