Ringing in the Spring.

This section comments on cell phones, laptops, handheld computers, and books on technology. Although Nextel pioneered Push-To-Talk (PTT) on cell phones, they no longer have a monopoly on it, as Verizon and Sprint have added PTT service on their handsets as well. Sprint has a whole line of Sanyo phones which are basically the same unit with different feature levels. Though the most expensive of them is the SPC-5500 (VM4500), with its built in 310k still/video camera. The unit is rugged, but comfortable and easy to flip open Kirk-communicator-style. The Sony Vaio Z1 packs a lot into a lightweight laptop. Thin and sleek, with a signature curve along the sides that looks like it's just there for coolness but also protect the ports and strengthens the magnesium case. The full featured Z1 features a 1.7 GHz Centrino processor, 512 MB of memory (minimum), and a 60 GB hard drive. The real strengths of this laptop are its ergonomics. Though the new Zire 72 with its 1.2 Megapixel camera and MP3 doesn't have wireless fidelity, it does have Bluetooth. Cory Doctorow's Eastern Standard Time is set fifteen minutes into the future, while Bruce Sterling's The Zenith Angle is set fifteen minutes into the past, but they're both about technological innovation and mobile computing figures prominently in both stories.