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:
MAI-Voice-2 Microsoft Text-To-Speech
'I made disks of my own voice to the number of five hundred very carefully chosen words.' - Nat Schachner, 1937.
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.
Tactile Skin Supplier Map
'What strange sensitivity! What an amazing development of science was manifested in every move and act and word of this Robot!'
Orb Nomad Zero-Emission Electric Aircraft
'That explains how it was so easy for me to remain motionless in midair or to perch on a flagpole in imitation of a giant bird, even in the windy city of Chicago.'
DIY Robot Scorpion Crushes It
'...it raised its front end off the ground and waved its antennae at them, then raised one armoured claw as if to snip them out of the sky.'