We were just sent over some new pictures from Universal Pictures upcoming action-adventure, sci-fi-flick, Skyline. The film is directed by Colin & Greg Strause, two special effects masters who decided to make their own film instead of just working on others. In the film strange lights descend on the city of Los Angeles, drawing people outside like moths to a flame where an extraterrestrial force threatens to swallow the entire human population off the face of the Earth — gives a whole to meaning to the phrase “don’t look up”. The film stars Eric Balfour, Donald Faison, Brittany Daniel, David Zayas, and Scottie Thompson.
In the sci-fi thriller Skyline, strange lights descend on the city of Los Angeles, drawing people outside like moths to a flame where an extraterrestrial force threatens to swallow the entire human population off the face of the Earth.
Skyline is directed and produced by the Brothers Strause (Alien vs. Predator: Requiem), whose company Hydraulx has provided visual effects for Avatar, Iron Man 2, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and 300.
There's no denying that he has been one of the most dynamic talents in the game, while at the same time proving to be a player most football fans love to hate. You love him when he's breaking touchdown records on your team, and hate him when he's embarrassing your defensive backs. You love him when he's giving your team 100 percent, and hate him when you see him take plays, and sometimes games, off when your team needs him the most.
It's hard to deny his talent. His resume reads like that of a first-ballot Hall of Famer -- 948 career receptions, 153 career receiving touchdowns, and nearly 15,000 receiving yards. It's also hard to deny that Moss can be one of the most polarizing figures in the NFL.
Moss is often times known, by the mainstream, more for who or what he is off the field than what he does on it. The amount of memorable YouTube videos of Moss' antics can cause one to get lost in an online maze, clicking on link after link for hours.
Below is what I perceive to be some of the highlights and lowlights of Moss' career, given the time constraints I had permitted myself. Again, it's easy to get lost on YouTube when you get involved in a game of click-through.
YouTube Moments
Interview With Moss About Inta Juice To be fair to Moss, I wanted to start off with one of his more likable moments. It's a little-known fact that Moss is the owner of an Inta Juice franchise in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Back in 2006, Moss did an interview with Sports Action Team while making smoothies. The Sports Action Team are seasoned comedians, so right off the bat it was clear that this was going to be a fun interview.
Moss started by making sure that hosts Kevin Kelly and Al Click didn't get get their suits and ties "nasty" by putting aprons on the duo. This made for what Mr. Click described as a "weird male moment (nothing sexual, on Click's behalf)."
What I loved about Moss' demeanor here is that he almost does exactly what his past and, for that matter, future organizations would probably prefer him to do -- make every answer about juice.
Click: What's the best non-juice related thing to happen to you?
Moss: Making these smoothies.
This was, without a doubt, one of the more amiable moments from Randy Moss. He not only played the role he was supposed to play, but he reveled in that role. Imagine that.
Moss Jokes Around With Masked Fan Another jovial moment from Moss came back in the 2009 season when he joked around with a Patriots fan who was wearing a Moss mask at Gillette Stadium. The Moss look-alike was broadcast on the jumbo screen in the stadium. When Moss was made aware of the projection by one of his teammates, the fan mimicked Moss' famous touchdown celebration as Moss responded in kind.
Moss gestured for the fan to "get outta here" in a friendly way. It's a moment in which he laughs with the crowd and becomes, to put it simply, likable. Whether you were a Patriots fan or a New England hater, you couldn't help but smile when you saw Moss' interaction.
This is the kind of Randy Moss that you loved to see. The guy who knew, as Warren Sapp once told me, he was getting paid a king's ransom to play a kid's game.
Randy Moss Interviews... Himself It's clear that Moss likes to play by his rules. Whether it's answering questions about his on-the-field performance or explaining his off-field conduct. He made it clear in Week 8 that he's going to conduct his own interviews. The media was going to play by his rules, and not the other way around. Maybe he knew he was about to be released by the Vikings, but it sounded to me more like he had product remorse. You don't know what you have 'til it's gone, to use a cliche.
His press conference was more about the love he lost than the love he's found. As much as he'd like to bring a Super Bowl to Minnesota, he acknowledged that he was going to take what he learned in New England and "sprinkle" it among his new teammates. He wasn't going to step in and conform to Brad Childress' system in Minnesota.
