Over the past half-century, the James Bond movie franchise has inspired countless suits, man caves and cheesy spy gadgets, but it has also led designers and architects to create some pretty incredible luxury yachts, jets, houses and accessories. There’s even a fan-designed laser watch that can light a match from across a room.

James Bond Aston Martin – Spectre

The luxury vehicle maker Aston Martin has been collaborating with the James Bond movie franchise for half a century, and recently unveiled its latest model, ‘DB10,’ for the upcoming ‘Spectre’ film. The British carmaker has designed a car for each of the 24 movies, but this one was developed under close watch of director Sam Mendes in order to create ‘Bond’s ultimate vehicle.’

James Bond-Inspired Boathouse Built Over a Cave

McKenzie Strickland Associates essentially designed the Balnearn Boathouse, located on the shore of Loch Tay, after a James Bond movie marathon, envisioning a house that looks deceptively small and simple (if beautiful) from land, but boasting a fun secret. The home was built over an artificial cave that’s invisible from shore, so a speedboat can be driven in and tethered to the ceiling.

Futuristic Avro Business Jet by Design Q

Futuristic aircraft designer Design Q has proposed a luxurious jet called the Avro Business Jet, an airplane “that James Bond would have loved.” Named for the character of ‘Q,’ who designs all of the cool gadgets hidden in everyday objects in the films, the jet is designed “to appeal to dynamic and forward-thinking owners who live life in the fast lane; the interior is bristling with technology and gadgets that are discretely concealed in the hand-crafted furnishings but available at a moment’s notice.”

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Built For Bond 10 Impossibly Luxurious Spy Inspired Designs

Yesterday’s visions of today were surprisingly accurate in some cases, but in others, they were humorously off-base. We’re not zooming around our moon colony homes in jet packs, confirming our choice in mates with scientific body odor tests, or enjoying our favorite TV shows via implants in our brains. These 12 predicted gadgets and inventions never came to be, and while we’ll never need robotic cargo horses for our milkmen, we’re still eagerly waiting for those hoverboards. See lots more fabulous retro-futurism at the Smithsonian Magazine blog, Paleofuture.

The iPad of 1935

In the April 1935 issue of the magazine Everyday Science and Mechanics, the ‘next logical step in the world of publishing’ was envisioned: a mechanical microfilm reader mounted on a large pole that would theoretically allow you to sit back in your armchair and scroll through the pages of a book with the push of a button. Of course, unlike the modern iPad, which offers the same function, it’s not exactly portable – much less so than the book sitting on the table right next to the illustrated man.

Newspaper Printed by Your Home Radio

As envisioned in the 1930s and 1960s using radio and satellite technology, respectively, the future of newspapers would involve home printing machines that spit out the day’s news automatically each morning and evening. Philco-Ford’s Newspaper Printer, featured in an episode of the CBS show ‘The 21st Century’ entitled ‘At Home, 2001’, “provides a summary of news relayed by satellite from all over the world,” says narrator Walter Cronkite. “Now to get a newspaper copy for permanent reference I just turn this button, and out it comes. When I’ve finished catching up on the news I might check the latest weather. This same screen can give me the latest reports on the stocks I might own.”

Scientific Mate Tests

How can you determine whether you will have a successful marriage? According to an April 1924 issue of Science and Invention magazine about scientific love matching, you simply hook yourself up to a mating machine that measures your physical attraction and sympathy for your chosen partner. Recording the pulses of couples and checking their breathing while they embrace, and making sure they feel ‘sympathetic enough’ while watching their partner undergo an unpleasant procedure like having their blood drawn may not sound all that outrageous, but two other tests were even stranger. In the Body Odor Test, one partner is placed inside a capsule while the other is asked to take a sniff; if they don’t find the smells too objectionable, they’re probably a good match. The Nervous Disorder test aims to find out whether couples are too nervous around each other by testing their reaction to a surprise gunshot in the air.

Automated Farms

Throughout the 20th century, visions of the future often assumed that our 21st century lives would be full of leisure thanks to machines and automated processes. By the year 2000, they figured we’d only have to work for part of the week, and robots would do all the hardest labor. Radio-controlled farm robots, as envisioned in the syndicated comic strip Closer Than We Think!, would virtually eliminate the need for manual labor in fields. And in the March 1931 issue of Country Gentleman, the ‘farmer of the year 2031’ tends his farm virtually from a large flat-panel television.

Jet Packs for Soldiers and Personal Transport

Jet packs (as seen here on James Bond) were a frequent component of futuristic technology, first emerging in the sci-fi of the 1920s and soaring in popularity by the 1960s when they were actually invented (sort of.) While jet packs do exist, they’re definitely nowhere near practical usage as personal transport or military reconnaissance. Aside from a few public demonstrations, they’re most commonly used by astronauts in outer space, where the challenges of Earth’s atmosphere and gravity don’t exist.

Headphone Television

Television represented one of the biggest technological advances of the 20th century that was actually accessible to many average people, making its evolution a major source of speculation, from the first rumors of its existence to the days when it finally became a fixture in most homes. People began to envision long-distance visual communication as soon as the telephone was invented, and some predictions – like video chat, tiny TV sets, flat-panels and interactive programs – were right on the mark. Others, like TVs that emit smells – not so much. One concept from the comic strip Closer Than We Think! imagines television receivers that are implanted right into the brain, creating images directly in the mind, “like dreams.”

