[gvurrdon]

There was a period during the late 19th and early 20th century where pocket watches were reasonably priced and available and yet wristwatches had not appeared. It was WW1 which seems to have made it popular (along with disposable razor shaving, IIRC).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_watches#1920_Wristw...

I have a 1913 wristwatch in my collection. But, I don't seem to have time to wear that and many fine mechanical watches any more; my smartwatch is so useful I end up wearing that instead.

Sometimes I think that it is somewhat disappointing that things didn't work out the way this mid-1980s science fiction game thought they would:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nunnwt6ex5bo7e6/hand_computer.pdf?...

[webmaven]

You could always get yourself a Pip-Boy 3000: http://store.bethsoft.com/pip-boy-deluxe-bluetooth-edition.h...

[gvurrdon]

Tempting, but still lacks some of the required features. I'm looking for something that I can use to send text messages, set timers and, most importantly, set reminders (also accessible via a web interface) using my voice, without some nefarious company keeping copies and tracking my usage. I.e. the moon on a stick. ;-)

[throwaway1892]

Do you know from which game does your picture comes from?

[e12e]

Looks like it is from a rpg book, not a computer game. My first guess was GURPS by Steve Jackson Games (General Universal Roleplaying System) - but I'm leaning towards one of the oldest roleplaying games (which AFAIK has been "computerized" several times): Traveller.

The "tech level" indicates which level of technology is needed for a particular piece of equipment to be available and/or normal (won't get you burned at the stake for using "magic") - in Traveller it is used to label different worlds in the universe AFAIK - with GURPS it also extends to cross-dimensinal travel, alternate realities, time travel etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveller_%28role-playing_game...

[throwaway1892]

Thank you for your answer.

(I had realised it should have been from a rpg, but I kept the game term from the previous comment to avoid confusion)

[gvurrdon]

It is indeed Traveller; MegaTraveller, to be precise. In those tech levels the best we could claim to be is early TL9, with laser weapons &c. We're supposed to have early fusion power, FTL and anti-gravity by the end of TL9, IIRC. I think that TL11 mentioned in the list is at a level where those three technologies are well established and their use routine.