Ever wonder where those terms used in Science Fiction Books or Movies come from?
Well, someone at io9 has come up with a list of 31 terms and has done research into each of those terms, including the earliest known usage of each term.
(The list also includes some nice Sci-Fi pulp magazine cover art for those that like pretty pictures.)
If interested in the origin of terms not included in the list, head over to the Science Fiction Citations website.
For example, the word "blaster" first appears in a story published by Weird Tales in 1925, written by "Nictzin Dyalhis". The author actually uses the term "blastor", but it's the same idea. (There is speculation that he changed the spelling of his name when writing science fiction, but there is a WW 1 draft card and census bureau data with the same spelling.)
The entry for "blaster" includes a brief snippet from the story which includes the term. It also includes the term "disintegrator".
The list does include some well known authors, with H.G. Wells having more than one entry on the list.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Thoughts on the Supreme Court Aereo Decision
The Supreme Court released its Aereo decision today. They ruled 6-3 that Aereo's business model constituted Copyright infringement.
The ruling held that Aero rebroadcasting copyright material fell under the "public performance" definition of the 1976 Copyright Act. The relevant clause made it illegal "to transmit or otherwise communicate a performance or display of the work ... to the public by means of any device or process, whether the members of the public are capable of receiving the performance or display receive it in the same place or in separate places at the same time or at different times."
Here's a translation of that clause for those not familiar with legalese .
It is illegal to copy a broadcast containing copyrighted material and then rebroadcast that material to the general public. The manner of receiving the broadcast and the number of people receiving it are irrelevant.
Given this, I think it's fairly obvious that Aereo's business model violated the 1976 Copyright Act. They were streaming copied versions of copyrighted material over the Internet.
The dissent held that Aereo's business model was no different from the videocassette recording industry business found legal in the 1984 Betamax case. I have to disagree with Scalia on this one (I don't do that very often).
There is a key distinction between the technology involved in the Betamax and Aereo cases. In the Betamax case, the recorder was located in the user's home. With Aero, the material was stored on Aereo's servers, and the streamed over the Internet when the user wanted to watch it.
When someone used a videocassette recorder, everything is done in the privacy of the home and more importantly, there is no rebroadcast of the material. Aereo recoded the material on their servers and then rebroadcast it.
The fundamental flaw in Aereo's business model is that is involves streaming the copyright material over the Internet after it has been recorded. This constitutes a broadcast, or as the law puts it "a performance." It is the streaming video portion of Aereo's business model that distinguishes it from technology used in the home to record television shows and is what makes Aereo's actions illegal.
The ruling held that Aero rebroadcasting copyright material fell under the "public performance" definition of the 1976 Copyright Act. The relevant clause made it illegal "to transmit or otherwise communicate a performance or display of the work ... to the public by means of any device or process, whether the members of the public are capable of receiving the performance or display receive it in the same place or in separate places at the same time or at different times."
Here's a translation of that clause for those not familiar with legalese .
It is illegal to copy a broadcast containing copyrighted material and then rebroadcast that material to the general public. The manner of receiving the broadcast and the number of people receiving it are irrelevant.
Given this, I think it's fairly obvious that Aereo's business model violated the 1976 Copyright Act. They were streaming copied versions of copyrighted material over the Internet.
The dissent held that Aereo's business model was no different from the videocassette recording industry business found legal in the 1984 Betamax case. I have to disagree with Scalia on this one (I don't do that very often).
There is a key distinction between the technology involved in the Betamax and Aereo cases. In the Betamax case, the recorder was located in the user's home. With Aero, the material was stored on Aereo's servers, and the streamed over the Internet when the user wanted to watch it.
When someone used a videocassette recorder, everything is done in the privacy of the home and more importantly, there is no rebroadcast of the material. Aereo recoded the material on their servers and then rebroadcast it.
The fundamental flaw in Aereo's business model is that is involves streaming the copyright material over the Internet after it has been recorded. This constitutes a broadcast, or as the law puts it "a performance." It is the streaming video portion of Aereo's business model that distinguishes it from technology used in the home to record television shows and is what makes Aereo's actions illegal.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Amazon Deal of the Day: Save 81% on Marilyn Monroe Blu-Rays
Amazon's Bonus Deal of the Day is 81% off of bundled Marilyn Monroe Blu-Ray Movies.
Get 9 Blu-Ray movies for $38.99 (free S&H). This is an 81% savings on the $199.99 list price.
The bundle includes:
Bus Stop
Niagara
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
How to Marry a Millionaire
River of No Return
There's No Business Like Show Business
The Seven Year Itch
Some Like it Hot
The Misfits
The ratings at the IMDB range from 6.5 to 8.4. (Some Like it Hot being the highest rated.)
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Now This is a Reboot I Can Get Behind
I've tended to be very critical of the latest reboot/remake trend coming out of Hollywood, but this reboot is one I can get behind.
He's getting an upgrade in the process as well. The eye patch is now an "iPatch".
