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November 25, 2005

Strange But True!

Q. Just how amazing was the Erickson mobile phone used by agent 007 James Bond in "Tomorrow Never Dies"? Could one of these be in our techno-future?

A. Besides being a phone, it was a remote control for Bond's BMW 750iL, had a fingerprint reader, a key duplicator and a laser beam capable of cutting steel, says physicist Barry Parker in "Death Rays, Jet Packs, Stunts & Supercars: The Fantastic Physics of Film's Most Celebrated Agent." By tapping on a pad in the phone, Bond could start his car from afar, then bring it to him by drawing his fingers across the pad. Via video screen, he could even steer the vehicle from a concealed position in the back seat. "The device was also a 20,000-volt stun gun. Quite a phone in anybody's book."


 
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