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TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

Posted by Craig Norris on Jan 13, 2009
3-D TVS? Dick Tracy-esque wristwatch phones? A "biomorphic Robosapien"? Robot leopards? Glasses that show movies on the lenses? Sunglasses with wireless stereo headphones?

Sounds like wacky, futuristic science-fiction, eh? No friends, these are all things that were introduced at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas! It ran from last Thursday until this past Sunday and by all accounts was a subdued affair (much like Golden Globes) because of the ailing economy. I guess that a 3-D webcam isn't really high on anyone's list of "needs" right now.

Technology is a big part of a lot of your lives. I know, because Lana's "Techie Tuesday" show garners a lot of comments. But I've been thinking...

::What's one item that would make your life simpler that hasn't been invented yet? Anything! Anything at all! Conversely, is there something that's come out that you think no one could possibly need?
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  1. Silvorgold
    01

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by Silvorgold
    a personal beer maker, that makes many different kinds of beer. it collects the hops and barley (or wheat), brews it, bottles it, and chills it, cleans itself and repeat
  2. teamquentin
    02

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by teamquentin
    Reverse microwave!
  3. joel
    03

    3D TV

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by joel
    I worked for Industry Canada years ago in Ottawa. Specially I worked in Communication Research Center in the Advanced TV Lab and we were working on 3d TV.. That facility was awesome to work at, maybe it's our modesty but I wish the technology that was developed there was more well known to Canadians...

    Personally I'd like to see better smart energy meters and appliances.. or a comprehensive home infrastructure system that has energy creation, water reclamation, monitoring and reporting, smart grid extensibility...
  4. suckamc
    04

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by suckamc
    gotta go with one of the mothers of them, Nuclear Fusion. If we can get that going, there will be no energy crisis, no burning of fossil fuels...

    Martin
  5. mattyjames2001
    05

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by mattyjames2001
    a TRANSPORTER
    or better transporation infrastructure. not really new invention by any means, but shuttle trains in cities (such as the LRT in Edmonton or the C train in Calgary) should be more popular. Also, some form of train between cities would be nice, like they have in Europe. Canada's so big we should really embrace a more efficient way of travelling it
  6. mattyjames2001
    06

    @suckamc

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by mattyjames2001
    EXACTLY! Canada is way behind nuclear power.. even though we're one of the world's biggest suppliers!!
  7. popfizzglub
    07

    biking through the snow is hard!

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by popfizzglub
    i'm still waiting on my hover-board. seriously. why don't i own one of these yet! and with heated foot pads so that i can keep my feet warm during my winter commute to work.
  8. 124th Street Beat
    08

    If only......

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by 124th Street Beat
    An automatic PhD dissertation creator. sigh.
  9. pjrocksmb
    09

    Robot to change my tire at -40

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by pjrocksmb
    it's frigging cold in Winterpeg right now

    Other ideas

    Robot fish to put on end of fishing line so that people that can't catch fish can

    Electric vehicle with range of 100+ kms would be sweet

    Replacement for wood in homes that's economical and environmentally sustainable

    Effective technology to create fresh water from salt water

    Things we don't need
    1. Hydrogen cars
    2. Hybrid cars
    3. American made cars
  10. ryancouldrey
    10

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by ryancouldrey
    Sony showed off WipeOutHD being played in 3D at CES. That game is already disturbingly pretty as it is and I'd punch a turtle if it meant I could play that in 3D...

    What do I need, though? A working hover-car. Potholes would mean poop-all, no winter tire changes needed, and in my mind it would run on water or CO2 and therefore be cheap to run. Throw in an mp3 stereo and make it look like either the Ghostbusters or the Back to the Future Delorian and you're set.

    What the world doesn't need? An iPod without a screen. Why the hell those things still manage to sell and get yearly iterations is beyond me...
  11. ryancouldrey
    11

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by ryancouldrey
    Also, I know someone who could use some internet poll software that works reliably.
  12. MariaR
    12

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by MariaR
    I want an indoor charcoal barbeque so that I can grill to my hearts content without going outside in the -40.
    This grill would also have to be equiped with a sufficient ventilation system so that my home did not start to smell like bbq.

    We were talking about this on the weekend. It would be cool to have a drive through window in your kitchen where on the outside a bbq was attached and you could just slide the window open and flip and baste.
  13. nodice
    13

    back to the future 2 made me a promise...

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by nodice
    that in the future we would have hover boards!
    i see a lot of talk about about hover technology on here so i know i am not alone in this.
  14. drock
    14

    I need...

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by drock
    A big bubble over winnipeg that prevents temperatures from going lower than -15. A telepathic device that transfers all of my seminar readings directly into my brain saving me from hours and hours of reading hundreds of pages and remembering anything about them.
  15. suckamc
    15

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by suckamc
    @pjrocksmb, I'm not clear on your alternative to wood point, wood can be sustainable for building houses, and can definitely be economical. A good wood built house can last for hundreds of years.

    I do think that we may be taking too much wood from the land, and what we're doing isn't very sustainable.

    Once my nuclear fusion idea comes around and battery capacity picks up, our electric cars will be sweet.

