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Television

Back – with a roundabout

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I’ve returned, and I bring you tidings of Mythbusters.  This time, the guys are testing whether the traditional American four way stop is more or less efficient than the roundabout.

The results matched with what I’d have imagined, but one thing that I’d like to have seen thrown into the mix (because what’s a Mythbusters test without fan suggestions) would be pedestrians.  Does the higher percentage of foot traffic along European roads change the usefulness of the roundabout?  I have a feeling it gets even more efficient, but that’s just a wild guess…

Slash the trash

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Wired today has presented some design concepts from a Masters thesis project by newly minted creative person, Aaron Mickelson.  The goal of the project, entitled The Disappearing Package, is to reduce consumer waste from exorbitant amounts of packaging on our day to day items.  For example:

5-NIVEA-Method

There are more interesting concepts over at Wired so check them out.  While not perfect (as pointed out viciously by a few commenters) the intention is noble and the ideas are certainly novel.  It does, though, remind me at least a little of this Portlandia sketch:

Both food for thought and food for rats…

Science fiction-y backlog

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It’s been a busy week here (and it’s only Wednesday) and I’ve been meaning to post the following for several days.  So without further adieu:

1.

The first episode of Brian Singer’s new web series H+.  You’d better believe I’ll be watching the rest of these tonight.

2.

With the advent of the smartphone, many Americans have grown used to the idea of having a computer on their person at all times. Wearable technologies like Google’s Project Glass are narrowing the boundary between us and our devices even further by attaching a computer to a person’s face and integrating the software directly into a user’s field of vision.

From “Cyborg America: inside the strange new world of basement body hackers“.  While not necessarily a new concept, it’s a new take on the subject that looks really well done.

3.

Amazing Martian art that was actually commissioned by NASA, proving that they have a sense of style even more so than Starhawk did.

An Italian sense of style

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In this case, the latest Fiat-backed advertising blitz is actually coming to us by way of Oregon’s Wieden+Kennedy but it’s still a welcome change of pace for the often flat American automaker, no?

Do NOT forget

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I was just proclaiming how I didn’t have any reason to miss TV…and then this ad came on.  Damn you, cable programming!

Wired93: lucky seven

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I’m writing this from the living room in Maryland, where the power is resoundingly out this afternoon.  One conclusion that can be drawn from this incident is that, unlike 1993, there is very little reason to have a computer without internet connectivity in 2011.  I can’t even remember the last time I wrote while offline – how will I link?!

Pages 84 – 89 (review pages):

  • WatchIT!TV, a full-size, 16-bit PC expansion card that allowed for analog television tuning – and the author’s awesome VCR recording pass-through
  • “Information plugs us into the world of computerized productivity, but the open space of books balances our computer logic with the graces of intuition.” – The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality
  • Wired began using Music Access to provide samples of reviewed albums by 900 number at a cost of 95¢/min
  • Ambulance: An Electronic Novel, which came packaged on 2 high-density floppies and required 2 MB of RAM
  • touch tone dialer (?)
  • page 89’s ad for OMD’s new album – and that is all that needs to be said

An oldie

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Given the excitement about the royal wedding, though, I thought that a bit of royal gossip with French & Saunders might be appropriate.

Okay, Syfy

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I have been rather despondent over the transformation of the SciFi Channel into this abomination that is Syfy. It wasn’t so bad at first but then the cancelations began. Namely, the axing of Caprica which I moaned about earlier. Then SGU – a canceled Stargate series at that! Most recently it was the inclusion of increasingly ridiculous shows more akin to TLC (also a disappointment as a network lately). Take WCG Ultimate Gamer, the plethora of Ghost Hunters or WWE wrestling as examples.

My excitement, then, over the promo for Face Off is ludicrously boundless. A show that, while not strictly science fiction, at least features the world of making science fiction as it searches for the next great makeup artist. PLEASE DON’T SCREW THIS ONE UP, SYFY!

Goodbye, Caprica

Television by
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Not that anyone was really watching – which was the main reason why Syfy decided what they did – but Caprica has been canceled midway through its second season.  This saddens me for all of the reasons that io9 explores in their post-mortem, “What killed Caprica?”  Too smart for TV?  Probably.

A shame, but I suppose more space on the DVR.