Category: scifi

Bionic

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/can-procedure-give-you-superhuman-vision
I must say I was pretty excited when I read this. It is scifi come to life even if it does sound almost too good to be true. But seeing it move into human trials means it is past the theory phase and moving into implementation. The implications are staggering. [1]It helps if you go read the not-very-long article first. It wouldn’t help every problem but it would cover a large percentage of people who experience declining vision or have certain genetic issues. Image you could get a surgical procedure on your eye and never worry about most vision problems ever again. Your eyes could focus w/almost perfect clarity. It raises a whole host of questions but I still love the idea. It could help a lot of people see better or even see again.

There are a plethora of questions that come up, of course. What is projected life span of the insert(s)? What happens if one fails? Can it be replaced? Cost? Insurance? The list goes on and on. But a bigger question might be, would said person now be considered bionic? This would certainly fit the bill of artificial enhancement.

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For myself, I doubt I’d qualify any time soon as my actual vision has only deterriated every so slightly as I age. I don’t even qualify for Lasik right now. And the diplopia issue, being muslcle related, would not be repaired by said replacement either. So clearly it wouldn’t fix every problem. But this last year has taught me how fragile our vision can be. Reading up on advancements like this are amazing.

References

References
↑1 It helps if you go read the not-very-long article first.

Geeky-Poo

*Geek alert*

In completely unrelated random news, tons of geeky stuff to cover.  On the movie/TV front, BSG has finally starting up again.  I can’t wait for the final episodes!  The first episode was a doozy! 

I’ve also seen several trailers for the new Star Trek movie.  I’m mixed on the latter.  The last attempt at jumping backwards [1]Enterprise: The series was the lowest and worst rated in the franchise. didn’t go over so well.  However, Silar from Heroes is playing our favorite Vulcan before he embraces his Vulcan side.  I’m assuming this means we will see lots of emotion from Spock.  heehee 

True Blood on HBO has quickly become one of my favorite shows.  The storyline is a very nice twist on the vampire genre with decent acting from a whole crew of virtually unknown actors.  The homo-erotic imagery is significant to say the least.  Sookie’s brother is HOT!  You see him in various states of undress all the way down to his butt.  I’m bummed the first season is over already.  However, I was very happy to see HBO picked up the series for at least 2 more seasons. 

Sanctuary on Scifi is another good watch.  Amanda Tapping from Stargate: SG1 plays the lead role. [2]She is also the director  Amanda plays an entirely different character and does a superb job.  While the supporting actor roles can be a bit lacking at times, the overall story line and acting is very good.  The series offers an interesting twist on a variety of horror characters throughout history and neatly ties them all together.  

And speaking of, the Stargate: Atlantis series has ended.  I was very sad to see’em go but I think they had beat the plot to death and it was time.  The last episode was a bit rushed IMHO but still a good end to a fantastic series.  I’ve seen a couple very vague teasers on the website and TV about a new series so I’m all ears on that!  Up until BSG, SG1 and Atlantis were the highest rated shows on scifi.  They would be stupid to retire their money cow too soon considering BSG was never written to go beyond this last season. 

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On the hardware front, I’m still loving my new G1.  For a first generation OS, Google gets props for a job well done.  And while there are a few annoyances, overall I’m pleased.  My original complaint was the lack of stereo bluetooth.  It is being rolled out in the next update from what I’ve read.  My other big annoyance was the battery life.  I would easily churn thru the original battery in about half a day.  I bitched and moaned and Tmobile finally sent me a better one.  Its on par with my old Wing now so I’m happy.  The battery will also charge up to a full charge in about 45 minutes.  Oh and Tmo’s new 3g network is pretty damn good.  It isn’t quite what I’d call DSL speed but pretty damn close. 

