NEW STAR TREK MODELS AND BOOKS COMING FROM MASTER REPLICAS

There has been a gap in the availability of cool displayable models of Star Trek spaceships since Eaglemoss, a manufacturer of licensed collectibles for a number of sci-fi brands, went out of business a few years ago; but Trekkies can now look forward to the upcoming Star Trek Starships Library being produced by Master Replicas for some great new offerings. Launching this summer, with preorders available now, Master Replicas, under license from Paramount Consumer Products, will be producing a new series of reference books and 4” to 5” long model ships.

Master Replicas Star Trek Library will provide collectors with in-depth reference to some of the most historic Star Trek ships while offering them the opportunity to hold the models in their hands. The palm-sized models will be made of a combination of die-cast metal and ABS resin and will measure between 4” and 5” long. They have been made with careful reference to the original visual effects models featured on the shows and movies and then carefully painted to be as accurate as possible. 

Each model comes with a specially designed stand that can be combined with the book to create a display.The books will cover each ship in detail with annotated plan views of the exterior, an in-universe service history, a behind-the-scenes account of the ship’s appearances in the Star Trek franchise, and information about how and why it was created with new interviews with the creators.

The first three books and models being released in July 2025 are: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds) U.S.S. Cerritos (Star Trek: Lower Decks) U.S.S. Enterprise (Kelvin Timeline). New ships and books are expected to be released each quarter by Master Replicas. 

ALIEN INVASION COMING TO HULU

The next chapter in the ALIEN saga is blasting off at movie theaters on August 16 with the release of ALIEN: ROMULUS. Space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life-form in the universe while scavenging a derelict space station in this sci-fi flick. Before heading to see this movie on the big screen catch up on all the previous action in the ALIEN science fiction franchise by binge watching "Alien," "Aliens," "Alien 3," "Alien Resurrection," "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant" which are all now streaming on Hulu. Also Hulu will be streaming the featurette "Alien: Romulus Special Look" starting August 16. Enjoy an ALIEN movie marathon this month!

ALIEN (1979) In deep space, the crew of the commercial starship Nostromo is awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate a distress call from an alien vessel. The terror begins when the crew encounters a nest of eggs inside the alien ship. An organism from inside an egg leaps out and attaches itself to one of the crew, causing him to fall into a coma.

ALIENS (1986) After floating in space for 57 years, Lt. Ripley's (Sigourney Weaver) shuttle is found by a deep space salvage team. Upon arriving at LV-426, the marines find only one survivor, a nine year old girl named Newt (Carrie Henn). But even these battle-hardened marines with all the latest weaponry are no match for the hundreds of aliens that have invaded the colony.

ALIEN RESURRECTION (1997) The saga continues 200 years after Ripley sacrificed herself for the sake of humanity. Her erstwhile employers long gone, this time it is the military that resurrects the one-woman killing machine through genetic cloning to extract the alien from within her, but during the process her DNA is fused with the queen and then the aliens escape. Now Ripley must decide where her allegiance lies.

ALIEN 3 (2011) Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is the only survivor when she crash lands on Fiorina 161, a bleak wasteland inhabited by former inmates of the planet's maximum security prison. Once again, Ripley must face skepticism and the alien as it hunts down the prisoners and guards. Without weapons or modern technology of any kind, Ripley leads the men into battle against the terrifying creature.

PROMETHEUS (2012) The discovery of a clue to mankind's origins on Earth leads a team of explorers to the darkest parts of the universe. Two brilliant young scientists lead the expedition. Shaw (Noomi Rapace) hopes that they will meet a race of benevolent, godlike beings who will in some way verify her religious beliefs, while Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) is out to debunk any spiritual notions. However, neither the scientists nor their shipmates are prepared for the unimaginable terrors that await them.

