007 hardware: Gadgetry, spyware and things that make you go Boom

As Daniel Craig enjoys his third outing as Britain's most famous spy, fans who didn't get to see the film this weekend are rubbing their hands together in anticipation of 007's latest gadget collection. While we expect any contraption to feel futuristic and perhaps implausible, the gizmos on show from Bond films of yesteryear …

[Stacy]

Invisibility Cloak

I would have agreed with the comments about the invisibility clock until I saw the Bond 50 years Top Gear special a couple of Sundays ago.

They took a transit and covered in TV screens. And whilst it was not perfect, it did sort of work. Looked very strange.

OK in Bond they took it too far with making it paint that siddenly becomes a TV screen, of course - they's what they do, but I would not have thought you could have got close until I saw that. Now it doesn't seem as stupid as it did when I saw it at the cinema... (Stil over the top, but less so)

[Stacy]

Re: Invisibility Cloak

And apparently I have no ability to type today :( Is there a gadget for that?

[Leona A]

Re: Invisibility Cloak

no, but there is a browser plug-in for it :)

I saw that Top Gear show too, I was also impressed at how well the experiment worked.

I also liked their take on the submarine car, very cool.

[Dave 126]

Invisible cars?

There are a lot of people who drive grey or silver cars on the motorway in poor light or in misty conditions and refuse to turn on their headlights on... Not completely invisible, but pretty damned close!

[Martin Yirrell]

Re: Invisible cars?

Of course, those who drive around in built up areas with their headlights on blind everyone else so invisibility isn't needed behind them.

[RainForestGuppy]

Re: Invisibility Cloak

RIde a bike in London and you become totally invisible to all other road users.

[Lars]

Re: Invisibility Cloak

"RIde a bike in London and you become totally invisible to all other road users."

Same everywhere, I told my kids and anybody who wants to listen, that cars see other cars and often pedestrians, but not bikes. And those riding the bike are very often causing the problem themselves.

I suppose Copenhagen in Denmark could be an exception due to the number of bikes and the consensus formed during so many years.

[jai]

Re: Invisibility Cloak

RIde a bike in London and you become totally invisible to all other road users.

Funny thing though, seems pedestrians, traffic lights and pedestrian crossings are all invisible to bicycle riders in London too

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Invisibility Cloak

I remember seeing a documentary on the MOD developing this, was very impressive, but prototype of course...

[Shonko Kid]

Ericsson phone

The real phone it was modelled on was quite a gem, it was Ericsson's answer to the Nokia Communicator, but was canned shortly before release. Real shame.

[Michael Souris]

Q ≠ Armourer

'after guidance from a "Major Boothroyd", who would later be known simply as "Q"'

- only in the films, in the books no link is made between the armourer, Major Boothroyd, and Q branch (also referred to Q division).

[Nick Miles]

Re: Q ≠ Armourer

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/06/may-i-suggest-that-mr-bond-be-armed.html

Has the exchange of letters from Boothroyd to Flemming, along with a video of him and Connery.

[magickmark]

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

"While no vehicle could fulfill my childhood driver aspirations quite like a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"

What amuses me is that Ian Flemming is also the author of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

[Caleb Cox]

Re: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

He had pretty good taste in cars then.

[Petef15h]

MI5?

'and, finally, the likelihood of a real MI5 agent using them'

James Bond has never had anything to do with MI5, he has been referenced as working for MI7 and the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), but never MI5.

Yes I know, Iam a pedant....:)

[Imsimil Berati-Lahn]

Re: MI5?

Didn't he work for MFI at one point? Bond takes a gap year or something like that.

[Elmer Phud]

Re: MI5?

He went private for a while working as a bodyguard -- one mean MoFo

[Arachnoid]

Bond needs to change his weapon of choice given the opposition it looks rather wimpy at times against their automatic weapons and rocket launchers.

[Helldesk Dogsbody]

Coil Gun

"The coil-gun - a concept born in the realm of sci-fi - accelerates a magnetic projectiles with a series of coiled electromagnetic-induction wires. While this has yet to be replicated in real life"

Depends on what you mean by "replicated" as there have definitely been coil guns built, just not in a practical fashion as it takes a hell of a lot of power for minimal output, an air rifle is more effective. They've been built by hobbyists for years to prove the concept and researched by the military in many countries, both single and multi stage varieties. Inefficient and impractical as yet but definitely existing.