In light of the futuristic nature of yesterday’s post, I thought it might be fun to look at a few crazy gadgets that while inspired by the future, are actually available today. More specifically, Star Trek coming to us now in a new way.
Memorabilia attached to movies and television shows, and gratuitous product placement can definitely go too far. It can be little more than a cheap, disposable, commercial cash grab. But there are also times when we want to take a little part of a favourite film or series home. Sometimes that can extend beyond the DVD or more typical show merchandise. And if something has a practical application as well? So much the better. Easier to justify it to ourselves somehow.
That brings me to a very accurate looking replica of the Starship Enterprise, the original NCC-1701 incarnation, that just so happens to be a fully functioning webcam.
From the product description: “When you’re contacting Starfleet, you’d best be doing it with the proper equipment! You may not have a captain’s chair or a huge display screen, but you can transmit your best Captain Kirk smile across the internet via our U.S.S. Enterprise webcam. It clips to your monitor via a spiffy Original Series com badge and the gooseneck mount allows you to position the starship at the optimal angle for your video needs. Best of all, it’s plug and play with no driver installation required…[and it] works [with] Skype, AIM, MSN, iChat..[all for] $22.99.”
If you’re more partial to the Next Generation NCC-1701-D Star Trek Enterprise, there’s a replica of it as well, albeit without the practical webcam features.
It “features lights and sound effects taken right from the show. It also has a saucer section that can separate (held together with tractor-beam-strength magnets) – and both parts still light up! Best of all, the ship actually knows when you are separating the saucer, and Captain Picard will alert everyone for saucer separation.”
There’s even an option to “Stay Connected, Starfleet Style” with an “exact replica of the communicator from “The Original Series.”
Connect it to your computer via USB “and enjoy the classic “chirp” sound when it’s flipped open. It also plays 21 other sounds effects when not being used to chat with your Starfleet friends via Skype, MSN, AIM, or iChat.” There’s a rather cheesy video promoting this device, but you do get to see and hear it in action.
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In the mood to look at more Star Trek inspired stuff? ThinkGeek.comhas everything from tribbles to cufflinksto t-shirts to decals to “make any room into the bridge of the Enterprise.” Just fun to look around too, and wax nostalgic a bit. Lately I’ve been remembering James Doohan’s line as Scotty in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, “Captain, there be whales here.” I wonder why…
