Dream Cheeky has put out an officially licensed Star Trek communicator that connects to your PC via USB and works like a phone. It is compatible with applications such as Skype, MSN, AIM, and iChat. Also, as it is basically a microphone and handset speaker, it should be compatible with nearly any application that uses either. Thinkgeek.com has videos of it in action. (In a fairly funny way.)

According to Dream Cheeky it is an exact replica and plays 21 authentic sounds that can be heard on both sides. (Hopefully this can be changed.) It works on both Windows (XP, Vist) and Mac. (10.5+)

In a future iteration they should consider making the communicator wireless. There are any number of technologies that could be utilized. (Bluetooth, wifi, wireless USB, etc) The Bluetooth option is perhaps the most attractive as then it could be used as a hands free speaker for your cell phone.

It currently sells for $39.99 at various online retailers.

Look for our review in the coming weeks.