[Nightmare]

Just saw the commlink dongles in Data Trail...anyone know if those can be added to cyberware/internal commlinks?  Got a PC who wants to add one to his character's internal commlink and I'm not sure if he can or not...

[Kincaid]

RAW?  Probably not, since there's really no reason for an internal commlink to have a UDP.  This almost makes me miss the old router cyberware, but I'd probably allow a player to take a dedicated datajack to act as a UDP, although having a dongle hanging off your temple might look a bit weird.

[jim1701]

I would think that an internal commlink would still have an access port or at least that it would be an option.  I would think it would work like a external magazine for a cyber gun though so the dongle would be sticking out of your head or arm or wherever you have the commlink installed. 

[ScytheKnight]

If they're small enough they could be able to slot inside like a memory card for smartphones/tablets.

Also, let's not forget the utility of a stun dongle on the forehead. 

[Herr Brackhaus]

I'd say yes; even an internal commlink may need service, so it makes sense that it's accessible enough that a dongle could be added relatively easily.

Alternatively, just get an Internal Router and something to plug the dongle into...

[Marcus Gideon]

Every time I hear people talking about internal Commlinks and Cyberdecks, I just picture Data from TNG.



The human skull has evolved to be a "skin tight" jar for your grey matter, and very little else. There's not a whole lot of room in there to fit a smartphone with a USB thumb drive sticking out of the side. And that is what we're talking about here, when they refer to "dongle".



We're not talking about a fleck of sand, we're talking about another component that adds a significant amount of function to your device. You're taking your ordinary smartphone, plugging in a Stealth Dongle, and turning it into a competitor for an Alienware laptop full of expensive hacking tools and software. That's going to require a little bit more room than a grain of rice.

Furthermore, I don't think internal implants come with access ports ala Star Trek unless you also invested in a Cyber Skull. That's why the book cautions against anything less than DR 5 being implanted. They cite security reasons, which means they want to avoid your cheap Commlink getting hacked and someone flooding your visual cortex with pop-up advertisements. If the implant were easy to get to, you wouldn't need to worry about security b/c you could just jam a finger in your ear and turn it off.

So... for my 2 cents, I don't think internal Commlinks can support Dongles. You opted to have it internalized for concealment and portability, the trade off is lack of customization and difficulty of repair. If it gets bricked, you'll need a Geek Squad surgeon to get in there and fix it for you.

[Rooks]

The human skull has evolved to be a "skin tight" jar for your grey matter, and very little else. There's not a whole lot of room in there to fit a smartphone with a USB thumb drive sticking out of the side. And that is what we're talking about here, when they refer to "dongle".

Ya I cant possibly fathom where you could fit a commlink with a dongle >.>

[Novocrane]

RAW?  Probably not.

I'm not sure how you define RAW after reading that.

In any case; consider the characters with shiny sticking out of, or replacing, their facemeat. Look at all that fleshy space around the skull. There's room. Some people here just don't want there to be.

[Dinendae]

Yeah, you're thinking in today's technology and not factoring in how technology miniaturizes over time. Take removable storage for example; I have a Micro SD chip right next to me that holds 16 GB of data. Less than a decade ago, a USB flash drive was at least 20x that size, and only held about 128 MB worth of data. I just picked up a new computer that has an integrated graphics chip that is almost as good as the best graphics card I have. Add in that for many years scientists have been implanting chips in the brains of people with paralysis, allowing them to remotely access computers and give them basic functionality with those computers. Where do you think they'll be at 61 years from now?


Just because commlinks might be bulky doesn't mean that they can't miniaturize the technology. After all, they don't need the flashy case or other eye candy the package them in; they just need the bare minimum electronics. Shrinking that down for them should be no more difficult than computer companies that take a graphics card for a desktop, and shrink it down to fit in the limited space of a laptop.


That's all beside the point though, really; it's a science/fantasy FICTION setting, whose timeline has already diverged rather massively from our own several years ago. Trying to apply current technological limits to that is rather silly. That being said, since a dongle doesn't get built into the commlink like other mods, I would most definitely make the player have a dongle sticking out of their head if they wanted to do this! 

[Senko]

Just regarding comlink size I always imagine at least part of it is to make room on the screen for human fingers afterall you have mages, children, poor people and others who for one reason or another aren't going to be able/want to use a smartlink e.g paranoid about that direct link and runners so most comlink are made large enough you can actually use it without a datalink since most of those who do have a link will also have an implanted comlink with no need for a screen.

[Lorebane24]

although having a dongle hanging off your temple might look a bit weird.

Not if you weave it through a braid or some rasta-style dreads.

[Dinendae]

although having a dongle hanging off your temple might look a bit weird.

Not if you weave it through a braid or some rasta-style dreads.

 

[ScytheKnight]

although having a dongle hanging off your temple might look a bit weird.

Not if you weave it through a braid or some rasta-style dreads.

 

And now I'm seeing the amalgamation of Jack Sparrow and Kane... dear GOD that is a terrifying prospect.

[Whiskeyjack]

Furthermore, I don't think internal implants come with access ports ala Star Trek unless you also invested in a Cyber Skull. That's why the book cautions against anything less than DR 5 being implanted. They cite security reasons, which means they want to avoid your cheap Commlink getting hacked and someone flooding your visual cortex with pop-up advertisements. If the implant were easy to get to, you wouldn't need to worry about security b/c you could just jam a finger in your ear and turn it off.

So... for my 2 cents, I don't think internal Commlinks can support Dongles. You opted to have it internalized for concealment and portability, the trade off is lack of customization and difficulty of repair. If it gets bricked, you'll need a Geek Squad surgeon to get in there and fix it for you.

I can't support this interpretation. If the intent was "you can never access the commlink after it's implanted short of surgery," that sure as shit needs to be something that's explicitly stated.

[jim1701]

Furthermore, I don't think internal implants come with access ports ala Star Trek unless you also invested in a Cyber Skull. That's why the book cautions against anything less than DR 5 being implanted. They cite security reasons, which means they want to avoid your cheap Commlink getting hacked and someone flooding your visual cortex with pop-up advertisements. If the implant were easy to get to, you wouldn't need to worry about security b/c you could just jam a finger in your ear and turn it off.

So... for my 2 cents, I don't think internal Commlinks can support Dongles. You opted to have it internalized for concealment and portability, the trade off is lack of customization and difficulty of repair. If it gets bricked, you'll need a Geek Squad surgeon to get in there and fix it for you.

I can't support this interpretation. If the intent was "you can never access the commlink after it's implanted short of surgery," that sure as shit needs to be something that's explicitly stated.

+1