Computers and technology have always been a big part of Star Trek, and now two new licensees are offering Trekkies the chance to customize their own technology with Star Trek. Firstly Hyperdesk is offering a new Original Series theme for your Windows PC. And Coveroo is offers a series of laser etched backs for your cell phones and mobile devices. TrekMovie takes a closer look with reviews both below.
Hyperdesk Star Trek The Original Series Windows Desktop Theme
The Skins Factory is a world leader in user interface, skin and theme designs, and their Hyperdesk division have been making a number of popular desktop themes, including many licensed themes (for Disney and others). And now they have added Star Trek to their roster. Hyperdesk offers fans the ability to customize their entire Windows XP environment with detailed and fun Star Trek icons and wallpapers. For $14.95, fans can download a program to all their personal computers that transforms the computing experience into a Trek themed wonderland. The program includes three Hypedesk themes based on the original Star Trek that changes the Windows environment into one of the Starfleet divisions, either Command (with yellow being the dominant color appropriately), Engineering (red), and Sciences (blue).
Hyperdesk TOS theme allows you to switch from command gold (top), science blue (bottom left) or engineering red (bottom right)
[click image to see all three]
What is especially nice about Hyperdesk is its attention to detail. For example, the Help icon is McCoy’s medical equipment, or the MyVideos icon is of the desk monitors from the original show. Also great is that this a product with a purpose. It isn’t a collectible, it is a utility that makes computing fun. And according to Skins Factory CEO and Art Director Jeff Schader, they tried to stays "as close to canon as possible." A fan himself, Schader tells TrekMovie:
I went after the Star Trek license almost immediately after launching Hyperdesk, having been a Trek fan my entire life. It was a natural choice when it came to licensing properties for our desktop themes… stick with what you know….The idea behind the design of the actual Windows theme came after an hour-long conversation with the incredibly talented Mike Okuda. The idea was to take the look of the 1701’s bridge consoles which was made of black lacquer, the high gloss glass and buttons and blow it out over the whole desktop.
Some of the icons used in the Hyperdesk TOS theme
[click image to see more]
The Hyperdesk Star Trek Original Series Windows XP Theme includes:
- 30+ different icons
- 3 wallpaper designs (using the CBS Interactive ‘Remastered’ Enterprise model)
- Starfleet version of Yahoo! Widget audio remote program for Windows Media Player and iTunes which includes transporter sound fx and animation
- Windows User Account Images of the main characters
- Icon PNG files for use with dock applications
For more info and to purchase & download the theme – GOTO Hyperdesk.com.
Your Star Trek theme literally beams onto your desktop (top to bottom: command gold, science blue, engineering red)
[click images to see full detail for each version of the theme]
For now, the program is only available for Windows XP, but Hyperdesk plans to release the TOS theme for Vista, PS3, PSP and possibly OS10. They are also looking into doing themes based on the new Star Trek movie, and The Next Generation (and maybe more Trek). More info and purchasing info at Hyperdesk.com
Coveroo Star Trek laser-etched mobile device customization
Coveroo is a product that replaces the back cover of cell phones and MP3 players with plates that have customizable Star Trek designs. Fans go to the Coveroo website and select their mobile device (and color) and then the design they want (with many available). Then for $19.95 Coveroo laser etches a customized back cover for your device and mails it off to you. Snap it on and you got yourself a Trekkified phone. You can also get a customized iPod, but because the backs of iPods are not removable, you have to order a new one from Coveroo.
Just a fraction of the ways you could customize your Blackberry
The choices of images that can be etched include an amazing variety that really allows for customization. In fact, many choices include the option of adding a logo or emblem to a character design. Some of the options include aliens or villains (The Borg, a Klingon, Ferengi, tribbles) and their emblems; the main characters of the original Star Trek (including the QUOGS); Starfleet emblems and technology; Mirror Universe icons, and many more etchings.
