Set Phasers To…..TV?

This year marks the 41st anniversary of Star Trek beaming into our homes for the first time with an episode entitled the ‘The Man Trap’.

The folks at Thinkgeek feel that to truly mark the occasion [seeing as we overlooked the 40th anniversary] we need something else that traps men just as effectively as the aliens disguised as the fairer sex: the TV remote.

Except, in this case, it’s a really cool Type II phaser. It would be nice to think that you could atomise annoying neighbours now and then but I’ll settle for changing the channels with something that boasts lights and sounds.

You get four power settings – each one louder and flashier than the last – a light control knob and a flip-up sight, for when you’re smashed and there seems to be two or more TVs floating in front of you.

Best of all, you can detach the Type I phaser from the stock to reduce your geek factor [a little] but still keep all those Trekkie lights and sounds.

Yours for £15. Bargain. That’s around £5,000 cheaper than Spock’s spacesuit and a whole lot less trouble than the Star Trek home cinema
.

New Apple iPods Part 1: Meet The iPod Touch

I’m sure very little of this is a surprise considering Apple’s big event had more leaks than a Russian nuclear power plant, but Apple has introduced a new kind of iPod, called the iPod Touch.

The most noticeable features are the big 3.5in display, with touchscreen controls - a la iPhone – and, for the first time on an iPod, in-built Wi-Fi which can be used with the new iTunes Wi-Fi store for browsing and purchasing tunes on the move. It’s 8mm thin and Flash-based, with an 8GB and 16GB model.

Features like Cover Flow will allow you to browse your music collection by album cover using your finger to scroll. It sports the Safari Web browser onboard, as well as Google Search, Yahoo oneSearch and Apple’s YouTube application.

The 4GB and 8GB models are due in a few weeks and cost £199 and £269, respectively.

New Apple iPods Part 1: Meet The iPod Touch

I’m sure very little of this is a surprise considering Apple’s big event had more leaks than a Russian nuclear power plant, but Apple has introduced a new kind of iPod, called the iPod Touch.

The most noticeable features are the big 3.5in display, with touchscreen controls - a la iPhone – and, for the first time on an iPod, in-built Wi-Fi which can be used with the new iTunes Wi-Fi store for browsing and purchasing tunes on the move. It’s 8mm thin and Flash-based, with an 8GB and 16GB model.

Features like Cover Flow will allow you to browse your music collection by album cover using your finger to scroll. It sports the Safari Web browser onboard, as well as Google Search, Yahoo oneSearch and Apple’s YouTube application.

The 4GB and 8GB models are due in a few weeks and cost £199 and £269, respectively.

Uncrushable 3,000-Foot Depth Watch

If you're a big fan of scuba diving, then the $299.95 Uncrushable 3,000-Foot Depth Watch would definitely be the perfect timepiece for you. Made by Jules Jurgensen, this watch utilizes washers and O-ring gaskets between the case and back for the tightest seal available. The 4 mm faceplate is twice as thick as those found on other watches and is constructed from the hardest mineral crystal available. Even the case back is twice as thick, ensuring that it is capable of handling more pressure than you ever could. Fathers' Day might be over, but Christmas is coming so if you're all out of ideas on what to get dad/hubby, this could be it (assuming he's not a couch potato, that is).

Official: The UK Loves The Wii The Most

The Wii console continues to break records this week by becoming the UK’s fastest ever selling console, with sales tipping over the 1 million mark just 38 weeks after it launched.

The new data from Chart Track points out that the PS2 took 50 weeks while the Xbox 360 took 60 weeks to top the magical figure. The diminutive Wii now controls a whopping 68% of the UK console market [I take it this does not count older consoles like the millions of PS2s], while Nintendo’s other little earner, the DS dominates the handheld market with an 86% share. A chuffed David Yarnton, general manager of Nintendo UK said:

“The non-stop demand for Wii, even in the traditionally slow sales period for video games in the UK, is clearly behind this record-breaking achievement. With the increasing number of unique software titles for the system from Nintendo and third parties, [the Wii] is being enjoyed by both avid and new gamers of all ages.”

Well, it may not have the power, HD or graphics capabilities of its fatter rivals but as top sod, Simon Cowell, would say, it obviously has the X-factor.

Darth Vader Transformer. Oh No.

There will be Star Wars fans gagging at this and I’m sorry, but Darth Vader has had his asthmatic ass dragged into this century to become, or all things, a Transformer. I could see the usefulness of the Darth Vader costume and even the kitsch fun of a Vader phone, but this?

It looks OK as plastic toy figurines go but it’s still pretty lame. The only upside, if it can be called that, is that he transforms into the Death Star and not some crappy American muscle car with all the handling of a concrete block.

Here are the features, few as they are, of the Hasbro Star Wars Transformer Deluxe Death Star:

* Darth Vader battles the Rebel Alliance fleet with weapons, warriors, and the power of the Force!
* Darth Vader mech figure changes into Death Star vehicle mode and features two awesome battle modes with electronic lights-and-sounds excitement!
* Figure comes with Darth Vader pilot mini figure, 2 TIE Fighter mini vehicles and 3 Stormtrooper mini figures
* This is one awesome figure for your collection!
* A "must-have" for any Star Wars collection!

Wow, how awesome [not] is that? It’s bound to sell lots though. Expect to pay £25.

European Treo 750 gets WM6 update

For owners of the Treo 750/750v living across the pond, you can finally enjoy the goodness of Windows Mobile 6 on your smartphone courtesy of the European site. Users of BlackBerry Connect would have to hold off this upgrade process though since it is now compatible with Windows Mobile 6 at point of publishing. You can now enjoy improved calendar management and an enhanced user interface, email messaging, HTML/Smart Filtering, SharePoint access, and voice command via Bluetooth among others. Those who can't wait for the update on the US site can always head towards the European site without any worry of bricking your precious Treo 750.
[Source]