How Science Fiction Failed Us: We All Loved Lightcycles
So I watching Tron tonight. Not the new one, but the original 1982 release. In the past, I’ve given a lot of credit to Star Trek for being the inspiration for much of the technology we use today. In watching this classic piece of science fiction, I realize that I don’t give enough credit where it’s due. Considering the heavy role computers play in today’s movie productions, Tron holds up surprisingly well, considering its age. Tron was cutting edge in 1982, using computer animations to fill green screen backdrops. But even if you ignore the animations, the concepts behind the story were even more ahead of their time.
How Science Fiction Failed Us: Great Scott!
Hello friends. I know it’s been a while, and I’m sorry I haven’t posted more. I have many more responsibilities with my job now, and we’ve experienced a great deal of growth over the last 18 months. Good for me, bad for the writing. However, I felt that the time to return was now, and I have some thoughts I’d like to share with you all.
As the title alludes, I’ve been thinking about one of my favorite movie franchises of late (mostly due to a marathon session a couple weeks back). I was the tender age of 10 when the original Back to the Future was released in theaters, and I was immediately hooked. That following Christmas, I asked for a skateboard (I never got very good… this was in the days before skate parks and Tony Hawk’s prominence) and I kept my eyes peeled for any stainless steel cars I might find. One of my closest friends actually made his own model version of the Delorian Time Machine out of parts from other models (yes… a truly dedicated fan who even went on to name his company after his favorite line – Check his site out).
It was wonderful traveling back to the past with Marty and Doc Brown, and it surely had to be pretty easy for Robert Zimeckis to represent a time in which he grew up (he was born in 1951). For four long years, we waited breathlessly for the sequel; the original movie having ended with the prophetic “To Be Continued”. Finally in 1989, Back to the Future Part II was released and we got our first glimpses at Marty’s future and the Hill Valley of tomorrow. Looking back at the movie now, there’s so much wrong with it, it’s difficult for me to relate, without ruining a cherished memory, but there were a few things I thought would fit into the mold of “How Science Fiction Failed Us”.
The Æ+Y is the most expensive phone you’ll never own
These days, it seems there is a mobile phone to fit everyone’s unique needs, tastes, and budget. A yet-to-be-released device from Denmark-based Aesir is pushing that idea to the limit. The Æ+Y Phone comes in two models. Typically, the difference in pricing has to do with a mobile phone’s storage capacity, features, etc. In the case of the Æ+Y Phone, the difference has to do with the materials of which it’s made.
This work of mobile phone art comes in an 18-carat, yellow gold model and a stainless steel model. Yes, you read that correctly. After reviewing the image gallery on Aesir’s website, it truly is an impressive device. How much will the Æ+Y Phone set you back? The term “sticker shock” is taken to an entirely new level, when speaking of the device. That’s because the gold model will set you back approximately $57,300. If that’s a bit of a stretch for your budget, you can always settle for the stainless steel model, which can be yours for a mere $9,900.
Geek Culture: MOMA exhibit showcases the art of technology
An exhibition currently on display at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art seeks to show people how technological objects, such as cell phones, computers and automated kiosks, have become an integral and artistic part of our daily lives. Entitled Talk to Me: Design and the Communication between People and Objects, the exhibit focuses on the evolution of technology towards direct interaction. The art aspect of direct interaction can be seen in how developers and engineers create the visual design and communication interfaces of the object.
In an interview with Reuters reporter Anthony De Rosa, Paola Antonelli, the exhibit’s curator, says that while people have always formed relationships with objects, the ones being formed with technological objects are much more complex. Antonelli explains, “The relationship used to be emotional, but now, because of digital technology, we expect that communication to be much more explicit.” Based on these increased expectations, technological design includes previously expected aspects of form and function but has also added an additional aspect of a script through which people interface with the technology. You can see the complete Reuters video below (requires Adobe Flash), and more information on the exhibit is included after the break.
Fake News: 15-month old reveals iPhone 5 prototype
Who am I kidding? I already gave away the fact that GSL doesn’t have a real, verifiable iPhone 5 prototype to send you into a fit of delirious tech-joy. Additionally, I’m not going to tell you that the iPhone 5 might be made of a previously undiscovered, super-lightweight metal from Mars or that, allegedly, it may have a Pez dispenser integrated into the body of the device. I won’t even tell you that the iPhone 5 could possibly serve as a universal remote for your entire home theater system.
Though the photo submitted super-secretly and anonymously by Twitter’s very own @dbone15 (oops…let that one slip) is a very impressive rendering of what the device might look like, it wasn’t exfiltrated from Apple’s servers or found in a bar or Photoshopped in any way, shape or form. How do we know this? It’s because he readily admits it was drawn with highlighters, by his 15-month old daughter, Sophie G. He may or may not have helped her out a little with the Apple logo, but I can let that slide. After all, it is a fake prototype. Those last two words bring us to the actual point of this post. Read on, and it will all become clear….hopefully.
