Christie's Star Trek Auction

Stodgy auction house Christie's is going where no auction house has gone before, serving up 40 years of Star Trek memorabilia for bid October 5-7. The auction includes costumes, props, model ships and weapons from all of the "Star Trek" television series and films. There are a variety of prized items such as a Starfleet uniform worn by Captain Kirk in "Star Trek" The Wrath of Khan" and one worn by Captain Picard in "Star Trek" The Next Generation." Insignia, scripts, and all sorts of alien props are on the list. The Star Trek Enterprise shown here is a model from "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" which is estimated to sell for $15,000 to $25,000. Well aware of the buying power of the fans, Christie's has created a two-volume catalog for $90 and a box set for $500. Oh how I hope people show up at Christie's wearing Spock ears.

The collection will be touring around this summer and will appear at the San Diego Comic-Con, July 20-23, and a "Star Trek" convention in Los Angeles, Aug. 17-20 as well as other locations.

Chefs Remote Thermometer

The Chefs Remote Thermometer works in much the same way as a baby monitor, allowing you to keep track of what is happening in another room without having to be there. The transmitter base has a meat thermometer attached to it. The receiver has a range of 100-ft. and receives remote temperature updates from the thermometer. An audible alert lets you know when your meat reaches the appropriated level of doneness, with preset levels from rare to well done and custom levels that you can set yourself. This frees up the chef to work on the rest of the meal or watch the big game on TV while the main course is cooking without having to get up and check on it. The thermometer works both indoors and outdoors. Price: $49.95.