    @mattyjames2001, we definitely need some better transportation infrastructure. We need a high speed rail line across Canada, making major city stops, like they have in Europe.

    Martin
  16. duoglide
    16

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by duoglide
    An all David Hasselhoff radio station. All Hoff, all the time.
  17. claytonr
    17

    Natural Gas Semi Trucks

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by claytonr
    Electric cars are great, and we are well on our way.

    But another big problem is freight. The most modern fuel cell technology still is not powerful enough or feasible to used in semi trucks, and large freight vehicles.

    One alternative is natural gas. Natural gas is in greater supply than oil, burns much cleaner, and provides the power big trucks need.

    Perhaps its a stepping stone before we have the technology to go full electric.

    The US also has natural gas, good prevent further bloodshed as they will not have to flex their muscles for energy. It could also help pull the US out of debt as they are natural gas rich

    Clay
  18. axis
    18

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by axis
    I need a deviator-navigator. Forget Ritalin: whenever my ADD acts up and I get off-track of what I'm meant to be doing, the deviator-navigator will read my brain waves and steer me gently back to the real world. This is a technological possibility, I believe. Have you heard of that toy that reads your brain waves to make a ball move? My mind is much more easy to manipulate. Ask my charming 6-year old.
  19. claytonr
    19

    Zamboni

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by claytonr
    OH

    and a ZAMBONI attachment for a quad.

    Flood the road and have some serious street hockey
  20. pjrocksmb
    20

    Wood

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by pjrocksmb
    Go to google earth, look up the rain forest anywhere, Amazon, BC, where ever really

    We may be taking too much wood??????

    Tree's allow us to breath don't forget. We are killing the forests and have been for hundreds of years. Remember climate change?????

    You are right wood is a great construction material. But turning rain forests into 2x4's and plywood isn't the answer. What I would like to see if new building materials that are more sustainable.

    All of the urban sprawl in even my lifetime (30 years) has done more damage to the earth that we could ever realize in one generation. Too much waste in our current methods of construction and just too much consumption of wood period.

    My goal is lofty, you can't replace one of humans main construction materials but I can dream

    Some alternatives, research houses made of bales of hay, houses made of mud (cob homes) or other new green materials (recycled wood for example).

    By the time I'm dead the worst forests will be devastated.

    Also look to Northern Alberta to the second biggest forest destruction projects on earth.

    The size of the oil sand development area is roughly the size of Southern Manitoba.

    Bye Bye Oxygen

    RANT OVER

  21. edith phern
    21

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by edith phern
    I personally can't believe someone hasn't invented a calculator wristwatch yet!
  22. pjrocksmb
    22

    Amazon you had so much but now so much is gone

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by pjrocksmb
    What are you going to do with your life?

    N.Y.
  23. tb3
    23

    Wireless power.

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by tb3
    I am tired of extension cords, power bars and wall outlets. Can't we make wireless power galldarnit???
  24. OneA
    24

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by OneA
    Robots that roam the streets and pick up dog poop and cigarette butts - or, here's an idea: people could just pick up their dog poop and throw their cigarette butts in the garbage.
  25. BigRockFan
    25

    @ Martin

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by BigRockFan
    A good ultracpacitor would change everything too, and greatly reduce the need for fossil fuels. And a rapid train line from coast to coast might be a good project for a recession. Perhaps we could get the ship yards in Atlantic Canada making a few more icebreakers to police our newly opening up arctic waters too.
  26. edith phern
    26

    re: claytonr

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by edith phern
    Freight is carried way more efficiently by trains! Just think of how many semi-truck sized train cars are carried by one engine as opposed to each one requiring a semi-truck cab! I don't understand why Canada ever starting replacing freight transfer from trains to trucks!
  27. tb3
    27

    @OneA

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by tb3
    My wife and I want to pick up the freshly tossed butts from car windows and whip them back in the window of the tosser (ha!), as it aggravates us to no end every times we see it.

    What is about smoking that makes it okay to just fingler flick the butt when yer done? Could I say come over to your house, crumple up a spent Doritos bag on your floor, cause well I'm done with it?
  28. claytonr
    28

    re: edith phern

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by claytonr
    You still need to carry cargo from the train to its final location

    so semi trucks greatly needed
  29. Craig Norris
    29

    edith!

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by Craig Norris
    you're kidding, yes?
  30. OneA
    30

    @tb3

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by OneA
    I know, it's so rude. I was a City worker once and it was my job for a couple weeks to walk around downtown and clean up cigarette butts; worst 2 weeks EVER. Even worse is when people use their car ashtrays, but when they're full they just open their car door and dump the whole thing out the ground. Seriously, how is that Okay??
  31. claytonr
    31

    re: edith phern

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by claytonr
    but I do agree trucks do need to be taken off the road.

    Lets just make the ones that are on the road cleaner and more efficient
  32. tb3
    32

    Yes, Edith

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by tb3
    I really hope you are teasing…
    They've been around so long, they've been made retro chic in the last year.

