CirculaFloor - Smart Tile Holodeck?
The CirculaFloor is a computer interface; it consists of a set of movable floor tiles. As the user walks in a chosen direction, the floor tile maintains the position. (re: Gene Roddenberry)

Aluminate Glass: Did Scientists Create Transparent Aluminum?
Scientists at 3M in Minnesota have alloyed aluminum oxide with rare-earth metal oxides to create a strong glass with good optical qualities - it really is transparent alumninum. (re: N. Meyer/H. Bennett)

Solar Sails Unfurled Over Japan
Two different solar sail designes were unfurled from a small rocket launched from Kagoshima, Japan on August 9th. (re: Jack Vance)

uFR-II Micro Flying Robot - (Lighter) Son of Micro Flying Robot
Micro flying robot enthusiasts rejoice! Now you can revel in the (lighter) son of the uFR Micro Flying Robot - uFR-II. (re: Neal Stephenson)

Polymeric Nitrogen: Science Fiction Explosive
Researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry have synthesised a polymeric cubic form of nitrogen where all atoms are connected with single covalent bonds, similar to carbon atoms in diamond, creating what may be the most powerful explosive e (re: E.E. )

Electronic Number Plate RFID Keeps Tabs On Vehicles
A South African company now offers Electronic Number Plate RFID technology to keep track of your comings and goings in your car. (re: Robert Heinlein)

Kaori Web: Odorophonics Comes To A PC Near You
Kaori web creates odorophonics - a science fiction idea of the fifties. (re: Ray Bradbury)

Adaptive Cruise Control
Adaptive cruise control implemented in just one out of five cars could significantly improve highway safety and reduce traffic jams, according to a recent study by a University of Michigan physicist. (re: Robert Heinlein)

MP3 Player Jacket Has Control Sleeves
A jacket with a built-in MP3 player is available from Rosner GmbH & Co., a German clothing firm. The 128 Mbyte player (developed by Infineon) is controlled by manipulating cloth buttons on the left sleeve. Headphones? They're in the collar. (re: Larry Niven and Steve Barnes)

GRACE Robot Specializes In Etiquette And Protocol
GRACE is a robot created by researchers from Carnegie Mellon, the Naval Research Lab, Swarthmore College and others to enter the AAAI Robot Challenge. (re: George Lucas)

Metronap Sleep Pod
The MetroNap Pod inclines forward to allow for easy entry, and then reclines to allow for optimal positioning. The slight elevation of the feet promotes blood circulation, while the elevation of the knees takes pressure off your lower back. (re: Larry Niven)

AgBots: Agricultural Robots Take The Field
In one memorable scene from the original Star Wars movie, Luke Skywalker's Uncle Owen is bargaining for agricultural robots with Jawas. Agriculture has been slow to adopt to robotic technology; however, some new developments are on the horizon. (re: William Gibson)

Soft Robot Powered By Shape Memory Alloy Spokes
A remarkable new kind of robotic locomotion has emerged in the form of small "robots" that are constructed in the shape of a wheel. The spokes are made of a shape memory alloy; the rim of the wheel is made of an elastic polymer. (re: Neal Stephenson)

Robots Get Pressure-Sensitive Skin
Organic field-effect transistors have been used to fabricate pressure-sensitive skin for robots, according to an abstract published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week. (re: Roger Zelazny)

DNA Authenticators: Anti-Counterfeiting Proposed by Philip K. Dick
A security measure proposed by Philip K. Dick in 1964 is now being used to use DNA technology to authenticate consumer products. (re: Philip K. Dick)

StreetNet: Brussels Provides Free WiFi At Internet Kiosks
The Brussels city government established five open-air Internet kiosks that provide wifi-enabled web surfing for all citizens and visitors. The weatherproof kiosks have a touchscreen for those without a laptop or PDA. (re: John Brunner)