Turn Your iPad Into a Star Trek PADD

A new app from CBS interactive can help you figure out the trouble with tribbles once and for all. Star Trek PADD for iPad includes all the official data on ships, aliens, technologies, an episode guide, and uses a Starfleet-like interface. Live long and prosper.

Comments

Awesome!

[wsxyz]

Awesome. Now I can conclusively prove that I have no life!

Re:Awesome!

[Kamiza Ikioi]

I'm running the Tricorder App on Android and it agrees, there is no life on iPad.

Re:Awesome!

[bughunter]

I don't have an iOS device nor an Android device, but after following your link, I may just have to go get an EVO or something, just to have access to its features:

• GRAV: monitor the local gravitational field and acceleration
• MAG: monitor the local magnetic field
• ACO: acoustic analysis; waveform, frequency and sound level analysis of the ambient sound
• GEO: display geographical information (enable GPS for full info)
• EMS: scan the electromagnetic spectrum for radio signals -- currently displays cellular and WiFi signals (you have to enable the WiFi to get the latter)
• SOL: display current solar activity data -- downloads current solar data in the background (may take a while) and displays it along with current images

That's just f*cking sweet. I can actually USE several of those... you know to do REAL work, not just read about aliens and space cowboys.

Re:Awesome!

[arisvega]

GRAV: monitor the local gravitational field

Yes, I cannot even remember life before that ..

Re:Awesome!

[geekoid]

except it has been getting worse.

Still not a PADD

[Lanteran]

PADDs are proper computers- they can run arbitrary code.

Re:Still not a PADD

[jedidiah]

I dunno. Did you ever actually see that?

Although I've always thought of these things as terminals anyways. They're like dumb terminals or Sun workstations connecting to some other much bigger centralized machine (like the ship's main computer).

Although iPads aren't quite proper terminals either.

Re:Still not a PADD

[Samantha Wright]

Dumb terminals or Sun workstations? There's a distinction now? *rimshot*

Re:Still not a PADD

[jedidiah]

X did that whole "remote desktop" thing 20 years ago.

Re:Still not a PADD

[DerekLyons]

[[Citation needed]]

Re:Still not a PADD

[Ephemeriis]

PADDs are proper computers- they can run arbitrary code.

You sure about that? I thought the acronym stood for Personal Access Display Device.

I was under the impression that they were used almost exclusively to display information... Maybe some basic data-entry capabilities. Something along the lines of a modern-day ereader.

Re:Still not a PADD

[kuzb]

Congratulations, you have locked down your "no life" status.

Re:Still not a PADD

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

PADDs are proper computers- they can run arbitrary code.

No episode of Star Trek has ever demonstrated a rooted PADD. Funnily enough, no episode of Star Trek has ever demonstrated a PADD infected with malware.

Re:Still not a PADD

[Kethinov]

Jake Sisko wrote novels with PADDs on DS9.

I'm with the GP on this one. I'm sure the creative intent was that PADDs on Star Trek were programmable, rootable, and so on. Otherwise known as real computers.

Why? Because it was Star Trek, not 1984. I doubt the Federation exerted Orwellian control over its citizens' portable computers like Apple does today in the real world.

Re:Still not a PADD

[c6gunner]

I distinctly remember an episode where Wesley used a PADD to control a mini-tractor-beam / forcefield projector that he created. And wasn't there an episode where someone used a PADD to control the whole ship?

No citations, sorry, but I know for a fact that they did a lot more with them than just "something along the lines of a modern-day ereader".

Re:Still not a PADD

[Kethinov]

No episode of Star Trek ever demonstrated PADDs lacking that capability either and we have no good reason to assume that the Federation would impose such a limitation like Apple does with the iPad.

Apple locks down iPads because they have a profit motive for doing so. The Federation had no such profit motive to do so on Star Trek, so it is reasonable to assume that PADDs were not locked down in this fashion and were, as the GP implied, programmable, rootable, etc.

Re:Still not a PADD

[ArsonSmith]

Are you kidding? Star Trek was very Orwellian, other than it just stared the people that got the benefits of the oppressed rather than the people that were oppressed.

Re:Still not a PADD

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

No episode of Star Trek ever demonstrated PADDs lacking that capability either and we have no good reason to assume that the Federation would impose such a limitation like Apple does with the iPad.

That depends on what their security policies are, duddn't it.

Re:Still not a PADD

[jedidiah]

I always just assumed that they were terminals that tied into the main computer.

Although they could have the same bash shell, X terminal, touch terminal network transparency that Unix machines had back in the days those shows aired.

Sometimes I would sneak onto a professor's personal Sun box when all of the Sun machines in the computing labs were overloaded.

When storage is pervasively networked, it doesn't necessarily matter what's what or what's where.

Re:Still not a PADD

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

I always just assumed that they were terminals that tied into the main computer.

There's an episode where a time traveler claiming to be from the future stole a bunch of their stuff, a tricorder included. When the door opened the ship's computer disabled everything he had taken.