Automated Cooking with Plates Made on Demand

Another advancement detailed in the ‘At Home, 2001′ episode of The 21st Century with Walter Cronkite was fully automatic meal preparation in which meals made from ‘frozen or irradiated foods’ are programmed into a menu and prepared by a robotic chef. An entire meal could be chosen and prepared within seconds. But the weirdest part of this speculation has to do with the tableware rather than the food. Instead of getting plates from the cupboard, the robot would instantly mold plastic into plates, cups and bowls for one-time use, and then melt them back down when you’re done. The point? Not having to wash dishes. Although 3D printed plates are nearly possible today, this whole process seems fairly ridiculous and energy-intensive when dishes could simply be loaded into a magical dishwashing machine.

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The Future That Never Was 12 Uninvented Gadgets

Do you have someone for whom you need a present but would classify as naughty and not nice? Do they have a desire for gadgets to make them feel like James Bond? There are spy gadgets designed to go undetected, products that were once considered science fiction, but can be purchased without needing to be a part of an elite secret service or military branch. Some of these spy gadgets barely squeak by as legal. So if you have a spy or spyette on your shopping list, perhaps one of these 15 hi-tech spy gadgets would be perfect for them. Oh wait . . . as the list goes down, they get creepy enough to almost induce full blown paranoia. Maybe these spy gadgets would be the perfect creepy gifts for stalkers?

Lasers

(image credits: Wicked Lasers,Wicked Lasers)

These are not toy lasers to play with indoors for your cat to chase around for your amusement. Wicked Lasers puts out two lasers straight out of some James Bond flick. On the left is the Elite Pro which has ridiculous burning power in such a tiny package. The military swears by it, using these tightly focused green beams like long distance matches for burning and melting. On the right is the Photonic Disruptor tactical laser. It was featured on Discovery Channel’s “Future Weapons”. Point the non-lethal versatile focused or unfocused beam towards potential threats at a distance and it will temporarily overwhelm a threat’s visual sense without causing permanent eye damage.

Bluetooth Spy

(image credits: esih,Brickhouse Security,Brickhouse Security)

Micro spy earphones like the upper left have been in circulation, but Brickhouse Security brings it to a new level. The invisible spy Micro Bluetooth headset goes deep into the ear and is so low that it cannot be seen. Although it requires no batteries, it would take a super-strong magnet to pull it from your ear canal. That takes care of sound spying but Brickhouse has another Bluetooth spy gadget to be your secret ear and eye in the sky. This average looking and fully functional Bluetooth headset is so much more with a pinhole camera hidden deep within. No one will suspect that your Bluetooth headset is actually capturing covert video surveillance with audio.

Lighter Spy

(image credits: Ajoka,ePathChina,varologic)

Lighters can be used to conduct secret video surveillance or are ideal for any covert operation where gathering evidence is important for you. Besides using these lighters for their obvious purpose of fire, you can leave it in your home or office to record everything that is happening while you are gone. Are you not the type to carry a refillable lighter but a disposable cheapo? These spy lighters come in all shapes, colors and sizes.

80,000 Volt Electric Briefcase

(image credits: Eurospy Shop,Ajoka)

If you are carrying around documents that cannot fall into enemy hands, or money or jewelry or anything vital to keep safe, then there are normal looking briefcases that can help you keep your valuables safe. Although they come in differing colors, all come with a remote control so you can shock the living daylights out of the thief. You can activate the screaming alarm by simply pushing a button on the remote control, but when you push a second button you will activate the electric shock alarm. Then the person who stole your suitcase will let go immediately! Nobody will be able to grab or take the suitcase without having the snot shocked out of them.

Cell Phone Spy

(image credits: Brickhouse Security, Eurospy Shop)

No matter what reason you come up with to need these cell phone spying devices, we are moving much closer into the realm of creepy stalker. The SIM card spy makes it possible to read deleted text messages and private data from any SIM card. Not enough James Bond for you? The bottom image is the world’s smallest, fully integrated GSM Listening Device. With an unlimited range, you can call from any phone and listen immediately to a conversation from anywhere in the world.

Tiniest Spy Cameras

(image credits: Spy Gadgets)

Micro cameras are getting smaller every day. The top right is the world’s smallest cam, a pinhole size CMOS camera which you can see size-wise sitting upon a dime. For another dimension of creepy spying, there are cameras in screw heads. There are also all various sizes of button cams.

Keylogger – Computer Spying

(image credits: Eurospy Shop, The Spy Store)

Yes, there are hundreds of software keylogger options. Anti-spyware vs. spyware, sooner or later most software keyloggers will be detected. For the ultimate in creepy computer spying, this keylogger plugs in and records all keystrokes. It uses no system resources and runs in the background. It stores everything typed on the keyboard and will suffer no data loss when unplugged. If this is for relationship spying, perhaps it’s time to seek counseling or get out. Believe it or not, it can get worse.

GPS Lingerie

(image credits: Gizmodo)

“Find Me If You Can” is the name of this lingerie with a pager-sized GPS device sewn into a bodice. For starters, unless you have some kinky thrills from it . . . run ladies if you find a GPS in your lingerie. Take it out first or else you can be tracked. In fact, if you don’t want to pull a Dirty Harry and point your gun at him to tell him to back off or make your day, then maybe you need your own covert spy/weapon gadgets like below.

For Ladies

(image credits: Made in China, Made in China Weapon Masters,Saftey Central)

Lipstick comes in all colors, glosses and now weaponry. Lipstick can be camouflaged as a stun gun, 350,000 volts worth of shock power if you need it for spying or for protection. The top left “lipstick” comes with a two-in-one function: Stun gun and LED Light. The top right “lipstick” packs 2 million volts! On the bottom left, these lipticks are actually knifes. If shanking someone is not to your liking, nor shocking someone senseless, then maybe wearing the ring would work for you. It’s not just jewelry as when you squeeze it, pepper spray squirts out from next to the stone. Whether you are a spy, want to feel a bit safe, or have some stalker putting GPS tracking in your lingerie, there are enough choices out there to suit most anyone.