JAYFORCE

Y’all KNOW by now that I am a Trekkie; so at least one of the five things shared in this post shouldn’t surprise you. Respect to Joel Willans at Conversations by Nokia for the cool discussion that inspired this post.

Gadget 1: LASER

Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, or LASER technology, is so commonplace in its use today it may be hard to remember that it was once a super-futuristic fictional concept. So, how far back does laser-talk go? Well, science fiction literature from as early as 1898 talks of a “heat ray” that is easily understood to be the forerunner of today’s tech borne of developmental research from the 1960s.

Gadget 2: Satellites

Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke (the man behind the film and book, “2001: a Space Odyssey”) wrote an article for the magazine Wireless World back in 1945!

Gadget 3: Tablet Computers

Clarke also wrote about a flat panel ‘newspad’ in his work “Space Odyssey” that let folks read Earth newspapers as they traveled the stars… in 1968.

Gadget 4: Debit Cards

In his 1888 novel, “Looking Backward,” Edward Bellamy described ‘a piece of pasteboard’ that was used by customers to pay for goods at shops, in lieu of cash.

Gadget 5: Smartphone

Hey, you knew this one was coming. Heck, you may even be reading this post on a smartphone via the JayForce.com mobile app (obvious plug, no shame)! Already admitting to patterning the now passe flip phone after the communicator on the 1960s science fiction TV series “Star Trek,” Nokia and other companies have put out mobile phones with mapping locator tech that lets the holder and others know their exact location. See the video clip above: Looks like sci-fi suggested how crucial a mobile locator function could be (for last second emergency beam-up) way back when, right?

Technology rules, baby! Kirk out.

– @ojones1
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