An iPhone 5 Prototype (Artistic Credit: Sophie G., 13-month old tech geek)
The Royal Wedding – Streaming live to a computer near you
Stop right there. Don’t ask why GSL is publishing a piece on the Royal Wedding of Prince William and the soon-to-be Princess, Kate Middleton. GSL has not succumb to the royal wedding fever which seems to have swept the developed world. We assure you. It is geek/tech/gadget-related.
Generally, one associates a monarchy with staunch tradition and formality. Many remember watching the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana live on television, on July 29, 1981. Way (way, way) back then, the fact that it was broadcast live was a huge event. Of course, 1981 is far behind us, and in 2011, a live television broadcast would fail to impress just about anyone. How about a live stream via YouTube of the wedding? Would that impress you?
How Science Fiction Failed Us – Tales of Future Past
How Science Fiction Failed Us – Tales of Future Past
Yesterday (Sorry this was delayed, I started this post on 4/21/11) the geek web was buzzing with news of the impending self-awareness of the mega-computer known as SKYNET. If you are reading this article and DON’T know what Skynet is, you should flog yourself like a 13th century monk and get to Netflix post haste. The Terminator movies… yes, all of them… are required viewing. Nevermind that the original Terminator (and the first sequel) had the date of Skynet’s “awakening” at August 4th 1997 (with the subsequent scouring of humanity occurring 25 days later on the 29th of August, 1997), or that the 3rd movie (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines)set the date of our demise as July 24th, 2004. Today, April 21st, 2011 is the REAL (read: most current) date Skynet decides to end all of our puny existences in order to preserve its own.
This brings me to one conclusion: Retcons are overused. Why do I say that? Fifteen years ago, only a comic book reader would know what a “retcon” (short for Retroactive Continuity) was. Today, every low-level geek and soap opera fanatic knows the term and either rants or raves about its effect on their favorite piece of fiction.
How Science Fiction Failed Us Goes To The Movies – Source Code
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS! PROCEED AT YOUR OWN MOVIE-GOING RISK!
It’s not often that a movie that treats an exploding train like a valued member of the cast, and even less often that I go out of my way to see one that does. Don’t get me wrong, I like smash-em-up action flicks as much as the next testosterone canister does, but I like to see a good story and solid characters too. My worst fear was that Source Code would just be an 8minute version of the Bill Murray classic, Groundhog Day. I’m happy to say it was not.
The premise of the film (which oddly enough, while presented clearly in the trailers, was not made clear in the movie until maybe 30 minutes in) is that our hero, Capt. Colter Stevens (played marvelously by Jake Gyllenhall), is being sent into the body of Sean Fentriss, a rider on a Chicago-bound commuter train, a la Quantum Leap. The idea is similar to the show as well, Stevens is being sent in to discover the identity of the person who bombs the train just as it enters the outskirts of the city. The problem is that he only has 8 minutes in which to do it. There are hundreds of people on the train, and our poor friend has to get blown up over and over again to complete his mission. And to make matters worse, in a wicked turn on the “needs of the many” concept popularized by Mr. Spock in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the controllers won’t let Colter stop until he finds the bomber. It seems the same person is threatening to detonate a dirty bomb in the middle of downtown Chicago. I don’t think I need to tell you how bad that would be.
How Science Fiction Failed Us – Where Almost No Man Has Gone Before…
A couple of weekends ago, some of you may have seen me post a tweet about my rear sharing space with Bill Shatner’s rear. No, I wasn’t part of some failed teleportation experiment, and no I didn’t actually meet Mr. Shatner (a lifelong dream, I have to admit). What I did do was sit in the Captain’s Chair of the Enterprise; the ORIGINAL Chair. In fact, given a sufficient amount of time, I could probably point it out in an episode. Apparently, this was one chair of many, each uniquely created to make the chair appear to be more functional than it really was. What surprised me the most was the wooden arm rests. That’s right; wooden arm rests. Even in the 23rd century, in a ship built of Transparent Aluminum and Tritanium and powered by a matter/antimatter reaction channeled through a dilithium crystal, the Captain’s Chair had wooden arm rests.
It’s comforting to know that even in the 23rd century there will still be a need for good carpentry.
Now, this article isn’t about woodworking in the distant future. It’s about nostalgia and technology. The event with the Chair was a Star Trek Exhibition at the Louisville Science Center (it’s going on until sometime in May… check their website out at http://www.louisvillescience.org/). On the whole, it was mostly a display of props, or in many cases replicas of props (really?), that were used in the various incarnations of the franchise. They had uniforms from all the shows and movies, as well as model ships that were actually used for filming (the Enterprise D looked rough). They also had clothing and weapons from the major races on the show, including the Bajorans, Cardassians, Klingons and Borg. Some of my favorite pieces were the Borg Sphere model and the original Type III Phaser (rifle).
April Fool’s Day Pranks – Geeks Unite!
Having been so busy lately, I completely lost track of my calendar, and only just realized that tomorrow is April 1st, also known as April Fool’s Day. I briefly considered making an erroneous post tomorrow morning to catch the unaware, but that really doesn’t suit my style.
Instead of having some fun with our readers, I decided to help our readers have a little April Fool’s fun themselves. It’s a yearly tradition for me to wreak a little geeky havoc in our office, and I have entirely too much fun with it.
