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Finally – a Star Trek Communicator You Can Use – the Trekkie’s Ultimate Speaker Phone

By on July 24, 2015 in blinking lights, bluetooth, gadgets, general geekery, more nerd than geek, shiny metal objects, shut up and take my money!, star trek
Shut up and take my money!

Shut up and take my money!

For those of you who are Harry Potter fans, or even those who are not (I’m fairly indifferent myself – enjoyed the movies, never read the book, liked the SFX, that’s about it), you may have seen or heard about the Magic Wand Universal Remote Control. A well balanced (in the hand, anyway), stunning replica of a magic wand from Harry Potter lore that actually has 13 ‘magical’ functions in regards to using it as a remote. Well, that same folks, The Wand Company, are about to release their latest invention, a true-to-life Star Trek communicator. This is the old series style that Cpt. Jim Kirk used, not the insignia type used by Picard. Flip up screen foil, moving moire. The whole kit-and-kaboodle. The thing you’ve always wanted… but not some dorky toy that makes you look like you still live in mom’s basement. No – this thing works. Sadly, you cannot reach Scotty to beam you up for about 100 years or so… and First Contact with an alien race (the Vulcans for you non-Trekkers) doesn’t even happen until Apr. 4, 2063. BUT – you can use it as a bluetooth speaker for your phone. Your convo will not be private, but it will be the coolest looking phone call anyone will ever see you have. EVER.

If you are a Trekkie and you go to a Star Trek convention or Comicon, you might actually be morally obligated to carry one of these. Just sayin'. :)

If you are a Trekkie and you go to a Star Trek convention or Comicon, you might actually be morally obligated to carry one of these. Just sayin’. 🙂

com4The Wand Company has worked every detail of this true-to-size communicator to give Trekkies the ultimate geek-out experience with a gadget. The central moire disc actually spins while in use and the USB charged gadget will pair with your iPhone or other smart phone so you can use it just like any other bluetooth headset – it’s just that this is more of a handset. Just take a step back, my fellow geeks and think about how much Star Trek has influenced today’s culture. It is truly hard to believe that we are rapidly approaching Star Trek‘s 50th anniversary. No – that is not a typo. We are really that old. I mean Star Trek is really that old. I’m personally not that old (yet), but I’m gaining on them at FTL.

Just look at that picture above and tell me you do not want to secretly lick your screen. It looks like it’s better quality than what Captain James Tiberius Kirk got to use. And he was the captain of a starship! You just pretend to be the captain of a starship! It’s so classy looking, I can actually see this sitting on an executive’s desk. Even the charging base is stunning.

You can learn more about the Bluetooth Star Trek Communicator at The Wand Company’s website, their Facebook page and on Twitter.

This Low-Tech Tool Could Save a Life – Maybe Your Own

By on July 23, 2015 in gadgets, general geekery, security, shiny metal objects, tools, transportation

hammerWe geeks do love our geekery. We love stuff with blinking lights, interactivity, etc. – but many of us also have a penchant for mutli-tools. Especially if they’re shiny metal objects. This tool is super low tech. The only moving part is your elbow and subsequent elbow grease. It costs very little, but can save lives. What prompts me to post on this in general? I saw this story online, about a woman who broke a car window to rescue a toddler who would have likely suffered irreparable brain damage if not death from the sweltering heat in her aunt and uncle’s vehicle. At temperatures soaring over 100°F outside, they her relatives left her locked in their vehicle as they went shopping for shoes.

I could get into a whole diatribe about the grown men standing around, doing nothing but gawking as this woman wailed on the window many, many times with a crowbar before the window finally broke… but this is a geek blog, so I’m going to focus on the geekery that could have rescued this child faster.

You may be thinking – what are the chances you will ever be in a similar situation? The truth is, tempered glass is hard to break on purpose. We don’t want windows shattering because the rock hauler on the highway in front of us drop a decent sized rock that hit our windshield. We may not be happy with the crack that may result, but we have no glass shards sticking in our eyes – so we’re grateful if we give it significant thought.

Even a minor car wreck can bend a door and/or a frame just enough so that a car door cannot be opened. If a fire ensues, you or the person you’re trying to rescue needs to be extricated from the vehicle immediately. If the wreck damaged the belt buckle so that it cannot be unfastened – what are you going to do? This tool takes care of both scenarios. It can easily and quickly break through any window on your car AND easily slice through your thick, nylon seat belt.

There are several versions of these and they are very inexpensive.

Want a stocking stuffer for all your friends this upcoming Chanukah or Christmas? These useful tools also come in keychain size.

This tiny version is just as effective and fits on your keyring so it's always accessible. Don't be a statistic. The life you save might be your own.

This tiny version is just as effective and fits on your keyring so it’s always accessible. Don’t be a statistic. The life you save might be your own.