Monday, September 6, 2010

John's Muscle Car Restoration Business

In the 2030s, John's automated muscle car restoration shop is located in this building complex.
The location above is where the couple is attacked and Suki saves John from probable death in Suki III: Never Let Us End.

In the 2030s, these shops have evolved into small-batch machine shops that handle everything from classic engine block machining to large scale metal work. The posts for John's stainless steel bed will be made here.

Slashdot | Self-Powered Parts Are the Future

Another one for cross-posting:
Slashdot | Self-Powered Parts Are the Future

"The idea is that the parts will make external power sources redundant — because they can convert energy from body heat, light and vibrations straight into electricity. Self powered electronics have already sporadically been used in technology like wall-mount remote control units for air conditioners, says Nikkei, but existing parts are bulky and cost a couple thousand yen a piece. 3,000 yen is about $35 — which means they're not the best bet, financially, yet."
In all of the Suki series romance novels, the 'gogs' and earbuds are powered by body heat, or a combination of body heat and saline (contact lens gogs). Gogs contain computer screens and sometimes cameras, earbuds have more advanced processors, speakers and possibly microphones.  Most anything worn on the body is powered by the person's body heat, movement, chemical interaction or a combination.

Pilotless Commercial Aircraft Becoming Reality

Slashdot News Story | Ryanair's CEO Suggests Eliminating Co-Pilots:
"Ryanair's miser-in-chief Michael O'Leary now suggests eliminating co-pilots as a way to save money. Will airliners be powered by drones, or is it actually viable to have just a single pilot on passenger planes?"


Cross-posted to Suki Project. In Suki II: Sunshine Returns, pilotless commercial aircrafr, cargo only, are mentioned. In Suki III: Never Let Us End, John reveals that he worked on an Army project that advanced the concept to reality (TEC: The Effortless Cockpit). In Suki IV: Finally A Vacation (War With Iran), the couple watches pilotless aircraft and driverless trucks moving supplies for a looming war. In Suki With A Twist: Part One, the couple rides in a pilotless, retrofitted Cessna Citation from Reagan National Airport (DCA) to San Francisco (Berkeley Airport (JBK) during one of their earlier dates.

Crystal City Restaurant (CCR) South 23rd & Eades, Arlington, VA 22202




View Suki's World in Suki I; Suki II: Sunshine Returns; Suki III; Suki IV; Suki V and Suki: Fan Fiction in a larger map

This is "The Restaurant" from all of the Suki novels. In the 2030s it has gone through several expansions and covers the entire block, with a multi-level parking garage behind it (occupied by a CVS in the 2010s).
This location is referred to in both the original Suki series and the new "Suki With A Twist" series as "The Restaurant". Cinful is the waitress whenever the couple stops there (at least once in each of the four original series books).
John and Suki have an erotic lunch there in "Suki III: Never Let Us End."
This is "The Restaurant" from all of the Suki novels. In the 2030s it has gone through several expansions and covers the entire block, with a multi-level parking garage behind it (occupied by a CVS in the 2010s).
"The Restaurant" is mentioned in the first three Suki adult romance novels, Suki mentioned it in her fan fiction story, Suki: Settling the Score and it is mentioned in Suki With A Twist: Part One. The only waitress at this location named in the books, Cinful, is a fictional character from the 2030s, but a real dancer from the Crystal City Restaurant (the inspiration for the fictional location) talked me into naming a character after her.

In Suki I, Jung and Cinful talk about The Restaurant while Jung has a Scotch at The Sports Pub.  Cindy, the name she goes by as a waitress, mentions to Jung that she will be dancing at The Restaurant soon.

Suki II takes place mostly in Suki's apartment. The couple does not have an opportunity to go there in that book.

In Suki's fan fiction story, Suki: Settling The Score, the Suki character tries to get an extra job there. In Suki III: Never Let Us End, Suki treats John to lunch there.  Later two women, impersonating entertainers, engage John while Suki and the bartender are in the ladies room.  They later attack John and Suki in John's shop down the street and Suki saves the day.

In Suki With A Twist: Part One, Suki offers John her contract of "formal submission", a ritual in the future Domination/submission erotic play world of the 2030s.

Suki's Cleaning Bots

Early in Suki II: Sunshine Returns, Suki mentioned her "cleaning 'bots" to the security manager in her boyfriend's condominium building. The bathroom cleaning system became a key part of a scene that soon followed. The 'bots had been modified by Suki, since she is a robotics researcher in that series, and she was making sure nothing happened to disturb the neighbors while they were away.

View Suki's World in Suki I; Suki II: Sunshine Returns; Suki III; Suki IV; Suki V and Suki: Fan Fiction in a larger map

The concept has been used by many before and is incrementally improved in reality, great examples come from iRobot in the form of Roomba and other products of theirs. My vision was for even the most common residence in the 2030s robots would do most of the cleaning while their owners were away. They would be programmed to the owner's taste to stop and await instruction, continue, or stop and put themselves away when a person entered their work area.

I wasn't thinking Jetson's style "human approximation" robots either. I was going for smaller, specific purpose robotic devices.

Slashdot has some interesting coverage on the 'Robot gap' (as some call it) with Japan leading the way.