Minority Report at 10: a look at technology from today to 2054

Minority Report at 10 a look at technology from today to 2054

Steven Spielberg's Minority Report, based on the Philip K. Dick short story, opened in North American theaters 10 years ago today. It was preceded by the director's A.I. a year earlier, which was famously a pet project of Stanley Kubrick's for decades prior, and was followed up by Spielberg's version of War of the Worlds a couple of years later. Together, they formed an unofficial trilogy of sorts that represented a turn to darker science fiction for a director noted for his more optimistic excursions into the genre. Of the three, Minority Report was the best-received out of the gate, both as a film and as a detailed vision of the near-future unlike any since Blade Runner.

That reputation has largely held up in the decade since (while A.I.'s has grown quite a bit), during which time it's also become a sort of technological touchstone. For all its bleakness, the future of Minority Report was one that we could recognize, and one that we were reaching towards -- at least when it came to the technology. Human-computer interaction would be more natural than ever, advertising would be everywhere and more personalized, and smart cars would deliver us to our smart homes. Today, it's almost as common for a new technology to be described as Minority Report-like as it is to be described as Star Trek-like. That was hardly just the result of good luck.

Continue reading Minority Report at 10: a look at technology from today to 2054

Minority Report at 10: a look at technology from today to 2054 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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London Games to be first social media Olympics

FILE This Monday April 16, 2012 file photo provided by LOCOG shows an aerial view of the Olympic Park showing the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, foreground and the Aquatics Center, white building at left. London will be the social media Olympics. For all the history and tradition associated with London, a very modern-day phenomemon will play a prominent role at the upcoming Summer Games. Tweet this: These will be the first Olympics told in 140 characters or less. The London Games will be the most tweeted, micro-blogged, liked and tagged in history, with fans offered a never before seen insider's view of what many are calling the social media Olympics, or the "socialympics." (AP Photo/Anthony Charlton/LOCOG)

FILE This Monday April 16, 2012 file photo provided by LOCOG shows an aerial view of the Olympic Park showing the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, foreground and the Aquatics Center, white building at left. London will be the social media Olympics. For all the history and tradition associated with London, a very modern-day phenomemon will play a prominent role at the upcoming Summer Games. Tweet this: These will be the first Olympics told in 140 characters or less. The London Games will be the most tweeted, micro-blogged, liked and tagged in history, with fans offered a never before seen insider's view of what many are calling the social media Olympics, or the "socialympics." (AP Photo/Anthony Charlton/LOCOG)

LONDON (AP) ? Tweet this: The London Games will be the first Olympics told in 140 characters or less.

The London Games will be the most tweeted, liked and tagged in history, with fans offered a never before seen insider's view of what many are calling the social media Olympics, or the "socialympics."

Hash tags, (at) signs and "like" symbols will be as prevalent as national flags, Olympic pins and medal ceremonies. Some athletes may spend more time on Twitter and Facebook than the playing field.

Mobile phones have become smarter, laptops lighter and tablet devices a must-have for technology lovers ? meaning social-savvy fans, whether watching on television or inside the Olympic stadium itself, will be almost constantly online.

Organizers expect more tweets, Facebook posts, videos and photos to be shared from London than any other sports event in history. The 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver offered just a small glimpse of what's to come.

"Vancouver was just the first snowflake," said Alex Hout, the International Olympic Committee's head of social media. "This is going to be a big snowball."

Twitter is already braced for a surge of traffic. Launched in 2006, it has become a key outlet for sports fans to trade messages during live events.

Users sent 13,684 tweets per second during a Champions League soccer match between Barcelona and Chelsea in April, a record volume of tweets for a sporting event ? busier even than the 2012 Super Bowl. Chances are good that will be one of the records broken in London.

"It could be the 100-meter final or something unexpected," said Lewis Wiltshire, Twitter U.K.'s head of sport.

At the last Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008, Twitter had about 6 million users and Facebook 100 million. Today, the figure is 140 million for Twitter and 900 million for Facebook.

