One movie. One iPhone. One app. One blogger. That was the scenario last night when I put RunPee for iPhone to the test. Available from Rock Software (iTunes Link) for $0.99, RunPee lets you know which points in a given movie that are safe to miss.

When word of this app first hit TUAW, it inspired a lively discussion about the appropriateness of missing any part of a movie. Our own Christina Warren argued passionately that to do so would take you out of the movie, even if you never got up and left. Other, smaller-bladdered bloggers, welcomed the idea saying that if you had to go, it was better to go at a time where less was happening on-screen.

Since I knew I was going to be seeing Star Trek, I volunteered to put the software to the test. RunPee provides a timed list for most of the newest releases, Star Trek among them. I took my iPhone and headed off to the Cinema.

So how did things go? Well, to be frank, not as well as I'd hoped. First of all, the RunPee software provides a list of times and cues, so you know when to head loo-wards. For example, at nearly an hour into the movie, one character says to another to take the con. Notice that I do not mention which characters are involved.

RunPee is not that discreet. In fact, its relatively short list of times and actions can be seen as a series of movie spoilers. There's no timed/reveal of each successive break so I was inadvertently spoiled from the start by several big plot developments, which are all shown on-screen at once.

In use it's also really hard to track the suggested break times. The app comes with a built-in timer but no other cues. You cannot stick the iPhone in your pocket and wait for alarmed vibrations, pulling it out to see if you're at the proper place or not. This feature is not in the software. Instead, you have to keep unlocking the screen and checking the time. It feels like work and it's really annoying to the people around you who keep getting flashed by the lit iPhone screen.

To use this application, you need Internet access. There's no way to download the data and then read it later offline. If your theater has poor cell reception, you're out of luck.

In short, RunPee does not yet bring anything to the table that a spoiler website couldn't. Yes, you get access to pre-timed lists that you could possibly use to service bladder interruptus but between the difficulty of use, the annoyance to other patrons, and the outright spoiling of movie points, RunPee didn't do what I had hoped. So points to Christina, who argued exactly that.

In e-mail, the developer has promised to add vibration support and is working on improving the product in other ways. For now, if you don't mind spoilers and you want to avoid the whole crazy astronaut woman syndrome, RunPee may supply the information you want. And the movie? Thumbs up. One of the better Star Trek offerings.

Name: Run Pee Mobile (iTunes link)
Developer: Rock Software
Platform: iPhone or iPod touch
Price: 0.99

Just as Hulu has more-or-less reluctantly barred boxee from streaming NBC video content to anything other than a browser, here comes the new TV.com iPhone app. It offers full episodes of such classics as Dream On, Night Gallery and Star Trek, and clips from current shows on multiple networks. Compare and contrast with the original NBC mobile site and you'll see that mobile streaming has come a long way, baby.

Sure, the Slingplayer app for the iPhone may be just around the corner, and rumors of a Hulu app have been floated. Does that give you Kirk and Spock during your morning commute? No, I didn't think so.

CBS Interactive's TV.com app is a free download from the App Store, and works either over WiFi or 3G. I have a hunch it's not going to be available outside of the US store, so if you're able to check that out please let us know. Update: As suggested, I checked myself -- not in the UK store, not in the German store.

[via Techmeme]

Set phasers to Huge Frakking Nerd.

I'll be honest and admit to trying this as soon as I saw it. Point Mobile Safari to http://38i.biz/tricorder and view an iPhone-optimized web page that resembles a Star Trek Tricorder.

So, what does it do, you ask? Why, it scans a given area, interprets and displays gathered data and records all findings to isolinear chips.

Actually, it doesn't do to much. Once you "turn it on" by clicking the power button, you can switch between three functions and view related animations. Every minute or so, a window pops up with a snide remark like, "The Federation is shocked. The Enterprise actually ferried an alien VIP from one place to another without serious incident." It's even got a snazzy webclip icon.

Sadly, there are no sounds to accompany the visuals. It might not offer much more than a little entertainment, but one thing is certain ... it will definitely help you pick up chicks.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

The Warp Speed Calculator widget isn't useful at all, unless you happen to be a captain of a Starfleet vessel, but I'm OK with that. As you might expect this simple widget calculates how fast, in km/s, a particular Warp Factor is (from Star Trek: The Next Generation). I can also calculate how long it'll take you to travel distances based on your Warp Factor.

