Over his long and illustrious career, Ray Bradbury demonstrated an uncanny ability to predict technological innovations and sociocultural change. Many concepts and devices in his short stories and novels eventually became commonplace. Bradbury predicted everything from automatic banking machines to omnipresent electronic surveillance. This neat infographic covers just a few of Bradbury’s predictions:
The universal traveler’s lament these days seems to be “where’s the free Wi-Fi ?”. Cities around the world have floated all kinds of public schemes, but none seems to have reached fruition as of yet. But just in time for the 2012 Olympics the City of London has partnered with Virgin Media to install free Wi-Fi hotspots at 80 Underground stations. The full system is scheduled to be running by the first week in July. Wi-Fi service will only be accessible on the platform level and not on trains.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that the free service will end with the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. At that time Virgin will then be offering pay-as-you-go and subscription service only.
While travelers wait for municipal plans to take-off, some private initiatives have quietly blossomed. In Montreal, the non-profit organization île sans fil has launched more than 250 free Wi-Fi hotspots around the city. Travelers can find free service in cafés, bars, bistros, libraries and parks. And, it’s not even necessary to open an account—just log-on.
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There’s also a popular free Wi-Fi service spreading throughout New York City. NYCwireless has been slowly setting up hotspots in public places around the city in parks, coffee shops and building lobbies.
Epilogue: The Future of Print is a wonderful short documentary about the world of books and print media. It’s also an affectionate and passionate encomium to printers, booksellers and books. The film, by Hanah Ryu Chung, is built around a series of interviews with folks who are involved in the Toronto print community.
If you’re part of the 99%, at some point in your life you’ve probably resorted to instant ramen noodles in some form for more than one meal. Now the lowly, but filling, instant noodle meal is being celebrated at its very own museum in Yokohama, Japan.
Opened at the end of 2011, the interactive CupNoodle Museum chronicles the history of the instant ramen noodle from creation by Momofuku Ando, founder of Nissin Foods, in 1958 until today.
The museum features displays on all things ramen, including manufacturing and marketing, a mini noodle theme park and of course a Noodle Food Court.
This awesome animated film follows a neglected little bookmark on a wild surfing adventure when it’s unexpected liberated one day. “Much better Now” is a wonderfully visually entertaining film created by Phillip Comarella and Simon Griesser from Salon Alpin productions of Lisbon and Vienna.
Google Maps Street View feature is a versatile and helpful tool, as well as a major time-waster for anyone with an internet-enabled gadget or computer. Now Google is bringing the Street View technology to parks, recreation areas and the wilderness with hiking trails.
At a demo last week, Google offered the first peek at their Street View Trekker technology, a nifty backpack-mounted camera that they are using to get detailed views of trails.that are not open to vehicular traffic.
Google is just beginning to roll-out the technology, so it will be a while before we can use the Trekker-view for a hike, but it won’t be long.
British aircraft seating manufacturer Contour Aerospace and Factory design consultants have created a cool, futuristic seat-pod concept that can provide airline passengers more control of their personal space, along with a comfy flat-bed, mood lighting and individual media interfaces. This next wave in airline seating innovation is aimed of course at business class and premium flyers, but maybe the space saving designs will even reach the economy cabins, too.
“Barnes Kong is on a rampage! The simian chain bookstore monster could go on stomping on independent bookstores and kidnapping dead authors forever, but the fearsome Amazilla has other plans: He wants in on the action. As the two battle with their laser e-readers, they destroy every public institution in sight. Can the Rebel Bookseller save the day, resue Emily Dickinson and bring back a community of books?”
I guess that you will have to read Andy Laties’ book on the state of the contemporoary book biz from Seven Stories Press. But first, take a look at his very amusing book trailer:
Australian artist/fabric designer Gillian James has been an avid Stephen King fan since the 5th grade when she surreptitiously read a purloined copy of Carrie. Now she has created a massive infographic tribute to Stephen King’s novels outlining the connections among characters and books. I’ve met a few obsessive Stephen King fans over the years, but none quite this compulsive.
Larger than the Titanic, faster than the Queen Mary, the luxury superliner the SS United States was launched with much hoopla sixty years ago. Unfortunately, the once proud travel superstar sits rusting away at a lonely berth on the Philadephia riverfront across from the local IKEA .
But now the SS United States Conservancy has enlisted the aid of NFL championship coach Dick Vermeil in a last ditch campaign to save the great ocean liner from the scrap yard. Vermeil has recorded a personal appeal, which will be broadcast in public service announcements throughout the United States.
For more information on the SS United States Conservancy efforts to rescue, repaire and restore the iconic ship visit ssusc.org . You can even make a donation to the cause on the website.
