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Science Fiction in the News Articles
Related to material in The Zap Gun
by Philip K. Dick

Stunningly original book by Dick in which weapons designers enter a drug-induced trance to design outlandish weaponry. The weapon designs are then "plowshared" into harmless civilian applications (this book was originally published as Operation Plowshare). Highly recommended.

Science fiction in the News articles describe real-world events that relate to the ideas and inventions in sf novels and movies. Select a news article:

The Wisdom Door Knows You
   Clever use of biometrics to identify those who may pass.

Stink Bullets And PKD's Sheep Dip Isolator
   Philip K. Dick always thinks up the ultimate version of everything.

Paper Four Video
   Excellent video really shows off cool display technology.

Roving Robotic Reporter
   This story is a little old, but I just discovered it. Philip K. Dick was only off by a couple of years on this one.

Smart Pal Robot Hangs Up Clothes
   Now, that's a service robot. And, it even looks like something out of Disney's version of 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' (think broom with arms).

E-Ink Cover For Esquire Magazine
   This September, you should see the first example of e-ink paper on the cover of a magazine. Not the last, I'm sure.

Shape-Shifting Bomber In Need Of Plowsharing
   Unfortunate budget cuts for DARPA may signal an opportunity for the rest of us to think of peacetime uses for cool military stuff.

DARPA Gandalf Project And Philip K. Dick
   The ability to target a single individual is one of Philip K. Dick's personal nightmares; he had a very special understanding of the military mind.

Sweatbot SAM - Sweating Agile Manniquin
   Handy industrial research robot or metaphor for our consumer culture? You be the judge.

Brain Scan Biometric Security
   Philip K. Dick proves once again that he had the future sussed; it appears that your brain scan can be used as a 'fingerprint'.

Magazine To Have Video-In-Print
   Integration of video into print magazines creates bizarre hybrid; augurs newspaper-sized displays.

LongBox Plus Apple Tablet Equals Digital Comic Books?
   Philip K. Dick helps you imagine the possibilities of a battery-powered comic book in a story from the mid-Sixties. Thanks, Phil.

Robot Journalist Provides Autonomic News Coverage
   Philip K. Dick, your autonomic interviewer is just about ready.

PR2 Laundry-Folding Robot
   Very practical robot develops very practical skills.

Marvel's iPad Battery-Powered Comic Book
   SF fans, at least, are not surprised or unprepared by Marvel's new comic book app for the iPad.

Tempwave: Raytheon Plowshares Energy Weapon
   'They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.' And their energy weapons into grape-warmers?

Cognitive Enhancement (For Us) Vs. Degradation (For The Enemy)
   Philip K. Dick was also fascinated with the idea of targeted weapons that degraded enemy performance.

Business Leaders Brain-Scanned
   The world of work will never be the same; business leaders distinguished by brain scan.

Dynamic Cloth Folding By High-Speed Multifingered Hands
   Robots flip-fold a towel almost as well as you can.

Newstweek Notification Distorter
   This small device allows the hacker to subtly distort web page information.

BookTrack Adds Sound To Books
   I really don't think this is a very good idea. Readers?

Spray-On Lithium Ion Battery
   '...the five-year battery-plate contained within the back cover of the mag.'

World's First Android Newscaster (Video)
   'The autonomic TV interviewer, camera in its hand, blocked his path.'- Philip K. Dick, 1965.

PR2 Robot Dominates In Laundry Room
   Where are the robots who will pick up discarded clothes?

Brainwaves As Biometric Identification
   'The doors of Mr. Lars, Incorporated, shut, tuned as they were to his own cephalic pattern.'- Philip K. Dick, 1965.

Use Your Brainwaves As A Password
   'The doors of Mr. Lars, Incorporated, shut, tuned as they were to his own cephalic pattern.'- Philip K. Dick, 1965.

Foldimate Folds Your Clothes Perfectly
   Look ma, my room is clean! I can hear you now.

Poisoning Big Tech's Data Well
   Bring on the Civic Notification Distorter.

CD, DVD Bit Rot And PKD's Civic Notification Distorter
   '...copy two of the original document no longer can be superimposed on copy one.' - Philip K. Dick, 1965.

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