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Of all the ridiculous Star Trek product marketing in the world, we're surprised that a working Communicator phone hasn't become de rigueur among the nerdsome faithful. In fact, the last one we heard of was a DIY version on eBay, but even that one was just a Bluetooth receiver that still needed to connect to a cell phone.

Granted, you could get an Enterprise model, but it's not exactly convenient to lug around the convention floor. So we could only imagine the disappointment over this "exclusive" Communicator replica that can only feign conversation with sound … Read more

There have been many times in recent months that we thought this whole mania over Guitar Hero was getting out of hand--or, in this case, foot.

SlashGear says there's now an accessory that "actually gives you the opportunity to use your foot for star power and your whammy bar." The pedals work only with PlayStation 2 systems but, at the rate things are going, it probably won't be long before they're expanded to meet demand.

For now, they'll go perfectly with Spotswood's drum computers.

Online shoppers will soon be able to tell at a glance if computers offer "green" features. Desktop and laptop PCs, as well as monitors, sold online are set to display the EPEAT logo starting early this year.

The label is the closest the electronics industry has come to adopting a third-party, green seal of approval for computers.

EPEAT's bronze, silver, and gold ratings mark electronics offering energy efficiency and sustainable product designs. Equipment that's easily dismantled, made from recycled plastics or using low-toxic ingredients get high marks.

The nonprofit Green Electronics Council runs the EPEAT system … Read more

Many of us have been decrying the overall lack of gaming gear here at CES, but while there might not be much video game hardware on display at the Las Vegas Convention Center, several video game publishers are in town showing off their latest wares, including LucasArts, Eidos, Microsoft, and Namco.

The latter is perhaps the most interesting, since the title being shown off is the latest iteration of the fighting game Soul Calibur, which first hit living rooms via Sega's Dreamcast console back in 1999. The series features an eclectic cast of medieval Japanese characters battling over a … Read more

If you think everybody has cable or satellite, you couldn't be more wrong. In fact, if you live in an area that's well-served by digital broadcasters, now's a better time than ever to get your TV over the air (or "OTA," as the cool kids say): yeah, you get only a handful of channels, but they're in crystal-clear digital quality--DVD quality at "worst," uncompressed high-definition at best. The problem--as we're reminded by many an e-mailer--is that there just isn't a good DVR solution for the rabbit-ears crowd, especially if you prefer high-def. (You can opt for a TiVo HD, but you'd still have to pay a monthly fee for their programming guide.) But that may finally be changing, thanks to the EchoStar TR-50. For all intents and purposes, the TR-50 takes many of the features found on Dish Networks' excellent satellite DVRs (such as the ViP622 and 722) and brings them to antenna-based TV viewers. … Read more

In case anyone was wondering, the ringtone craze is officially out of control. Well past their cell-phone roots, custom tunes for home land lines are just one example of a phenomenon that has even extended to doorbells. But its application in car horns are clearly the worst of the bunch.

And accessories such as the "Wolo 485 Star Trek Air Horn," we fear, may indicate that the trend is gaining in popularity. For better or worse, this device blares only one tune with its five air trumpets--the theme from the final frontier--similar to the custom old-school horns that … Read more