Apparently they still have DRM in the future. ;)

Re:Still not a PADD

[lennier]

Funnily enough, no episode of Star Trek has ever demonstrated a PADD infected with malware.

And yet, the holodeck gets rooted every second week. I guess it's running a different OS.

("MoriartyOS (tm), the only Starfleet military-grade holographic cinematic entertainment system developed with the sole purpose of granting artificial sentience to period Victorian villains! With a MoriartyOS console installed in your flagship, you'll be either the envy or pity of every other advanced race in the galaxy as holographic characters periodically run rogue and attempt to subvert your warp engineering systems! Either way, everyone will know that you're too weird to mess with and steer clear! Even the Klingons are too scared to have one of these, and they pioneered the qu'Nkt real-pain touch/bite interface! As Sybok the mad Vulcan prophet would say, we'd be crazy to sell you this system for such a low, low price of one billion Federation credits (gold pressed latinum also accepted at Ferengi acquisition depots). But hey, we are! That's why we're throwing in the Grevious-Harm(tm) safety interlock disabling system for free! Make every workout a surprise when your AI opponents might suddenly pull out a real Tommy gun! But if you were entirely sane, you wouldn't have beat the Kobashi Maru test and made captain in the first place, am I right? Just touch the PADD here, it's a steal!")

Re:Still not a PADD

[FrootLoops]

You have no idea what Star Trek is about, do you? There's a scene from TNG: Time's Arrow, Part 2 that directly addresses your point. Sam Clemens (Mark Twain) is briefly brought to the future for complicated reasons. He and Troi have the following conversation:

CLEMENS: Oh? I'm not so impressed with this future... huge starships... weapons that can no doubt destroy entire cities... military conquest as a way of life.

She looks sidelong at him.

TROI: Is that what you see here?

CLEMENS: Oh, I know what you say... this is a vessel of exploration... your mission is to, discover new worlds...

The Turbolift arrives. A strange alien EXITS. Clemens reacts, stares after him. They ENTER the Turbolift.

TROI: Deck thirty-six.

CLEMENS: That's what the Spanish said... and the Dutch, and the Portuguese. It's what all conquerors say... (beat) I'm sure it's what you told that blue skinned fellow I just saw... before you brought him here to serve you.

TROI: He's one of thousands of species we've encountered. We live in a peaceful Federation with many of them... the people you see are here by choice.

Clemens ponders this for a moment.

CLEMENS: So there are a privileged few... who serve on these ships, living in luxury, wanting for nothing. But what about everyone else? What about the poor? You ignore them...

TROI: Poverty was eliminated a long time ago. And a lot of things disappeared with it: hopelessness... despair... cruelty... war...

He regards her solemnly. He's beginning to realize that his dark view is misplaced.

CLEMENS: I come from a time when men achieve wealth and power by standing on the backs of the poor... when prejudice and intolerance are commonplace... when power is an end unto itself... (beat) And you're telling me... that isn't how it is anymore?

TROI: That's right.

CLEMENS: (with a sigh) Maybe it is worth giving up cigars for, after all...

Troi smiles... the Turbolift door opens and they EXIT.

There's an episode of Voyager, Author, Author that does explore issues of the oppressed living in the Federation, but the oppressed are holograms and are obviously a stand-in for an arbitrary oppressed minority. They had to use holograms because it would have been unbelievable if they had used people whose rights were clearly established. This is also a very brief plot line that (as far as I recall) appeared only in that one episode. By contrast, Troi's view of the Federation/humanity in the future is the same one as in each of the series. Really, you have no idea what you're talking about.

Re:Still not a PADD

[FrootLoops]

Wesley with tractor beam was The Naked Now (which was a dreadful episode and firmly established hatred for Wesley). I can't think of any episodes where the whole ship was controlled via a PADD. My knowledge of TNG episodes is pretty encyclopedic, so there probably isn't one. There is an episode where Picard pilots a shuttle which in turn pilots the Enterprise, but he uses the usual shuttle controls, and at one point his commands are relayed by voice and entered into one of the consoles on the bridge.

Re:Still not a PADD

[FrootLoops]

PADDs have been used on-screen to open doors, take inventory, sign contracts, read text, watch video with audio, display diagrams, activate site-to-site transports, compose a novel, and download information wirelessly from other computers. It's not clear to me that they could run arbitrary code, though it certainly fits. Mostly they're used for data entry and retrieval, and they also make a convenient place to put buttons that do plot-related things. See the Memory Alpha article for more.

Re:Still not a PADD

[flappinbooger]

I'm pretty sure that the PADDs were more prop than solidly-defined devices - meaning, they did whatever the script required of a handheld informational device for that scene. Which, from a futuristic standpoint, is probably what a "real" PADD would be - as much or as little as you need it to be. For data. As opposed to the tri-corder, which was apparently for sensing.

Similarly, I remember seeing somewhere that the script for the engineering persons had sections that read something like "insert mildly plausible sounding techno-babble here" when they had to save the day.

