Author: Eppu

World’s First Android Phone

Eppu

According to the fount of all human knowledge, the Wikipedia, the world’s first android phone was the HTC Dream, released on October 22, 2008.

I beg to differ. Undoubtedly, the first android phone appeared exactly 15 years prior, on October 23, 1993 in a tv broadcast:

Screencap from Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 7, episode 6: “Phantasms”.
Screencap from Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 7, episode 6: “Phantasms”.

The screencap above is from Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 7, episode 6: “Phantasms” where the android Data has to adjust to suddenly being capable of experiencing nightmares.

P.S. Yes, the joke is really, really, REALLY dumb. Sleep deprived brain is sleep deprived. 🙂

P.P.S. Incidentally, The HTC Dream would make a great name for a spaceship, don’t you think? If I ever got to name one, it would be an iteration of the northern lights – aurora borealis, nordlys (Danish), goleuadau gogleddol (Welsh – wow, looks so fun), or something in that vein. You?

Some things are just too silly not to share!

Fan-Made Doctor Strange Credits Sequence

Eppu

Alex Silver (of This Is Productions) made a charmingly comic-like Doctor Strange credits sequence that’s definitely worth seeing:

Doctor Strange Title Sequence from This Is Productions on Vimeo.

Found via Collider.

The actual dose of the Doctor is still a ways away – according to IMDB, the release date is November 04, 2016. I know next to nothing about the character nor the work of screenwriter Jon Spaihts or director Scott Derrickson, but I’ve enjoyed the work of confirmed actors Benedict Cumberbatch plus Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Mads Mikkelsen (in negotiations). It remains to be seen how the movie will tie to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Hey, look! We found a thing on the internet! We thought it was cool, and wanted to share it with you.

Back to School with a Harry Potter Theme

Eppu4 Comments

Reddit user 86thdj shared their wife’s classroom, which she decorated with a Harry Potter theme. And it’s magical!

Reddit User 86thdj Imgur Potter Classroom1
Reddit User 86thdj on Imgur
Reddit User 86thdj Imgur Potter Classroom2
Reddit User 86thdj on Imgur
Reddit User 86thdj Imgur Potter Classroom3
Reddit User 86thdj on Imgur
Reddit User 86thdj Imgur Potter Classroom4
Reddit User 86thdj on Imgur

Make sure you see the rest of the photos on Imgur.

I just love the 9 ¾ door and the flying envelopes – very low effort but big impact. And that’s not all – first of all, every student will get their Hogwarts letter, and, later in the year, the kids will be quizzed and sorted into houses. The discussion on Reddit also touches on the kind of teaching that this room is meant for, so it should be helpful for other teachers.

Looks like it will be a lot of fun both for the teacher and the kids! I can’t but echo one of the commenters – “So awesome!! Keep being amazing!!”

In Making Stuff occasional feature, we share fun arts and crafts done by us and our fellow geeks and nerds.

Hugh Jackman to Play Odysseus?

Eppu1 Comment

Hugh Jackman might play the eponymous protagonist in the forthcoming Odyssey movie.

Twitter Hugh Jackman

According to The Wrap,

“[…] Jackman doesn’t have a deal in place yet but has had multiple conversations with the filmmaking team about playing Odysseus, the hero of the film who embarks on a long voyage home following the conclusion of the Trojan War.”

I rather like Jackman’s work, and it also turns out he has actual Greek ancestry which is nice. (Too bad that Chris Sarandon, who also is of Greek issue, is too old now; he’d make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts Odysseus.)

Image: Hugh Jackman on Twitter

Hey, look! We found a thing on the internet! We thought it was cool, and wanted to share it with you.

OMG OMG OMG OMG – Worldcon 2017 in Helsinki!

Eppu

The biiiig thing in the SFF fandom this year has been the Hugo kerfuffle. Erik and I have followed and talked about it, but engaged more with the 2017 Worldcon campaign. Helsinki in 2017 is one of four bids, competing with D.C., Montreal, and Nippon.

I haven’t been involved with Worldcons before, but the prospect of a major international con in Finland, during our centennial of independence to boot, was just too good to pass. As a Finn and a part of the Finnish fandom, I know Finns put together smooth, professional, kick-ass events.

hki2017-logo

Site selection for the 2017 con was decided by voting among this year’s Worldcon members. Voting closed last night. Aaaaaand we won!

