Star Trek

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on Star Trek:

Apple inks deal for new sci-fi series

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Apple is beefing up its TV arsenal.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The guy that developed Battlestar Galactica for TV is teaming up with Apple for an all-new sci-fi TV series.

Apple has reportedly inked a deal with Ronald D. Moore that will see the sci-fi TV producer bring his next series exclusively to Apple. The project is being created in partnership with Sony Pictures Television and Moore’s studio-based Tall Ship Productions.

Star Trek: Beyond gets fast and furious in first trailer

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Kirk is back.
Kirk is back.
Photo: Paramount Pictures

Star Wars week is finally here, and what better way to celebrate The Force Awakens than with our first look at the next movie in the Star Trek series?

Paramount Pictures debuted the first trailer for Star Trek: Beyond, directed by Justin Lin of Fast & Furious fame. Kirk and the gang are back in action, and it looks like they’ve got a host of new aliens to contend with, including Idris Elba who’s dressed up as some lizard-like alien bad guy.

Check it out:

This Slap Kirk game is the Shat

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The creators of this game have boldly gone where no one has gone before.
The creators of this game have boldly gone where no one has gone before.
Slap Kirk gif: Buster Hein/Cult of Mac

You’d feel better if you could slap your boss. But common sense, workplace rules and a little thing called your bills remind you to check your rage.

A developer and a musician have teamed up to give us an authority figure we can slap silly. Will Capt. James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise do?

Mac dev uses Klingon to make app pirates walk the plank

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How do you say
How do you say "Payback's a bitch" in Klingon?
Photo: Edward Brawer

When a Klingon says bortaS bir jablu’DI’reH QaQqu’ nay,’ it’s not good. It means “Revenge is a dish best served cold” and what is likely to follow is some sort of death blow.

So when Edward Brawer, the developer of the dock replacement software uBar, had pirates of his Mac app in sight, he set his phaser to amusement. Users who ripped him off soon saw the titles on apps and folders switched to the Klingon language.

Enterprising company makes Bluetooth Star Trek communicator

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Boldly call with this authentic replica of a Star Trek communicator, a Bluetooth handset that works with any mobile device.
Boldly call with this authentic replica of a Star Trek communicator, a Bluetooth handset that works with any mobile device.
Photo: The Wand Company

Be honest. When you got your first flip phone, you flicked your wrist to open it and said “Kirk to Enterprise” or “Beam me up, Scotty!”

It was fun to pretend, but the true Star Trek fan has been clamoring for a more authentic experience, a phone that looks like the real Star Fleet issued communicator.

Come January, you will be over the moon (or moons depending on the planet) when the Wand Company begins shipping a Bluetooth handset that looks identical to an original series communicator.

It’s Star Wars vs. Star Trek in a battle for nerd supremacy

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Darth Vader pushes all of Captain Picard's buttons in this sketch animation from College Humor.
Darth Vader pushes all of Captain Picard's buttons in this sketch animation from College Humor.
Photo: College Humor/YouTube

If the fight card featured the urbane intellect of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard against Darth Vader and his command of the Force’s Dark Side, who would win?

We won’t spoil it for you. One fired the fatal shots, but the other got the last word. To say they fought to a draw would not give anything away.

The hilarious writers at College Humor did an animated sketch with the Next Generation cast rattling sabers with the great Sith Lord from his Death Star. The prize was not a planet or some other galactic real estate. It was to decide which series concept is nerdier?

These are the garden gnomes of the starship Enterprise

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Even in a red shirt, a garden gnome is not safe.
In a red shirt, not even a garden gnome is safe.
Photo: Think Geek

Your garden may be seasonal, but part of it can live long and prosper with a set of Star Trek garden gnomes from the warped minds at Think Geek.

There are four, including a dead yeoman in a red shirt, lying on a slab that says, “Join Starfleet they said. It’d be fun they said.”

Imagine if Mr. Scott in the transporter room mixed up the energy patterns of Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock with elves and you would have the Think Geek creations.

Enterprise-ing 3D artist honors Leonard Nimoy with Mr. Spock bust

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Phi Vu, a 3D artist in the film, television and video game industry, recently made a 3D-printed bust of Star Trek's Mr. Spock. Photo: Phi Vu
Phi Vu, a 3D artist in the film, television and video game industry, recently made a 3D-printed bust of Star Trek's Mr. Spock. Photo: Phi Vu

To best honor the man beloved for playing Mr. Spock, Phi Vu did what comes most logical to him. He used his talents as a 3D artist to create a bust of the late Leonard Nimoy.

The result is a bronze-colored likeness of the regal Starfleet first officer that rivals anything that could be created on the Enterprise’s holodeck.

The 1/3 scale bust has the high cheekbones, a brow lifted by severely angled eyebrows, and those signature Vulcan ears.

NASA salutes Nimoy for taking us boldly where no one had gone before

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Astronaut Terry Virts tweeted from the International Space Station this special salute to the late Leonard Nimoy. Photo: Terry Virts/Twitter
Astronaut Terry Virts tweeted from the International Space Station this special salute to the late Leonard Nimoy. Photo: Terry Virts/Twitter

Leonard Nimoy’s portrayal of unflappable calm and logic during dangerous space travels on TV and in movies inspired those whose stage is actual space.