ALIEN: COVENANT (2017) Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, members (Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup) of the colony ship Covenant discover what they think to be an uncharted paradise. While there, they meet David (Michael Fassbender), the synthetic survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition. The mysterious world soon turns dark and dangerous when a hostile alien life-form forces the crew into a deadly fight for survival.

HOOK WATCH ALONG TWITTER PARTY

Join in as families across America watch Steven Spielberg's adaption of Peter Pan, HOOK, during a SONY WATCH ALONG TWITTER PARTY. Stream the movie, now available in 4K Ultra HD, on digital services including Amazon, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu starting at 5pm PST/ 8pm EST on Friday, April 10, 2020.

During the movie @SonyPictures, @Nerdist & this dad blogger's Twitter account @Geekdad248 will be live tweeting. We'll also be joined by special guest @DanteBasco who played Rufio in the movie. Dante Basco will be sharing insider behind-the-scenes details and secrets about the filming of HOOK. Use the hashtag #NerdistFromHome. Hope you'll join in the fun!

Originally released in 1991, HOOK is a high-flying adventure starring Robin Williams as a grown-up Peter Pan and Dustin Hoffman as the infamous Captain Hook. Joining in the fairy tale is Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell, Bob Hoskins as the pirate Smee, and Maggie Smith as Granny Wendy Darling, who must convince the middle-aged lawyer, Peter Banning, that he was once the legendary Peter Pan. And so the adventure begins anew, with Peter off to Neverland to save his two children from Captain Hook. Along the way, he rediscovers the power of imagination, of friendship, and of magic. A classic tale to entertain children of all ages, HOOK was nominated for five  Academy Awards® including best visual effects.

In addition to being available via Digital, HOOK is now out too on a 4K Ultra HD disc from Best Buy. If you purchase it from this affiliate link ageekdaddy.com will receive a small commission at no additional expense to you. Thanks for your support of this dad blogger!



Don't be a lost boy if you participate in this SONY WATCH ALONG TWITTER PARTY, give @Geekdad248 a shout out and say Hi! Hoping to chat with you while having some family movie night fun with Nerdist and Sony Pictures on April 10.

STAR TREK DIGITAL DECORATIONS

Sci-Fi fans can add some special effects magic to provide a Star Trek theme to special occasions thanks to AtmosFX. A new licensing partnership with CBS Consumer Products has allowed AtmosFX which specializes in providing consumers with easy to use digital decorations to create a fantastic collection of Star Trek special effects. Beam in your favorite Star Trek characters to make guests at your party or event starry eyed.

"The Star Trek: Beam Me Up Digital Decorations allow fans to go where no one has gone before and feature the images and voices of their favorite Star Trek characters as digital projections that beam into their parties and special events,” AtmosFX Co-Founder, Pete Reichert communicated to ageekdaddy.com. “In addition to their favorite characters, these decorations include multiple backgrounds and transporter effects that, when combined with a projector, will allow one, three, or even five fans to pretend they are being beamed in or out by a transporter like the ones used on Star Trek spacecraft. This adds a whole new level of interaction when it comes to enjoying digital decorations."



The collection features seven decorations displayable on a TV or monitor, or on windows and walls using a projector. Decorations are also available in AtmosFX’s Hollusion™ mode which, when used with Hollusion Projection Material, creates the illusion of holographic projections of your favorite Star Trek characters in thin air. In addition, the collection comes with a variety of transporter effects that let people immerse themselves in a Ster Trek experience.

Star Trek characters and backgrounds available as digital decorations are based upon the original series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, and Discovery as well as the movie Star Trek II: Wrath of Kahn. This Star Trek: Beam Me Up AtmosFX Digital Decoration collection is available as a high-definition digital download exclusively at atmosfx.com/collections/decorations/products/star-trek-beam-me-up. Anyone planning a Star Trek party needs to check this out!

