Our furniture, not in terms of "Tech" but style.
Picard's desk, redone
Picard's desk, redone
What real 21st century tech is better than 24th century Trek Tech?
- Thread starter Omega-Trekker
- Start date
Apparently either Space Apple has convinced everyone they need 14 separate iPADDs to get by, or the inter-office email has fallen out of favor in lieu of hand delivering every message, report, or proposal to the captain or division head on its own individual device. Visually I get that it's a quick and easy way to convey that someone is swamped with work, but it just looks ridiculous.
The only possible explanation I can think to come up with is that they're overly concerned with operational security and compartmentalization, so everything is hand delivered on it's own secure device, but that doesn't really track with the low priority of some of the messages being exchanged which don't demand this level of security, and Starfleet's otherwise lax security protocols like sometimes having the MSD with the damage report right behind the main viewscreen, or having the shield frequency on the main screen in engineering for anyone to see who sneaks in a transmitting device, or not being able to track someone if they just take off their commbadge, or being able to start-up, open the shuttlebay doors, and steal a shuttle before anyone notices.
Plus, we see other examples with non-secure personal files each requiring their own isolinear chip/rod or PADD, like Worf's Klingon opera collection or books various characters are reading (when they don't opt for a hardcopy). I guess Kindles and other e-Readers fell out of favor too.
Maybe Trek had its own less deadly but still significant version of the Cylon rebellion in the past which explains why androids and AIs used to be a lot more prevalent during TOS but by the time of TNG were a relative rarity, and as a result they drastically limit networking of computers to prevent hacking and remote access/control by machine intelligences.
But still, in the meantime, get Picard some tabbed browsing on a single device and clean up that clutter, because all those PADDs on his desk do not spark joy.
The only possible explanation I can think to come up with is that they're overly concerned with operational security and compartmentalization, so everything is hand delivered on it's own secure device, but that doesn't really track with the low priority of some of the messages being exchanged which don't demand this level of security, and Starfleet's otherwise lax security protocols like sometimes having the MSD with the damage report right behind the main viewscreen, or having the shield frequency on the main screen in engineering for anyone to see who sneaks in a transmitting device, or not being able to track someone if they just take off their commbadge, or being able to start-up, open the shuttlebay doors, and steal a shuttle before anyone notices.
Plus, we see other examples with non-secure personal files each requiring their own isolinear chip/rod or PADD, like Worf's Klingon opera collection or books various characters are reading (when they don't opt for a hardcopy). I guess Kindles and other e-Readers fell out of favor too.
Maybe Trek had its own less deadly but still significant version of the Cylon rebellion in the past which explains why androids and AIs used to be a lot more prevalent during TOS but by the time of TNG were a relative rarity, and as a result they drastically limit networking of computers to prevent hacking and remote access/control by machine intelligences.
But still, in the meantime, get Picard some tabbed browsing on a single device and clean up that clutter, because all those PADDs on his desk do not spark joy.
Apparently either Space Apple has convinced everyone they need 14 separate iPADDs to get by, or the inter-office email has fallen out of favor in lieu of hand delivering every message, report, or proposal to the captain or division head on its own individual device. Visually I get that it's a quick and easy way to convey that someone is swamped with work, but it just looks ridiculous.
The only possible explanation I can think to come up with is that they're overly concerned with operational security and compartmentalization, so everything is hand delivered on it's own secure device, but that doesn't really track with the low priority of some of the messages being exchanged which don't demand this level of security, and Starfleet's otherwise lax security protocols like sometimes having the MSD with the damage report right behind the main viewscreen, or having the shield frequency on the main screen in engineering for anyone to see who sneaks in a transmitting device, or not being able to track someone if they just take off their commbadge, or being able to start-up, open the shuttlebay doors, and steal a shuttle before anyone notices.
Plus, we see other examples with non-secure personal files each requiring their own isolinear chip/rod or PADD, like Worf's Klingon opera collection or books various characters are reading (when they don't opt for a hardcopy). I guess Kindles and other e-Readers fell out of favor too.
