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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.
but does it make the classic "deet deet" sound?
Data: Data to Lt Worf.
No real delay
Worf (over comms): Go ahead Data.
The delay is only enough for Worf to open his mouth and talk. It is not long enough to replay "Data to Lt Worf." I freely admit I'm crazy.
Scotty at work is really going to hate me...
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
That is one heck of a badge from the picture they show. I was thinking of the little triangle pin-on from Star Trek.
...everyone answers to "Nerd".
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
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.
--
Real-time deal updates from major deal sites.
Shatner uses these to dictate his albums to his secretary...
Use a full name (w/ middle initial), a number tacked on the end, a location ("Frank at LA"), or whatever. Hasn't been to hard to work out with email addresses.
It'd look a little odd to see someone walking down the road, repeatedly tapping their chest, saying "Robert! *smack* Ro-bert! *smack* Robbberrrtt! *smack* "
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.
Slashdot monitor for your Mozilla sidebar or Active Desktop.
On a more serious note, the badge, if you stick on your breast pocket, will have one heck of a time picking up your voice, especially in a noisy enviroment. Otherwise you will have to bow your head and pull your shirt up. Looks quite odd.
Indefinitely Detained US Citizen
I use my hands free kit now. I touch the button on the ear piece, speak the name of the person I wish to call and voila, I'm one of the teaming masses walking around looking like I'm talking to myself. So ok, this is located on the shirt ala ST and uses the PTT model, ho hum.
What I want is a blue tooth hands free kit that's small and comfortable enough to keep in your ear (and doesn't make you look like a 'tard, figuratively and literally) that has a very easy way to dock it seamlessly into your phone.
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.
At least this is an ST technology that works. Once on the set of the original Trek in 1967, an executive for a tech company saw the automatic doors. You just walk up to them and *whoosh* they open. No big sensor doormat, no nothing. He offered a million dollars for the technology.
The "technology" turned out to be two stagehands who yanked them open JIT.
What Star Trek doesn't show you, is the many hours each day that the Ship's Counselor has to spend working with the comm. system just to get it to want to work. Apparently the system suffers some of sort of depression. I don't understand it.
One of them is awarded a red shirt.
...is this going to get left on accidentally. People will be getting fired left and right.
Or will people learn real quickly not to say "stupid (*&*(&" as soon as they hang up the phone.
If moderation could change anything, it would be illegal.
> I always wanted to say, "Open channel D,"
> into my fountain pen.
I'm sorry, but exactly what is stopping you?
Norman Cook's Ode to Sl
The devices are very cool. You sign in with your voice (the system stores a voice print that authenticates you). It knows who else is logged in to the system and can locate them if you assign locations to the AP's (big brother calling). It also ties in to your pbx system so you can dial the phone,"call 222-222-1342". Has a series of voice commands-voice recognition. You can setup groups and do group calls. A hospital is using it for paging/communications system in house. Devices are small and can be clipped on or hung on your neck with a lanyard. Can be used by multiple people. If the battery runs low, you sign off, drop the old one back in the charger. Pick up a new one and sign in and off you go. You can set it to "not disturb" you. And it tells you who is calling first (screen those calls) before you answer. Much more intelligence built into the server, this device has great potential... Now to program them to order chinese food for me automatically....
It'd be cool if the system was set up such that you can ask it where someone is, and have them located via GPS on the badge.
Picard: "Computer, where is Commander Laforge?"
Computer: "Commander Laforge is in the 10 Forward restroom, Stall 3."
wbs.
Huh?