"In Sydney (2000) there was hardly any fast Internet, in Athens (2004) there were hardly any smartphones, in Beijing hardly anyone had social networks," said Jackie-Brock Doyle, communications director of London organizing committee LOCOG. "That's all changed. Here, everyone has all that and will be consuming the games in a different way."

Later this month, at trials in Calgary for Canada's Olympic track and field team, athletes will even wear Twitter handles on their bibs ? encouraging fans to send messages of support as they race.

Sponsors have also taken their Olympic campaigns online. Coca-Cola, Cadbury, Visa and BP are among those using Facebook to reach younger consumers. Samsung is even offering to paint the faces of Internet users with their national flag ? virtually, of course.

"They key difference from four years ago is that now almost everyone has a smartphone, which means everyone can participate in real time," said Adam Vincenzini, an expert at Paratus Communications, a London-based PR and social media marketing agency. "You used to have to be sitting at your desk to access various social media platforms. Now you can have your phone or tablet on your lap while you watch, whether that's at the pub or the stadium."

The IOC, with 760,000 Twitter followers and 2.8 million on Facebook, will host live chats from inside the Olympic village with athletes, allowing the public to pose questions using social media accounts. It has already created an online portal, called the Athletes' Hub, which will collate posts from their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Under IOC rules, athletes and accredited personnel are free to post, blog and tweet "provided that it is not for commercial and/or advertising purposes" and does not ambush official Olympic sponsors and broadcasters. Social media posts should be written in a "first-person, diary-type format."

What about spectators using their phones and iPads to take photos and video?

"There is no problem with photo sharing," Hout said. "We encourage it. But monetizing is not allowed."

"People are allowed to film. They're allowed to do that on their phones," he said. "The thing that we ask is that content is not uploaded to public sites."

The reason is to protect the exclusivity of the broadcasters who shell out big money for the rights. NBC, for example, paid more than $1 billion for the U.S. rights to the London Games.

"We encourage the use of social media. We encourage athletes to engage and to connect," Hout said. "There are some rules to follow, there's no question about it. But we don't police the fans, we don't police the athletes. We don't do that. What we do is we engage."

Facebook launched an Olympic page on Monday that groups teams, sports, athletes, broadcasters and in one place. The site has pages dedicated to specific Olympic sports and links to Facebook sites for 60 national teams and 200 athletes, including Michael Phelps, LeBron James and David Beckham.

LOCOG also plans to announce new Olympic tie-ups with Twitter and Google.

But London Olympic organizers have drawn up strict rules for their employees and the 70,000 Olympic volunteers. They have been told not to share their location, any images of scenes in areas that are off limits to the public, or details about athletes, celebrities or dignitaries who they find themselves in contact with.

"We are not stopping people from using social sites," Brock-Doyle said. "We say there are lots of things about your job ? procedures, places you'll be and do ? that remain confidential. There are elements of your job you can't share with wider groups of people."

Athletes, too, will need to navigate the social media world carefully.

Australian swimmers Nick D'Arcy and Kenrick Monk have already been punished after posting photos of themselves on Facebook in which they cradled pump-action shotguns and a pistol in a U.S. gun shop.

The Australian Olympic Committee ordered them to remove the photos immediately. The swimmers have been banned from using social media for a month starting July 15 and will be sent home the day the Olympic swimming program finishes.

The British Olympic Association has offered advice to its own athletes, suggesting that "a few smiley faces and LOL's (online speak for laugh out loud) will make you seem more approachable and encourage more people to talk and ask you questions." What not to do: "Don't get into disputes with your audience."

British swimmer Rebecca Adlington, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a leading medal contender in London, has spoken out about abuse she has received about her physical appearance from some users on social media sites. She has already blocked the worst offenders from being able to contact her, but insists she won't stop using Twitter, where she trades dozens of messages a day with more than 50,000 followers.

"I'm insecure about the way I look and people's comments do hurt me," Adlington said in a message posted on Twitter.

While some athletes prefer to tune out from social media to concentrate on their competition, others embrace the opportunity to interact with their fans.