This is the side of Randy Moss that is often criticized. He talks about how he's been wronged. How much respect he has for the team he didn't come through for during the 2009 playoffs. In Moss' reality, his words apparently speak louder than his actions. From a superstar athlete that's a bit disconcerting.
Moss Puts the 'W' on Lambeau This next clip from 2008 was taken when Moss was asked about his end zone celebration after the Patriots beat the Packers in Green Bay. Moss may seem like he needs a self-edit here, but I appreciate his earnestness, his passion. Talk about the 'W' and not the individual. What a great concept.
That's perfect advice for Moss, by Moss. Worry about the win.
It's a bit unfortunate that we've gotten to this place with Randy Moss. He was reborn in New England after two underwhelming seasons in Oakland. His 2007-08 season was one for the record books. How long will it be before we see another wide receiver catch 23 touchdowns in a single season? Even in this, a down year, Moss is on pace to catch double-digit touchdowns.
What's happened to the passion? And where did the entitlement come from?
The most cringe-worthy part of the Moss-Minnesota divorce was the way that Moss apparently handled himself during a post-practice team meal just this past weekend. Yahoo! Sports' Michael Silver reported on the incident and according to a witness, the whole ordeal was "brutal."
Moss at SB XLII: 'I'm Ready to Go Home' His displeasure for being a part of the scenery has been evident for a while. Looking back at the pregame press conference he conducted prior to the start of Super Bowl XLII, Moss made it clear that he wanted to get the game over with. Why? Because he didn't want to be there. He wanted to go home and be with his family. This before the most important game of a player's career.
"I'm ready to get home. I'm ready to get it over. It's been somewhat of a decent, OK experience. For all the hype, the media days, the practice, the moving around... I wish this Super Bowl could have been in Miami or somewhere like that. From here it's just, 'let's get the game over with, let's get up outta here, I'm ready to go home.'"
He's just ready to go home. This, as you know, is the biggest single moment in a player's career. Or at least what is supposed to be.
I don't dislike Randy Moss. In fact, I've always been a fan of his. I for one am a person who roots for talent. But these kinds of moments are hard to get behind.
One of my favorite quotes about Moss comes from future Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. He once said of Moss, "He's like a beautiful woman who can't cook, doesn't want to clean and doesn't want to take care of the kids. You really don't want her, but she's so beautiful, you can't say 'no.'
That's the reason why Moss will eventually find a new home this season, most likely with a Super Bowl contender. His game is too beautiful, but his actions refuse to cook.
How should Moss respond to the criticism going forward? Maybe he can take a page out of the old 2006 Randy Moss interview handbook.
"The way these smoothies are tasting, everything's going good."
We know the saying, "don't judge a book by its cover", but what about beer? What if you had to choose 10 beers based solely on the artwork that covered the glass bottle each came in? The ten beers below would be on the top of our list if we to cast aside silly things like beer style or alcohol content.
10. Pass Time Pale Ale, Boulder Beer, Boulder Co. - Nothing makes us want to enjoy a cool one quite like the image portrayed on Pass Time Pale Ale. Sitting in an Andorak chair next to stream with a cooler of beer and a drinking buddy is our kind of afternoon
9. Rhinoceros, Telegraph Brewing Company, Santa Barbara, CA. - We love this label for its use of the rhinoceros. You don't see too many people using the image of these amazing animals on anything. The thought of a rhinoceros pulling a wagon of beer kegs through the streets in the 1920's instantly puts a smile on our face.
8. Dirty Guera Blonde Ale, Nimbus Brewery, Tucson, AZ - Hot chicks, monkey face, and a little cactus. All of the Nimbus labels are little works of art but the Dirty Guera gets us every time.
7. Delirium Nocturnum, Brouwerij Huyghe, Belgium - White bottle, shiny blue foil, and a pink elephant. A PINK ELEPHANT. Of course we are going to try this one, pink elephants are the best.
6. Mortality Stout, Reaper Ale, Lake Elsinore, Ca - Just like the name suggests, Reaper Ale definitely crosses over to the dark side with the artwork on their bottles. We like the use of the clock and crow to represent your impending doom after drinking this stout. It's only 7.75% but it might do you in.