NASA is mourning the loss of Nimoy as if Mr. Spock was one of their own. Since news of Nimoy’s passing Friday, astronauts have tweeted, uploaded a YouTube video tribute and issued statements, thanking the iconic Star Trek actor for the courage to “boldly go” into professions involving space exploration.

One of the more touching tributes came from astronaut Terry Virts, who tweeted a photo of his hand in Spock’s iconic “Live Long and Prosper” gesture at a window in the International Space Station looking over Earth.

Star Trek phaser will boldly fetch big bucks at auction

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A phaser prop from the original Star Trek series will be auctioned off next month. Photo: Propworx
A phaser prop from the original Star Trek series will be auctioned off next month. Photo: Propworx

A rare phaser pistol from the original Star Trek television series is “set to stun” when it goes on the auction block next month in Los Angeles.

It is made of fiberglass and one of only two known phasers to have survived the 1960s television series, which starred William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy as the leaders of the starship Enterprise.

The phaser could fetch more than $60,000, according to the website Luxurylaunches.com when it hits the block Feb. 21 during a Star Trek auction by Propworx.

5 wacky iOS 8 keyboards that will change the way you communicate

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Craig Federighi a.k.a. Hair Force One takes a moment to talk about third-party Klingon keyboards at last week's iPad launch. Photo: Apple
Craig Federighi praises the Klingon Keyboard during last week's iPad launch. Photo: Apple

Third-party keyboards like SwiftKey and Swype vastly improve touchscreen typing in iOS 8, but sometimes you need to go that extra mile to really express yourself. Sometimes you need to send text messages in Klingon, or get your point across visually with an animated GIF or an off-the-cuff doodle.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, showcased a Klingon Keyboard during last week’s iPad media event, and that’s just one of the amusingly offbeat keyboards flooding the App Store in this new era of freedom.

Cult of Mac talked with the developers behind the Klingon Keyboard and other wacky alternatives for this guide to the weird world of third-party iOS keyboards. You’ll never type the same way again!

8 epic movie crossovers we’d love to see

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In the works since 1979, a JLA/Avengers crossover finally happened in 2003, bringing together the World’s Mightiest Heroes and DC’s Justice League of America. With the two franchises set to collide (sort of) when Avengers: Age of Ultron and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice finally make it to theaters, the idea of mashing up both series seems unthinkable at present.Looking longer-term, though, who wouldn’t want to Batman face off against Iron Man, or Superman with Captain America? The only losers would be the poor legal teams who had to work out the agreement for it to happen.Picture: DC Comics/Marvel Comics

In the works since 1979, a JLA/Avengers crossover finally happened in 2003, bringing together the World’s Mightiest Heroes and DC’s Justice League of America. With the two franchises set to collide (sort of) when Avengers: Age of Ultron and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice finally make it to theaters, the idea of mashing up both series seems unthinkable at present.

Looking longer-term, though, who wouldn’t want to Batman face off against Iron Man, or Superman with Captain America? The only losers would be the poor legal teams who had to work out the agreement for it to happen.

Picture: DC Comics/Marvel Comics


8 sci-fi gadgets we’d love to see become real products

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From Star Wars's Millennium Falcon to The Dark Knight’s Tumbler, sci-fi and fantasy movies have given us plenty of iconic vehicles over the years. Perhaps none have inspired more viewer envy, however, than the hoverboard first used by Marty McFly in 1989’s Back to the Future Part II. Enabling young Marty to zip, skateboard-like, through busy streets (but don’t think about riding it over water) owning a genuine hoverboard has been the stuff dreams are made of ever since. There have been a few attempts to bring the technology into the real world, but most of these have turned out to be either crushingly disappointing hoaxes or, frankly, a bit rubbish.Hey, at least Nike has promised us Back to the Future-style self-lacing shoes for 2015. That’s a start, right?(Picture:Back to the Future)

From Star Wars's Millennium Falcon to The Dark Knight’s Tumbler, sci-fi and fantasy movies have given us plenty of iconic vehicles over the years. Perhaps none have inspired more viewer envy, however, than the hoverboard first used by Marty McFly in 1989’s Back to the Future Part II.

Enabling young Marty to zip, skateboard-like, through busy streets (but don’t think about riding it over water) owning a genuine hoverboard has been the stuff dreams are made of ever since. There have been a few attempts to bring the technology into the real world, but most of these have turned out to be either crushingly disappointing hoaxes or, frankly, a bit rubbish.

Hey, at least Nike has promised us Back to the Future-style self-lacing shoes for 2015. That’s a start, right?

