1997: Cellphone-controlled cars
During a memorable car chase in 1997's "Tomorrow Never Dies," Bond steers his gadget-laden BMW through a parking garage via the touchpad on his cell phone, while watching the action on the phone's video display. Today, open-source software from researchers at Hagenberg University in Austria allows users of accelerometer-equipped cell phones, shown in this image, to control a toy car. Project leader Andreas Jakl described a James Bondian video clip showing off the gizmo to msnbc.com: "Our 'James Bond' tries to drive the car with a touchscreen device like in the movie, but it all goes wrong and the car crashes. However, Q then gives him the new ShakerRacer-phone, where he can now control the car using natural motions instead of using a touchscreen."
© 2008 msnbc.com
Reproduced with permission of MSNBC, from Seven real-world technologies from Agent 007: Gadgets James Bond used that you can use, too by John Roach, November 10, 2008; permission conveyed through Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.
You can read this story in its original location at: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27648929/?pg=5#Tech_007Gadgets
Learn about other spy gadgets from previous James Bond movies that are available in the real world today.
Jetpacks
Miniature cameras
AvaLungs
Adaptive Camoflauge