AtmosFX was founded in 2007 by Reichert, a former MTV producer, and Pete Williams, an animator, and TV show creator. They wanted to provide everyone the chance to have fun with digital special effects similar to the high-end video installations they’d produced for amusement parks and museums. From decorating homes for Halloween to helping make science fictions events at schools, libraries and community centers stellar, people are sure to be wowed when they see AtmosFX Star Trek: Beam Me Up Digital Decorations.

FIRST SWIM FORCE SWIMMING MEET

My daughter just competed in her first SWIM FORCE swimming meet!  Kids who have graduated out of Goldfish Swim School's tier of lessons can be a part of this program that introduces them to friendly competition and the athletic aspect of swimming. Swim Force members meet for an hour each week to be coached on perfecting their strokes and becoming faster swimmers in the pool.  Then there are quarterly SWIM FORCE swimming meets throughout the year where the kids can choose which events they want to compete in.

There is an informal atmosphere to these meets where the kids are dressed casually not wearing swim caps or hydrodynamic swimsuits; sit together as a group cheering on other swimmers when they aren't in the pool themselves; and setting personal time records is emphasized over winning races.  To keep things light hearted the meet ends with a relay race where swimmers must wear a Goldfish Swim School t-shirt over their swimsuit and pass it on to other team members to put on as they swim their length of the race.  These quarterly meets introduce kids to the FUN-damentals of competitive swimming with a focus on making sure everyone is having a fun experience.

It has only been a few weeks since my daughter moved up from swimming lessons to join the Swim Force; but she was gung-ho to participate right away in her first swimming meet.  She signed up to compete in her best stroke, the backstroke, and her favorite one, the butterfly, during the Swim Force swimming meet. Of course she joined in the t-shirt relay race too because it sounded like too good of a time to miss out on when her coaches described the event to her.

Goldfish Swim School tries to keep the races evenly matched with girls vs girls and boys vs boys plus kids are assigned heats where they compete against equivalently skilled swimmers. Still competing in front of other kids as well as an audience of their families can still be daunting and I could see my daughter was a bit nervous before the meet. You couldn't tell though once the Swim Force swimming meet began.  She did really well!

After the swimming wrapped up it was time for a snack. PIZZA for everyone! My daughter refueled enjoying pizza slices and Rice Krispies provided by Goldfish Swim School while laughing and chatting with new found friends she had made since joining the Swim Force. It was a fun, memorable night for the whole family and my little mermaid is already looking forward to swimming in the next Swim Force swimming meet at Goldfish Swim School.

There was a big smile on her face after swimming in her first Goldfish Swim School Swim Force swimming meet. Three events → three 2nd place ribbons. A nice introduction to competitive swimming! She really had a great time during her first ever swimming meet.

For more information about Goldfish Swim School swimming lessons and its Swim Force program, head over to goldfishswimschool.com

A Geek Daddy is a Goldfish Swim School brand ambassador. In exchange for providing publicity through this blog and its social media outlets, I receive free products and services from Goldfish Swim School. Opinions expresses are always honest and my own.

JUMP IN THE PUDDLES

You have to admit there are few things as fun as jumping in the puddles as a kid. So I have to say that is a great theme for the newest album from the award-winning children's edutainment band, Steve Elci & Friends. Their album Jump in the Puddles conveys the joyful enthusiasm of playing in the rain.  Steve Elci & Friends will definitely be making a big splash when it comes to continuing to entertaining families with their kidcentric style of American Roots music when Jump in the Puddles is released on July 13, 2013.

Reinforcing ideas of the simple pleasures of life, Jump in the Puddles weaves a musical fabric that includes varicolored threads spun from a fine sampling of Americana -- '60s music, 12-bar blues, country, and more -- in performances of exceptionally high quality by singers and players who display a thorough understanding of the medium and a total mastery of their art, produced by a team that knows how to deliver a great sound.

