When Star Trek meets technology you get Treknology, and there are a couple of examples of that to share with you about some new pieces of tech. One is a special fanmade Star Trek-themed promotion for the Google Nexus One (from the futuuuuure). And the other is the inevitable PADD application for Apple’s new iPad.
The iPadd
Well we knew it would happen. TrekMovie has already written about the connection between Apple’s new iPad and Star Trek’s PADD. Now Gizmodo is reporting on an application being developed for the iPad that turns it into a true iPadd. The "Captain’s Log" application uses a Next Gen era LCARS (Library Computer Access and Retrieval System) interface and integrates your social networking, including Twitter and Facebook.
‘Captains Log’ a reason to buy an iPad
Speaking of the iPad and Star Trek, TNG’s Wil Wheaton has blogged about the new iPad, making the case to buy one, pointing to its potential for boardgames. Check it out. And while we are on the subject of Wheaton and games, check out his keynote from the recent PAX gaming convention – on the YouTube.
Is the Nexus One from the Future?
Popular Video blogger Tessa (meekakitty on YouTube) has made a cute promotional video for the Google Nexus One phone – with a Next Generation theme.
“moral is low” … so it’s one of THOSE kinds of coffee shops :) Best kind, really.
Very cool to see LCARS on the iPad. As it was meant to be!
The font is wrong though. Hope he fixes that.
The Captains Log app makes me want to buy an iPadd just for that! I don’t have the $ to be spending on such things, though!
I love it! Life imitates Trek.
Although, “moral” in that photo is properly spelled “morale.” But who’s nitpicking? Pobody’s nerfect, after all.
As in many things tech, Trek leads the way!
iPad Ha! Apple got nuthin’ on us originators.
@ 5.
Damn straight !
I want the LCARS interface on my Windows XP laptop!
Search for LCARS X32 on internet you can download it to your computer and it will change your interface from XP to LCARS with some cool features but it is in a beta stage but works well with XP and windows 7 there is also Star Trek the original series from hyperdesk but it cost 14.99 and then there is Bennisoft that has a whole bunch of Star Trek LCARS interface like a terminal that works great and a email service and media player all set with LCARS that works for XP and 7 you can give those a try and they will interface with your computer to where you will have the feel of Star Trek and as a bonus the LCARS X32 also does touch screens
Can someone tell me again: Why are we buying iPads? I read that we have to wait for the 3G version…Are they gigantic cellphones too? Can we install Skype and yell at them in public like I do on my laptop? If I want the other person to see me, do I hold it up like a giant mirror, or does it not have a camera for video conferencing like my 7-year old Nokia phone?
I’ll wait for the $19.95 bargain bin sale
http://www.mewho.com
for a great Star Trek Next Generation system 47 screen saver, it’s like having the captains desk computer on your very own laptop screen
This is maybe a tad off-topic but…
I found a nifty Tricorder App for my Motorola Droid a couple of weeks ago, and it is truely one of the coolest aps I have! It features magnetic flux scanning, acoustic spectrum analyser with DB peak meter, a GPS compass, EM spectrum display (with a handy readout of nearby wi-fi networks and my favorite, the solar activity tab which graphs sunspot activity over last 60 days as well as shows various filtered SOHO images of the sun. Did I mention the gravemetric scanner? All with a LCARS style interface and Next Gen sound effects! I don’t really know how accurate the readings are and I’m not sure that most of it is information I can use (though the audio thingy might be handy) but it is cool as hell.
If you have a smart phone running Android 2 or higher, go look for this app (it’s called Tricorder)!
*morale
Wow. Tessa’s super cute. Where was she four years ago when I was still single?
“…in the future…?”
@ 10 — Great link! Thanks for that — my MacBook seems complete now.
@8 Thanks for the tip. Really appreciate it!
@10 I have System 47–it’s way cool but gets a little boring after a while. Having a whole XP theme…that would add an excellent new level of interactivity. (Truth is, I want LCARS for real–no more keyboard, no more mouse–just talk to the thing!)
I think Apple owes Rick Sternbach at least an acknowledgement for “borrowing” his idea. :-)
That girl is cheezy, but she’s way too cute to ignore. She deserves a subscription.
#16 – IIRC, PADD first described by Dorothy Fontana, designed by yours truly, with graphics by Mike Okuda. We should all get a nod. :)
#18
We’ll have to do a “write-in campaign” so that you guys get recognized. Seriously, if Stephen Colbert can get his own NASA treadmill, I can’t see why you guys can’t get some sort of reward. :-)
Now if they’d make one of those apps for the iphone/itouch that would be awesome. As cool as the ipad is its pointless for me to buy as I have an iphone and macbook pro, so it would kinda be $500 that I don’t have for something that’s just more cool than useful to me. Still, for someone using a desktop or an older laptop it would be cool to have.
HA! i have the same sms alert on my samsung omnia.
As much as that app is tempting me, I will wait to get an iPad when it can multitask, has at least two USB ports, a camera, a waaaay larger HDD, and has Adobe reader/flash capabilities. I read a lot of .pdf files and the lack of having that on the iPad bothers me. And there is no way of connecting to a printer that isn’t wireless if you want to print a document. You have to email to yourself. Nor is there a USB slot so you can’t even transfer documents like that.
Also when the price justifies what I’m buying will I get the iPad. I don’t want to spend $500 on something that does only a third of what a laptop the same price can do.
But I like where the iPad is going…just needs to get better. Also needs to credit those who made the PADD in ST. Without their brilliant abilities, there would have never been the idea of the “iPad”.
22. You can read PDF files on an iPhone. After Saturday I’ll let you know about the ipad.
Looks like I’ll be doing a telephone interview about the iPad, so at least a bit of the history of the thing will be brought up. Let you all know where it will appear later.
It would be great if Star Trek was officially acknowledged as the inspiration for the iPad (and its name).
A telephone interview with whom, Rick? Looking forward to it!