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Astronauts Get Tricoders (Almost)

Posted by michael on from the dr.-mccoy-was-playing-tetris dept.

AzrealAO writes "Space.com is reporting that The Expedition 9 crew aboard the International Space Station are equipped with HP iPAQ PocketPC's, which they are using as mobile productivity tools to record crew procedures, personal memos, check e-mail and calendars. The crew can also listen to music, view photos from home and read e-books. The iPAQs will be left on the station and reconfigured for future crews, and two additional iPAQs will be sent up on the next flight for a total of four."

7 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. Re:connection? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    from what i hear... they put linux + kismet + pringles can on the ipaqs and use them to hack in to 802.11b's as they fly over.

  2. Not a Bad Choice by 10101001011 · · Score: 5, Funny

    While many /.'ers may be crying for a Sharp SL-5600 or CL760 to be on board the ISS, the iPAQ isn't a bad choice. It is fairly rugged (for the every day man) and user-friendly enough.

    My first choice would have been the Dell Axim X5 400MHzsince it can accept CF and SD cards (and PCMCIA is an adapter is purchased) and it costs considerably less with a 512MB SD card and a WiFi card than the current equivilant iPAQ (the iPAQ 5555). Of course they probably need those biometric security features. Wouldn't want some complete stranger (or the owner) to actually be able to access their weekly calendar. God knows, they're doing some topsecret stuff up there....

    1. Re:Not a Bad Choice by moonbender · · Score: 4, Funny

      Thank god it's rugged. Wouldn't want to ship up a new one if one of those thoughtless astronauts drops his iPaq off a table or something, now would you? ;)

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  3. Calendar? by 6Yankee · · Score: 5, Funny

    Monday: Float about and do stuff

    Tuesday: Float about and do stuff

    Wednesday: Float about and do stuff

    Thursday: Float about and do stuff

    Friday: Float about and do stuff

    Saturday: It's the weekend! Float about and do stuff

    Sunday: Float about and put next week's calendar in

  4. Re:Tricoders? by DanThe1Man · · Score: 5, Funny

    lol :) I can't believe on slashdot of all sites this slipped!

    You must be new here.

  5. Re:Tricoders? by Spunk · · Score: 5, Funny

    I believe the term is "a fucking PDA"

  6. Too advanced by cybermace5 · · Score: 4, Funny

    While they don't have a full complement of sensors, the practical limit being perhaps sensing some coded IR signals, their display technology far outstrips any tricorder's. HP should rework them into a version where the TFT display is removed, and replaced with a random assortment of LEDs and bargraph displays which convey information via flickering coded signals.

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