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The Best of What's New From Popular Science

Wrathie writes ""The top 100 technological innovations of 2003, from aviation to defibrillation, GPS to Wi-Fi, rotary to rockets. The year and the gear that was." This article from Popular Science magazine is quite extensive."

12 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. I fear to look... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    iTMS isn't in the top ten is it?

  2. Note to inventors by Albanach · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't release anything between November and December or it'll never make it to a "best of", "coolest of" or "top 5,000 things" list.

    1. Re:Note to inventors by arth1 · · Score: 5, Funny
      Don't release anything between November and December or it'll never make it to a "best of", "coolest of" or "top 5,000 things" list.

      Correction: You don't have to actually release something to get on PopSci's list. There's plenty of VaporWare on it. All you have to do is announce it well in advance. Again, some of the entries were announced years ago, but now have "a likely release in 2004".

      My guess is that PopSci's Game of the Year 2003 will be Duke Nukem Forever, followed by Half-Life 2 and Doom III.

      Regards,
      --
      *Art
  3. Buh?! by hyperherod · · Score: 3, Funny

    "After years of refusing to pay for digital music, consumers have made Apple's iTunes Music Store the music industry's first digital success story, purchasing a whopping 10 million songs in just over four months. This figure is even more impressive when you consider that the service is available only to Mac users"

  4. I'm still refusing. by SHEENmaster · · Score: 4, Funny

    iTunes is still crippled, and more importantly, it still funds terrorism(RIAA).

    --
    You can't judge a book by the way it wears its hair.
  5. Re:Also from Popular Science... by Liselle · · Score: 2, Funny

    Be fair: It's okay to make fun of the editors for blatant dupes, but it's not alright to bait them. ;)

    --
    Auto-reply to ACs: "Truly, you have a dizzying intellect."
  6. Invisible WMDs by MosesJones · · Score: 4, Funny


    Surely this is the most impressive innovation of the year ? In January there were lots of them and now it turns out they are all invisible and that is the reason we can't find them. I mean the alternative is that they were not there in the first place, which we know they were because we are told they were therefore the obvious conclusion is that if they are there and we can't see them then they must be invisible.

    No its invisible WMDs that are the most impressive technical achievement of 2003.

    This was a paid for posting on behalf of Donald Rumsfeld

    --
    An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
  7. Hey, they forgot ... by BallPeenHammer · · Score: 2, Funny
    ...Viagra-flavored HGH that refinances your home in a Nigerian pop-up!

    Still, can't wait to get me one of them home defibrillators! Hoo-ee! Fun times tonight!

  8. Where's the traffic light remote? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    You have to agree that's pretty cool

  9. Re:Getting the USB Toothbush to work under gnu/hur by Inda · · Score: 1, Funny

    Do you:

    a) Have a PC in the bathroom?

    b) Brush your teeth in front of the box?

    Just curious.

    --
    This post contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.
  10. Creation - Innovative. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I'm surprised creation didn't make the list, at least that's not evolutionary.

  11. There, Inc???? by Awptimus+Prime · · Score: 4, Funny

    There

    There.com
    Vote for
    There
    as your pick for 2003's Best of What's New.

    For years, science fiction writers have tempted us with tales of lands that exist only in cyberspace, where you can create a spanking new virtual version of yourself and pursue an alternate existence. After five years of development, There Inc. has opened the virtual doors to such a world, and it makes online chat rooms seem as old as Grandma's Victrola. Denizens of There can meticulously tailor the look of their online avatars and engage in whatever activities suit their fancy, from hoverboard races and paintball fights to shopping, clothing design and home construction.


    Holy crap, I am having trouble believing anyone with half a brain could enjoy There. I am not sure how many readers have actually played this game, but here's some details about my beta test experience:

    I get a set of CD's in the mail and a letter thanking me for participating in the 'free' beta test program. I install it, expecting another Everquest or graphical MUD with 3d graphics.

    Boy was I wrong. It's like Efnet with a 3d card. There's no killing. No real adventure.

    The money system is a rip-off. For instance, I could pay credits to change my hair color, get new pants, or buy a car. To get credits, you have pay them like $20. This isn't the slightest bit cool. I did find that I could sell all my clothes and run about in my under-wear. This got me about 40,000 credits (~$20 real money?) so I bought a car.

    Having a car was great, I spent a few hours running people over repeatedly. You hit them hard enough and they fly for like a mile. There's no death, so they are stuck walking a while to get back. The moderators don't take to kindly to this. Instead of changing the game to lower the distance someone can get knocked, they basically follow you around whining about the rules and making things from your inventory disappear as punishment.

    To top everything off, I was threatened to have my account suspended for running around with no clothes on. I'm sorry, but if you are going to allow me to make a giant, overweight, black male character, then allow me a huge profit by selling my clothes, I'll run around in my white boxers all I want. Why can I strip down to boxers and run around in them if it's not allowed? Seems a bit retarded.

    It was quite obvious that more than half the people in the beta were there to cause disruption. A game with "no rules" (ya right) and no real goals results in a lot of bored people.

    I did run into a few people that really liked the game. But as I said earlier, It's really just a graphical chatroom where people can play silly games together and do physical emotes while sitting on benches. A number of people I ran into during the beta had spent upwards of $60 getting their avatars decked out. If that's your thing, then you'll enjoy it. Otherwise, don't even think twice about getting this! Not even for your wife or kids.