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"Generally, the human race avoids doing anything radical until forced into it."
- Frederik Pohl

Solar-Powered Ball  
  An autonomous round toy that powers itself.  

Dr. Lanvin was an instrument specialist, which meant designing and assembling parts that you could scarcely see, so small were they. Once he made me a toy. It was a ball that absorbed the energy of sunshine, and rolled after me wherever I went, in the plastic-sealed, tree-lined streets of the lab staff housing area. Following the sounds of my footsteps, it seemed half alive. Maybe it was a forerunner of all that was to come.
Technovelgy from Dawn of the Demigods, by Raymond Z. Gallun.
Published by Planet Stories in 1954
Additional resources -

Compare to the homotropic news vending machine from The Game Players of Titan, by Philip K. Dick. Published by Ace Books in 1963.

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Additional resources:
  More Ideas and Technology from Dawn of the Demigods
  More Ideas and Technology by Raymond Z. Gallun
  Tech news articles related to Dawn of the Demigods
  Tech news articles related to works by Raymond Z. Gallun

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JAXA Int Ball 2 Coming Right Along As Star Wars Remote
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'The Ringworld had no horizon. There was no line where the land curved away from the sky.'

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