Most gadget hounds have probably heard of the godfather of technology journalists, Walter Mossberg. Mossberg pens one of the most popular technology columns on the planet for The Wall Street Journal. If you have ever wondered why exactly it is that Mossberg is the first to get his hands on many products in the tech industry, a new study has your answer.

Joseph Johnson from the University of Miami School of Business Administration has conducted a study that looked at the economic impact Mossberg’s product reviews have on the company that builds a given product.

At NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program Spring 2008 show, graduate students were exhibiting some interesting and unusual projects. Like Oscar G. Torres’s Helios Power Tree, for instance. The leaves are constructed from thin solar cells that are all connected to a battery at the tree’s base from the branches and trunk. The battery uses solar power to charge and powers blue lights around the tree. There are USB outlets on the base.

The idea is that the tree would sit in a public space so that people can use the solar energy that it collects to charge any of their USB-powered gadgets. Money may not grow on trees, same with gadgets, but it turns out that juice to power those gadgets can grow on trees.

Pssst. Hey. You. The guy with all the gadgets and the huge gut. Put down the comic book and the PSP, give me a sec. Wanna charge your gadgets and get some exercise at the same time? Maybe get a girl? Check this out.

This pedal-charging device from Japan is like a Power Stepper but even better. Apparently, it will produce enough electricity to power mobile phones, media players, or any number of other gadgets. Just don’t tell anyone you have it, otherwise you will be charging stuff like a hamster in it’s wheel.

Here’s a look at some gadgets and gear that would be right at home in Batman’s world. It isn’t easy fighting crime, you need every gadget and tool at your disposal. This is just a look at a few things that might make life as Bruce Wayne easier.

Who doesn’t love the Star Trek phaser in any of it’s forms? This one may not be the version that shoots real dangerous light, but if you take this baby with you to a convention and point it at another trekkie, you’ve got some great geek on geek action happening.

Of course, this phaser uses light and sounds to create a real weapon like feel. It’s a full scale reproduction model of the original Star Trek prop, with the original 2-in-1 design with detachable mini hand phaser. It shouldn’t be any tribble at all to pick one up for $27.99. Just remember to always keep it on the stun setting. Safety first.

Like many Sci-Fi novels shows and movies, Star Trek showed us futuristic gadgets that at the time were complete Science fiction, but soon came to be a reality. Here’s a list of such technology, in no particular order.

These might be new to you if you have always been far to enamored with the women of Star Trek to notice the tech and gadgets. I don’t blame you, from Yeoman Rand to Tasha Yar, to Beverly Crusher and beyond, there’s some hot babes gallivanting around in the final frontier. Before we get so easily sidetracked, back to the theme. Star Trek gadgets and tech. Some you can own, some are in the works and some are just strange.

Does this photograph really prove that we are not alone in the universe? The internet has been buzzing about this photo beamed back from Mars. It may be just an odd shaped rock.

But I can’t help feeling like we are missing something obvious here…Hmmm.