Star Trek tech we use today (almost)

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?

century technology that tops its fictional Star Trek counterpart, at least aesthetically. A PADD (Personal Access Display Device) was a handheld computer capable of performing many mundane Starfleet tasks, including filing diagnostic reports and duty rosters. Like the iPhone, it had a minimalist interface with a touchscreen and maybe an external button or two. The iPhone is certainly better looking, but it isn't nearly as rugged. A PADD could endure a 35-meter drop and keep on ticking; don’t try that with your iPhone. On the other hand, we have no way of knowing whether a PADD could withstand immersion in a bowl of Froot Loops.

Interested in additional Star Trek news as reported on planet PC World? Then check out these essential items (oh, and by all means "Live long and prosper")

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