Maybe Trek had its own less deadly but still significant version of the Cylon rebellion in the past which explains why androids and AIs used to be a lot more prevalent during TOS but by the time of TNG were a relative rarity, and as a result they drastically limit networking of computers to prevent hacking and remote access/control by machine intelligences.
But still, in the meantime, get Picard some tabbed browsing on a single device and clean up that clutter, because all those PADDs on his desk do not spark joy.
Yeah, it never made sense that they'd have pads for every single thing.
Its wasteful and utterly unnecessary.
The only explanation I can come up with is that the writers/producers wanted to make it LOOK like its important and emphasise how 'big' the subjects are... so instead of showing books, they use pads for every single thing... and to be fair, that really looks absurd.
Otherwise, if you were actually in the Trek universe, I doubt they would be doing things EXACTLY like that... although, who knows what kind of in-universe justification they'd have for that approach.
In fact, I can see everyone having exactly 1 PADD (and possibly a backup if necessary) which would contain ALL of the data a person needs on it for review.
It can also be secured with biometrics or another more advanced form of encryption.
Sending messages in Trek electronically was always more or less showcased... so using a ridiculous number of PADDS for hand delivery of orders doesn't make sense... especially with internal sensors that record everything.
In fact, Voyager ended up being one of the worst offenders in this area (despite me liking this show better than most others) with later seasons.
In principle, one PADD is enough. Maybe multiple PADDs for those who do not want to search all files to bring up the one they want now?
OK, so now you just need to remember which of the 20 identical-looking devices your files are on.
Post-Its?
One PADD with all files that is searchable is WAY easier than 20 each with different topics stored. Trust me, my house is awash with ring-bound notebooks for my different course modules and finding the right one is more time-consuming than locating the info I need once I have the right one to hand!
I thought they would've used a modified SmartPhone design as their Tricorder, but they went all Assymetric Tablet on us in Prodigy.
And honestly, I wish they would use different device formats instead of all mini tablets.
Each type of computing has their place.
From Candy-Bar style Smartphones to larger mini Tablets, to large slate style tablets, to LapTop formats, to sit down PC's.
And honestly, I wish they would use different device formats instead of all mini tablets.
Each type of computing has their place.
From Candy-Bar style Smartphones to larger mini Tablets, to large slate style tablets, to LapTop formats, to sit down PC's.
Apart from the PADDs thing, we have much better video communications than Star Trek ever seems to have had. Remember that one scene where Picard opens the comms to Riker, desperate to know what's going on down there, and Riker replies with "trouble"? Picard needs to get some Facetime going on.
V
Vale
Guest
On my office desk I have two laptops, two iPads, and two iPhones. That's one personal and one work laptop, one personal and one work iPhone, and one personal and one work iPad. I also have a third iPad kicking around that is an older model and is in semi-retirement as a streaming device. While theoretically I could reduce this to one or two devices if I really wanted to, there's certain apps and settings my work devices require that I'm not willing to install on my personal devices – MDM and VPN profiles, etc – and also some personal data I'm not willing to have on my work devices. And, of course, my laptops can do some things and run certain things that my iPads can't, and vice versa. Sometimes it's easier to just divide tasks and roles between different physical devices.
It's also good to not mix content from Personal & Work related stuff.
If one gets compromised or taken away, it doesn't affect the other.
Isn't milspec hardware and software behind the cutting edge technologies?
With so much redundancy in Trek, your computer becoming compromised or stolen seems highly improbable if you live in the Federation, or on a Starfleet ship.
Such a possibility might occur during a potential hostile takeover... but that would compromise the entire ship's database in that case (so, no point if you ask me).
In Trek, keeping personal and work related stuff on separate systems doesn't seem valid on a SF ship.
You can use two different 'accounts' or 'sessions' on a same system that are completely separate of each other, and the computer seems intelligent enough to segregate the two even if they are using a same 'account' (I'm obviously using contemporary terms because we don't 100% know what systems they implement on SF ships).
The only reason we have separate systems for work and personal stuff today is because we live in C(r)apitalism.