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In complete and utter geekiness, I recently purchased Netgear’s HDXB101 Powerline HD Ethernet Kit.  I have wifi at home but because of interference, wifi in my room is a bit slow.  It gets the job done but I want it to the max.  The kit is designed to route your existing internet connection thru your electrical outlets.  I was skeptical but figured it was worth a try.  So far, I’m pretty happy.  Setup was a breeze, virtually plug and play.  There were some more advanced setup options available via a CD but I didn’t really see the need.  Plug one device into an outlet, plug your router or modem into it.  Plug the other device into another outlet (preferably on the same circuit but not required) and then plug your device of choice into that.  BAM!  Instant connection.  It automatically encrypts network traffic to avoid tampering too.  My connection is consistently faster than my wifi ever was.

References

References
↑1 Enterprise: The series was the lowest and worst rated in the franchise.
↑2 She is also the director

In Case You Were Wondering…

The Doctor is back!

(full story) SCI FI Channel announced that it will air the third season of BBC’s Doctor Who, beginning in July. The new season will kick off with the Doctor Who Christmas special “The Runaway Bride,” guest-starring award-winning British comedy actress Catherine Tate.

In season three, David Tennant returns as the time-traveling Doctor, joined by a new companion, Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman). The first episode of the season is called “Smith and Jones.”

I almost wet my pants! I’ve been wondering if and when the new season would be back on the air. It will give me some much needed filler since BG isn’t due back until 2008. UGH!

Scifi! II

Arrgggh! It’s been a busy week. It’s my Friday night and I’m catching up on the tivo shows.

Has anyone else been watching the release of the new Doctor Who series on scifi? It’s starting off pretty good. I wasn’t to keen on the first episode but the rest have been excellent. I’ve been having scifi withdrawals w/my regular shows being in the off season right now. It might just work out. hehehe.

Scifi

Red Alert! Geek post ahead.

OMG! The new seasons of Stargate, Atlantis, and Battlestar Galactica are fragging fantastic! Having a nice warm body snuggled up next to me I’m sure had no bearing on my comfort level. hehehe

On Stargate:SG-1, when they found a way to trap the Pryer I was on the edge of my seat. And BG was hot hot hot w/the pending civil war between Galactica and the Pegasus. Oooooyeeeeh! I can’t wait till next Friday.

Tivo Rocks

Can I just tell you how much I love my Tivo! I knew I’d like it but I just didn’t realize how much. The simplicity of it is amazing. No more clunky VCR/DVD settings that seems to drive most people nuts. You find, select, and click and your done. Don’t even get me started on how ‘way cool’ it is to pause live tv for a pit stop. I can see already why it has developed such a following. Being a total Stargate fan I set it record every occurance of the show and it does all the work for me. I just come home flick on the tube and get comfortable.

Yeah, I know I sound like a high school flunkie who just discovered caffeine. I can’t help it. We all get our petty enjoyments in life and I guess Tivo is mine.

Rants & Pangs for Home

I’m trying to squeeze my babblings in before Stargate comes on. . . So I’m scrolling along thru my usual blogrolling, I stop by the Texan’s blog to get my weekly fix of his great Southern perspective. I love living here but I miss the ‘openness’ of people from the South. Reading the Texan’s blog always makes me a bit nostalgic. It’s mostly his writing style and approach to problems I think that clicks w/me the most. I’ve never met him but next time I get back to big D, I’m hoping we can have lunch or a beer together. Just as bloggers of course. (Tim, get your mind out of my gutter)

If you’re just dying to get yet another Southern boy’s perspective to life, stroll on over and check him out.

Ben Browder Joins Stargate SG1!

Yeah, I’m a scifi freak I know this. Anyway, I’m blogrolling and I discover from another rant that Ben Browder (the handsome hunk from Farscape) is joining the next season of Stargate SG-1! Of course, I clicked right over to scifi’s website to verify if was true. Now how perfect is that I ask you? You take the best looking farm fed hunk since white bread and you add him to Scifi’s #1 series of all time. Wahooo! The season premiere is right after my birthday so I’m gonna be beside myself till then.