This is an album sure to bring kids and parents together for a bit of singing, dancing, clapping, and, of course, jumping! Jump in the Puddles kicks off with the album's title track, making splendid use of the 12-bar blues, complete with all the earmarks of this original American musical form. Next up is "Teddy Bear," a track that revels in the sound and spirit of early rock 'n' roll. This is real American roots music enhanced by an expanded palette of instrumental color and solid choral back-up, almost a musical glossary of treasured sounds from the '60s. "Supersonic" could be described as an American roots tip-of-the-hat to Cole Porter's "You're the Top," redolently filled with an unabashed sense of pure joy.

Because of all the wonderful memories I have as a dad of my kids enjoying themselves playing in puddles this album really hit home with me and I appreciate the Roots vibe of its performances. In addition to giving Steve Elci & Friends' Jump in the Puddles a plug, A Geek Daddy also has a CD to giveaway.  For a chance to win just follow my Twitter account (@Geekdad248) and retweet the embedded tweet below by Fathers Day, Sunday, June 17, 2018 at 11:59 pm ET.  I'll randomly select one lucky winner from all eligible entries.

Follow @Geekdad248 + retweet before June 18, 2018 for a chance to win the newest CD ("Jump in the Puddles") from award-winning children's edutainment band @SteveElci & Friends pic.twitter.com/ILFaEEUZG3

— A Geek Daddy (@GeekDad248) June 5, 2018

Jump in the Puddles will be available at iTunes, CDBaby, and at Steve Elci & Friends' live shows. For more information about the band visit steveelciandfriends.com

RULES & DISCLAIMER:  Must be a U.S. resident over 18 years old, follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet the original giveaway message posted on Twitter to be eligible for this giveaway promotion.  The selected winner must reply back providing contact information for mailing the prize within 48 hours of being notified of their selection or the prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner selected.  A Geek Daddy has not been compensated for its endorsement of the musical artist and hosting the contest. This giveaway is being sponsored by A Geek Daddy as a fan of Steve Elci & Friends and as a special benefit to my website readers. Elci's publicist will be responsible for delivery of the prize. By participating in this giveaway, participants waive any liability to the publisher of this website for hosting the contest.

HEXBUG nano SPACE COSMIC COMMAND

Imagine out of this world adventures with the nano SPACE COSMIC COMMAND playset from HEXBUG.  This fun playset that was a finalist for the 2018 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards combines three of my son's favorite things ... bugs, robots and outer space.  Blast off to adventure with the nano SPACE COSMIC COMMAND which includes a space station, explorer rover and rocket ship along with a pair of robotic nano HEXBUGS.

HEXBUG nanos are tiny, collectible, robotic creatures that use the physics of vibration to propel themselves.  Powered by a tiny motor and 12 fixed, angular legs these critters traverse about the environment around them.  Watch as they explore the maze-like layout of the SPACE COSMIC COMMAND buildings.



Features of the SPACE COSMIC COMMAND  include air lock tunnels, an elevator, gravity trainer, communications and scanning dish, along with an ion cannon.  This playset isn't just for watching nanos explore it but also to get kids engaging in imaginative play.  Pretend a nano is getting accustomed to the stresses of rocketing into outer space by spinning it around in the gravity trainer. Protect the base from invaders with the ion cannon.  Explore alien environments by entering and exiting the space station through its air locks.

There are also a number of accessories that come with the playset that compliment the space station.  Snap on one of the included space suits to a nano to give it an astronaut looking appearance.  Put a nano underneath one of the explorer rovers that can be customized with snap-on parts for a variety of different looks to have the creature drive the vehicle across the ground.  Pretend to fly the rocket ship with a nano placed inside the cockpit.

Designed to spark kids' interest in the science behind space exploration, HEXBUG nano SPACE COSMIC COMMAND provides hours of entertaining playtime that promote an interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) topics while children are having fun.  My son has been having a great time playing with the nanos and all the accessories, structures and vehicles that are included in this playset.  This toy has captured his interest and imagination so the HEXBUG nano SPACE COSMIC COMMAND playset has earned A GEEK DADDY nod of approval.