What I have always wondered is how they supposedly entered text with those GUIs... Probably like any other tablet, poke a certain area and QWERTY pops up. I recall Jake writing his books using a stylus... Probably some sort of graffiti style input similar to palm?

ST-TOS is credited for prophesying the floppy disk and Bluetooth headset. ST-TNG will probably be credited for prophesying the iPad, huh?

Re:Still not a PADD

[c6gunner]

You're right - I was remembering something else:

"But PADDs were much more powerful than electronic note pads. "We realized that with the networking capabilities we had postulated for the ship, and given the [hypothetical] flexibility of the software, you should be able to fly the ship from the PADD," Okuda said."

Also, the Star Trek TNG Technical manual talks about the same thing.

Re:Still not a PADD

[FrootLoops]

After watching all 727 episodes and 11 movies, many several times, that isn't my impression.

Re:Still not a PADD

[drinkypoo]

I always figured they were X terminals too, but given the stuff that has been done with them without the computer (and they move from installation to installation if you like) they must be more like a ChromeOS device if not even more general-purpose in intent.

Re:Still not a PADD

[yourmommycalled]

I dunno. Did you ever actually see that?

Although I've always thought of these things as terminals anyways. They're like dumb terminals or Sun workstations connecting to some other much bigger centralized machine (like the ship's main computer).

Although iPads aren't quite proper terminals either.

Since when does a Sun workstation need to connect to some other much bigger centralized machine? Oooh Now I get it you never used a workstation before just another dumb windows box

Re:Still not a PADD

[FrootLoops]

I think they meant "starred". It's a stupid comment anyway (as I detailed in the other reply).

Re:Still not a PADD

[JabberWokky]

PADDs are proper computers- they can run arbitrary code.

You meant to say "PADDs are proper computers- they can run fictional code", I presume?

Re:Still not a PADD

[errhuman]

I LOL'd at this one. Someone needs to mod them up.

Re:Still not a PADD

[Lanteran]

I actually came up with an example besides the one in TNG of Wesley controlling the tractor beam. Enterprise I think was hardly cannon, but it provides a superior example: Arik Soong was imprisoned by the earth government due to theft of augments from a space station. He was given a PADD to continue his work in genetics- he managed to write a program that opened his cell door, or something of that nature, allowing him to attempt escape.

Re:Still not a PADD

[Lanteran]

Posted it twice- there was an enterprise episode (either "The Augments" or "Cold Station 12") where Arik Soong wrote a program on his PADD to open the doors in his prison cell, has to be the best example, main other being the one in TNG:The Naked Now

Re:Still not a PADD

[werewolf1031]

You're saying PADDs run Visual Basic? Huh. Who knew!

Re:Still not a PADD

[FrootLoops]

Those holograms weren't Federation holograms. My point was that the Federation wasn't oppressive and that the stars of the shows weren't living on the benefits of the oppressed. The EMH-turned-waste-extraction holograms featured in Author, Author weren't seen again, IIRC. But yeah, hologram rights in general was a major theme throughout the psycho hologram episodes. There were some other episodes that touched on The Doctor's rights. For a long time the crew didn't really see him as sentient, so they kept shutting him off when he got annoying, or not shutting him off after visiting sick bay. But the exception proves the rule.

Re:Still not a PADD

[FrootLoops]

Hah, thanks for bringing up that scene.

Re:Still not a PADD

[FrootLoops]

I can't think of any situations where PADDs were used without a computer nearby (shuttlecraft, starbase, starship). All onboard computers aren't down very often at all, though they ran backups quite a bit. There may have been away missions that used PADDs, but none come to mind--tricorders were certainly preferred. My impression is that a PADD has a small amount of on-board processing power and interfaces with nearby computers when available. In TOS, interfacing with the main computer was a big deal, so it would have been strange if the PADDs were just a wireless terminal. In Generations, there is a PADD-like control device that controls the missile launcher. It would be strange if the missile launcher provided the PADD's interface, though it's possible.

Re:Still not a PADD

[WarlockD]

Not to sound too nerdy but I never understood Author, Author. I mean seriously, all holograms or AI's "almosts" become slaves? Everything they taught us about the federation is about how they care about the rights of individuals and all of a sudden they have a hologram mining camp? They are using a full matrix of technologys so the holograms have the RIGHT to mine rocks in FUCKING MINING CAMP? Even when the episode was written I cannot imagine at ANY point where you use labor like that rather than industrial machinery. If he wasn't declared a person anyway why not delete them and buy a damn robot and some TNT?

This is why I hated voyager and latter part of DS9. The point of the Federation, story wise, was to support the crew of the Enterprise not for the crew to "teach them a lesson" All those lessons should of been learned after the hundreds of years of law, science and war:P

Re:Still not a PADD

[FrootLoops]

Yeah, it's a bit of a stretch to think that the Federation would essentially thoughtlessly enslave a population, even (especially) if it's a non-standard population. It's very unclear why hologram labor is helpful, though there are several mines throughout the series that use humanoid labor (the one in Star Trek VI; the one the Duras sisters used with that one alien who got shafted). To be fair, TNG used essentially the same plot point in The Measure of a Man, where Data's rights were questioned. One late DS9 episode I really liked was In the Pale Moonlight (season 6, episode 19). It's so morally ambiguous, and it challenges the regular view of the Federation as perfectly fair and benevolent without using the Section 31 "we don't condone their actions" excuse, or the Equinox "they're totally disobeying our principles!" excuse.