After selecting your device and design, Coveroo sends you a custom back for you to put onto your mobile device (backs pictured: BlackBerry Pearl 8110 -pink w/ Command Insignia & 1) Samsung U340 with Captain Kirk)
[click to enlarge]
Coveroo has a great product here, both because of the many options of characters and emblems from various versions of Star Trek, and the nicely detailed renderings. Like the Hyperdesk items, Coveroos have a purpose and utility to them and they would be nice and unusual gifts for fans.
For more info or to order your own ‘Coveroo’, GOTO Coveroo.com
Customizable = Smart
As a sociology professor, one of the main themes I discuss with my students is the notion that modern cultures are customizable experiences. from credit card designs to educational plans, from how people enjoy their favorite shows to Internet interactions (like MySpace and ITunes). In societies where this is the zeitgeist, it is appropriate that Star Trek products go customizable, and it is especially appropriate for your phone or computer with Star Trek’s technological narratives. It is also good to see Star Trek products like these which should appeal to that younger generation which (along with the new perfumes to QUOGS). Customizable technology products like Hyperdesk and Coveroo are good examples of this idea, as they are a new kind of Star Trek product that appeals to a variety of fans. What is great about both is that each company has embraced Star Trek in the design elements and theme-ing, unafraid to be funny or ironic (McCoy’s medical equipment icon = help, or communicator grill etchings to turn your phone into a communicator). This kind of hipness is something students and younger fans enjoy, and it has value to more mature fans. Star Trek is back, and now its customizable.
Cool! dare I say it… my first first?
Mac versions?
First! Love it.
awww maaan…
Very cool.
Wish I wasn’t broke. :D
PC FOR THE WIN.
Very snazzy desktop themes; would love to see how the publisher tackles the TNG interface.
Wow. I’m actually quite impressed by the attention to detail.
They need to make a LCARs distro of Linux.
I purchased Hyperdesks “Star Trek Desktop Theme” last week and couldn’t be happier! The attention to detail is awesome! I highly recommend this product!
I’ll just print oot this page and then affix the images ta’ me telly phone and me computie wit’ some spit and glue…
‘Course I just hooked me typewriter up ta’ me tv fur me computie…
Maybe I won’t use that pink Kirk slip though… seems a bit… adult. I mean, personally, I dunna want ta’ see Kirk on me coveroo…
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…
I love it, already decided to get it…although, yeah, I would definately love to see a TNG Movie-Era LCARS version. Awesome stuff here.
Not much iphone stuff…or vista, damn it…why am I too high tech to get a furturistic layout? :P
I want LCARS for my iphone and vista PC anyways, if your going to do it, might as go the whole way huh!! Anyone think lcars would be cool????
I think ill wait for the TNG customization, hopefully it’ll be LCARS. ^.^
I really like the looks of this. Problem is, I’m running Vista :-)
I’m just waiting for someone to do a PADD casemod for their iPod touch. :)
@8 – Yes, they do! Erm, get to work on that, would ya?
Popular LCARS screensaver for Windows and Mac (UB) — System 47:
http://www.mewho.com/system47/
am I the ONLY one who wants a vista customization based on the new enterprise computer look from the new film?
For all mac users… It’s not a complete star trek interface, but iconfactory has some insignia icons…
http://iconfactory.com/search/?q=star+trek
18. No you are not… ::raises hand::
No BORG stuff? OUCH!
Hyperdesk only works for XP? I know there are a lot of Vista haters out there, but seriously, it’s what came on the darn machine if you bought a computer in the last couple years.
Hi, I’m the guy in the quotes up top :-)
We’re definitely going to be releasing this in a Vista format.
If our TOS theme proves to be popular, then TNG is a go as would a theme based on the upcoming movie.
LCARS… It’s an incredible user interface. It would never work as a Windows theme. LCARS is a touch-screen based UI where Windows is very structured in its format. I wouldn’t create a theme for any Star Trek series if I didn’t think we could pull off the quality it deserves. Now with the iTunes and WMP 11 audio remotes. Those could be LCARS-based as could the wallpaper. But the actual windows frame wouldn’t work. Just thought I’d clear that up.
