1.
Cutting-edge technology. The absolute best. I believe this means something in
GURPS in the
Cyberpunk edition, but it's been a long time.
2. Iain M. Banks collection of short stories. The longest one is the title and deals with a Culture ship's visit to Earth. Cutting insights into humanity's problems. The other stories are: Road of Skulls, about two small cogs in the wheels of an empire, A Gift from the Culture, about the tribulations of an ex-Culture citizen, Odd Attachment, about romantic aspirations among alien creatures, Descendant, about a survivor and his intelligent survival suit, Cleaning Up, about bumbling aliens and the effects of First Contact, Piece, some small musings from the writer, and Scratch, the almost obligatory free-form story about Death, Shatterer of Worlds. Somewhat interesting if you've read other Culture novels first, but nothing to start out reading Banks with and nothing to pay too much for.