Official movie tie-in apps are a dime-a-dozen these days, with every film studio looking to every avenue possible to promote their multi-million-dollar blockbusters. The latest is for the upcoming Star Trek Into Darkness, which while not due in theaters until May of this year, has launched an app that attempts to draw you deeper into the the J.J. Abrams Star Trek universe. Or at least the promotions for the film.
To boot, Star Trek App, as it's listed in the App Store, exists for you to scan released promotional photos and the audio of the two already released trailers. Scanning these things gets you points (typically 20 points per scan), which total up to slowly move you up a ranks and rewards chain. Right now there aren't a ton of available options for things you can scan - mostly it's promotional images from Empire magazine - so getting high up the rank chain isn't going to happen quickly. Presumably there will be more items to scan in the coming months, but for now you're going to top off as a Petty Officer with a bunch of available-all-over-the-internet pictures. Supposedly there will be more videos, images, and wallpapers to come, but for now it's pretty sparse.
While most of the scannable things are available online, there are a few that aren't. For one, you can get twenty points by visiting the future home of Starfleet Academy and loading up the app. I for one, am not about to make the thousands-of-miles trek out to San Francisco's Presidio for a measly twenty points. While many of us may never be able to get the geolocation points, anybody watching the Super Bowl The Big Game tomorrow will be able to to scan the commercial airing during the second quarter for exclusive in-app content.
Suspiciously (and somewhat disappointingly) absent from the app: J.J. Abrams's signature lens flares. At least it's notably better - or at least more aware of what it's supposed to be - than some other official Star Trek apps available in the App Store.
- Free for iPhone - Download Now
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

Monster Hunter retrospective: From local hit to worldwide phenomenon
Do you want to know how the Monster Hunter series came to be? The series has been on a wild journey since it debuted in 2004, and we've got it right here.

Review: The original Apple Pencil still offers an amazing iPad experience
The Apple Pencil (first-generation) may be ancient when it comes to technology, but the experience it offers feels brand new and exciting if you're diving into the world of Apple Pencil for the first time.

The Apple Watch has had quite an impact, and it's literally life changing
While Apple has come out with plenty of great devices over the years, none are quite as life changing as the Apple Watch.

Great video editing software for your Mac
You don't need to buy expensive video-editing software to get the job done. Here are some of the hottest video-editing software for Mac on the market today.