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The sounds of 'Star Trek': This man makes them happen

NICASIO, Calif. -- Growing up in the 1960s, Ben Burtt was such a big "Star Trek" fan that when he went off to college at a school where he had no TV, he had his father record the audio from each week's episode and mail it to him.

Sitting in his dorm room, Burtt would listen to the shows with headphones on, taking in each new episode with no pictures. But he didn't need the video to understand what was going on. "It was so vividly portrayed with excellent sound effects," Burtt said, "… Read more

Trekify Bing by searching for 'beam me up'

I like my Khan clad in real Corinthian leather, so I'm not warping over to the closest theater to catch "Star Trek Into Darkness." And while many fanboys and fangirls are, Trek enthusiasts can also try Bing for some animation that's as fun as a locker full of tribbles.

The search engine will respond to "beam me up" with a series of interactive scenes promoting the latest installment in the J.J. Abrams reboot series.

Clicking on the floating Enterprise brings you to the bridge (littered with furry friends), where you can explore the science behind concepts from the show like the tractor beam and the tricorder. … Read more

The 404 1271: Where we Carey on just fine without Yu (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Wrapping up CNET's coverage of Google I/O 2013.

- Nerd fight!

- Follow Bridget on the Twitter.

- Watch CNET Update every single day of your life.

- Make sure you tune in to find out how you can win one of six MLB/NBA 2K Sports prize packs!… Read more

Hop aboard the spaceships seen in 'Star Trek'

From the USS Voyager to the many versions of the USS Enterprise, "Star Trek" featured an assortment of ships as the primary backdrop for each installment of the sci-fi series. Now you can view all of the main ships in one convenient gallery.

As the follow-up flick "Star Trek: Into Darkness" arrives in theaters this week, moviegoers young and old will once again follow the adventures of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the rest of the Enterprise crew. It's a new spin on an old story, a tale that will surely captivate the senses.… Read more

'Star Wars' and 'Doctor Who' fans in altercation at sci-fi convention

I had always imagined that attendees at sci-fi conventions were peaceable sorts.

I know they turn up waving lightsabers and other implements of war, but I imagined that these served no greater threat to society than an elongated ball-finder at a golf course.

And yet word reaches me that fans of "Star Wars" were embroiled in a confrontation with aficionados of "Doctor Who" at a sci-fi convention in the U.K.

Alright, that word initially came from my religious reading of the Sun. But it is supported by reports from august organizations like the BBC.

It … Read more

Review: Gaze at the stars with Stellarium for Mac

Stargazing is an amazing hobby, but the weather isn't always perfect for it. With Stellarium for Mac, users can now explore the galaxy anywhere, anytime.

The installation of Stellarium for Mac takes no time at all as it requires a simple drag and drop into the Applications folder. Once you launch the app, you will be greeted with a night sky full of stars, which looks really amazing. If you want to see more stars you can simply zoom in. The application reminded us of the Night Sky feature from Google Earth. One of the advantages of this app … Read more

Neil deGrasse Tyson: Why 'Star Trek' beats 'Star Wars'

Whether he's talking about the weight of 300 billion elephants or battling Bill Nye the Science Guy for geek supremacy, famous astrophysicist and Star Talk Radio host Neil deGrasse Tyson is someone I pay attention to. I'm interested in his opinion and give it more weight than a lot of other people's. When he tackled one of the greatest sci-fi rivalries of all time, I perked up. "Star Trek" or "Star Wars"?

It's no secret Tyson is a major Trekkie, but his bountiful space love doesn't stretch to encompass "Star Wars" quite so much. Now we know why. "I never got into 'Star Wars,'" he admits in an interview with Business Insider (see embedded clip). "They made no attempt to portray real physics. At all."… Read more

Maj! Bing adds Klingon language translation

'Ij, eartHlIngh, veng SuvwI' Hol chu' tu'lu'. I'm not sure how accurate that really is, but, according to Bing, it means, "Listen up, earthling, there's a new language in town."

Bing is so excited about the new "Star Trek Into Darkness" movie that it added Klingon to Bing Translator, the translation service that usually handles Earth languages like Bulgarian, Turkish, and Polish.

Bing didn't just throw together some guttural sounds and call it done. Microsoft got together with "Star Trek" studio Paramount, the Klingon Language Institute, and Marc Okrand, the creator of the Klingon language, to do it up right.… Read more

The next Angry Birds? Third-party game developers hope Rovio's backing gets them there

Rovio announced on Tuesday its intent to publish the titles of third-party developers, using the marketing success of its top game, Angry Birds, to lure more game makers.

The new program, called Rovio Stars, lets Rovio publish games under its name while promising developers Angry Birds franchise-like glory. Once a gaming company, the now rebranded entertainment company will kick off its program with the launch of Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage by Nitrome, a puzzle game that utilizes slicing motions similar to Cut-the-Rope, and Tiny Thief by 5 Ants, a medieval-themed game featuring stealth-based puzzles.

"These are the sorts of … Read more

Beam your face onto a 3D-printed 'Star Trek' figurine

Being a fan of the Original Series, "Star Trek Into Darkness" doesn't really get my dilithium crystals humming. I'd prefer to watch "Spock's Brain," as laughable as it is.

But what I'd much rather do is slap my mug on my own "Star Trek" figurine. 3D print shop Cubify has a new "Star Trek" service that lets you upload your photos and print your own likeness on a 3-inch Enterprise crew member.

It's similar to putting your face on Star Wars Stormtrooper figurines at Walt Disney World in Florida, but smaller and cheaper. … Read more