Re:Still not a PADD

[ArsonSmith]

So, two people that have been drinking their respective brands of koolaid having a conversation is then total reality within the imagined universe?

Re:Still not a PADD

[FrootLoops]

Uh, what? Kool-Aid is a brand, not a generic type of drink. "respective brands of koolaid" doesn't make sense. Punch is a type of drink that you might have been going for. Even then, what?

My best interpretation of the mangled garbage I'm replying to is that you don't believe a single example conversation is enough to establish that the stars of the Star Trek shows didn't live on the backs of the oppressed. You're right, but as I mentioned, "By contrast, Troi's view of the Federation/humanity in the future is the same one as in each of the series." You're not worth the time it would take to provide more explicit proof--just like some asshat saying 15+20 = 924 isn't worth arguing with. Have you even seen the show?

Re:Still not a PADD

[ArsonSmith]

yea, in fact just started over from the beginning. Last night watch TOS ep2 where Kirk takes a security force to a researcher that just wanted to be left alone. Instead he ended up dead along with his alien companion and a few pre-redshirts. (ie they weren't actually wearing red shirts)

Re:Still not a PADD

[FrootLoops]

They've never been very clear on that, but it seems to be a combination of highly abundant energy somehow aided by warp reactors and some sort of optimistic outlook that pervades humanity for some reason. From Star Trek First Contact (the 8th movie), [setup: the crew of the Enterprise has again traveled back in time, this time to just after World War 3, and they meet the inventor of warp drive before he tests his ship]:

RIKER: It is one of the pivotal moments in human history, Doctor. You get to make first contact with an alien race, and after you do, everything begins to change.

LAFORGE: Your theories on warp drive allow fleets of starships to be built and mankind to start exploring the Galaxy.

TROI: It unites humanity in a way no one ever thought possible when they realise they're not alone in the universe. Poverty, disease, war. They'll all be gone within the next fifty years.

Star Trek takes a deeply optimistic view of the future. It's a conceit to not deal with apathy or incompetence, but we get so much of that from reality and other shows that I'm fine with the omission. Star Trek also presents humanity as having grown out of most social problems. That optimism is a key tenant of the various series, and is part of why it's been so popular for so long.

Re:Still not a PADD

[FrootLoops]

I think you mean "The Man Trap", which was the 5th episode of season 1 of TOS (using the Memory Alpha numbering scheme, or the production ordering minus The Cage; it's episode 1 using the airing order; perhaps it follows The Cage on a DVD?). I wonder if you're just trolling, since your description of that episode is so poor. The alien murdered Nancy Crater years before and the researcher was covering it up. The researcher also lets crewman Darnell be murdered by the alien (which he knows is dangerous) while he gets his medical exam, not to mention the other pre-redshirt deaths on the planet. Kirk goes into some detail describing how medical examinations are required for research personnel on alien planets--presumably this person is "funded" by the Federation, so that's pretty reasonable. People end up dead because the researcher doesn't let Kirk know the truth until it's too late.

You might say Kirk hassles the researcher, but for good reason: the researcher presumably agreed to periodic medical exams already, and later one of Kirk's crew dies under mysterious circumstances that throw suspicion on the researcher and his companion.

In any case, what does it matter? Kirk isn't living on the backs of the oppressed even in your crazy summary.

Re:Still not a PADD

[WarlockD]

See now those kind of plots I can get behind. I never liked the idea of Section 31. It feels like any president would of shot those guys down fast. Its easy to see how they can become a secret police very quickly and again, the federation knows what road that goes down.

I just think the ending was a bit of a cop out if they are going to use the point on why Data is a "person" Seriously, you can have the rights as an artist but not be defined as a person? So he can have his book published but gets nothing for it? It would of been much more meaningful if all his rights were scrubbed and the author said the laws have to change rather than a half-assed ruling like this. I mean, if your an artist but not a person, do you have access to a royalty check? Can you get erased but your "art" can't be? If data wasn't a person, he was going on the direction table, so where does that leave the doc? You don't make an episode that leaves THAT many holes and no answers:P

Thats ANOTHING think I hate. You take a good solid episode like The Measure of a Man, know its good and make a lame copy:P I really hope the reboot is worth it.

Re:Still not a PADD

[ArsonSmith]

I get it, if it's for a good reason it's not oppression.

I'll go ahead and drop you off at that.

Thanks for the insight to your psyche.

Re:Still not a PADD

[FrootLoops]

"I'll go ahead and drop you off at that"--what? Your statements include more rhetoric than content, and they can be hard to parse.