5. Celebrator, Ayinger, Germany - Goats on a Doppelbock are no surprise (back in the day, ein bock translated to "billy goat" in Munich) but we really like the look of the Celebrator's label and it even has a little goat charm that hangs around the bottle's neck! (Full disclosure; the first time we purchased this beer, it was solely based on the goat charm)
4. Tail Waggin' Double White Ale, Grand Teton Brewing, Victor, ID - This little brewery out of Idaho puts out an awesome line of beers with really cute labels. Their Au natural almost made our list but the dogs beat out the naked lady. They almost make us wish we were sitting in the back of that truck.
3. The Lost Abbey Witch's Wit, Port Brewing, San Marcos, CA - We like the entire Lost Abbey line. They are beautiful and creative mini works of art. Others disagree and feel they are offensive and should be taken off the shelves due to it being offensive and promoting violence against women and witches. When we saw Gerome's painting, The Christian Martyr's last Prayer, we didn't ask The Getty to take it down. Either way, get your hands on one of these now, Port Brewing has announced that they will be changing the label.
2. Polygamy Porter, Wasatch Brewery, Salt Lake City, UT - This label isn't just pretty, it's ingenious.
1. Trois Pistoles, Unibroue, Quebec, Canada - One word --- Pegasus. No other beer label even comes close to being as truly epic as Unibroue's Trois Pistoles. Except for all the other Unibroue beers. But this one is our favorite.
It’s been over 25 years since the release of Ghostbusters starring Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Rick Moranis, Sigourney Weaver and a green blob named Slimer. Still, after all this time, whenever somebody asks, “Who You Gonna Call?” you’re inner child says, “Ghostbusters!” The movie has made over $500 million to date and continues to be a classic for fans of comedy, science fiction and big blockbuster movies. Without being too cheese-ball, like old 50’s classic Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, or too serious like The Shining, Ghostbuters hit the world’s funny bone with the right mix of one-liners, gargoyles and marshmallow monsters. In fact, it started a harmless ghost-hunting trend that is at its height today with shows like Ghost Hunters, The Ghost Whisperer and The Paranormal Investigative Team.
But of all the wackiness, action and gadgets in Ghostbusters, most would agree that it would not have reached legendary heights without the talent of one man, Bill Murray, aka Peter Venkman – and here are 15 awesome moments to prove it.
The Paranormal Investigative Team, Grant Me Asylum/Stapler Me Death – Episode 1
1. ESP – The Opening Scene
Venkman conducts an experiment with students and ESP – always zapping the nerd, never zapping the hot chick. This is a classic Venkman life lesson: reward the hot chick.
2. “Don’t Cross the Streams”
This is for sure one of the most quotable quotes from the movie. Venkman, in his unscientific scientific way, needs some clarification on why it’s bad to cross the streams – think two guys peeing in the same place at the same time. Actually, don’t think that.
3. The Mayor’s Office
When the boys try to explain how dire the ghost situation is in the city, “biblical” is the only way to explain it. Venkman puts it ever so eloquently, “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!”
4. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man
Come on, tell me you didn’t come close to wetting your pants when the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man got pissed. Luckily, Venkman smooths things over the only way he knows how: “We’ve been going about this all wrong. This Mr. Stay Puft’s okay! He’s a sailor. He’s in New York. We get this guy laid, we won’t have any trouble!”
5. Venkman Gets Real
“We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!” Laugh all you want at their funny gear, their hearse and their broken down headquarters, the Ghostbusters are cool. And after they proved that they were the only ones capable and gullible enough to tackle the most evil demons and survive, the city owed them some props.
6. Venkman Gets Slimed
“He slimed me.” Between Ghostbusters and Nickelodeon, the 80′s were all about “Getting Slimed.” It was fun. It was harmless. It was a rite of passage whether you were an awkward teen or a dorky Ghostbuster. But no one has worn it better than Peter Venkman.
7. Alice, the Librarian
Venkman is smooth with the ladies. He gets right to the heart of things without the usual mumbo jumbo a guy would use when picking up chicks. While interrogating their first victim, Alice the Librarian, he goes to the root of the problem with some key questions. “Are you menstruating?” When the library administration butts in, he simply says, “Back off, man. I’m a scientist.” The man deserves respect.