GIVEAWAY

To share my future astronauts enjoyment with this playset, A GEEK DADDY is giving a HEXBUG nano SPACE COSMIC COMMAND to one lucky winner.  It has a suggested retail price of approximately $50.00 and is recommend for children ages 3 and up. Batteries for the nano toys are included. Who wants it?!

Just complete the rafflecopter entries below before 11:59 pm ET on Friday, May 11, 2018 for a chance to be our randomly selected winner.  Must be a United States resident over 18 years old to be eligible for the prize and yes we do check to verify that you actually completed the actions requested in the rafflecopter form.  Must reply to notification of winning the prize within 48 hours to accept it or another entrant will be selected. Good luck to all our entrants!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
For more information about nanos and their playsets, head over to hexbug.com

ROCKET

Rocket your preschooler off to bedtime with this great book created by Mike Vago and illustrated by Matt Rockefeller from Workman Publishing. ROCKET: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAGES has kids soar, sail and swoop a three-dimensional plastic spacecraft through the pages of the book as it explores our solar system.  This toy rocket never leaves the book as it moves over and through pages soaring up from its launching pad and flying past asteroids, comets, moons, planets and more.

Kudos to Rockefeller for filling the book with eye catching views that parents will appreciate as much as kids. The book highlights just how bright and colorful outer space can be through its wonderful illustrations.  The included space ship, that for me brought back childhood memories of the USS Swinetrek from The Muppet Show's "Pigs in Space" segments, provides an enticing interactive element that children are sure to have fun with.  Vago's rhythmic verse that navigates readers through their solar system adventure is a nice way to lull kids to sleep.  A great bedtime story for parents to read to their future astronauts before everyone goes nighty night.

For its originality and impressive imagery, ROCKET: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAGES gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval. This 14-page picture book is recommended for preschool through 3rd grade aged children.  It is available through Workman Publishing's website or at Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million retail locations.

5 SURPRISE

My kids had a fun time trying out one of Zuru Toys' newest releases called 5 SURPRISE which is a ball that can be broken open to reveal five goodies hidden inside. There are two colors of these palm sized balls to choose from (pink or blue) and combined more than 300 items between them to possibly discover inside.  The surprise factor, fun goodies, and convenient size of the toy bundles make them great gifts for Easter baskets and Christmas stocking stuffers as well as useful for amusing kids while traveling or distracting them while out and about doing errands.

Kids just dig into their 5 SURPRISE ball to see what is inside.  Pop off a tab and peel it open as the ball splits into five sections each with its own surprise hidden inside.  Both style of balls have their own 150 unique goodies to possibly find.  Among the things you can possibly find inside a blue ball are army men, key pens, a pack of slime, miniature skateboards, race cars, stickers, water balloons and zombie dogs.  The pink balls include color changing mermaid dolls, cute pet mini-figures, dress up princesses, butterfly rings, glitter glue pens, hair clips and silly bandz, among other things.  Each 5 SURPRISE bundle also includes a collectors guide which shows the 150 surprises that can be found in each color of ball.

So what did my kids pull out of their 5 SURPRISE balls?  My son pulled out a bag of slime, a sticky octopus that will crawl down a wall it is tossed against, a plastic shark, miniature ninja figure and some stickers.  There was a lot of tossing that octopus around the room!

My daughter discovered a butterfly hair tie, small journal writing pen, an ink stamp with a strawberry image, mermaid mini-figure, and a highlighter that looked like a popsicle.  I noticed her the other day working on some homework with her 5 SURPRISE pen and popsicle highlighter while wearing a ponytail using the butterfly hair band so she's been getting some good use out of her discoveries.

