IPhone Tricorder Star Trek Style

I read an interesting article about an IPhone that was converted into a tricorder by some NASA scientists that is capable of detecting certain chemicals and gasses in the air. While this sounds cool and very futuristic, I really don't see a very practical application at this date for this device. It could be a stepping stone to a more advanced gadget and because it is being applied to an IPhone, it seems that it may be for the general population. However, in Star Trek, only Starfleet personnel have tricorders to detect anomolies on the ship, in a strange environment, they are used for medical purposes, and to scan alien life forms. So while the gadget is fun and creative, I will look at it as a step to something bigger and better and independent from the IPhone. I would like to see a device that is focused more on medical advancement but that is because my area of work is in the medical arena and it would be nice to have less invassive equipment to detect things in the body like anemia, tumors, problems with joints or bones, etc.
Anyway, here is a clip from the article:

A NASA scientist may have come up with the world’s first ever Star Trek Tricoder. Combining an iPhone, a tiny sensor chip, and some nifty programming, the prototype can detect dangerous chemicals and gases in the air.

Jing Li and his team at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffet Field, California came up with the prototype using a silicon sensing chip in micro-board with 64 nanosensors. It can detect even trace amounts of ammonia, methane, and chlorine gas in the air. Being based on the Apple iPhone, it can communicate the results to other iPhones — or the computer mainframe of the owner’s battleship, who knows.

The iPhone still can’t “beam me up,” but with these kinds of developments, it’s probably just a matter of time.

Here is the article and enjoy your weekend.