8. Venkman Gets Real
“This Chick Is Toast.” Regardless of how sexy, nimble or supernatural a woman may be, Peter Venkman knows just how to handle them. And when push came to shove, he wasn’t afraid to zap a woman who deserved it.
9. Peck Goes Dickless
When the character of Peck call’s out the boys for being frauds, Venkman confirms the fact that he is in fact, dickless. At least that’s what he heard. Bravo to Dr. Raymond Stantz for putting it out there, and hats off to his teammate for backing him up.
10. Venkman is Cool as a Cucumber
When the boys come to terms with the fact that their gear is untested, Venkman get’s snarky. “Why worry? Each of us is wearing an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on his back.” Nerves of steel.
11. A Friend of The Key Master
When Venkman visits Zuul (Sigourney Weaver) he lets her know he is a friend of the Key Master, and maybe she should pick up the place. Never afraid and always willing to forgive a woman’s shortcomings, Venkman is a chameleon when it comes to dating. He’s anything you want him to be. And he’s always up for anything – even the coming of Gozer.
The Paranormal Investigative Team, Dead and Breakfast – Episode 2
The Paranormal Investigative Team, Ghostus Interruptus – Episode 3
Jason Horton is a New Jersey native breaking all the rules in Hollywood. He is an actor, writer, comedian, and improviser performing sketch and improv comedy weekly at both iO West & the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. He is also frequently in the top 100 viewed comedians on YouTube. He also wants pizza, now.
We don't mean to alarm you but it's been twenty-five years since 'The Goonies' uttered their oath. It was one of the most popular films of the eighties and the cast is back to celebrate their anniversary. Moviefone headed over to the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, CA to chat with some of the gang and watch a scavenger hunt to celebrate the release of 'The Goonies 25th Anniversary Collectors Edition' DVD and Blu-ray.
Two die-hard Iron Man fans chose the streets of London as the best place to show off the cool homemade costumes they worked so hard to complete.
32-year-old John Bekkensten, from Norway, is an established sculptor for the movie industry, with works featured in blockbuster hits like “Gladiator”. “Braveheart”, “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” and others. But John is also a big fan of Iron Man, so apart form his official projects, he spent over a year replicating the costumes of the popular hero and his sidekick, War Machine, out of fiberglass and plastic.
John ended up wearing the much cooler War Machine costume, while his buddy got the chance to be Iron Man. Together they got on double decker buses, took picture with London guards and managed to stun pretty much everyone they passed by.
If you’re interested in cool movie props, be sure to check out John Bekkensten official site.
Among the few drawbacks of Apple's iOS is its incompatibility with Adobe Flash. Video sites like YouTube and Hulu have gotten around this by creating standalone apps for the iPhone and iPad, but what if you just want to watch a video in a browser window? Until now you've been out of luck, but an app from Skyfire could change that.
Skyfire has been developing an app that brings Flash to the iPhone for several months now, but the app has reportedly received the seal of approval from Apple, and is set to hit the Apple App Store at 9am on Thursday morning for $2.99, according to CNN Money.
The app transcodes Flash content into HTML5 so it will play on your iPhone. In an October demo video (below), Jason Guesman, Skyfire's senior vice president of sales and marketing, said the app has been designed as a full-fledged Web browser. It includes an address bar, Google search box, and popular trending search terms.
The app embeds the Safari browser; if you click to a site with Flash video, you'll initially encounter a Flash error on the video you want to watch. But the "SkyBar" at the bottom of the screen analyzes the page and pops up a thumbnail of the requested video; click the thumbnail and the video will start to play after it's transcoded to HTML5.
Guesman also promised adaptive streaming, which will provide coverage in areas where the network connection is weak.
"Skyfire for iPhone was built in accordance with Apple guidelines, including the use of a WebKit browser core shared with Safari, and h.264 adaptive streaming," Skyfire said in an October blog post. "Skyfire enables Flash on Apple devices by transcoding video content into HTML5 on the fly from millions of web sites; it supports iOS devices via Apple's HTTP live streaming. Skyfire's famed cloud-computing technology also adapts video content based on connection strength, giving the user the best video experience that will play smoothly given their wireless network conditions at the time."