Who doesn't need to know this stuff from time to time?

What is it with Star Trek and iTunes? Last week, Voyager was unceremoniously beamed out of the US store. Today, it's back with a revised price of $28.99US for the 15-episodes of Season one [iTunes link].

This isn't the first time we've seen Trek disappear from the ITS, only to reappear a short time later. There's only one explanation, of course: a temporal anomaly. They're always experiencing temporal anomalies.

Thanks, Nate!

What is it with the iTunes Store and Star Trek? I blogged a few days ago that the first season of Star Trek Voyager was available for purchase via the iTunes Store. We then got a report that the episodes were 'abridged,' though I can't verify that for myself. Now, Voyager is no where to be seen on the iTunes Store. Keep in mind this isn't the first time Star Trek has disappeared from iTunes, only to warp back onto it at a later date.

Here's hoping Capt. Janeway can get her crew and ship out of whatever calamity has made them go missing.

First, the original Star Trek debuted in the iTunes Store, then the TV series (not movies) was pulled for some odd reason. Then the shows returned, but now we have a dedicated Star Trek section that's been beefed up with podcasts, music (soundtracks, really), audiobooks and more. Now all we need TNG and Farscape, and the iTS's Sci-Fi section will be complete.

In the TV Show comedy aisle, however, another classic has been added: American Dad, beginning with a season pass for Season 2 (1, strangely, is nowhere to be found) at $37.99. Now all we need is Family Guy and I might very well be able to cancel my Comcast cable service.

Back in January, episodes of the original Star Trek TV series were added to the US iTunes store. Then they disappeared, and now they're back again - two times over.

Specifically, the original first season [iTunes link], is listed separately from the digitally enhanced episodes from the same season [iTunes link]. We'd like to say that the former is for purists, and the latter for the more adventurous among us, but iTunes customers have left comments stating that both collections feature enhanced episodes.

It's more confusing than The Menagerie.

Anyway, if you're a fan of TOS (and who isn't, really?), go and pick this up.

Here's something strange: it seems that all Star Trek TV shows have been pulled from the iTunes Store (US). Apple Gazette identified the omission this morning, and darned if we can find them. The movies are still in place, however.

Anyway, they're gone... maybe caught in a Tholian web.

I have no qualms about the fact that I am a grade A geek. All the signs are there: I work in IT, I write about Apple, and I love Star Trek. The latest member of the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek Enterprise, is now available in the iTunes Store (you might know ST Enterprise as, 'That one with that guy from Quantum Leap'). At the moment only the first season is available, but I am sure the rest of the show's seasons will show up (I'm looking forward to the last season which is when the show actually became pretty OK).

Episodes are priced at the standard $1.99 and you can get the entire season for $48.99, which isn't a bad price considering the DVD box set of the first season is going for $112 on Amazon (though, to be fair the DVD set includes some special features).

Here's hoping Deep Space 9 shows up on iTunes soon.

These are the voyages of the Starship iTunes. As part of Apple's continuing mission to rule to known universe of downloadable TV shows, season one of the original iconic scifi television series Star Trek (affectionately known as TOS to Trekkers) has just been added to the iTunes store. So now for only $1.99 per episode (or $56.99 for all of season one), you can take Kirk, Spock, and McCoy with you on your iPod wherever you go.

Unfortunately, casual inspection of some of the preview clips seems to show inconsistent quality (i.e. some of the shows seem to be from the digitally remastered bunch that CBS is slowly releasing and others not). Now if only my iPod would make the communicator bleepy-da-bleep noise when I turn it on to watch Trek all would be golden.

I don't want to add fire to the Postal Service/Apple Intel ad controversy, but a keen eyed observer notes that the Postal Service video is a ripoff of a scene in Star Trek: First Contact, therefore Apple isn't just ripping off a rock and roll band but a cultural icon.

Now, before you firing your commenting fingers please note that this is a joke, and an attempt to point out how ridiculous this whole issue has gotten. Now you make feel free to flame me all you like.