Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge:
Science Fiction Inventions, Technology and Ideas

Excellent near-future novel by Vernor Vinge. A recovering Alzheimer's patient slowly regains his wits in the San Diego of 2025. A poet, he learns to adapt to a world in which real and virtual blend perfectly. Select an invention:

Answerboard - good name for it
A forum or computer meeting location with experts on a particular topic.

Browser Paper - one page IE
A paper-thin computer display.

Camera Tunnel
A device that captures images of shredded documents from all sides for reassembly.

House-of-Cards Construction
Architectural technique that uses computers to help buildings maintain their balance during earthquakes.

Librareome Project
Blasting libraries into bits to create a library of perfect digitized electronic books.

Navicloud Custom Debinder
A machine that pulls books apart and scans the contents.

Wearables (Wearable Computers) - embroidered circuits
Computers and peripherals that use textiles for electronic circuitry.

 

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Science Fiction
in the News

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NEO Brain Computer Interface (BCI)
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Did Frank Herbert Predict E-Ink Displays?
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Monolith One Giant Industrial Metal 3D-printer
re: Philip K. Dick
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'Mooncrete' Lunar Regolith Concrete (LRC)
re: William Gibson
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China's 'Magpie Drone' Ornithopter
re: Greg Bear
(6/11/2026)

MAI-Voice-2 Microsoft Text-To-Speech
re: Nat Schachner
(6/9/2026)

Tumblin' Tumbleweed Rovers To Eplore Mars
re: Clifford Simak
(6/5/2026)

Tentacled Robot Captures Space Debris
re: Makoto Yukimura
(6/3/2026)

Prufrock-MB2 Ready In Nashville
re: Paul Ernst
(6/1/2026)

DIY Robotic Content Farming
re: Schachner and Zagat
(5/29/2026)

Reflect Orbital Sunlight On Demand
re: Theodore Sturgeon
(5/27/2026)

The Amazing Lightfoot Electric Scooter With Solar Assist
re: Robert Heinlein
(5/25/2026)

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