(Picture:Back to the Future)


5 fantastic movie futures we’d love to live in (plus 5 we’d hate)

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Pick any version of the show (except possibly Star Trek: Voyager) and you’ve got a sci-fi future we’d love to live in. Unlike a lot of sci-fi, Star Trek has always tended toward a utopian vision of our future selves in which racism, sexism, ageism and, in Captain’s Picard’s case, jokes against male-pattern baldness are all relics of the distant past. There’s also intergalactic travel, a ton of colorful aliens in existence, and the holodeck to unwind on after a hard day’s work. Oh yes, and we get to wear spandex jumpsuits to our heart’s content.

Pick any version of the show (except possibly Star Trek: Voyager) and you’ve got a sci-fi future we’d love to live in. Unlike a lot of sci-fi, Star Trek has always tended toward a utopian vision of our future selves in which racism, sexism, ageism and, in Captain’s Picard’s case, jokes against male-pattern baldness are all relics of the distant past. There’s also intergalactic travel, a ton of colorful aliens in existence, and the holodeck to unwind on after a hard day’s work. Oh yes, and we get to wear spandex jumpsuits to our heart’s content.


5 TV shows that died too soon (and 5 that should be killed)

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TV isn't always a meritocracy. With that in mind, here are our picks of five shows that were canceled way before their time, and five more we wish would vanish into a black hole, never to be seen again.Which ones made the list? Check out the gallery above to find out.

TV isn't always a meritocracy. With that in mind, here are our picks of five shows that were canceled way before their time, and five more we wish would vanish into a black hole, never to be seen again.

Which ones made the list? Check out the gallery above to find out.


Agree? Disagree?

Did we miss out your favorite hidden TV gem, that was taken from us before it had the chance to find its audience? Or did we want to send a show you love off to the Sarlacc pit that is TV hell? If you have strong thoughts on this topic let us know what they are in the comments below.

Watch Old Spock (Nimoy) Battle New Spock (Quinto) In 3D iPad Chess In Awesome Star Trek Audi Commercial [Video]

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https://youtu.be/WPkByAkAdZs

This great new Audi commercial featuring two generations of Spocks — Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto — smack talking, swearing, racing and singing “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” is awesome for a lot of ways, but for iPad enthusiasts, the cream on top is at the very beginning, when Old Spock and New Spock play 3D Chess against each other on their iPads.

Sadly, the app itself doesn’t actually seem to exist. How have you overlooked doing a proper 3D Chess app, devs?

Apple Introduces New AppStore.com Short URLs That Get Super Bowl Debut

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Short-URL

Apple has introduced new short URLs for the App Store, making links to iOS apps and games much simpler to remember, and easier to read. Like its short URLs for the iTunes Store, you can now tell which app you have been linked to before you’ve even clicked on it. The new system has already been put to good use, making its debut during a Super Bowl commercial for the Star Trek app.

Cult Of Mac’s Awesome 2012 Advent Calendar: Day 9 – FTL

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adventcalendarday9

One of the better Yuletide traditions is the venerable holiday Advent Calendar, in which each day of December leading up to Christmas is marked off on a special calendar by opening its corresponding door to find a small gift, toy or chocolate squirreled away inside.

This year, we here at Cult of Mac decided we wanted to give our readers their very own Apple-themed advent calendar, filled with the year’s best apps, gadgets, stories and other curios. So each day in December, we’re going to lovingly peel back the door on the Cult of Mac 2012 Advent Calendar to reveal another delicious morsel, something really special that came out this year that we think every one of you should enjoy.

What do we have in store for you for Day 9 (admittedly, going up a day late)? FTL for Mac, about the closest experience to sitting down in the Captain’s Chair on the U.S.S. Enterprise you’re likely to find on any platform for less than $10.

It’s a Trap! Admiral Ackbar Singing Bass, And Other Amazing ThinkGeek April Fool Gags

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We can't repel humor of this magnitude!
We can't repel humor of this magnitude!

Thankfully for tech bloggers the Anglo Saxon world over, this year April Fools Day aka All Fools Day fell on a Sunday. That didn’t stop PR folk waking from a fitful, hungover sleep, dragging their laptops into bed and sending out a “funny” press release, which is why you should probably still watch out today.

But above the dross stands — as it does every year — ThinkGeek. In the past, we have seen such April Fool wonders as the Taun Taun sleeping bag for kids, the iCade iPad arcade cabinet and the 8-bit tie. This year, ThinkGeek went to town with a whole range of fake gear. Here we take a look at the best.

Apple TV Now Streams Movies You Didn’t Actually Buy From iTunes

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itunesinthecloud

In their rush to announce the new iPad on Wednesday, Apple hurried through the details of their new Apple TV and didn’t talk much about the new ability to stream your movies straight from iCloud to your Apple TV or iOS device. What’s awesome about the new feature is that it works for movies that you didn’t even buy from iTunes: iTunes Digital Copies.

Google Has Its Own Siri Alternative For Android Coming In 2012 [Report]

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Image courtesy of Gizmodo

Apple’s new Siri assistant has really revolutionized the way in which we interact with mobile devices using our voice. It’s no wonder, then, that rivals are scrambling to introduce their own alternatives. Google already has one for Android, according to some reports, called Majel, and it’ll debut during the first quarter of 2012.