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10 times technology jumped from movies to reality

10 times technology jumped from movies to reality

Source: giphy.com The “Internet of Things” may sound like science-fiction — but so did plenty of things exist today Words: Marguerita Tan Enjoy a better way to stream your favourite Korean, Asian and Kids shows uninterrupted and in full HD with Singtel It is hard to imagine how early man lived, discovering fire, inventing the wheel, hopelessly bound to his desktop computer. Today we Whatsapp our friends — groups at a time. We Skype our siblings overseas. We binge-watch drama serials starring Korean men with delicate faces and rock-hard abs. We live-stream the new Drake single. We buy sneakers online. We tell the world what we’re wearing on Instagram, what we’re thinking on Facebook, what we’re laughing at over Snapchat. And we do all of this on our mobile phones, in the Uber we booked, before we even get back home. Where we are no longer

“Radio”? How 1930s. The modern-day counterpart of the famous detective’s iconic wristwatch is the Apple Watch. 2. Robot Maid (Jetsons: The Movie, 1990)

Source: tumblr.com TV’s futuristic Jetson family had a super-functional robot maid since 1962. In 2006, a Japanese university created a humanoid robot that could do household chores. 3. Jetpack (Thunderball, 1965)

Source: Makeagif.com For decades, James Bond has thrilled us with his endless arsenal of cool gadgets, among which is the gravity-defying jetpack. In 2010, the world’s first practical jetpack designed for search and rescue was launched. 4. Handheld Communicator (Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, 1984)

The Star Trek franchise inspired many of today’s modern technologies, from 3D printers to medical tricorders. The crew’s handheld communicator, first featured in the ‘60s TV series, is the father of today’s mobile phones. 5. Tablet Computers (2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968)

In Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi classic, two astronauts are seen having breakfast, while watching multimedia content wirelessly on a flat, rectangular device. Inspiration for the iPad, no? 6. Hologram Projection (Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, 1977)

Source: Gifsoup.com Princess Leia’s hologram projection has mystified audiences and scientists alike for eons. Microsoft claimed this year that their HoloLens is able to offer Star Wars-styled holographic communication between two users. Data Visor (RoboCop, 1984)

Source: giphy.com Peter Weller’s half-robot, half-human cop wore a futuristic helmet that input information to the visor. The spectacles-like Google Glass displays smartphone-like hands-free information. 8. Hoverboard (Back To The Future II, 1989)

Source: giphy.com Marty McFly made us believed that by 2015, there would be levitating boards for transportation. There were, but the Hendo and Lexus hoverboards could only hover and not fly. 9. Full Body Scanners (Total Recall, 1990)

We laughed when we first saw the intrusive X-ray body scanners in this Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle, but since 2010, such scanners are commonplace at most airports in the world. 10. Tailored Billboards (Minority Report, 2002)

Source: makeagif.com This Tom Cruise flick predicted futuristic advertising billboards that could scan passers-by for their personal data. In 2015, a UK bus billboard campaign could scan viewers’ faces before displaying an ad based on their gender. Adapted from the feature story Connect the Future on ChannelNewsAsia.com

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