If you’ve ever stared longingly at your smart devices and wished they would respond when you’re doing your best Capt. Jean-Luc Picard impression, we’ve got some good news for you: Amazon has added “computer” to its list of words that will wake up its digital assistant Alexa on Echo devices. [More]
star trek
Lawsuit Over Star Trek Fan Fiction Flick Headed To A Jury Trial
By 1.4.17
The David vs. Goliath sci-fi copyright battle between Paramount Studios and the makers of a crowdsourced Star Trek fan fiction movie nears its glorious conclusion, with a judge determining this morning that the dispute will head to a jury trial. [More]
CBS Will Let You Watch New Star Trek Show Without Commercials… For $4/Month More
By 8.31.16
As CBS prepares to put bona fide original content — like the upcoming online-only version of Big Brother and next year’s new Star Trek: Discovery series — on its $6/month All Access streaming service, the network realizes that hey, maybe people will pay a bit more to avoid having to watch all those flippin’ commercials. [More]
The Next Season Of Big Brother Will Be Online-Only
By 8.2.16
Since it debuted more than 15 years ago, CBS’s Big Brother has sold online access to the live feeds directly from the BB “house.” Now the network is going all in for the next season of the long-running reality competition, making it an online exclusive. [More]
Star Trek Fan Film Lawsuit Will Live On
By 6.17.16
While the makers of the crowdfunded Star Trek fan fiction film Axanar had once hoped to reach a settlement with Paramount and CBS over a lawsuit accusing the filmmakers of copyright infringement, the much discussed lawsuit will live to see another day, as the two companies told a California federal judge this week that their action remains pending. [More]
Court Allows Copyright Lawsuit Against Star Trek Fan Film To Move Forward
By 5.10.16
While there has been much discussion about Paramount’s copyright claim on the Klingon language, the judge in the studio’s lawsuit against the makers of a Star Trek fan fiction movie has chosen to not opine on that particular dispute while giving the go-ahead for Paramount’s larger copyright complaint to move forward. [More]
Language Creation Society: Paramount Does Not Own Klingon Language
By 4.28.16
As we reported earlier this month, Paramount Pictures is trying to block a crowdfunded Star Trek fan film based, in part, on the studio’s claim that it actually owns the copyright on the Klingon language. Now the Language Creation Society has chimed in on the case, making the argument that Paramount can’t claim ownership on a fictional language. [More]
Google’s Latest Secret Prototype: A Communicator Straight Out Of Star Trek
By 11.23.15
In the future, you talk to your computers. That’s what Star Trek taught us, anyway, so I’m just going to go ahead and assume it’s true. And apparently some engineers over at Google, who actually can make it so, feel the exact same way. [More]
Here Are The Most Ridiculously Long Binge-Watches Available For Anyone With 200+ Hours To Kill
By 4.20.15
If you’re like us, you like your TV. Sure you do! But let’s say you’ve been busy: you’re all caught up on the big prestige dramas. There are no secrets or spoilers left for you in Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, or Orphan Black. There’s a TV-shaped void in your life to fill, and endless reruns on cable just aren’t cutting it. You need something that can really occupy your time. Not just a few hours, but days. Weeks. You have months to kill, and you need something to binge-watch right now. And lots of it. [More]
Canadians Paying Tribute To Leonard Nimoy By “Spocking” Their Currency
By 3.2.15
The news of beloved actor Leonard Nimoy’s passing on Friday has saddened his fans over the last few days, but we’ve got to hand it to our neighbors in the wintry north for their unique way of paying tribute: Reviving a past trend known as “Spocking,” mourning Canadians have been doodling on their $5 bills, turning the image of Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier into that of the half Vulcan, half human Star Trek character. [More]
Man Spends $500K Turning His Basement Into The Bridge Of The U.S.S. Enterprise
By 7.11.14
There are Trekkies, and then there are Trekkies who are willing to spend $500,000 in home renovations to turn the basement of the house into a replica of the bridge on the U.S.S. Enterprise. A place where I would make people call me Captain Quirk, obviously. [More]
George Takei May Protest Southwest Airlines For Scolding L-Word Actress
By 9.28.11
Earlier this week, Leisha Hailey, actress and former star of the Showtime’s The L Word, was reprimanded by a Southwest Airlines flight attendant for sharing a kiss with her partner while onboard the aircraft. Earlier today, George Takei, actor and former helmsman of the USS Enterprise, mock threatened to stage a protest in response during his next Southwest Airlines flight. [More]
Star Trek Blu-ray Digital Download Codes All Used Up?
By 12.30.09
Nero, the Romulan villain who was driven mad by lens flares in the latest Star Trek movie, found a way to travel forward in time and use up a bunch of authorization codes included in special edition Blu-ray sets. For now, until Paramount’s support staff get back from the holidays, all you can do with that third disc is flash light into the eyes of people around you and call yourself J. J. Abrams. [More]
DVD Price War: Harry Potter, Star Trek For $10
By 11.6.09
Walmart announced yesterday that it will be slashing prices to below wholesale on 10 of the most popular DVDs that will be released soon, says the LA Times. Target announced that it will be matching Walmart. Amazon has not yet responded.
Life Still Empty? Buy Videotaped Autographs From The Stars
By 8.18.08
We can’t really mock the self-mocking William Shatner for his miraculous ability to keep earning money as a celebrity, sometimes even by acting, so instead we’ll roll our eyes at the dorks who are paying $150 and up for videotaped footage of Shatner reciting a personalized greeting into a video camera as he autographs a photo. And we’ll be secretly jealous of the entrepreneur who came up with the idea.
