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"The answer to the problem of information overload on the Net is reputations… engineer a system called a reputation server."
- Neal Stephenson
 |
| Tabletop Display | ||
| A display monitor built into a flat, horizontal table surface. |
This is a very early description of the idea of a table-top display. All of the other display descriptions are horizontal, following the idea of a projection movie screen.
| The women were standing by what appeared to be a large flat-topped table. One of them, taller and more majestic even than her sisters, evidently a person in authority, spoke a few words, another pressed a button. Immediately what appeared to be a concave rostrum rolled forward and I was asked to take a seat immediately in front of it. Two metal creatures busied themselves with levers and dials.
A large metal mirror set in the face of the flat topped table suddenly became thronged with reflected images — of houses, people, air-motors, trees and flowers, all very minute, but rapidly growing distinct and clearcut. At first I couldn’t understand the purpose of this mirror. Then suddenly it came to me: this place was undoubtedly a television and radio-broadcasting station. The area to be served with pictures and oral news was being visualized in the mirror. I watched the reflections intently. On an infinitely smaller scale I was seeing the surrounding country, not only of the East Bay but of the Peninsula across the Bay. Not until the pictures were perfectly clear, and a certain radius assured, did the tall majestic woman begin to question me. |
| Technovelgy from An Adventure in Time,
by Francis Flagg. Published by Science Wonder Stories in 1930 Additional resources -
|
Compare to the chess board hologram from Star Wars (1976) by George Lucas.
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Additional
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More Ideas
and Technology from An Adventure in Time
More Ideas
and Technology by Francis Flagg
Tech news articles related to An Adventure in Time
Tech news articles related to works by Francis Flagg
Tabletop Display-related
news articles:
- Multi-Touch Illuminate Table
- MisTable Fog Display Like SeaQuest DSV
| Transparent 4K OLED Wireless TV From LG |
| DOTPad Braille Device Offers Live Access |
| Transparent MicroLED Screen From Samsung |
| Augmented Reality Book Covers Reveal The Inner Book |
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'...Anything was possible in my imaginary environment.'
'Somewhere in space, a chrome and blue automobile raced the green light of Earth.'
'That explains how it was so easy for me to remain motionless in midair...'
'We had discovered that metal was relatively impervious to the telepathic effect.'
'Detailed plans for the construction of the Gundstetter-Halone warp drive were flowing.'
'Do not waste your priceless company on the unappreciative folds of a sleep pod...'
'...so we've promised him a generous pension from the royalties.'
'Hocus-pocus religions and archaic weapons are no substitute for a good blaster at your side.'