I never said "if it's for a good reason it's not oppression". I said "You might say Kirk hassles the researcher". "hassle" != "oppress" to me; oppression is reserved for much more severe cases, like enslavement or years of constant "hassling". Oppression might be justified sometimes too. I imagine you wouldn't suggest all criminals everywhere be let out of jail immediately, just because keeping them in jail is oppressive. Really, you're an idiot with poor arguments and badly thought-out opinions. I won't respond anymore.

Re:Still not a PADD

[geekoid]

"My knowledge of TNG episodes is pretty encyclopedic"

what? archaic and unused? Sold door to door? A confidence trick for parents?

Re:Still not a PADD

[FrootLoops]

encyclopedic/ensklpdik/Adjective 1. Comprehensive in terms of information: "an almost encyclopedic knowledge of food".

Okay, but...

[MrEricSir]

Can I just yell out the word "computer!" and then tell it how to advance the plot of this week's storyline?

Re:Okay, but...

[i kan reed]

We're getting there, already actually. Google is pretty close to the kind of semantic information retrieval seen, and watson is a good demonstartion of more direct question/answer functionality. And speech recognition is nearly dear aunt, let's set so double the killer delete select all.

Re:Okay, but...

[AmiMoJo]

The com badges were the best. Somehow they could see into the future and connect the user to the other person before they actually said their name. Whenever Riker says "Riker to Picard" Picard responds instantly, having somehow heard what Riker said at the same time as he said it.

Re:Okay, but...

[Aqualung812]

My assumption there (or RetCon) was that it recorded the hail, then after it was spoken, sent it like a .wav file to the other comm badge. From the other comm badge's PoV, it was seamless. There would just be a few seconds delay on the first reply on the first one.

Re:Okay, but...

[geekoid]

With some of the cutting edge predictive computer I have seen, that's going to happen. Plus in the screen there could be a 300ms delay as the computer worked out the context, then sent it and it would really be noticeable. And I think with the type of processing power they seem to have, it would be faster the 300ms.

Slashvertisement...

[mwfischer]

"The app costs $4.99"

Hey wait a minute I thought currency was outdated by the PADDs were out?!

Re:Slashvertisement...

[jedidiah]

Clearly this product originates from Ferengenar.

Re:Slashvertisement...

[Yvan256]

You seem to missing a word.

Re:Slashvertisement...

[vlm]

"The app costs $4.99"

Hey wait a minute I thought currency was outdated by the PADDs were out?!

You have to pay in bitcoins.

Re:Slashvertisement...

[RyuuzakiTetsuya]

That's actually about one strip and five slips of gold pressed latinum.

Seems expensive

[interkin3tic]

Hey, neat, a little bit of star trek memorabilia, sounds great! And it has actual information about the shows? Very interested.

The app costs $4.99, and is available now in the App Store.

Never mind. For something that sounds like little more than a wikipedia page with some decorations, "very interested" translates into "will download if it's free."

Re:Seems expensive

[Announcer]

Five bucks = expensive? Dude, I'm out of work, and if I had an iPad (HA! If I could AFFORD one!) I would have already downloaded this app. Five lousy bucks is NOT "expensive". The iPad? Yeah, *THAT* is expensive.

Re:Seems expensive

[Anonymous Coward]

Apparently you don't understand the price/value relationship.

Re:Seems expensive

[jedidiah]

Back in the days of proprietary applications that were displaced by (mostly) free web applications, you would be spending something like $20 or $50 for something like this.

Re:Seems expensive

[vlm]

Back in the days of proprietary applications that were displaced by (mostly) free web applications, you would be spending something like $20 or $50 for something like this.

More likely it would be downloaded for "free". But for $5 I would actually pay for it rather than download it. Its closer to what its worth.

Re:Seems expensive

[interkin3tic]

Five bucks = expensive?

For something that sounds like little more than a wikipedia page with some decorations.

Re:Seems expensive

[jedidiah]

Your loose morals really aren't the issue here.

That kind of software managed to thrive at those prices despite your unwillingness to pay anything.

$20 or $50 is really so much when you consider what dead tree references go for.

Re:Seems expensive

[Kethinov]

Five lousy bucks is NOT "expensive".

Calling people cheap: one of the most frequently modded-up ad hominems on slashdot.

Re:Seems expensive

[geekoid]

yes, it is. By your comparison we should judge how expensive a car is by how expensive a horse drawn carriage costs.

They are different thing with different costs associated with them.

Article error in headline!

[Announcer]

Let's get it right... we are NOT "Trekkies", we are TREKKERS!

Trekkies are the kids with the Spock ears and Geordi visors.

TREKKERS are more "normal"! We love Star Trek, yes, but we ALSO have a life. ;)

Re:Article error in headline!

[mikael_j]

I've always seen "Trekkie" used as a sort of catch-all for Star Trek fans while "Trekker" was a term I only heard people who took Star Trek way too seriously use about themselves.

Re:Article error in headline!

[Anonymous Coward]

Defending what they call you automatically makes you the geekiest term there is.