For Ubuntu Linux:
http://www.ubuntu-art.org/content/show.php/LCARS-Desktop+GTK+Theme?content=92578
sweet.
Nice. I wonder if CBS ever tried to sue NBC for infringing on their “eye” logo used for the Enterprise’s science division emblem.
17:
I love that screensaver, though I wish there were a TOS version.
Oh neat even the Trek Quogs are in on the cell covers!
$14.95 for the Trek themes? Might have to wait a few weeks to get that!
-cs™
Really too bad this will not work on the new LG VU cell phone, it would be a great skin.
I think the icons are really detailed and look fantastic! But I’m disappointed that there are only three wallpapers to choose from.
Hyperdesk doesn’t work on Vista. Darn. Scotty’s words are ringing in my head now (“why on earth would you want that bucket of bolts!”).
Love their work. I have the WMplayer remote – very cool. Can’t wait for the Vista Hyperdesk!
LCARS actually would work with the windows frame. Several console shots showed various moving windows etc. Just takes a bit of imagination.
Jas: Hyperdesk is coming to Vista as is the TOS theme. While Vista is the newer system, the majority of people are still on XP and 1 out of 3 people revert back to XP from Vista :-)
But it’s coming.
Jeff: Thanks, that’s really great to hear. Coming from a computing background, I use a highly personally configured version of Vista Ultimate (i.e., de-nannyfied) but I still have a great fondness for XP Pro. I remember configuring one of my first computers at work (a pentium 100 in 1995) to boot up with LCARs wallpaper and holodeck sound effects. Hyperdesk has brought back all those memories. Someone may have already asked this above but will there be an Abrahms Trek theme for Hyperdesk?
Jas: Depends on J.J. and Paramount. I think there’s a good chance. The new Trek is closer to our regular style of design so it would be a good fit for us.
This theme has some cool sounds. When you launch the Hyperdesk application you can hear the 1701’s bridge sounds. Also the widget has animation fx and sounds. I have it set up so that when you launch the widget you hear the transporter’s energize first and then it beams in. And then when it transports out (the playbutton ring) you hear it dematerialize. All the buttons on the widget have a different button sound from the series. It’s a fun theme.
I’ve got to get the Mirror Universe one
Hellacool
Ditto on LCARS jailbreak for iPhone.
This looks great, I might have to make a purchase!
Jeff: Sounds awesome. Eagerly looking forward to the Vista version. No pressure :-)
Ok. Im totaly Geeking out here. This is the coolest and i already got it for my Laptop and it’s the best. Now can you do one of the Terran Empire. Now that would be better.
I want my computer to look like an Starfleet LCARS terminal, not STAR TREKtm ‘themed’ with STAR TREK gobbed right into the middle of the whole thing, with those nonsensical icons. It might as well say ‘I “heart” Capt. Kirk’ and ‘Spk Fr Evr’ on the wallpaper.
I’m looking for something a little cooler than this..
I do heart Captain Kirk. And Spock is forever.
I do heart Captain Kirk. And Spock is forever.
Mac or bust!
Create a Mac AND Linux version and I’ll buy them!
Let me guess… no mac version. Sigh.
The skinny on a possible Mac version.
There’s an app called Facade that is supposed to be launched sometime in the near future. If and when that launches, all of our themes including Star Trek will be ported over to OS X. We’re just waiting patiently for it to launch. I all ready have an understanding with the creators of the app and we’re going to work together.
Now if you have Boot Camp on your Intel Mac and XP you can run the theme.
Very cool. Too bad I won’t be getting any of it. (Don’t own a cellphone or iPod, and my wife would never go for the desktop themes on our computer….)
I just purchased the Skins! There are SOOO many different combinations to choose from! It’s worth it if your a great star trek fan!
to #32
I DID change back from Vista to XP! I personally hated Vista i did get it when it first came out so hopefully they will work out all the bugs which did not sell me on that
I personally added my own sounds for windows in TOS style, so now my computer is all TOS!
Klingon Desktop Skins and sounds?