You should have pictures of taken of yourself with you looking distraught so that your relations have something to give to police should anything unpleasant happen to you.
A display device that is a laser projector mounted on the side of your head, so you can project onto whatever you're looking at. If the 'screen' is farther away, the display is bigger. A camera on the other side can be used for error checking,aspect correction, video recording, and sensing input. Lights on your fingertips and pentip can be used.
1998.06.04 Update I realized a problem with this idea. Standard displays are bitmapped. If you display a bitmap using angular deflection of a laser, the bits get farther apart as the display surface gets farther away. Obviously, you need to use a vector format.
A PCMCIA card that can download and display entries that were made in a PIM. The card might as well contain all of the files relating to the PIM, including the software if possible, so that it can be used on any computer with slots.
1998.06.04 Update This is available using the REX organizer from Rolodex. The REX does not contain it's own PC software, however.
A PCMCIA card with a stylus sensitive LCD, and two buttons on one end, that can be used a small notepad. Handwriting recognition is best left for the larger computer, so this would store compressed bit images.
A PCMCIA card that can store a small number of medium size text files, and display them on an onboard LCD. You'll need scoll buttons, and a button to pop you up and down between the menu and the files.
1998.06.04 Update This is available using the REX organizer from Rolodex. The REX is more powerful (and more expensive) than this, however.
A web site that only exists as a clearing house for cool ideas, much like the proposed 'virtual accomplishments' section of the AJ. Ideas can be posted at any level of detail and the only use restriction is that you give credit to the original theorist. You can browse the database, search by keywords, annotate other ideas, and submit new ideas that come to you. In short, it is a communal idea pool and general brainstorm list.
Build a project that basically goes to trade shows and cons offering free trials of net acess software and hardware. You can also run interactive events within the room and across the country. Also, you can get food and drink sponsors to donate things for you to give away. Jolt would go apeshit over it. Maybe Snapple, Smartfood, Doritos, Little Debbie, any and/or all of them, basically. As well, companies could donate other software for you to leave on the machines for people to try out. It must be run 24 hours a day, or it is worth nothing. (with Jon Slenk)
An LCD touchscreen (a la Neutron) that is connected to the computer via a cable-PCMCIA set. The idea is that only minimal computing power is supplied onboard the notepad, and it uses the hard disk of the computer for it's main storage. That way you can use it as a viewer and editor, without having to drag out your whole portable. Suggested apps for padd: notepad, paint, browser, text viewer.
1998.06.04 Update This is somewhat available via the Palm Pilot using a laptop hotsync cable.
The pocket printer. A tiny laser printer that prints onto 3x5 cards so you can output notes to hand to people. Also, perhaps a business card sized one, or maybe it can accept both. Basically, you insert the card and then lock it down, and when it beeps to remove the printed card. Sticky point: power for the fuser.
1998.06.04 Update This is not yet available, but full sheet printers are getting smaller. Citizen makes a printer that is roughly 13"x3"x1" and uses a microcassette sized printing ribbon. It runs on batteries and works via infrared. No wires!
As an extension to one of the above ideas, the external touch screen should have a removable back so you can put it on an overhead projector, like those new IBM ThinkPads.
A machine like a computerized jukebox, but containing descriptions of pieces of software and sets of data that are for sale. Swipe your credit card, or feed in cash, and have the machine email you the stuff, or transfer it directly via infrared.
Possible locations: computer stores, office stores, airports, visitors bureaus (city maps, anyone?), cybercafes, newstands (today's headlines, anyone?)
A web site where you fill out a big questionnaire, and it compares your answers to geographical information, demographic data, and the voting records of politicians, then tells you where you want to live / who you want to vote for in the next election.
Software that interfaces the GPS and MP3 information on your computer so that the car stereo is always playing "relevant" music: fast music on the highway, slower music on side streets, show tunes on Broadway, etcetera.