The SkyBar also includes an explore icon that will recommend other content based on the current Web site, as well as a share icon that lets users share on Facebook, Twitter, or via e-mail.
A Skyfire representative could not immediately confirm the App Store launch time.
The battle between Adobe and Apple over Flash on iOS has not been a private one. In the wake of the iPad announcement in January, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs reportedly told employees at a town hall meeting that Apple avoided Flash on the iPad because it is too buggy and HTML5 is the wave of the future. Adobe naturally disagreed.
Apple further irked Adobe in April when it released an updated version of its iPhone developer program license, which banned private APIs and required apps to be written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine. As a result, Adobe announced that it would no longer invest in iPhone-based Flash development. In September, Apple relaxed those rules and Adobe said it would resume development on Flash for the iPhone.
newsweek.com— A slideshow of how other countries in the world handle marijuana use. The list comprises countries that allow people to use the drug without facing jail time, mandatory drug treatment, or other penalties. 1 day 15 hr ago
Tony Avelar / The Christian Science Monitor-Getty Images
The most marijuana-friendly nations
By Ryan Tracy
Would Proposition 19, the proposal to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana use in California, have really generated the benefits that its proponents claimed? We may never know. But in theory, the answer is hazy for one main reason: Prop 19 would have gone further than any marijuana law on the books anywhere. The policy would have been revolutionary in the U.S., where marijuana is legal only for medical purposes—and that in just 13 states. But not even the world's pot meccas have legalized and taxed the drug from production to consumption, as Prop 19 would have allowed cities in California to do. Drug-policy experts, though, disagree on whether Prop 19 took the right approach. Do other parts of the world have a more sensible system? We've put together a slideshow of how some other countries in the world handle marijuana use.
Ed Oudenaarden / AFP-Getty Images
Netherlands
Not even Amsterdam, home of the Cannabis Cup, has laws like the ones Prop 19 proposes. Cannabis is illegal in the Netherlands, but the Dutch have decided to fight other types of crime and leave pot smokers, like this one smoking a pipe in Amsterdam, alone. Cops also don't bother "coffee shops" that sell marijuana as long as they follow certain rules, like not selling to minors and not selling "hard" drugs such as cocaine (the Dutch consider marijuana a "soft" drug). Prop 19 would make marijuana legal to use for people over the age of 21, though they could not smoke around minors, in public, or on school grounds. The Netherlands' system for regulating cannabis is similar to what Prop 19 proposes: individual municipalities decide how many marijuana retailers they will tolerate by issuing licenses. Licensed "coffee shops," in turn, have to pay taxes. Prop 19 would allow both those things in the state of California, but it would also permit and tax the commercial production of marijuana, sanctioning an industry that could create a huge supply of legal weed. Commercial marijuana production for recreational use is not legal anywhere on the planet.
Nacho Doce / Reuters-Landov
Portugal
Portugal decriminalized all drug use and possession in 2001, meaning that while using or possessing drugs is not legal, authorities don't punish users as they would a criminal offense, like robbery. When drug users are caught, they must appear before a three-person "dissuasion commission," which might mandate treatment if the person is a repeat offender. Drug dealers can still be prosecuted as criminals. A 2009 report by the libertarian Cato Institute found that drug use did not increase in Portugal after decriminalization, but deaths and disease related to drug use have decreased, perhaps because the government now offers better treatment programs for addicts. For some, decriminalization isn't enough, though: above, a pro-legalization March in Lisbon in 2008.
Andina Agency-Reuters-Landov
Peru
While Peru doesn't allow the sale of marijuana, it has gone further than other nations down the path to legalization. It's legal to possess about a third of an ounce (eight grams) of marijuana for personal use, with no fines, treatment programs, or other consequences. Debate about further legalization continues, though President Alan GarcĂa has come out against the proposals. And the Peruvians are still making drug busts like the one cops are showing off above, in which they seized marijuana hidden in vuvuzelas at a school in Lima.
