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.

Comments

Next Logical Step...

[adamgreenfield]

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.

Re:Next Logical Step...

[ghettoboy22]

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.

That's where directional audio comes in. If only "you" can hear what the other person is saying, there ya go!

Simliar to wifi, but not quite.

[dealsites]

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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Vocera calling Apple...

[FTL]

The technology inside these communicators was the hard bit. While Vocera appear to have solved the technical problems, they screwed up the easy bit: Style. Which would you rather carry, this or this?

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.

Don't bother me

[rigmort]

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.

Re:Not as fast as Star Trek

[Kethinov]

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. :)