Star Trek communicator replica is worthy of the Enterprise
Millennials raised on Star Trek the Next Generation are convinced that all future space travelers communicate via little Federation badges on their chests.
They are wrong.
Decades before Captain Picard touched his pin and commanded Number One to "Make it so," Captain James Tiberius Kirk was using a handheld communicator to declare, "Scotty, beam me up."
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That device was iconic and awesome, and now I have one in my hands.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the airing of the first-ever Star Trek TV episode, CBS Consumer Products commissioned the creation of a 21st century Star Trek The Original Series Bluetooth Communicator.
To deliver this perfect piece of Star Trek memorabilia, The Wand Company scanned props used in the original 1966-69 Star Trek series. At a glance, it's virtually identical to one of the communicators Shatner and company held on the old CBS show. It features a metal antenna grill, composite body and metal edging.
It's more than just a model, though. The communicator opens with a flick of the wrist and makes the exact same noise that devotees of the original series know and love.
Under that grill is the classic circular moiré screen, which turns slowly during calls, a trio of colored lights and two buttons.
The right-hand button accepts presses and toggles in four directions. Each position plays back a different bit of audio from the original series, including sound effects like the hailing audio and emergency signal, as well as dialogue from Nichelle Nichols as Uhura, George Takei as Sulu and Leonard Nimoy as Spock. Shatner's Kirk is strangely absent.
It's a phone
Underneath all that verisimilitude is a functioning Bluetooth device that connects to your iPhone.
Once paired, you can take and make calls through the communicator. There's no keypad or screen -- it is a novelty item, after all -- so you have to use hands-free voice dialing. When I pressed the right-hand button once, the communicator's built in voice said "Voice Command." I then heard the familiar Siri double beep. After that, I was talking directly to Siri on my iPhone. To end the call, I just closed the grill after which the communicator said, "communication terminated."
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I could also answer calls through the communicator, but, since there's no ear piece and I basically have to hold it in front of my face and talk at it, I tried to avoid using it in public places. It is, though, perfect for open use at a Star Trek Convention.
The Star Trek Communicator can even stream music through its tiny speaker, which is loud enough for desk listening, but that's about it. You adjust volume by pressing up on the right button.
What's in the box
Included with the communicator is a wireless charging base complete with the Federation logo. It's imprinted with the words "U.S.S. Enterprise Standard Issue Communicator." The communicator also ships in a very attractive case and does come with a pleather holder and a micro-USB charging cable. You will pay dearly for all this, though. The Star Trek The Original Series Bluetooth Communicator lists for $149. Scotty, beam me up some extra cash.
The Star Trek The Original Series Bluetooth Communicator
The Good
Looks like the real thing
Solidly built
Fun to use
Wireless charging
More than just a prop
The Bad
Expensive
The Bottom Line
If you love Star Trek the original series, why wouldn't you want this?
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Topics Bluetooth Reviews Star Trek Mashable Choice
Lance Ulanoff was Chief Correspondent and Editor-at-Large of Mashable. Lance acted as a senior member of the editing team, with a focus on defining internal and curated opinion content. He also helped develop staff-wide alternative story-telling skills and implementation of social media tools during live events. Prior to joining Mashable in September 2011 Lance Ulanoff served as Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for the Ziff Davis, Inc. While there, he guided the brand to a 100% digital existence and oversaw content strategy for all of Ziff Davis’ Web sites. His long-running column on PCMag.com earned him a Bronze award from the ASBPE. Winmag.com, HomePC.com and PCMag.com were all been honored under Lance’s guidance.He makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Fox News, the Today Show, Good Morning America, Kelly and Michael, CNBC, CNN and the BBC.He has also offered commentary on National Public Radio and been interviewed by newspapers and radio stations around the country. Lance has been an invited guest speaker at numerous technology conferences including SXSW, Think Mobile, CEA Line Shows, Digital Life, RoboBusiness, RoboNexus, Business Foresight and Digital Media Wire’s Games and Mobile Forum.