"Letting people know what I'm eating, how I'm sleeping, what the venues are like ? people want to know what we're going through," U.S. gymnast Jonathan Horton said. "They want to know what it's like going through the experience and what we're up to."

All in 140 characters.

___

Follow Stephen Wilson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/stevewilsonap

Follow David Stringer on Twitter at http://twitter.com/david_stringer

___

AP Sports Writer Nancy Armour in Chicago contributed.

Associated Press

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Zoo animals among those escaping Duluth flooding

Police officers helped track down a polar bear that got out of its enclosure overnight at the low-lying Lake Superior?Zoo?where several animals drowned.

By Associated Press / June 20, 2012

Water overflows from a storm sewer in Duluth, Minn. on June 20. Duluth Mayor Don Ness said he would declare a state of emergency after the deluge of up to 9 inches of rain that he said caused extensive damage to the port city of about 86,000.

Bob King/The Duluth News-Tribune/AP

Enlarge

Residents evacuated their homes and animals escaped from pens at a?zoo?as floods fed by a steady torrential downpour struck northeastern Minnesota, inundating the city of?Duluth, officials said Wednesday.

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Police officers helped track down a polar bear that got out of its enclosure overnight at the low-lying Lake Superior?Zoo?where several animals drowned.

Duluth?Mayor Don Ness said he would declare a state of emergency after the deluge of up to 9 inches of rain that he said caused extensive damage to the port city of about 86,000. Ness said the order would start the process to obtain federal aid. Gov. Mark Dayton said he would travel to?Duluth?on Thursday to discuss how the state can help.

Much of?Duluth?is spread along a steep rocky hillside overlooking Lake Superior so the water speeds downhill, carrying debris with it, Ness said.

"There are certainly reports of streets being washed out, but the more significant problems are as the water comes over the ridge and starts rushing down the hill, overwhelming our storm systems, overwhelming our culvert system and creating that forward momentum of rushing water," Ness said. "That's where the most significant problems are being felt."

The?zoo?lies at the foot of the hill, making it particularly vulnerable. Several sheep, goats and a donkey in the barnyard exhibit were killed by the flooding, said Susan Wolniakowski, director of guest services. It also provided an opportunity for Berlin, a female polar bear, to escape.

"Even though it's a large white object, it's pretty nerve racking," police spokesman Jim Hansen said of the chase for Berlin.?Zoo?officials said she was darted by the?zoo's?vet and placed in quarantine.

Peter Pruett, the?zoo's?director of Animal Management, said the "entire staff is devastated" at the loss of the animals.

Wolniakowski said no animals left the?zoo?grounds and all have been secured.

"I think it's probably been the worst flooding we've ever had at the?zoo," Wolniakowski said. The?zoo's?train depot was completely underwater, she said.

Ness said more rain was expected later Wednesday, and that it may take time for the damage to become fully apparent. He said the volume of rain in a short period puts a tremendous amount of stress on sewer and road systems.

"We're concerned about washouts and sinkholes and they'll likely show themselves in the coming days. ... The water is rushing so hard that we're concerned about the integrity of the roadbeds being washed out," he said.

Several major highways leading into the city were closed because of the flooding and authorities encouraged residents to stay home because of the volume of standing and rushing floods, and the difficulty in spotting hazards under water, such as missing manhole covers.

"It's a mess. There are too many intersections to even list that are closed," Hansen said.

Authorities asked residents of the low-lying Fond du Lac neighborhood to leave their homes because of the rising level of the St. Louis River. Hansen said about a dozen homes were evacuated.

"Fortunately ... it is a relatively small number of households that are being evacuated," Ness said. "Most homes in?Duluth?are farther up the hill."

The Red Cross opened two shelters for evacuees. The University of Minnesota?Duluth?campus closed Wednesday but planned to reopen Thursday.

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S. Africa: Rwandan general testifies over shooting

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Bill Maher attacks Allen West, Richard Mourdock, calls GOP 'party of the apes'

On Monday, Obama donor Bill Maher called the Republican Party the "party of the apes" and said Rep. Allen West (R-FL) should be taken to a mental hospital, Politico reported.