    Tell me you are being Susan in Ohio.
  33. claytonr
    33

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by claytonr
    some trucks taken off, not all of course
  34. edith phern
    34

    tb3

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by edith phern
    teasing? yes. i have a friend with a beautiful calculator wristwatch...green I am...sigh.
  35. edith phern
    35

    claytonr

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by edith phern
    I was thinking long distance hauling only, forgetting about the whole transport to final destination...maybe we could get back on board with child labour, and have a whole army of kids trekking things about in their wagons. Do kids even have wagons still? I never see any. In any case, it would get them outside and exercising!
  36. tb3
    36

    Watchulator or Calcutime?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by tb3
    Old or nü school?
  37. edith phern
    37

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by edith phern
    It's from the 80s.
  38. John Paolozzi
    38

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by John Paolozzi
    Internet television. What the hell is taking so long?

    (And don't tell me it's already here. Do I look like a nerd to you? I don't want to "hack" anything.)
  39. LeyLey
    39

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by LeyLey
    I want a Jetsons style robot maid... that would make my day
  40. AlexOfAnders
    40

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by AlexOfAnders
    Man, what I want was already said, hovercars, teleporters. But what about the instant translator? I'm thinking like a babel fish but less alive and more electronic.

    @John - Internet television is starting to bud! I think there's more but there's definitely a horror one coming sometime this year called the Fright Channel. But I agree, it's taken forever for the normal TV channels to start putting shows online.
  41. tb3
    41

    Internet Television

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by tb3
    Check out decabled.com

    You're right, we're no where near where it should be, internet on TV people I hope you're reading!

    I get closer and closer to cutting the cable every day. But not because there is a viable option there, but because it's (cable) pissing me off so. Pushing me to the illegal route… and yet I'd love nothing more to buy The Office, 30 Rock season pass from iTunes and be done with it.
  42. mattyjames2001
    42

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by mattyjames2001
    i'd like to see some sort of device that can take out cd's/dvd's out of the player and put them back in the correct case after you hit eject. then i'll never have to get off my butt ever again
  43. safadancer
    43

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by safadancer
    I second the transporter. It is very hard for me to drive all over creation visiting my friends and family, so any device that could allow me to zip to LA to visit my boyfriend and then be back to London in time for work the next day, would be awesome. You know, as long as it didn't have the same problems the Star Trek transporter did, where people would end up inside out or in pieces.
  44. AlexOfAnders
    44

    @tb3

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by AlexOfAnders
    Cut the cable! I did it a couple months ago, it's been great. Personally, there's not a lot of new TV I care for plus I don't like bending to their schedule. I'd rather catch it on DVD or something (which if you just set aside your cable money for DVD's once a month can get you more DVDs than you might suspect).

    There are way better things to do than watch what cable's offers when you feel like relaxing, even if it's just movies or TV DVDs.
  45. matteo
    45

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by matteo
    A reverse microwave is an awesome idea, who wants to wait to eat instant pudding?
  46. tb3
    46

    @AlexOfAnders

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by tb3
    PVR is what's keeping it tenuously alive in our household. I haven't watched a show in it's timeslot in over a year.

    Commercials are for fast forwarding.

    But, still, the annoying thing is the PVR's themselves have small hard drives, often miss shows for no reason, and cut off shows at the start and end all the time.

    If there was enough of an offering of the shows I liked in iTunes, I'd be done with cable TV.

    Sadly not even half the shows I like on are there yet.
  47. jillenium00
    47

    Transporter pods

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by jillenium00
    Something similar to Logan's Run...subways cars that transport 1-2 people on a subway liek track around the city.

    Only minus being systematically killed off in your 20's
  48. jillenium00
    48

    Reverse microwave?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by jillenium00
    ...wouldn't that be a fridge?
  49. Karisatina
    49

    Sad but good

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by Karisatina
    Thanks for playing Secret for Julie! It's one of my favourite Eric's Trip songs.
  50. Jivemama
    50

    wow

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by Jivemama
    people want a lot of things...
    Personally, I want a teleporter. That'd be useful for many things.
  51. Colin Medley
    51

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by Colin Medley
    Thanks for playing Eric's Trip!
  52. boots mcgruff
    52

    i need

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by boots mcgruff
    a motivatatron
  53. toborbink
    53

    The future is here sort of

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by toborbink
    Every highway should be four lanes. The left lane is for registered safe autos; good tires running well with cruise control. Speed: Autobahn fast any speed safe for the weather conditions and must get out of the way for others. The next lane 130 kph followed by 120 kph and then trucks on the right who can not pass at all.

    There are tricorders in hospitals
    There are com badges in hospitals
    Everyone has flip open communicator or other
    There are glasses with projections on the lenses
    Calculator wristwatch been done
    Wireless AC done
    There is research on robots to do everything, contact lenses with visual projections, soundless verbal communications, nano- robots, molecular machines, biological 3D printers, gene manipulation, and hard wiring the brain to experience any sensation as if it was reality.
    But where are the hover boards?
  54. tagish156
    54

    Re: TCNH: Where the hell's my tricorder?!?

    Posted on Jan 13, 2009 by tagish156
    I really need something that can scan for lifesigns
54 comments
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