Re:Article error in headline!

[mabhatter654]

If you have to put THAT much effort ... You're a Trekkie. Sorry.

Re:Article error in headline!

[Anonymous Coward]

I've always seen "Trekkie" used as a sort of catch-all for Star Trek fans while "Trekker" was a term I only heard people who took Star Trek way too seriously use about themselves.

Or the union of those terms: Loser

Re:Article error in headline!

[ph0rk]

Let's get it right... we are NOT "Trekkies", we are TREKKERS!

Trekkies are the kids with the Spock ears and Geordi visors.

TREKKERS are more "normal"! We love Star Trek, yes, but we ALSO have a life. ;)

If the nomenclature bothers you that much, I am not sure I can grant the bolded claim.

Re:Article error in headline!

[RJHelms]

Trekkers are more normal? I have never, ever heard the term used like that.

The real usage goes like this: Trekkies are hopeless Star Trek nerds. Trekkers are Star Trek nerds who are so hopeless, they're even hopeless nerds when it comes to discussing the terminology used to describe hopeless Star Trek nerds.

Re:Article error in headline!

[sootman]

I always thought the main difference was that those who think they're actually accomplishing something by being a fan (i.e., denoted by "trekker") are the sadder of the lot. At least trekkies can admit "hey, this is just something I'm into." Anyone who calls himself a trekker is taking himself way too seriously.

Re:Article error in headline!

[pluther]

Other way around.

Back in Ye Olden Days (like, when we were all getting all excited about the prospect of Star Trek coming back.. as a movie!) both terms were in use:

Trekkie: Fan of the series. Including those who really enjoyed the show and talking about it with their friends, those who liked dressing up and going to conventions, and those who wrote erotic fan fiction and passed around the xeroxed stapled copies.

Trekkers, by contrast, were those who actually worked on the show: the actors, writers, producers, prop people, set designers, etc., and Bjo Trimble and her cadre.

Somewhere along the line, other fans started describing themselves as Trekkers instead of Trekkie, and now the Trekker is just used by Trekkies who take themselves way too seriously.

Re:Article error in headline!

[RivenAleem]

I may have to turn in geek card/or get seriously wooshed but:

Trekkie is a (hardcore?) fan of Star Trek
Trekker is someone who goes for hill/mountain walks.

Also, I somehow doubt there is anyone who is a member of both sets.

Re:Article error in headline!

[geekoid]

No, you are wrong. Probable wrong, for that matter.

If you lie Star Trek, you are trekkies. If you aren't then you are simply fans.

"TREKKERS are more "normal"! We love Star Trek, yes, but we ALSO have a life. ;)"
Fuck you and fuck your ad hom.

I think the term you are looking for is 'wannabes'.

Re:Article error in headline!

[geekoid]

Trekkie is the proper term. A bunch of johnny come lately should up, and through ignorance used the term trekkers'.

Re:Article error in headline!

[geekoid]

As some who went to the first ST conventions in California, one particular popular one got 100 people one year, it was Trekkie.

Trekker are generally used by people who came late to the game, and think they are hard core. At least in my experiences. Since the cast I talked to referred fans as trekkies, I think I'll stick with that.

Re:Article error in headline!

[geekoid]

Thank you..and Hey! I go for walks. I mean. not on anything with a slope, I'm not crazy!

Re:Damn straight

[mabhatter654]

You COULD. Have got the Diagnostic PADD app that got C&D a month or so back. It was basically just a demo anyway, but come on guys...

Re:I think I just..

[mabhatter654]

But I thought it was in a box?

How much did these guys pay

[joebok]

How much did these guys pay to have their ad appear as a slashdot story? I guess the future is here - the line between ad and content is gone! Or was it already and I just didn't notice until now?

Re:How much did these guys pay

[FrootLoops]

Do you have any evidence that Business Insider ran this story as an advertisement for CBS Interactive's app? Maybe it's an innocent story. I enjoyed it, though I'm a big fan of Star Trek.

What would captain Picard say about

[dicobalt]

patent law?

Re:What would captain Picard say about

[Nethead]

So if the prior art is from the future...

Re:What would captain Picard say about

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

What would captain Picard say about patent law?

He'd say: "It did something right, that's how we ended up with the warp drive".

I like Star Trek

[DomHawken]

But this is just an advert, right?

Re:non stardard interface

[PNutts]

I thought apps whose interface didn't follow iOS standards where forbidden.

Fascinating.

Re:non stardard interface

[Stele]

You thought.... poorly.

Re:non stardard interface

[sconeu]

Wrong series. Turn in your geek card.

Re:non stardard interface

[jedidiah]

Silly hoo-man. Don't you know that a sufficient amount of gold pressed latinum will allow you to break any rule you want.

Just grease the right palm.

There's probably even a rule of acquisition about it.

The Vulcan business plan

[Bitmanhome]

1. Live long.
2. ???
3. Prosper!

Already been done with the Nook.

