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Trekkie Communicators Now a Reality
SolFire writes "Forbes is carrying an article about Vocera Communications and their little internal communication system that they have working at their office that functions like the badge communicators from ST:TNG. The employees wear the system as a badge and touch it to start the connection. Then they speak the name of the person they want to talk to and the system connects them using VOIP for one-on-one communication." We mentioned these in 2002.
It's also easy to integrate the system with desktop phones and mobile phones. The database software allows the device to forward its messages to phones and pagers and also can accept calls forwarded from phones.
This would seem to be the next logical step for the Nextel style "walk-talkie" communications. In a few years we will all be taping our shirts to answer our phones, but the only real limiting factor I see here is I cannot really imagine everyone using a cell phone today escentially walking around talking on a speaker phone. It would be so overwhelming that you would hardly be able to carry on a conversation.
It that ends up the case, I'm sure we will all be sitting around telling people how we remember the good old days when you could actually hear yourself think in a public place.
If they could make the whole thing fit into an ear piece, and just use the mini-boom mic that you see on a lot of cell phone head sets now, they would probably spread like wild fire, but all I have to say is I have a hard enough time not losing my cell phone as is.
-Adam C. Greenfield
They should have used a wifi standard. They could have sold to a larger market. Many cities (ie, Verizon in Manhattan) are putting up wifi hot spots. Then you wouldn't be limited to the office. People could also use it around the house if it could patch into the POTS network.
Someone could use it around the house while watching TV to alert the wife that a new cold beer is needed.
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What they've produced is an ugly little box which you keep in your pocket, purse or belt. What they could have had -- for minimal extra investment -- is something that people would be proud to show off. Vocera need to have a conversation with the folk at Apple.
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Does anyone have any idea what these little gizmos cost? Vocera seems to be one of those mysteriously vague businesses who want their "partners" to push "solutions" rather than slapping on a price tag and raking in the bucks.
Dood. It's just a TV show.
p.s. In Plato's Stepchildren, Kirk and Spock figure out how to get telekinetic powers... but they never use them in any later episodes. Why???
You'd think telekinesis would be pretty damn useful, even if you're only using it to get a beer.
I can't even sit at my desk for two minutes straight without a user bothering me for something, even though they've been told time and again that the proper channel for non-emergencies is email (for me, at least). I think that phone calls and unannounced visits are the all-time biggest productivity-busters in existence. I think a communicator-style device would suck. I had a fleet of 70 Nextels for my users originally, but when you can't even escape the direct-connects when you're trying to concentrate, you soon realize how harmful they are to productivity.
I agree that the communicator style won't (or shouldn't, imho) bode well for public communication.
From the hardwired rotary of the past to the 24th century communicator, we're evolving from both sides into something ~almost, but not quite entirely~ like the phones we have today. You're suggesting a small phone with voice dialing almost perfectly.
I remember an Apple Quadra commercial from 1990 or 91 where a little kid says, 'Computer, call Grandma.' The only different thing 14 years later is the form factor.
All joking aside, this could easily be done by storing the audio in a small buffer (say, 5 seconds would be more than enough for "[any conceivable name] to [any conceivable name]"), doing the name detection and connection negotiation, then playing the contents of the buffer to the targeted party before opening two-way communication.
A hard set IP wouldn't work well for roaming.
What you want is an IM-like system. Give each communicator a unique id, and let the central server map id's to IP's as necessary.
this could easily be done by storing the audio in a small buffer....doing the name detection [recognition] and connection negotiation, then playing the contents of the buffer
The original poster implied that there was not even enough pause allowed to play back the message "Data to Worf" to Worf before he answered. Thus, even instantanious name recognition AI would not be enough to match the turnaround in the show.
I suppose the writers could claim that Worf was the default, but then Data would not have to say "Worf". And, if he said another name, then Worf would still hear part of the message, such as "Data to Cap....". Or perhaps there was a certain beep tone if it was from Data so that Worf did not have to hear the whole message "Data to Worf" message to know who it is from.
What am I doing? You sucked me into nerd thinking again. It is a fricken TV show for God sakes. Shame on both of us.
Table-ized A.I.
While your complaint is technically valid, we're supposed to pretend that there is indeed a delay long enough for the message to be repeated to the reciever. If they made it truly realistic every time the comm system was used, there would be too much time being wasted in each episode. In eposodic television, corners have to be cut everywhere to make sure there's time and money for more important parts of the show.
:)
Besides, the comm system is just another one of those little technical inconsistancies that have plagued trek for years. Like the Klingon forhead problem, the Trill spots problem, the numerous time travel paradoxes, and episodes like TOS:Miri or Voy:Threshold that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. It's TV. Cut it some slack.
You're right, I wouldn't steal a car. But if it were possible, I sure as hell would download one!
How quickly would you answer your phone if the ringtone was actually the CEO already talking, and you knew he knew you could hear him?
I bet it'd be a bit quicker. Especially since you could simply tap the device and speak in order to signify you were listening.
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Since the Enterprise(D)'s communication system appears to transmit intra-ship communications including the opening line (usualy), there's only one way it could work.
Obviously the only answer is that the computer must know who you with to speak to before you state their name. Either the computer is far smarter than they give it credit for or it's reading their minds. (This could help explain the universal translator as well.)
This is further supported by the instances in the show when the recipient of a call speaks a short aside to a person they are physicaly talking with before answering the communicator and the computer correctly relays only the speach directed at the person on the other end of the line. Even if they never touch their com-badge or a wall panel!
The only problem the computer-reading-the-mind theory doesn't seem to account for why Picard sometimes takes over a minute to respond to a hail but Worf can tell in under three seconds if a Romulan is going to pick up the line.
More research is indicated.