Enrique Marcarian / Reuters-Landov
Argentina
Argentina only recently entered the ranks of countries with relatively liberal cannabis policies. Last year a Supreme Court ruling declared that the country's constitution gave "each adult" the right to "make lifestyle decisions without the intervention of the state," paving the way for citizens like this man to grow cannabis plants on a small scale or use drugs. The court overturned convictions of people who had served jail terms for carrying marijuana. The ruling opened the door for the country's government to decriminalize other drugs as well.
Pablo La Rosa / Reuters-Landov
Uruguay
If Argentina is the newest member of the decriminalization club, Uruguay may be the oldest. The nation has never criminalized marijuana for personal use. Its laws have, since 1974, left it up to judges to determine what amount constitutes "personal use" on a case-by-case basis. Still some Uruguayans want more freedom. Above, a man smokes a joint a pro-legalization rally in Montevideo in 2007.
Luis Acosta / AFP-Getty Images
Mexico
In August 2009 Mexico decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana and other drugs, including heroin and cocaine. Individuals can possess less than a quarter of an ounce (five grams) of marijuana for personal use, though the law states that if a person is caught with small amounts of drugs on three occasions, he will face mandatory drug treatment. On the first and second occasions, treatment is optional. The decision to focus on treatment and leave drug users unprosecuted came in the midst of a bloody war between drug cartels, but young Mexicans are still organizing pro-legalization rallies, like the one above in September 2010.
www.encod.org
Belgium
Though Belgium has decriminalized marijuana, meaning that possession of up to five grams, or less than a quarter of an ounce, will not lead to a criminal penalty, possession will still net you a fine. The fine of €75 (about $104) is relatively low, however—Luxembourg mandates a fine of €250 for a possessing a small amount of marijuana, and in Spain the fine is €300. Still, pro-legalization rallies, like this one in Antwerp, still attract a crowd. Belgium has made it illegal to smoke in the presence of minors or in public—as California would should Prop 19 pass—but will tolerate personal consumption in private. Belgium treats the cultivation of any more than one plant as a criminal offense.
Spiders are one of nature's most capable engineers, crafting their delicate webs with uncanny precision, making it seem so effortless -- but when they get high on drugs, boy is it a different story. Once, in order to test the effects of psychoactive substances on the behavior of living things, NASA doped-up several spiders and watched them build. What resulted were some undeniably trippy web patterns. Now, one designer has replicated those drug-inspired creations into some unique-looking bowls, sure to leave you a bit dazed and confused.
During the testing, several spiders were given doses from one of four different substances: marijuana, benzedrine, caffeine or chloral hydrate. Interestingly, the web patterns the intoxicated spiders then produced seemed to reflect their altered state, deviating significantly from their standard web design.
Despite the rather cruel nature of those NASA experiments, French designer Guillaume Lehoux found the outcome to be fascinating and began working on the SOD_project, which of course stands for Spiders On Drugs.
The designer explains his motivation behind the project:
This experience seemed interesting to me for the visual and graphic aspects of its results. The webs produce by spiders offer something rare: a tangible and comparable visualization of the way some drugs affect the behavior of a living being.
My designer reflection focused on one side on how to reinvest the patterns of the webs of the experiment in one or more objects in volume and on the other side, the reflection was on the search for a typology of objects relevant to the environment of the experiment, namely the science/medicine, the drugs and the spiders.
The normal web (sober spider) is a dense and regular pattern. The design of the web, made of concentric circles and diagonals, seems to be governed by a general idea.
Marijuana affects concentration of the spider. Parts of the web, especially toward the outside, so late in the making of the web, are incomplete or missing.
Caffeine greatly disturbs the spider which is no longer capable of doing anything other than a fully heterogeneous and disorderly web.
Benzedrine, stimulating substance, causes great excitement among the spider. It works hard to weave his web but his haste causes significant omissions in the construction.
Chloral hydrate, sedative substance, slows down the actions of the spider. It fells asleep quickly without completing the making of the web. That explains the very brief appearance of this one.
Following the spirit of the spiders' original creations, Lehoux designed his webs to 'trap' or hold things as well, finding use as fruit bowls and loose change trays. Still, I suspect they'll serve better as a conversation piece -- or a place to store your old Pink Floyd cassettes.