For those unfamiliar with Danger Mouse, Hulu has 19 episodes available, out of the 161 produced. The episodes available on Hulu are the full-length episodes (24 minute run time). The previous episodes were more like serials, shorter with story-lines spread over multiple episodes.
He's getting an upgrade in the process as well. The eye patch is now an "iPatch".
For those unfamiliar with Danger Mouse, Hulu has 19 episodes available, out of the 161 produced. The episodes available on Hulu are the full-length episodes (24 minute run time). The previous episodes were more like serials, shorter with story-lines spread over multiple episodes.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Deal Alert: Save 78% on Aliens Anthology Blu-Ray Set
Hat Tip: Geeks are Sexy
Amazon's Bonus Deal of the Day: 78% off of the Alien Anthology Set, including Prometheus movie. Get the Alien movies plus Prometheus for $19.99.
Amazon's Bonus Deal of the Day: 78% off of the Alien Anthology Set, including Prometheus movie. Get the Alien movies plus Prometheus for $19.99.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Penguins of Madagascar Trailer
The Penguins from Madagascar have scored their own movie spin-off (in addition to the t.v. series.)
The movie has potential given the television show. Of course, there's no guarantee given the different people involved.
The movie has potential given the television show. Of course, there's no guarantee given the different people involved.
Friday, June 6, 2014
"Tarzan" Movie Shows What is Wrong With Hollywood
The Warner Brothers' Live Action version of Tarzan is finally in production. The project started in 2003 and it has taken over a decade for production to start.
That stat alone should tell you there is something wrong in Hollywood. It should not take over ten years between a studio buying into a proposed movie and production starting. That's a ten year money pit.
Then there's the plot: After living in London for several years, Tarzan is hired by Queen Victoria to investigate a shady mining company.
Oh, goody. A cut-and-paste environmental/evil-corporation plot line.
Want to know how generic that plot is? Try replacing "After living in London for several years, Tarzan..." with "Sherlock Holmes..." or "Allan Quatermain". As an alternative, move the time period and have the investigation being done by an FBI agent that is part Sioux.
It's like the movie companies have pre-made scripts with certain portions left blank: protagonist, time-period and the evil corporate entity.
But it will be in 3D. (In other words, a "blockbuster" with lots of nifty special effects and loud explosions.)
That stat alone should tell you there is something wrong in Hollywood. It should not take over ten years between a studio buying into a proposed movie and production starting. That's a ten year money pit.
Then there's the plot: After living in London for several years, Tarzan is hired by Queen Victoria to investigate a shady mining company.
Oh, goody. A cut-and-paste environmental/evil-corporation plot line.
Want to know how generic that plot is? Try replacing "After living in London for several years, Tarzan..." with "Sherlock Holmes..." or "Allan Quatermain". As an alternative, move the time period and have the investigation being done by an FBI agent that is part Sioux.
It's like the movie companies have pre-made scripts with certain portions left blank: protagonist, time-period and the evil corporate entity.
But it will be in 3D. (In other words, a "blockbuster" with lots of nifty special effects and loud explosions.)
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Deal Alert: 81% Off Original Star Trek Full Series at Amazon
Hat Tip: Geeks are Sexy
Amazon's Deal of the day is the complete original Star Trek television show on Blu-Ray.
The set can be purchased today for $59.99. (With free shipping).
It usually cost $321.99
Amazon's Deal of the day is the complete original Star Trek television show on Blu-Ray.
The set can be purchased today for $59.99. (With free shipping).
It usually cost $321.99
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
What's not to Like About Self-Driving Cars?
Here's the answer from Conan O'Brien:
A computer controlled vehicle with no brakes or steering wheel?
What could possibly go wrong?
Hat Tip: <re/code>
A computer controlled vehicle with no brakes or steering wheel?
What could possibly go wrong?
Hat Tip: <re/code>
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Deal Alert: Up To 65% Off of Blu-Ray/DVD Collections at Amazon
Hat Tip: Geeks Are Sexy
Amazon's Deal of the Day is on DVD/Blu-Ray Collections. Save up to 65%.
The deal applies to Movie and Television collections.
Some of the titles covered: Battlestar Galactica (the newer series), Rocky, the Riddick movies, Back to the Future, Firefly, Columbo, Alfred Hitchcock. And that's just the first page, out of six pages.
Th sale comes just in time to purchase something for Father's Day, and the list is broad enough that there should be something available that should please even the hardest person to shop for.
Amazon's Deal of the Day is on DVD/Blu-Ray Collections. Save up to 65%.
The deal applies to Movie and Television collections.
Some of the titles covered: Battlestar Galactica (the newer series), Rocky, the Riddick movies, Back to the Future, Firefly, Columbo, Alfred Hitchcock. And that's just the first page, out of six pages.
Th sale comes just in time to purchase something for Father's Day, and the list is broad enough that there should be something available that should please even the hardest person to shop for.
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