'Star Trek' Tech We Use Today (Almost)

[Roon]

For the past four decades, "Star Trek" has been influencing and predicting new gadgets and technologies. How close are we to Trek-inspired phasers, tricorders and invisibility cloaks?
http://tech.msn.com/products/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=19523950&imageindex=16

[Pacifist Patriot]

1. Star Trek had invisibility cloaks? I thought that was Harry Potter.

I'm still waiting for injections that spray into the skin rather than insert a needle. Mind you, that mobile phone thing is stellar!

[sarge43]

5. Klingons had cloaking tech. Caused Star Fleet a lot of trouble.

Spray injection has been around since at least the 70's. I have the scar to prove it. If you twitch or jerk while you're being punched, instant incision.

I believe some of the advance med centers have basic bio beds.

Some of the advanced GPS are all for practical purposes primitive sensors, tri-corders. Very soon we'll have ones that do basic weather. Blackberries that will take bp, temperatures, etc. (If we don't already. I can't keep up.)

Cell phones. When I was watching the movie and some one flipped open his communicator, I thought, "I can do that."

(typo)

[Pacifist Patriot]

7. Ah, I was thinking cloak as in article of clothing. Didn't even think of it in terms of...

"cloaking a ship."

[bikebloke]

10. I got a jab that way.

In Nepal, we heard about a meningitis outbreak, so went to a clinic for the jab. They had an air gun that sprayed the stuff through the skin.

[sarge43]

14. They're one of those tech that read better than they live.

They can be dangerous. I've seen a few people cut quite badly and they hurt in any case.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. The Klingons stole it from Bilbo.

Dr. Spock sang a song about it.

[sarge43]

15. .....

:spray:

[justabob]

2. restaurant patrons THINK we have replicators :)

or so it seems. The age of fast food (I guess) has made people, even smart ones, think that fully prepared food just appears magically (in seconds)... exactly the way their mothers made it. I can't tell you how many customers I have experienced this with, and I work in a cafe with a scary fast and good kitchen.

[DS1]

3. new link, starting at one instead of 16 out of 17

http://tech.msn.com/products/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=19523950

[Roon]

4. Doh!

Thanks for that, DS1.

[LiberalEsto]

6. I would love to be able to say: Tea, hot, English Breakfast

and have a perfect cup of tea appear in a replicator whenever I wanted one. With Lactaid milk.

[sarge43]

8. I'd like the tech that kept everything so clean. n/t

[Robb]

11. Swarming Roombas, of course

...Roombas powered by dilithium time-space continuums or some crap like that.

[sarge43]

12. You're fluent in Technobabble. Excellent. n/t

[KG]

9. i wish my flip-phone made that squeaky noise when i open it to make a call