Showbits

Every now and then, something will pop up in an auction that sets geeks drooling. Whether it's an undiscovered Macintosh prototype or a famous movie prop, the chance to own a piece of history can drive us to extremes. But the combined fanaticism of Apple devotees and sci-fi fans will likely have more destructive potential than the Genesis device when this relic shows up on sensors: an early Macintosh Plus, given by Apple Computer Inc. to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.

Read the rest of this entry at Computerworld.com »

As we head into the last weekend of May, we can all, adult and child alike, taste the freedom that summer brings. Be it a holdover from an agricultural society or not, the pending season nonetheless represents not just vacations, but a release from responsibility.

Few have embraced that opportunity as well as Ferris Bueller, except he didn't wait for the moment to appear; he seized every day as if it were his last, be it spring, summer, or fall. His wild galavanting one beautiful day in Chicago ultimately brought him to the garage of best friend Cameron Frye. Now, the end of his journey can be the beginning of yours — if the price is right… $2.4 million, to be precise.

That's right: Cameron Frye's house is up for sale. Located in lovely Highland Park, Illinois, less than a mile from Lake Michigan, this transparent, one-story house is currently on the market. The hole in the three-car garage has been repaired, but the Ferrari is not included. (You probably wouldn't want it in that condition, anyway)

Speaking of which, if you ever wondered what happened to Cameron after the film's conclusion, The Onion reports:

UPDATE (Jun 2, 2014): Five years later, the house finally sold for $1.06 million.

(Hat tip to Chris Null)

Jerry Seinfeld's recent team-up with Bill Gates for a bizarre set of advertisements has put me in mind of other famous celebrity endorsements — especially when it comes to Star Trek. The show's futuristic setting has left Star Trek relatively immune to product placement, but that hasn't stopped the franchise from appearing elsewhere to promote services both related and otherwise. I'm not speaking of the show's actors, taken out of their galactic context, hawking wares such as the Commodore VIC-20, but actual in-character sales pitches.

The most recent and famous example may be William Shatner plugging DirecTV:

Of course, once you find the DirecTV channel you want, put down the remote and get your hands busy with some finger-lickin' goodness:

(more…)