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  • William Shatner, Wil Wheaton Tout NASA Accomplishments

    Though the budget for NASA has been declining since the early 90s, the discoveries and technological advances coming out of the agency continue to stimulate the economy and improve the lives of all Americans. This makes NASA arguably the best investment the U.S. government makes, and the agency has recruited some sci-fi legends to make the case for space exploration.

    William Shatner, Wil Wheaton, and June Lockhart have each starred in a new public service announcement touting a few of NASA’s accomplishments that have changed life on Earth for the better.

    Shatner, best-known as Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise on the TV show Star Trek, discusses the medical advances that have come from NASA research, including remote ultrasounds, robot-assisted surgery, and thermometer pills.

    Wheaton is well-known as Wesley Crusher (the boy) on the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation. His PSA focuses on life-saving technologies developed by NASA that have improved safety in a variety of industries. Examples include rocket-powered parachutes, life rafts, and personal locator GPS beacons.

    Lockhart, known for, among other things, her role as Maureen Robinson on the TV show Lost in Space, chimes in with her PSA on the NASA-developed clean water technology that is used around the world.

  • Shatner Returns as the Priceline Negotiator

    In January, William Shatner’s Priceline Negotiator was killed off, and Priceline ads began featuring a different spokesperson. In case you don’t remember, the Priceline Negotiator met his doom in the act of saving a bus full of endangered tourists. Saving them from high prices on hotels, of course. Take a look at Shatner’s funny, fiery death below:

    That’s certainly more spectacular than Kirk’s Star Trek: Generations death. Following that ad, Priceline declared the Priceline Negotiator dead, and there were tears.

    Much like Spock, however, the Priceline Negotiator is back from the dead. Priceline has released a new commercial featuring the suave haggler and his newer counterpart, a Priceline.com agent. During a clandestine meeting on a secluded beach, the Agent attempts to convince the Negotiator that he still has work to do:

    How exactly the Priceline Negotiator survived the catastrophe on the bridge is unknown, and even Priceline said in a statement that no one knows for sure. Did he manage to grab onto the bridge at the last moment? Did the bus have an emergency transporter? Does Priceline have a hidden Genesis Device it was able to use to bring the Priceline Negotiator back from the dead? No matter how it happened or why, Shatner will be seen more often on TV screens across the U.S., and that’s always a good thing. As long as he isn’t singing an Elton John cover, that is.

  • Google Earth (New): No More Patchy Blocks, Plus Image Sharing!

    Google announced today that they are upgrading Google Earth. Gone are the mosaic-looking pieces that comprised the old graphics. A much more seamless look is now in place.

    From the official Google Blog:

    The Google Earth globe is made from a mosaic of satellite and aerial photographs taken on different dates and under different lighting and weather conditions. Because of this variance, views of the Earth from high altitude can sometimes appear patchy.

    Also, there is now a feature that allows you to share an image from within Google Earth.

    Evan Parker, a software engineer working on Google Maps, made the announcement today. Screenshots were posted on the official Google Blog, including some side-by-side before-and-after shots of the old Google Earth vs the new.

    Join me now in celebrating views from outer space courtesy of the 1978 Science Fiction Film Awards. 😉