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LED quadrotors form 'Star Trek' logo over London

I can't say I'm a fan of the "Star Trek" reboot, preferring the days when the franchise was so bad it was good, but I have to admire this marketing stunt for "Into Darkness."

We've seen LED quadrotor displays before, and there's no denying that lighting up the night sky with small flying machines has enormous potential.

Ars Electronica Futurelab, the same outfit that illuminated the skies over Linz, Austria, last year, launched 30 quadrotors near London's Tower Bridge and flew in a formation that any Trekkie would salute.… Read more

Harrison Ford: I think 'Star Wars' reunion will happen

Will "Star Wars" fans see Luke, Leia, and Han pop up in the next film? Harrison Ford certainly thinks so.

Rumors have soared lately over whether the trio would reprise their classic roles in "Star Wars: Episode VII," which is expected to be released in 2015. George Lucas and Carrie Fisher have churned up those rumors with their own off-the-cuff comments. Now the man who brought Han Solo to the screen has chimed in with some tidbits of his own.

Ford is on tour to promote "42," a film about Jackie Robinson in which … Read more

Jedi in Scotland may soon perform marriages

If Scotland passes proposed legislation, it's possible that a Jedi officiant, complete with brown robe and lightsaber, could stand before two lovers and say, "Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of the Force to witness and bless the joining together of these two people in Jedi-blessed matrimony."

The Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill (PDF) backs several other updates to marriage law, including same-sex marriage. But the BBC reports that the allowance of a Jedi-managed wedding has incensed some religious conservatives in the region. The Free Church of Scotland spoke out against the bill, which opens the door for leaders of Jedism and other movements to officiate at weddings.… Read more

'Star Trek' inspires BlackBerry founder to launch quantum fund

BlackBerry co-founder and former CEO Mike Lazaridis has veered from mobile devices and set his sights on quantum technology.

This technology is so fascinating to him that he and fellow BlackBerry co-founder Doug Fregin have launched a $100 million investment fund, called Quantum Valley Investments, to work on commercial applications for breakthroughs in quantum science, according to the Wall Street Journal.

But, what exactly are breakthroughs in quantum science?

According to Lazaridis, one need look no further than Star Trek.

"There's this buzz around the world that this quantum information science is starting to bear fruit," Lazaridis … Read more

Gandalf to officiate at Captain Picard's wedding

Few actors have gathered as much geek street cred as Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, with credits for "Star Trek," "The Lord of the Rings," and "X-Men" between them. Now, there's news of a crossover most of us didn't see coming: McKellen says he will officiate at Stewart's upcoming nuptials.

Let's savor this for a moment. Gandalf will be officiating Captain Picard's wedding. Magneto will be helping Professor Xavier get hitched. I know it's too much to hope they'll do it in costume, but a gal can dream. I'm imagining McKellen in a Magneto costume with a Gandalf hat and beard, while Stewart dons a "Star Trek" uniform and sits in a clear plastic wheelchair (just in case Magneto decides to act up).… Read more

Nike selects 10 startups to build apps for Nike+

Nike has awarded 10 startups $20,000 each to build applications for its Nike+ products. The giant sporting goods company is striving to turn its digital gadget success into a technical platform.

In December, Nike announced a program, in partnership with TechStars -- a startup mentoring and investment organization -- to offer money and mentoring to companies interested in creating health- and fitness-related applications that use the Nike+ technology. The idea is to seed app development for products, such as Nike+ FuelBand, to create a platform in much the same way that Apple has created a platform with iTunes and … Read more

Is Darth Vader the world's favorite 'Star Wars' character?

Will it be Han Solo? Jabba the Hutt? Yoda? Chewbacca? Or possibly Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia?

Or will Darth Vader run away with the competition?

Today, Lucasfilm announced "This is Madness," its first-ever "Star Wars" NCAA basketball-style tournament, an effort to determine who is the world's favorite "Star Wars" character. Mashable was first to report the story.

There are four regions, two from the Light Side, and two from the Dark Side. StarWars.com plans on announcing the winner on April 9. There will be four rounds of voting before the winner … Read more

'Star Trek' computer inspires future of Google search

AUSTIN, Texas--At Google, the future of search looks an awful lot like something out of one of the iconic science fiction franchises of the past.

At least that's the impression given by Google's Amit Singhal when he was interviewed on-stage by Guy Kawasaki at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin recently.

No matter how much Kawasaki prodded Singhal for insights into the inner workings of Google's algorithms, the senior vice president of search seemed far more interested in talking about his apparent obsession with the computer from "Star Trek."

"For those of you who have never watched an episode of 'Star Trek,' please go do that," Singhal implored the audience at one point.… Read more

Leap Motion creator: It gives you Jedi powers

AUSTIN, Texas--The creator of the forthcoming Leap Motion controller sees his baby as much more than just a Kinect on steroids; he sees it as a tool that will enable us to do things in the real world that so far have been restricted to the realms of imagination and science fiction.

Translation: This thing will finally transform us all into Jedis and strengthen the Force within. Well, sort of.

During an on-stage demonstration of the technology here at South By Southwest Interactive over the weekend, Leap CTO and co-founder David Holz explained how the controller can be used to amplify motions, actions, and reactions, and make some of the old Jedi telekinetics tricks possible in a virtual space -- by using our real-world limbs.… Read more

'Trek' visions unite at Beam Me Up art expo

When "Star Trek" hit television screens nearly 47 years ago, little could series creator Gene Roddenberry have imagined he'd created a science fiction phenomenon still celebrated to this day. A recent exhibit of "Trek" art called Beam Me Up in downtown L.A.'s Q Pop gallery brought together 80 artists who shared their unique interpretation of Roddenberry's vision (and its various spinoffs). You can even buy some of the artwork if it's still available.

Our gallery below highlights a handful of art from the exposition, which concluded earlier this month after a multiweek run. With works ranging from a bright neon Spock to larger-than-life Picard playing a flute on top of the Enterprise, there's probably a little bit of something for everyone. … Read more