?[T]he idea that the blame for our government?s dysfunction is equally shared by the parties just is a giant, steaming mound of horsesh*t and anyone who has paid attention to politics over the last 20 years knows it. Or as I like to call it, ?The Rise of the Party of the Apes,?? Maher wrote on his blog.

Later, he attacked Rep. West for saying some Democrats are communists.

"Seriously," Maher wrote, "take him to the padded cell and give him 20 CCs of the high test."

He added:

"And not one Republican said, 'Allen, come on. You?re making us look dumb.' Not one of the Republican candidates for president said anything. Because in today?s Republican Party, that?s not even edgy anymore. They probably saw him later on and were like, 'Word, Allen. Word.' Because that?s how they think black people talk.

Maher also went after Richard Mourdock, the Tea Party candidate who recently defeated Richard Lugar in his primary.

?I certainly think bipartisanship ought to consist of Democrats coming to the Republican point of view,? Mourdock said after his victory.

Politico reported that "Maher equated it with a relationship in which only one partner receives oral sex."

"Maher will, however, pay no price for this. Crude, left-wing hitmen who pump $1 million into a pro-Obama super PAC rank higher in the media's politically correct pecking order than apostates like Allen West who dares to be a conservative patriot while wearing black skin," John Nolte wrote at Breitbart.com.

A post at Twitchy called Maher a racist and noted: "Maher is an Obama mega-donor and a good little leftist."

"He?s allowed to be vile and racist, you see," the post added.

The HBO host who is often referred to as "pig Maher" on conservative sites for his vile, profane and misogynistic remarks, was taken to task for his comments by conservatives on Twitter.

"Bill Maher is the perfect example of a person selling his soul for a dollar or two, one person tweeted.

"Part Mets owner, Bill Maher, called the Rep Party "apes" & specifically mentioned Allen West. Where's the outrage?" another asked.

Nolte asked: "What exactly will it take for the media to demand Barack Obama repudiate Mr. Maher and request that the super PAC return the money?"

He also noted that "just last week," Maher accused Matt Drudge of racism "for the dreadful sin of publishing photos of, you know, actual black people."

More on Bill Maher at Examiner.com here.

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Central Methodist University president retiring

Read?more: Local, Education, News, Central Methodist University President Retiring, Cmu President Retiring, Marianne Inman Retiring, Marianne Inman Cmu
FAYETTE, MO. -- Dr. Marianne Inman, the president of Central Methodist University for the past 17 years, has announced plans to retire, effective June 30, 2013.

?Her departure will mark the close of one of the brightest chapters in the nearly 160-year history of the University, said Glenn Cox, CMU Board of Trustees chair. Cox said the board will determine its search process in the coming weeks.

?Some highlights of Inman's leadership since she joined the institution in July 1995 include:

- A nearly fivefold increase in student enrollment, to almost 5,300 last fall
- Completion of three capital campaigns, netting the University nearly $50 million
- A near tripling of the University endowment, to $31 million
- Growth in CMU operating revenues from $8.5 million when she arrived, to more than $26 million this past year
- Campus improvements totaling in excess of $50 million

One of the milestones for which Inman is particularly proud is that CMU will this year award more than a thousand college degrees for the first time in its history. Another is the expansion of CMU academic programming to sites across the state, many in partnership with Missouri community colleges and other organizations.

?The opportunity to work with an outstanding Board of Trustees and a first-rate faculty and staff in service to Central Methodist University has been the high point of my career as an educator. I feel privileged to have been part of this institution of opportunity for students all around our state,? Inman said. ?The timing of this decision seems appropriate in that we are completing one major campus project (the restoration of historic Classic Hall) this year, and CMU will require continuity in leadership over the next number of years in order to implement the highest priority recommendations from our recently concluded master plan.?

Inman and her husband, David, plan to relocate to Georgetown, Tex. next summer.