Kermit flail!

Kermit Flail

At this writing, the results are still unofficial, but as they are undisputed, it’s pretty much a given that we’ll have a Finnish Worldcon.

I’m so, so happy for my compatriots and co-geeks, and thankful to everyone who voted and spread the word. We did it! Suurkiitos!

Disclaimer: I’m a supporter of the bid, and also sewed a bunch of items bearing the bid logo for the bid to give away. More at my business blog and Flickr.

Kermit flail image: Via Walker—Bait on Tumblr.

Visual Inspiration: Ostrich Riding

Eppu

Last week, I shared the image of an ostrich cart. There must’ve been random serendipity rays in the air, because this week I happened on a photo of someone actually riding an ostrich:

Man riding an ostrich at the Cawston ostrich farm, South Pasadena, California. Via Elle Decor, June 2014, p. 67.
Man riding an ostrich at the Cawston ostrich farm, South Pasadena, California. Via Elle Decor, June 2014, p. 67.

Cawston ostrich farm. Postcard by Detroit Photographic Company; South Pasadena, California, unknown date. From the collection of Marc Walter, published in An American Odyssey: Photos from the Detroit Photographic Company, 1888-1924, by Marc Walter and Sabine Arqué (Taschen, 2014). Found in Elle Decor magazine, June 2014, p. 67.

Huh. I used to think that the various tallstrider or hawkstrider type mounts in World of Warcraft were based more on fantasy than fact. I’m sure large birds come with a host of training and handling issues, but apparently it’s not as far-fetched as I thought. On the other hand, having grown up two hours south of the Arctic Circle and traveled in Lapland multiple times, seeing reindeer doesn’t make me bat an eye. Just goes to show how our experiences influence our sense of normal. 🙂

The Visual Inspiration occasional feature pulls the unusual from our world to inspire design, story-telling, and worldbuilding. If stuff like this already exists, what else could we imagine?

Hypothetical Rock-ing Doctor Who and Companion

Eppu

Upon seeing Hayley Atwell declare her desire to be Doctor Who in this tweet…

https://twitter.com/HayleyAtwell/status/632269411424927744

…Carolyn Cox at The Mary Sue suggested that Atwell’s Doctor be paired with a companion played by The Rock (who apparently is hankering to work with Atwell).

Oh, yes! Where can I throw my money at to make this happen?!

Hey, look! We found a thing on the internet! We thought it was cool, and wanted to share it with you.

Crowdfunding Campaign to Build Minas Tirith for Real

Eppu

Turns out a group of people in Great Britain is hankering after a real Minas Tirith so much that they started an Indiegogo campaign to fund the building effort:

“We are a team of Tolkien fans who are passionate about creating a beautiful, inspirational and fully-functioning replica of Peter Jackson’s depiction of Minas Tirith, as seen in his Lord of the Rings films.

“We all share a love of Tolkien’s work, and a desire to challenge the common perception of community and architecture. We believe that, in realising Minas Tirith, we could create not only the most remarkable tourist attraction on the planet, but also a wonderfully unique place to live and work.”

Realise Minas Tirith on Indiegogo.
Realise Minas Tirith on Indiegogo.

If the project sounds far-fetched to you, rest assured: the team knows it’s a long shot:

“Please only donate within your means, and in the knowledge that this project is a light-hearted venture with virtually no chance of succeeding. […] We make no claim on the image or name of Minas Tirith, and will happily cancel this project should any dispute arise over such.”

Two things come to mind: it’s a fascinating example of 1) how throwing money at something has become an established way to show public support for a project or person, and 2) how the Internet allows people to engage in collective daydreaming across the globe.

Hey, look! We found a thing on the internet! We thought it was cool, and wanted to share it with you.

May the Force Be with You to the Max

Eppu

Krishna Shenoi mashed up Mad Max: Fury Road and the Star Wars universe with a surprisingly believable end result:

Road Wars: The Imperator Strikes Back (Mad Max / Star Wars Mashup) by Krishna Shenoi

The 2-minute clip combines material from the existing SW trilogies, Episode VII trailer(s), and Mad Max. Seamless work!

Hey, look! We found a thing on the internet! We thought it was cool, and wanted to share it with you.