Science Fiction Dictionary
A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

Latest By
Category:


Armor
Artificial Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work

"The trouble with too much genre SF is that it's so obviously the product of the conscious mind."
- William Gibson

Newsbox (News-Receptor)  
  Also referred to as a microviewer; could search media programming for news on a particular words used in the broadcast.  

[He] was bending over the news-receptor, his eyes pressed against the microfilm viewer.

Lazarus cleared his throat loudly and said, "Howdy." The man jerked his head and exclaimed, "Oh! Sorry-I was startled. Do y' a service?"

"I was looking for the newsbox. Mind if we throw it on the screen?"

"Not at all." The other man stood up, pressed the button to rewind the film, and reset the box to project on the screen. "Any particular subject?"

"I wanted to see," said Lazarus, "if there was any news about us-the Families."

"I've been watching for that myself. Perhaps we had better use the soundtrack and let it hunt."

"O.K.," agreed Lazarus, stepping up to the receptor and changing the selector to audio. "What's the code word?'

"'Methuselah.'"

Lazarus punched the keys. The machine chattered and whined as it scanned and rejected track sped through it, then the film slowed with a triumphant click. "The DAILY DATA," it announced. "The only midwest news service subscribing to every major grid and private photophone to Luna City...

Technovelgy from Methuselah's Children, by Robert Heinlein.
Published by Astounding Science-Fiction in 1941
Additional resources -

I'm wondering if this is the first place anyone described the idea that has finally been implemented on PC television cards. With these cards in your PC, you can not only watch the program on your PC screen and capture (save) programs and screens, but you can put in keywords, and let the PC screen current program subtitles.

Heinlein's version is somewhat more advanced, since it apparently looked for spoken words based on text criteria.

Also, note that some units (although not this one) are equipped with scramblers to remove commercial messages. It seems able to put a broadcast on "hold", suggesting that it has a Tivo-like capability to pause in presenting information while continuing to record:

The machine hummed and clicked and again spoke up. "The DAILY DATA, the only midwest news-"

"Can't we scramble that commercial?" suggested Lazarus. His companion peered at the control panel. "Doesn't seem to be equipped for it."

See the automatic commercial deletion capability from Satellite Five by Arthur Burns (1938).

Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |

Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from Methuselah's Children
  More Ideas and Technology by Robert Heinlein
  Tech news articles related to Methuselah's Children
  Tech news articles related to works by Robert Heinlein

Newsbox (News-Receptor)-related news articles:
  - Blinkx.tv And Heinlein's Newsbox
  - Nozzl Real-Time Local News
  - Bespoke Clothing In 30 Minutes
  - Sewbo Robot Perfect For Heinlein's Bespoke Kilts!
  - Google's Remixed 'Your News Update' ala Heinlein, Clarke, Pohl
  - Rid Thyself Of Ads On The Newsbox

Articles related to Communication
Will Whales Be Our First Contact?
NYC/Dublin Portal Fails To Meet 'Guardian Of Forever' Standards
Holobox? Who Doesn't Want A Home Hologram?
EBS-260 Handjet Free Hand Dot Matrix Printer

Want to Contribute an Item? It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add it here.

<Previous
Next>

Google
  Web TechNovelgy.com   

 

 

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 Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.

 

 

 

 

Science Fiction Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's   1950's
1960's   1970's
1980's   1990's
2000's   2010's

Science Fiction in the News

Smart TVs Are Listening!
'You had to live -- did live, from habit that became instinct -- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard...'

Police Drones In China Would Like To Have A Word With You
''OVERRIDE,' the City Fathers said suddenly, without being asked anything at all.'

Are The Thought Police Listening To Everyone All The Time?
'... they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to.'

Finally, Robot Conductors On Autonomous Buses
'Wardour Street,' he told the robot-conductor.'

RoboShiko! Sumo Exercises Still Good For Robots
'... the expressionless face before me was therefore that of the golem-wrestler, Rolem, a creature that could be set for five times the strength of a human being.'

Giant Robotic Hands At Gundam Next Future Science
'Waldo put his arms into the primary pair before him; all three pairs, including the secondary pair mounted before the machine, came to life.'

JWST Finds Bucking Centaur 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1
'... the glittering little rocket bolted to the black iron behind him.'

BeamBike Solar Power Canopy For Electric Bikes
'The slender stalks of a sunshade-photocell collector...'

California Fireman Arrested For Starting Fires
'Fire is bright and fire is clean.'

More SF in the News

More Beyond Technovelgy

Home | Glossary | Science Fiction Timeline | Category | New | Contact Us | FAQ | Advertise |
Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction™

Copyright© Technovelgy LLC; all rights reserved.