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First impressions of Microsoft's Surface tablet

The Windows RT version of Surface has USB 2.0
6/19/2012 2:46:00 PM By: Melissa J. Perenson

Microsoft's introduction of its Surface tablet engendered buzz like no other we've seen from Microsoft. The big question is, does it stand up to the hype? The answer, succinctly, is yes.

After the event, attendees got a brief audience with the Surface (the second Microsoft product to get that name; prior to today, "Surface" referred to Microsoft's table-top touchscreen computer experience). I saw it up-close, and in limited action, and was very impressed with what I saw.

For starters, Microsoft truly has paid close attention to the details. This tablet is one of the few with a full-sized USB port--and thank goodness for that. The Windows RT version of Surface has USB 2.0, with USB 3.0 on the Windows 8 Professional version. (The Pro version can use USB 3.0 because the core logic chipset of Intel's Ivy Bridge chips support the standard, according to a Microsoft spokesman.)

The Surface tablet's integrated kickstand is sheer brilliance, and it felt sturdily designed when I lifted it up and held the prototype tablet by its kickstand. I did that almost automatically, without thinking about potential consequences, and then realized that I had nothing to fear; the kickstand felt as stable as bedrock.

The tablet's case felt silky and exceptionally solid, even on these still-early prototypes. (The Windows RT Surface we saw here won't be out until fall, at Windows 8's launch; the Pro version will ship three months later, meaning we'll hear about those at CES 2013.) The exterior magnesium alloy surface is smooth to the touch, and finely finished. And while I wish the tablet were slightly slimmer, the angled edges made it fairly comfortable to hold. The tablet felt extremely well-balanced when I held the tablet in one hand or both. It actually didn't feel as heavy as its listed weight (1.5 pounds for the RT version, 1.9 pounds for the Pro version).

From a Distance

The demo units on show here in Los Angeles were running Windows RT, and had a 1080p quality display. (Microsoft's spec sheet doesn't list an exact resolution.) When I had my all-too-brief moment to handle the tablet, that unit wasn't turned on. Microsoft didn't let us too close to the ones that were on and showing demos on-screen, so I didn't see book-size text up close. That makes it impossible to say how it compares side-by-side with the third-generation Apple iPad's Retina display, or the 1920-by-1200 pixel display on the upcoming Acer Iconia Tab A700. What I saw from a distance impressed me, though, and left me eager to see more.

The benefits of the display's optical bonding were obvious. Bonding is still an expensive process, which is why we don't see it as often as I would like on tablets. Its inclusion on the Surface, frankly, makes me worry that these tablets may cost significantly more than other mainstream models. But there's no questioning the value of optical bonding ? it makes text more clear, minimizes glare and improves contrast. And the Surface running Windows RT showcased those benefits well, even under the glarey spotlights at the event.

Cover Up

The Type Cover and Touch Cover are evolved beyond the keyboard docks on tablets like Asus' Transformer series. There, the dock is a physical component that turns the tablet into a netbook-like clamshell. The keyboard in Microsoft's innovative "smart" covers is the tablet keyboard you've always dreamed of: versatile, lightweight, functional, and a true aid to your productivity.

The Type Cover has mechanical keys and a multitouch clickpad. My touch-typist fingers flew over the keys as efficiently as if I were typing on my laptop. The Touch Cover comes in bright and cheerful colors as well as the more staid black, and has flat, pressure-sensitive keys that can detect when you're typing; if you flip the cover around to the back, the built-in accelerometer can sense this and will turn off the keyboard (nifty trick). I couldn't try a Touch Cover hooked up to a unit, but I'll be interested to see how it performs when it comes out. Both options turned the Surface tablet into an efficient and compact device.

We didn't hear anything about whether the keyboard covers draw more power from the tablet, but presumably they do. The Touch Cover is thin, just 3mm, and snaps into place with a sturdy clink thanks to magnetics and components aligning together to keep it in place. (The cover feels more secure than Apple's Smart Cover, which can easily slip-slide out-of-place.)

My hands-on time with the Microsoft Surface was limited, but it made a very good first impression. Microsoft has put other tablet makers on notice. It will be interesting to see how the competition responds.

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