One of the most popular episodes of the original series came in the second season and was titled The Doomsday Machine. The episode was written by Norman Spinrad. Apparently, Spinrad also wrote a second episode, which was so badly butchered by a line producer during rewrites, Spinrad had his own script killed by the big man Gene Roddenberry. That script was called He Walked Among Us and was meant to be a dramatic episode featuring none other than Milton Berle.

That dastardly line producer rewrote the episode as a comedy and it was apparently packed with epic suck. Spinrad says when he read the script with all its revisions he told Roddenberry it was a horrible episode. Roddenberry agreed and the episode was never filmed in either the revised or original versions. At some point that original script was lost and remained so for 45 years.

Recently, a fan returned a copy of the original manuscript to Spinrad and he has now published it is an e-book. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but early reviews are very positive. Kindle users can grab the 189-page script over on Amazon for $9 (USD). It’s also available for NOOK users in ePub format over at Barnes & Noble.

[via Star Trek via Forbes]

The GoPad was made to allow you to use your tablet like a sort of digital clipboard. The strap goes around your neck and the articulated stand allows you to place your tablet into the optimal position to get stuff done. It also works as a stand for your tablet when you’re not wearing it, and can hang it over your shoulder like a laptop bag, too.

The GoPad sells for $89(USD) from their website. It’s available in versions for the iPad 2, Samsung Galaxy, RIM PlayBook, Samsung Galaxy, Kindle Fire, and Motorola Xoom. For some reason, I can also see dads and grandpas using this and being quite happy about it.

[via Ubergizmo]

Its makers state that with the cover in place and a reasonable amount of sunlight, you’ll be able to use your Kindle for three months straight before needing a regular recharge. The SolarKindle cover also comes with an LED lamp, to allow you late night reading. The lamp will be juiced up for 50 hours of continuous use.

The cover can also be recharged via USB, so it doubles as conventional battery in case there isn’t much sun around. Thanks to the Kindle’s minimal power requirements, an hour under the sun translates to 3 days of reading. The SolarKindle cover will retail for $79.99 when it’s launched.

I have to say that these TARDIS skin covers look pretty awesome and will make your device stand out from the crowd. In addition to the Kindle and Kindle Fire, and Nook can also make your iPhone4/4S or iPad 2 look like the familiar blue police call box.

These skin covers were created by Etsy seller stickitskins and they’ve got a number of other cool designs as well. I like how colorful most of their options are. Stickitskins’ designs are available in a variety of different sizes for all sorts of devices. Prices vary from $7.95 to $19.95 (USD).

[via Digitalyn]

If you bought one of those ad-subsidized Kindles – and now regret it – there is hope for you. Amazon is offering a way that you can ditch those ads and it’s as easy as coughing up that extra fee you saved buying this tablet in the first place. You simply go into the Manage Your Kindle page and unsubscribe from the ads there.

You can kill the ads right now if you want. I would not have been surprised if Amazon had asked for a premium to remove the ads as a punishment, so it’s good to see that all you have to do is pay the difference between the subsidized and the price of the normal reader at any time.

The device runs a customized Android OS and will be reportedly be released in either October or November for about $250 (USD).  Siegler reports that the tablet looks a lot like the BlackBerry PlayBook. It has the same form factor and has a 7-inch capacitive (backlit LCD) screen, which handles up to 2 touch inputs, not 10 like the iPad 2. The OS has been tweaked to have a lot of blue and orange on the interface, and the main welcome screen will resemble a sort of cover flow to access your books, apps, movies, and music. You can also dock your favorite items at the bottom of the screen. There will be no Android Market (and no Google apps). Instead, Amazon will include its Appstore.

It’s supposedly running on a single-core processor, though there are rumors that the 10-inch tablet which will be released next year will use a dual-core processor. The initial version will have only 6GB of internal storage and it will be released as a Wi-Fi-only model, at least for now – with 3G on the horizon.