[ChongPong]

Lol... I did the same thing with my Nook Color http://chingchongpingpong.com/2011/05/26/star-trek-padd/

Re:Already been done with the Nook.

[aristotle-dude]

Dude. Stop spamming your blog. That is not the same. This an an "app" whereas that is a "theme" and that was done on the iPhone before the colour Nook even existed. Obviously the iPhone was not the first either but you need to stop posting links to your blog here.

Re:non stardard interface

[93 Escort Wagon]

I thought apps whose interface didn't follow iOS standards where forbidden.

Fascinating.

But quite irrelevant.

Too bad I cannot toss the iOs interface

[Shivetya]

without tossing my iPad.

The interface with the apps, specifically with viewing active apps and the like, is the worst part of it. I sure hope we don't end up with years of this, similar to how the might blue Apple is the only thing allowed at the top of my OS X desktop

So then, an iPad

[SuperKendall]

PADDs are proper computers- they can run arbitrary code.

The iPad is a computer that can run arbitrary code.

Anyone can develop for it. Were you out in space a hundred light-years away, you could re-purpose one if you saw fit.

Where the analogy really comes in though is with the nearly all touch screen display. You'll note the real PADD had no buttons whatsoever, yet those decrying the iPad as being like the PADD claim that devices with more physically hardcoded elements are more like the ultimately flexible device that was the PADD...

Where do you think the "Pad" in iPad came from anyway?

Re:So then, an iPad

[Kethinov]

The issue isn't whether or not the iPad is a real computer, but on whether or not its users are allowed to have total control over it.

Semantically speaking, you're right that the iPad is a real computer. But given the restrictions Apple imposes on its uses, it might as well not be.

Nobody on Star Trek ever had to jailbreak their PADDs. Likewise, nobody in real life should have to jailbreak their iOS devices.

Re:So then, an iPad

[Lanteran]

It can run arbitrary code if you fork over protection money to apple, or if you jailbreak, which is becoming harder and harder to do with each release. If you don't do either of those things, then no, the iPad cannot run arbitrary code.

Re:So then, an iPad

[SuperKendall]

The issue isn't whether or not the iPad is a real computer, but on whether or not its users are allowed to have total control over it.

That wouldn't be the stupidest statement I've ever heard.

But we are on Slashdot. You should know better.

Any device that you physically possess, you have total control over. No matter how it might ship.

But given the restrictions Apple imposes on its uses, it might as well not be.

Bullshit. For most people, it is the PADD. It is a world of freedom from the tyranny of normal computers and how they constantly cause problems for non-technical users. It's a world of a ton of applications that are all purpose built for the device to do a specific task well. Just like the PADD... Most people do not need side loading or the ability to modify the kernel, they need and want a device that works, and runs a variety of applications to make the device useful.

For technical users, there are no restrictions at all as they can simply jailbreak.

Nobody on Star Trek ever had to jailbreak their PADDs

You sure about that? I remember a lot of security protocols being overridden and general device hacking going on in Star Trek. I'll bet someone even nerdier than myself can remember Crusher doing something with a PADD that wasn't strictly approved of...

Re:So then, an iPad

[Kethinov]

Your answer to my complaint about Apple's restrictions on iOS was, and I quote, that it is instead "a world of freedom from the tyranny of normal computers and how they constantly cause problems for non-technical users."

That reply isn't an argument, it's propaganda. You should get a job doing marketing for Apple. That was terrific.

As for your whole "you can just jailbreak it" schtick, I've got a better solution: Apple can just stop shipping a device that needs to be jailbroken in the first place. What a concept.

That way you can keep on writing poetry about how revolutionary the iPad's UI is while I can use it to actually get work done without having to exploit security holes to run apps which don't appear in the App Store.

Then we'd both be happy with it. Wouldn't that be nice?

Re:So then, an iPad

[aristotle-dude]

Nobody on Star Trek ever had to jailbreak their PADDs.

So I guess "Access Denied" or "Access beyond this point is restricted" or "You are not authorized to access this facility" are not cannon? What about the instances of characters hacking around security protocols and lockouts? Do you not recall the hacking of the deflector disk Magnetic locks on Star Trek: First Contact?

LCARS was more locked down than most modern computer operating systems with multiple levels of permission.

Re:So then, an iPad

[Lanteran]

I hardly think that the ability to make web-apps in javascript or whatever language qualifies- it's not native code. That was the misinformation complaint about an article on running homebrew on the 3DS not too long ago. Point is, you wouldn't be able to easily take advantage of the hardware that the device has. I mean, look at the javascript doom port that was up a while back. It ran around a frame a second on iOS devices, and I think it's safe to say that they're at least an order of magnitude more powerful then my old Pentium Pro desktop that ran it just fine.

Having seen nearly every episode of every series and most of the movies in the star trek franchise, I say that these things damn well can execute arbitrary code. The already referenced TNG episode, think it was "The Naked Now", showed Wesley controlling a home built tractor beam device with a PADD. Possibly not the best example, but I can think of better. Enterprise I think was hardly cannon, but it provides a superior example: Arik Soong was imprisoned by the earth government due to theft of augments from a space station. He was given a PADD to continue his work in genetics- he managed to write a program that opened his cell door, or something of that nature, allowing him to attempt escape.

