SPHERES - Mini Satellites Fly In Formation
Rather than bet all the marbles on one large satellite, MIT undergraduates are trying a different strategy. The SPHERES project imagines lots of small volleyball-sized satellites flying together in formation, working in concert. (re: Neal Stephenson)

Roomba's Brother PackBot
iRobot's Roomba cleans up around the house - their PackBot helps soldiers clean up on the battlefield, doing duty as HAZMAT assistant, targeting aid, and bomb discovery droid. (re: Karel Capek)

ULTra - driverless automatic taxi
The ULTra, an automated, driverless taxi system, offers a small private car (up to four passengers) that goes straight to the destination set by the user. (re: Larry Niven)

COTS Scout: Team Building Robot
The COTS Scout robot is learning to play well with others - and to work as part of a search and rescue team. (re: Neal Stephenson)

AirScooter II Ultralight: Heinlein's Copter Harness?
In 1954, Robert Heinlein described a "copter harness" - you will soon be able to buy the AirScooter II, an easy-to-fly ultralight aircraft that comes pretty close. (re: Robert Heinlein)

Frank Herbert's Odalarm - Scent-Based Alarm Clock Update
In his 1977 novel The Dosadi Experiment, Frank Herbert wrote about an "odalarm" - an alarm clock that worked by scent. You can buy one now from Hakugen Online. (re: Frank Herbert)

Tunnel Boring Machine B6 For Sale
580 tonne boring machine used to dig the Eurotunnel on sale now - perfect ornament for the garden. (re: Jerry Pournelle)

GloFish First Genetically Modified Pet Update
The first genetically modified pet to go on sale in the US is available now, in time for Christmas. The GloFish fluoresces bright red. (re: Frank Herbert)

Bradbury's Green Bullet Made Possible With Bluetooth
The new Nextlink Bluespoon 5g cell phone headset is so small, Captain Beatty may not notice it if you wear it while driving the salamander back to the firehouse. (re: Ray Bradbury)

NASA Debates Terraforming Mars
NASA will hold a formal debate on terraforming Mars tomorrow night at its third Astrobiology Science Conference. (re: Larry Niven)

Tmsuk T52 Enryu Support Dragon Hyper Rescue Robot
Enryu, a telefactoring rescue robot capable of lifting steel girders and tearing the doors off cars, was demonstrated to the press yesterday. (re: Robert Heinlein)

Quik House: Neal Stephenson's U-Stor-It?
Meet the quik house - a prefabricated kit house made from recycled shipping containers. Sounds like what Hiro Protagonist from Snow Crash lived in. (re: Neal Stephenson)

Cypak Disposable Paper Computer With RFID Antenna
The company uses conductive ink and adhesives to print electronic circuits and antennas on paper and plastic. The RFID antenna allows for transmission over short distances. (re: Frank Herbert)

Projection Commercials: Extreme Plasma Television
X3D Technologies has created a projection system for three-dimensional product advertisements. Author Alfred Bester has seen this future, and walked right through it. (re: Alfred Bester)

Toshiba SD-Book: An E-Book With Two Pages
This unique electronic book has two LCD displays in a very familiar configuration. You have your favorite book open before you, and read it without ever turning a page. (re: Neal Stephenson)

E. Coli Forced To Evolve: Old Bacterium Learns New Trick
The general method was remarkably similar to a technique used by award-winning sf author Theodore Sturgeon in his classic 1941 story Microcosmic God. (re: Theodore Sturgeon)