4 ms·

He quotes the Wikipedia article on Tricorder: "The company was permitted to call this device a 'tricorder' because Gene Roddenberry's contract included a clause

He quotes the Wikipedia article on Tricorder: "The company was permitted to call this device a 'tricorder' because Gene Roddenberry's contract included a clause allowing any company able to create functioning technology to use the name." First and formost, this is probably a case for "[citation needed]". Secondly, my understanding is that this would apply to a physical device that actually did scan for medical, landscapes and engineering. Probably the reason behind the Tricorder X Prize. I don't really see this applying to a software application to show you your WiFi strength. He wasn't sued for the name, he was sued for the LCARs interface. So it's a moot point anyways…

bane 15y ago
It does a little more than show Wifi signal strength. It wraps up all of the phone's sensors into a package that makes it feel like a multi-sensor package (tricorder). e.g. the compass is a magnetic field sensor, the inertial sensors of the phone function as gravity sensors, the wifi signal meter and mobile network signal strength is an EM field strength meter, the camera might be a photon sensor, it can download sunspot reports, gps, the microphone is turned into a volume sensor etc. It feels like the multi-sensor Star Trek device because of how the author wrapped it all up behind LCARS.
jonknee 15y ago
He also wasn't sued. He had a DMCA takedown request over his app sent to Google and has not the money or motivation to fight it.
- kennywinker 15y ago
  Nor the path. Even if he lawyered up and fought back, Google would probably keep the app pulled until some kind of judgement, far in the future. As an iOS app developer, I'm currently facing something like this. Apple has clearly stated that if I cannot resolve the issue with the company that sent the DCMA takedown, they will pull the app. I have no obvious recourse short of a lengthy and costly legal battle.
sp332 15y ago
It's not a trademark issue, it's a DMCA (copyright) issue. You can call it a tricorder if you want, but he can't use their visuals and sound effects without permission I guess.

bane 15y ago

It does a little more than show Wifi signal strength. It wraps up all of the phone's sensors into a package that makes it feel like a multi-sensor package (tricorder). e.g. the compass is a magnetic field sensor, the inertial sensors of the phone function as gravity sensors, the wifi signal meter and mobile network signal strength is an EM field strength meter, the camera might be a photon sensor, it can download sunspot reports, gps, the microphone is turned into a volume sensor etc. It feels like the multi-sensor Star Trek device because of how the author wrapped it all up behind LCARS.

jonknee 15y ago

He also wasn't sued. He had a DMCA takedown request over his app sent to Google and has not the money or motivation to fight it.

kennywinker 15y ago
Nor the path. Even if he lawyered up and fought back, Google would probably keep the app pulled until some kind of judgement, far in the future. As an iOS app developer, I'm currently facing something like this. Apple has clearly stated that if I cannot resolve the issue with the company that sent the DCMA takedown, they will pull the app. I have no obvious recourse short of a lengthy and costly legal battle.

sp332 15y ago

It's not a trademark issue, it's a DMCA (copyright) issue. You can call it a tricorder if you want, but he can't use their visuals and sound effects without permission I guess.