Microsoft recently released a cool little video to get people interested in computer science as a career. It incorporates several interesting science-fictional ideas I think I've seen before.
(Microsoft sees the future! video)
The video shows a sort of flying personal computer that accompanies its user. It uses a digital camera to take pictures of its user as he rides his skateboard.
(Flying personal PDA)
Readers might be reminded of the bee cams from Karen Travis' 2004 novel City of Pearl.
Another item I noted from the video was the sleeve control that enabled the user to control different aspects of the "flying PDA."
(Sleeve controls)
Readers may be reminded of the controls for the sleeve communicator from Murray Leinster's 1945 story First Contact.
Finally, there is an interesting real-world device that is similar to the idea of a floating personal computer device; see these stories on the SPHERES device:
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!)
is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for
the Invention Category that interests
you, the Glossary, the Invention
Timeline, or see what's New.
Gaia - Why Stop With Just The Earth?
'But the stars are only atoms in larger space, and in that larger space the star-atoms could combine to form living matter, thinking matter, couldn't they?'
Microsoft VASA-1 Creates Personal Video From A Photo
'...to build up a video picture would require, say, ten million decisions every second. Mike, you're so fast I can't even think about it. But you aren't that fast.'