GPS
WriterArthurC.Clarke(2001:ASpace
Odyssey) sawa worldinwhichno
onegotlost.In1956,hewrotethat
satellites“couldmakepossiblea
position-findinggridwherebyanyone
couldlocatehimselfbymeansofa
coupleofdialsonaninstrument
aboutthesizeofa watch.”Clarke
didn’tmentionthathissystem
mightalsotrackanotherperson,
suchasa criminal.Lastyear,NewYork
policenabbeda burglarwhowas
wearinga GPSanklemonitor–
becausehewasstillonprobation
for a prior conviction.TheSmartWatch
TheAppleWatchletsyouchat,playgamesand
watchvideosona devicestrappedtoyourwrist.
Cool,huh?TheJetsonsthoughtso...over53 years
before the Apple Watch was released.
Wi-Fi
NikolaTeslacalledit!In1909,the
famedelectricalengineertoldTheNew
YorkTimes, “Itwillsoonbepossibleto
transmitwirelessmessagesalloverthe
worldsosimplythatanyindividualcan
carryandoperatehisownapparatus.”
Nodoubthewasthinkingofthe
KérastaseHairCoachbrush,which
measuredbrushingspeedand
employeda microphonetolistento
yourhair,alltocomputeanoverallhair-
qualityscoresenttoyour smartphone.
(Alas, it too is gone.)
102 April 2020