If you are using a computer for work, chances are it was given to you by the company you work for... which frequently comes with its own surveillance software and administrative privileges revoked to ensure its ONLY used for work (and not personal stuff).
And if you can't really afford a personal computer, this limits you.
Also, in the existing socio-economic system where access to goods and services is restriced via money, the possibility of theft increases exponentially.
In the socio-economic system and overall environment that Trek UFP and Starfleet provide... you have no need for such fear and segragation.
Invasion of privacy is extremely frowned upon.
While internal sensors on ships record everything people say and do (for accuracy), your data is seen as your own and only potentially accessible to security chiefs who are ensured that they won't abuse the information, and only access it (usually) with the crewmans' permission or if the situation is of high enough security to warrant peeking into it (and even then, only files of particular interest are looked at).
Otherwise, while stuff is recorded... its considered highly private and we've seen SF captains and security chiefs are even highly uncomfortable (and extremely against) reading personal logs of their own crew unless they are presented with no other viable courses of action (that is, if the crew member is highly uncooperative).
With so much "Abundance", it doesn't hurt to seperate your personal data onto your own PC's and it could be StarFleet's policy to require a seperation of Personal & Work data for various reasons.
Yes you can do that now, but most people don't want to deal with work related hardware and interfaces once they're off the clock. Having your own personal PC and GUI makes a world of difference to the seperation of Work/Personal life.
Guess what, anything that StarFleet / UFP government gives you will have the same Surveillance software & Administrative Privileges revoked as well. That hardware won't belong to the individual officer.
StarFleet / UFP government will want to monitor all hardware on their network.
In the world of StarFleet/UFP abundance, getting your own personal PC should be trivial.
Just replicate your own stuff and enjoy it.
I'm not even going to argue with yout about your takes on Capitalism, we've done the back & forth on that too many times.
I disagree with you and we'll have to agree to disagree, so we'll leave it at that.
It's not a matter of fear, it's a matter of maintaining the security of your computer network and all hardware in the organizations inventory.
Any organization that cares about the health of their computers will monitor everything.
It's really trivial in the 24th century to have your own PC hardware given that it's the land of abundance and everybody can have whatever they want.
Security Chiefs aren't ensured/guranteed, they're abiding by a honor system to not violate information security for personal gains. But you saw what happened with Crazy Admirals that go rogue, or guys like Michael Eddington or Commodore Oh who have alterior motives. People will violate information privilege once they have their own personal motives to gain.
That may be the vast majority, but it's not a gurantee on everybody.
There can and always be a threat of rogue officers in StarFleet or any other organization.
That's just the nature of dealing with people and the ability to turn against you for whatever motive they believe to justify their actions.
Making something robust can mean dumbing it down. Now today’s el cheapo flip phones are more capable than yesterday’s.
Ironically, it wasn’t that long ago that they space-rated the 486 chip.
Early computer chips were simple, and that made them resilient. They were in our sats exposed to vacuum where the Vostok shell—still being made by the way—was pressurized.
New fast chips talked to a handful of older, slower but larger computers on Earth. But computers Earthside didn’t have to be space rated as vacuum proof and heat resistant.
Often, you want older tech in space.
I always find it funny how 21st century Flash Lights are better than whatever crappy Flash Lights the art department rigs up.
=D
They never seem to use the latest and greatest, even on DISCO.
There shouldn't be any real darkness, everything should be well lit.
=D
They never seem to use the latest and greatest, even on DISCO.
There shouldn't be any real darkness, everything should be well lit.
Limitations of filming though - you want to SHOW that the crew are using flashlights, but a brilliant 700+ lumen light will be just whiting out the camera every time it sweeps across it.
Plus those sorts of lights aren't necessarily good for human eyes, either - I have several useful modern lights that are incredibly bright, but also carry warnings about averting your eyes directly from the emitters and being careful shining them at other living things. The LEDs are great for illumination but they're also much more powerful than older style bulbs.
You can always get the wide beams that are strong, but not too strong, great for lighting up entire rooms.
Now imagine UFP Internet, where you can Video Chat with family members on other planets or in space.
Similar threads