[via TechCrunch]

Amazon has now announced that the Kindle can now stream Audible audio books (with human, not robot voices) over WiFi. You can also connect the Kindle to your computer and download the audio books to the eReader for listening on the go away from WiFi. It appears that the books will not stream over the free 3G connectivity that the 3G models have at this point.

It’s also not clear from the official post if this requires a firmware update to the Kindle. I would assume that it does since this is a new feature. You can sign up for a free Audible account for 30 days to try the service out.

Aside from its clever name, in my opinion the Kandle looks way better than Amazon’s reading light. Plus its designed to cast a uniform light on the Kindle’s display. Another great advantage of the Kandle is that its compatible not just with the Kindle but with other eBook readers as well. The only downside I can think of with the Kandle is that it’s chubby frame doesn’t go that well with the slim Kindle.

The Kandle is available on Amazon; both the black and white version cost $22 (USD).

[via 7Gadgets]

Kevin Kelly even mentioned this extrapolation to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. His reaction? “He merely smiled and said, “Oh, you noticed that!” And then smiled again.” But it would be stupid to expect Amazon to just give away the product to anyone right? Michael Arrington has a possible answer to that: give the Kindle for free to the people who have already proven themselves to be spenders. And not just spenders, but Amazon spenders –  Amazon Prime members.

That way the Kindle would be like razors or printers – the profit would come from the content. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens this year, but if all this turns out to be true, then Amazon has quite an attractive proposition here. For $79 (USD) a year, Prime members already get free 2-day shipping (no minimum amount required), reduced rates on 1-day shipping, and free streaming of videos via Amazon Instant Video. By next year, Amazon will probably be paying Prime members to take a Kindle. At least that’s what the graph says. Or not.

[via J-Walk Blog & TechCrunch via The Technium via Kottke ]

The Case has a carved wooden base that holds the Kindle and has cut outs to allow all the controls to be accessed. It also appears to have some felt in certain spots to prevent scratches. That wooden holder for the reader is then bound like a real book with a leather cover.

Inside the leather cover is red paper to complete the book look. The Case for Kindle 3 even has a red ribbon bookmark to complete the look and a moleskin strap to keep the case shut. If you like the style you can order one up for $44.99(USD) and it’s set to ship in the next few weeks.

Moleskine includes a handy notebook inside the cover, which is perfect for doodling and taking notes while reading your favorite e-book. The next cases will most probably be for the iPad and iPhone. Moleskine explains on their blog that their design was inspired by all of the Moleskine hacks that have been very popular for all sorts of devices.

Each package includes two reporter Moleskine notebooks, with black flexible covers, rounded corners, as well as blank ivory paper, as well as the Moleskine Kindle cover. They’re available for $40 (USD) on Amazon.

[via NotCot]

In this video, the Kindle plays Super Mario Bros and it’s got no sound, it’s slow, and it’s only available in black and white. On top of that, it’s also buggy and you can’t control Mario all that well, but it’s a start, I suppose.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

This emulation was made possible by KLab, a Tokyo-based company. Tetris and Load Runner are also available.

[via Asiajin via Crunchgear]

This knock-off – from a company called “Wefound” – is a dead ringer for the Kindle 2. From the slim white case to the 6-inch screen, to its nubby little keyboard, the Wefound E-Book reader is sure to raise the hackles of Amazon’s legal team. Other than the fact that the default character set is Chinese, and the square navigation joystick has been replaced with a round one, it looks nearly identical to the Kindle 2. (Although I’m sure under the hood, it’s not).

Just like the Kindle 2, the Wefound claims it will be able to download books over a cellular connection (you need to provide your own SIM card). They plan on releasing their E-Book reader by the end of the year in Japan for about $210 (USD). Me I’d rather plunk down an extra $90 bucks and get the real deal.

[via E-Ink Info]

These handmade Kindle bags from the Borsa Bella marketplace at Etsy are simple, stunning wristlets designed to cradle the e-reader–and to look damn good while doing it. I love the convenience of a wristlet, and these bags have a wide, sturdy strap so you can attach it to anything from another bag to, well, your wrist.

The Kindle bags are available in a variety of fabrics and sizes from Borsa Bella at Etsy for $25.