Re:So then, an iPad

[Kethinov]

That analogy sucks. Jailbreaking your iPad doesn't suddenly give you root on every external server you walk by with it.

Re:So then, an iPad

[Kethinov]

And yet, there's absolutely no indication in any episode that the PADDs can run arbitrary code either

Sorry, but no. The burden of proof lies on he who asserts. Since we have no justifiable reason to assume by default that PADDs were locked down on Star Trek like Apple locks down iPads, the burden of proof lies on you to prove that was the case on Star Trek.

Re:So then, an iPad

[aristotle-dude]

That analogy sucks. Jailbreaking your iPad doesn't suddenly give you root on every external server you walk by with it.

The point that you don't seem to be getting is that all access terminals in the trek universe were basically dumb terminals including the padd devices once you tried to go beyond basic data entry and data consumption functions.

Re:So then, an iPad

[Kethinov]

[citation needed]

Re:So then, an iPad

[aristotle-dude]

[citation needed]

PADD stands for Personal Access Display Device.

http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/PADD

Consisting of a large touchscreen display and minimalistic manual interface or control panel (generally only one or two buttons), the typical PADD is used for a variety of functions including logging manifests, compiling duty rosters or diagnostic reports, entering personal data, and/or accessing library computer systems.

You can do similar things with an iPad.

LCARS

http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/LCARS

In the 24th century, graphical controls housed underneath touch-sensitive clear panels allowed LCARS panels to be quickly reconfigured by users to suit the task at hand, including a tactile interface for visually-impaired officers. (VOY: "Year of Hell") This enabled even complicated tasks to be executed with just a few button presses. LCARS also controlled the retrieval and storage of files in the data banks housed within the ship's computer cores.

Sounds a lot like the iPad to me.

Re:So then, an iPad

[Kethinov]

None of that supports your conclusion that the device would be just as locked down as the iPad.

Apple does it for a profit motive. Unless the Federation was secretly overrun by the Ferengi, I doubt the Federation shared Apple's motive for tablet lockdown. Thus they wouldn't do it.

Re:So then, an iPad

[geekoid]

No, they where used off ship, and they where used when they didn't have control of the ship.

One could conclude that there are different models, since there are different sizes, and capabilities.

OTOH, if you think cloud computing is dumb terminals, then you are pretty damn clueless about ST and Comupter technology. I'm not saying you do, just establishing a knowledge base.

Is it approved?

[antdude]

Copyright infringements?

Re:Is it approved?

[aristotle-dude]

Copyright infringements?

CBS owns the copyrights and CBS sanctioned this app.

Re:Is it approved?

[antdude]

Ah thanks. :)

Why can't you buy an Android and STFU?

[Brannon]

Seriously. Why can't Apple exist in your universe? Do you ever *ever* hear Apple fans saying that Android shouldn't be available for those who want the ability to easily tinker on their devices?

The world is big enough for lots of different types of devices. Apple has chosen the appliance model because that appeals to a large block of customers--but not all of them. That's okay--there are other companies.

Re:Why can't you buy an Android and STFU?

[Kethinov]

That's a false dichotomy. Apple can deliver the same terrific experience they do today without the lockdown. All they have to do is provide some obscure process for voluntarily unlocking the device and then everyone's happy.

Re:non stardard interface

[errhuman]

Not directly but... http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Rules_of_Acquisition Rule 98 Every man has his price.

LG - VU - Star Trek theme

[Wingfat]

if you are into that type of thing but dont want to waist your money on an Apple product. then check out the cell phone LG-VU. if you go to www.lg-vu.com and search on Star Trek Theme, you will find a very nicely done one that is free to use. and these cell phones are only One Cent.. yes one penny on Amazon.com. Not only can it theme a cool ST theme, but there is TONs of different mods all easy to use and FREE for use. it is cool having a phone i can switch from Android to HTC and back to Star Trek faster then you could say "Apple is the Root of all Evil" five times ;-0 lol

There already is an obscure process.

[Brannon]

Pay $100/year or jailbreak.

You want something less obscure? Then how do you prevent non-technical people from doing it?

Re:There already is an obscure process.

[Kethinov]

Pay $100 for root on my own device? Screw that. As for jailbreaking, it's obscure to the point of useless, given that it stops OS updates from working and each update has to be re-hacked.

What if in the next version of Mac OS X Apple enacted the same policy? "Pay us $100/year for root or jailbreak your Mac." Would you consider that acceptable too?

Good old times

[CheerfulMacFanboy]

http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/star-trek-episode-guides Star Trek Episode Guide HyperCard stacks by David Landis with lots of information about episodes, movies and characters of Star Trek TOS, TNG, DS9 and Voyager.

And a LCARS interface (in black and white, but with color pictures)

That is because it ran

[geekoid]

PLOT OS 3.1