5 SURPRISE put smiles on both my twins faces and they enjoyed the mystery of opening up these toy bundles and finding a variety of little treats inside that they've gotten enjoyment out of.  So 5 SURPRISE has earned A Geek Daddy nod of approval.  For more information, head over to 5surprise.zuru.com

MorfBoard Twitter Party

Woot!!! Woot!!! Remember the hashtag #MorfBoard and slide over to Twitter at 11 am E.T. on Friday, March 9, 2018 for a party sponsored by Jakks Pacific showcasing an innovative skate, scoot, bounce and balance system that is sure to thrill kids ages 8 and up with an entirely new play experience.  The Toy Insider #MorfBoard Twitter Party will highlight all the fun aspects of this skateboard / scooter combo designed to make it comfortable to get into riding as well as easy to learn stunts and tricks.  Plus there will be five great MorfBoard prize giveaways throughout the hour long Twitter party.

As part of The Toy Insider's Parents Panel, A Geek Daddy is co-hosting this PARTY so make sure to follow our blog's Twitter account ( @Geekdad248 ) along with @TheToyInsider and @JakksToys while using the hashtag #MorfBoard to reply to questions and join in the conversation during the hour for a chance to win prizes. You also need to complete The Toy Insider RSVP form to be considered for prizes and eligible to win.  Get that filled out and submitted before or during the #MorfBoard Twitter Party for a chance to win.



Jakks Pacific's MorfBoard Skate/Scoot Combination is a ride-on recommended for kids ages 8 & up that uses Lock & Release Technology so kids can transform their ride from a skateboard to a scooter in seconds.  With additional Xtensions available for purchase (sold separately), there's always a new way to play.  For more details about MorfBoard, check out The Toy Insider's product review.

Four lucky winners will receive a MorfBoard Skate/Scoot Combination and one grand prize winner will get the entire set -- a Morfboard Skate/Scoot Combination AND Balance and Bounce Xtensions. Must RSVP and participate during the #MorfBoard Twitter Party for a chance to win.  Prizes limited to United States residents only.

Hope to see you at the party! Give @Geekdad248 a shout out if you join in the fun!

TRAVELING DAD 2017 RETROSPECTIVE

As 2018 begins, I wanted to take a look back at my first year contributing feature articles for the Traveling Dad website.  Branching out from ageekdaddy.com, I started collaborating with other dads sharing parent focused travel tips and family vacation experiences on travelingdad.com last year.  Looking at 2017 in retrospective, a lot of my posts for #TDAD revolve around family-friendly destinations in Michigan but also covered spots like the War World I Museum in Kansas City, the High Line in New York City, the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Universal Orlando Resort and Santa Claus' house in Alaska.  I also wrote some posts on informational topics like having fun bird watching with kids and tips for participating in cosplay events.

Here are some of my favorite Traveling Dad contributions from 2017:

DETROIT HOLIDAY STAYCATION

Read about my family's experience staying at the historic Double Tree Suites Fort Shelby Hotel and going to see the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade as a holiday staycation.

EXPLORE MICHIGAN'S WILD SIDE AT THE EDDY DISCOVERY CENTER

Visit the nature center at one of my family's favorite Michigan state parks in this Traveling Dad post.

A HIKE ALONG THE TEMBO TRAIL

Join my family for a trek at the Toledo Zoo as we encounter close up views of elephants, hippos and rhinos.

MICHIGAN SEA LIFE AQUARIUM

Did you know that sharks live in Michigan?  You'll find them at the Michigan Sea Life Aquarium.

Read these and other travel related pieces by myself and others at travelingdad.com regarding categories such as Disney theme park & cruise info, domestic destinations, international trips, credit card points and rewards plus dad travel 101 tips.  Additionally, I'll be posting more travel themed posts on ageekdaddy.com as well tagging mentions to them on social media using the #TDAD hashtag to go along with my Traveling Dad contributions.  Now a year is under my belt, I have a better feel for writing content for travelingdad.com and am excited about getting into a Traveling Dad groove for 2018.  Stay tuned for what hopefully will be a year filled with a lot of amazing family travel experiences that this Traveling Dad is looking forward to sharing with you.