My brothers and I are debating over when the first camera cell phone (or video cell phone, even) appeared in science fiction shows/movies. Does anyone remember if the handheld communicators had camera or video capability? One of my friends claims the tricorder had such a capability, but I thought the tricorder was more for scanning. Was it ever used for phone calls-type communications?
Tricorders & Communicators
- Thread starter ATY
- Start date
That's interesting. Thank you. Do you happen to know if the tricorder was ever used for something akin to phone calls or voice communications? I sometimes see articles about cell phones as "real life tricorders," but I thought the communicators were used for phone calls, while the tricorder was used for -- well -- everything else.
I can't recall it ever used that way off the top of my head, although I can think of at least one ep (TNG's "The Chase") where a portion of the tricorder was used to broadcast a hologram. So it would seem tricorders do have this kind of recording technology, even if they're not used regularly as communications devices. There might be other eps where the tricorder was used the same way, I just can't recall any at the moment. 
I think the TNG era is rife with examples of our heroes sending tricorder scan data up to their starship, even though I can't recall any at the moment.
However, I don't think the TOS heroes ever explicitly transmitted any telemetry from tricorder to ship or vice versa. They did study tricorder-made records afterwards using the ship's computer (say, "Obsession"), but this may have required physically plugging the tricorder into the computer, or transferring data on a memory chip.
So in all likelihood, James Bond had a camera phone -style gadget long before Star Trek showed one.
Timo Saloniemi
However, I don't think the TOS heroes ever explicitly transmitted any telemetry from tricorder to ship or vice versa. They did study tricorder-made records afterwards using the ship's computer (say, "Obsession"), but this may have required physically plugging the tricorder into the computer, or transferring data on a memory chip.
So in all likelihood, James Bond had a camera phone -style gadget long before Star Trek showed one.
Timo Saloniemi
The closest example to something like this I recall at the moment was in "Miri" when McCoy was sending medical test results back and forth to Enterprise for analysis. Although it appeared this was being handled via that larger desktop medical analysis machine/computer, not from a tricorder. I suppose they could've also been beaming something back and forth offscreen...don't think it's explicitly indicated what exactly was sent...but I always assumed it was a transmission from that computer.
Mark
Good catch! In retrospect, it would be nice to think that TOS gadgetry already possessed the ability of wireless telemetry transmission, since it wasn't ever explicitly denied, either. But apparently the writers weren't that forward-thinking in reality.
As for James Bond, when did he first use a mobile phone? Or for that matter a digital camera (be it a pocket model, or something installed in his car)? On second thought, both Maxwell Smart and Austin Powers were probably well ahead of him...
Timo Saloniemi
As for James Bond, when did he first use a mobile phone? Or for that matter a digital camera (be it a pocket model, or something installed in his car)? On second thought, both Maxwell Smart and Austin Powers were probably well ahead of him...
Timo Saloniemi
It always bothered me that the tricorder could (apparently) communicate with other tricorders via networking (TNG: "Brothers,") and PADDs (TNG: "Timescape") and with the ship's computer (many episodes), but not one of our heroes was ever able to use them as personal communicator stand-ins when their trusty combadges were stolen or inoperable.
As for the OP's question -- the TNG/DS9/VOY tricorders all have buttons labeled with recording terminology, so it's logical to assume that Starfleet officers can use them as camcorders if they want. As for chronologically important data, I think DS9Sega has the right idea with "Forbidden Planet."
As for the OP's question -- the TNG/DS9/VOY tricorders all have buttons labeled with recording terminology, so it's logical to assume that Starfleet officers can use them as camcorders if they want. As for chronologically important data, I think DS9Sega has the right idea with "Forbidden Planet."
One wonders... Where and when did our heroes run into a situation where they would be left in possession of a tricorder but not of a dedicated communicator?
Yeah, I'd think that a tricorder or a PADD would have built-in communications features, just not necessarily as advanced as those built into the badges or handheld comm devices. Perhaps tricorders and PADDs are supposed to network with the nearest dedicated communicator for the long range transmission of data, and are helpless if no dedicated device is nearby?
Timo Saloniemi
Yeah, I'd think that a tricorder or a PADD would have built-in communications features, just not necessarily as advanced as those built into the badges or handheld comm devices. Perhaps tricorders and PADDs are supposed to network with the nearest dedicated communicator for the long range transmission of data, and are helpless if no dedicated device is nearby?
Timo Saloniemi
Why can't tricorders have the equivalent of a cellular card, sending data but no nominal voice capacity?
Why would they lack voice capacity, though? Their sensor inputs must include audio, so they should be able to Skype Kirk's calls through to the ship even if that's not their primary function. Assuming, that is, that they are capable of long range transmission at all.
Timo Saloniemi
Timo Saloniemi
I suppose so but I would expect the audio is recorded data along with the other readings, with all of the data going one way. I think it is nor customary to have a tricrder networking of data.
"Attached" is the only one that comes to mind at the moment.
I like your idea about the tricorders requiring communicators nearby for uplink/downlink, even though it seems very 2002 (i.e., "check this out! I can link my Palm TX to my cell phone via Bluetooth and SURF THE WEB!"). You know, rather than having the capability built in natively (read: every smartphone on the market right now).
As redesigned by yours truly for TNG, the tricorder had all of the capabilities of a communicator; it's just that the writers and producers didn't see fit to utilize the tricorder to xmit/receive voice for whatever reasons. I suspect they didn't want to have the actors use the tricorders in a "cellphone" sort of manner (unit up to ear) precisely because it would have looked like the phones coming out in the early TNG timeframe. I suppose the actors could have simply held the unit in front of them and gone with a "speakerphone" mode, but in cases like this, the producers almost always opted for simplicity and separation of functions with Trek hardware. To have to drag out the action of switching to voice com on a tricorder, or introducing a move that the general audience might not understand, was something TPTB didn't like. On very rare occasions, and if it didn't take up too much screen time, they let something in, like when Roga Danar used an unconscious crewman's own hand to activate a signal, implying biometric locks way before they were fashionable.
Rick
www.spacemodelsystems.com
Without that explanation, Rick, I would not have know that capacity existed from onscreen exidence.
Thanks for that clarification, Rick. I figured that "separation of functions" mentality was what prevented the tricorder from ever being used as a communicator on-screen. In any case, it's good to know you designed them with multitasking in mind!
Oh, and that little bit about Danar using the unconscious crewman's finger to activate the combadge has always been one of my favorite subtle nods to the more advanced security features of the combadges. Glad that one slipped through.
Oh, and that little bit about Danar using the unconscious crewman's finger to activate the combadge has always been one of my favorite subtle nods to the more advanced security features of the combadges. Glad that one slipped through.
It also showed that Danar was no dummy.
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