NOTE: Just to clarify, this post was written to showcase one artist's provocative work, the focuses of which centers on the results from a controversial series of experiments performed by NASA some years ago. It should be said that I do not condone the animal-testing that inspired these designs, nor does, necessarily, the artist. I believe that the lives of all creatures, even common spiders, should be treated with respect and dignity.
Princess Leia's holographic SOS. Researchers report in Nature today the transmission of moving 3D holographic images in almost real time. Photograph: PR
In Star Wars, Princess Leia records a 3D hologram of herself appealing for help from the Rebel Alliance in her epic battle against the Empire. The Emperor himself projects holographic messages to his henchman, Darth Vader. And, very soon, you too will be able to transmit messages in a similar way, whether or not you are involved in a galactic battle between good and evil.
Thanks to scientists at the University of Arizona, real-world holograms have finally started to catch up with their fictional cousins. In a paper published today in Nature, they report the transmission of moving 3D images from one place to another in almost real time. This means it may eventually be possible to communicate with moving 3D images of friends or colleagues who are on the other side of the world. Surgeons will be able to use the technology to step into virtual operating theatres in other cities, and films will become ever more immersive.
"Holographic telepresence means we can record a 3D image in one location and show it in another location, in real-time, anywhere in the world," said Nasser Peyghambarian, who led the team behind the new technology.
Until now, scientists have been able to create holograms that display static 3D images, but creating video has not been easy. Two years ago, Peyghambarian's team demonstrated a device that was able to refresh a holographic image once every few minutes – it took around three minutes to produce a single-colour image, followed by a minute to erase that image before a new one could be written into its place.
In his latest project, Peyghambarian's team reduced that image refresh time to two seconds. They also showed it was possible to use full colour and demonstrated parallax, whereby people looking at the image from different angles will see different views of the image, just as if they were looking at the original object.
One of the first applications is likely to be in telepresence meeting systems. The most advanced modern telepresence systems use large, high-definition video screens to display standard 2D images. Holographic technology could be incorporated to make the people on the screen 3D.
"Let's say I want to give a presentation in New York," said Peyghambarian. "All I need is an array of cameras here in my Tucson office and a fast internet connection. At the other end, in New York, there would be the 3D display using our laser system. Everything is fully automated and controlled by computer. As the image signals are transmitted, the lasers inscribe them into the screen and render them into a three-dimensional projection of me speaking."
The holographic images are captured using feeds from an array of standard video cameras, each recording the subject from a different perspective every second. More cameras mean more perspectives can be recorded, so the resulting hologram can be more detailed. The visual information is encoded into short laser pulses that write individual holographic pixels, known as hogels, on to a screen.
"If you go to a 3D film like Avatar, you'll see only two perspectives, one for one eye and one for the other eye. In our case, we've demonstrated 16 perspectives, but the technology has the potential to show hundreds of perspectives. It's very close to what humans can see in their surroundings," said Peyghambarian. "In surgery, for example, the cameras will be around where the surgery is done, so that different doctors from different parts of the world can participate and they can see things just as if they were there."
Whereas the image of Princess Leia in Star Wars is projected in three-dimensional space, the new technology uses a 2D screen to create the illusion of 3D. At the heart of Peyghambarian's system is his team's invention of a new type of plastic known as a photorefractive polymer. The material, which is used to make the screen, allows the researchers to record and erase images quickly.
The protoype described in Nature used a 10-inch screen, but the team have already improved on this with a 17-inch version.
"In terms of size, if you look at that famous hologram of Princess Leia, we are about that size," said Peyghambarian. "It is actually very close to reality. It is no longer science fiction, it is something you can do today."
Bringing the 3D holographic technology to market will involve reducing the size of the individual hogels to get a sharper image, and increasing the refresh rate of the image to around 30 times per second, so that it has the same smoothness as television. Even then, said Peyghambarian, the amount of data needed for a telepresence system could easily be carried by standard 2 or 3 gigabit per second internet cable of the kind already in use today.
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All you art collectors out there. Here is a chance to get a Giclee copy of some of Ian M Sherwin work. Ian is planning on doing a whole series of Marblehead, Massachusetts paintings. His work is amazing.