Home | Glossary | Timeline | New

Printing RFID Tags With Magic Ink
   Security technology like RFID devices, barcodes and smart cards are going to be smaller, more flexible and easier to manufacture responsibly thanks to a metal printing technology developed by QinetiQ Metal Printing.
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.
Mattress Alarm Perfect For Sleepy Students
   Who needs jarring alarms? Try rising (literally) each morning with the mattress alarm.
The Future Of Time Was Written In The Past
   Timex should have consulted science fiction writers before running their 150 year anniversary timepiece of the future contest.
Zero Gravity Roller Coaster Coming
   Do you long to escape the bonds of Earth's gravity? This extreme roller coaster could do the trick.
Invisible RFID Ink Tattoos For Cattle, People
   This new technology solves several vexing problems, and it makes it easy for large unruly herds to be tracked more easily.
NavJacket Guides Skiers With Built-In Display, Headphones
   Amazing jacket is nicer than my car - it has GPS-guided voice and screen navigation. And lots of other features. And you can ski in it.
Pressure-Sensing Contact Lenses Monitor Glaucoma
   This is a great development that will aid glaucoma research, and possibly help individuals monitor their own pressure if necessary.
On/Off Luminescent Ink Prints On Fabric
   Not just glow in the dark; you can selectively illuminate pixels for that sleeve watch that Niven and Barnes got you all worked up about a couple of decades ago.
OLEDs Connected In Stretchable Display
   Why not just print a watch onto your sleeve? With this device from Takao Someya and colleagues, you can do it now if you want.
Smart Contact Lens With Power Harvesting Circuits
   Prof. Babak Parviz adds to his work on smart contact lenses by adding a very usable power source.
Stretchable Silicon Electronics For Sports Apparel
   Maybe Reebok could include a stopwatch along with the sensors; that's what Niven and Barnes fans are hoping.
Innovega IOptik Micro-Display Contact Lenses
   Interesting new take on getting us our lightweight, unobtrusive augmented reality displays.
Virtual Reality Contact Lens Shows One Pixel
   SF authors have led the way on this idea; fans of Vernor Vinge and Larry Niven and Steven Barnes, rejoice!
Podtime Sleeping Pod Like Niven's Napcap
   'The lid lifted and she crawled inside... The inside received her as a womb.'
LCD-based Smart Contact Lens Display
   'You've got DreamTime technology in contact lenses? That's not available to the public!'- Niven and Barnes, 1992.
Contact Lens Video Display Electronics Now Transparent
   'He realized that it was not quite a clear lens. Speckles of colored brightness swirled and gathered in it...'- Vernor Vinge, 2006.
Spaser-Based Circuits Could Be Printed On Clothing
   'Alex rolled his wrist over to check the watch imprinted on his sleeve.'- Niven and Barnes, 1981.
Bullet-Proof Kevlar Woven Electronics
   'Check the watch imprinted on his sleeve...'- Niven and Barnes, 1981.
3D Printing Of LED Display Contact Lenses
   'Sharon flinched as the whites of Bishop's eyes turned dark blue.'- Niven and Barnes, 1992.
Zoom Contact Lenses
   'You've got DreamTime technology in contact lenses?'- Niven and Barnes, 1992.
Augmented Reality On Construction Sites
   'The walls had become blue glass...' - Niven and Barnes, 1992.
3D Printed Fashion - Plastirobes And Transdresses
   '... dial a new fashion every day!' - Niven and Barnes, 1992.
Ford's SafeCap, Opposite Of Niven and Barnes' Napcap
   'In the napcap a client became an instant yoga master' - Niven and Barnes, 2000.

New on Site