Computer Interaction in Science Fiction Movies

MidVicious writes "From futuristic 'Punch Cards' to Voice Recognition HoloDeck Interfaces, human/computer interactions have always mirrored the base concepts of our emerging technologies. An article from a Saarland University CS Seminar highlights Hollywood history with UI, ranging from the moderately feasible (Total Recall's television/scenery display wall) to the often ridiculous (Swordfish's 6-flat screen monitor setup complete with 3-D virus-hacking environment). An interesting read, especially considering some of the technology is on its way to becoming a reality."

Comments

Video game as firewall

[starfishsystems]

My favorite are scenes where figuring out how to hack through some kind of super hardened security amounts to playing a big old video game.

It's like, yeah, that's really how I configure iptables or add a server cert to Apache.

Re:Video game as firewall

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean YOU don't compile the kernel by using tetris bricks?

Re:Video game as firewall

[Mr. Flibble]

You don't? Hell I use psDooM on all my production systems. I like to let my processes sort out their own issues, who needs nice anyways? And boy, with this kind of user interface, I deal with hackers by "iddqd" "idkfa" and then pull out the BFG. Problem solved.

(Screenshots for those who don't remember psDooM: http://psdoom.sourceforge.net/screenshots.html

Re:Video game as firewall

[shmlco]

That's no good unless you have to quickly catch them as they fall AND orient and place them correctly. I mean, we need to maintain some level of skill. Can't make building Linux kernels so easy that ANYONE can do it... (grin)

Re:Video game as firewall

[Clazzy]

What they don't realise is that firewall configuration goes something like this:

You are now entering port 80.
It is pitch black.
You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
The batteries have gone on your flashlight.
> CHANGE BATTERIES
You have no new batteries.
You were eaten by a grue, port 80 is now open.

Re:Video game as firewall

[stefanlasiewski]

And somehow, I can never survive the explosion when I kill the big Boss named '1:init'...

Re:Video game as firewall

[harry666t]

"You mean YOU don't compile the kernel by using tetris bricks?"

One day I've put 'init=/usr/games/tetris-bsd' to kernel's args line and told my sister that she must win the game in order to boot the system :D

Lex says...

[the_tsi]

This is a Unix system! I know this!

Re:Lex says...

[lottameez]

Jurassic park? I laughed when I heard that line. "Run like hell" I said, "you'll never figure out what the csh call is in time!"

Re:Swordfish

[dbhankins]

It wasn't the six panels that was ridiculous, it was the additional peripheral the hacker had to deal with during his job interview.

My favorite

[Bongo Bill]

I want a monitor that will project the text I'm typing onto my face.

Re:My favorite

[Anonymous Coward]

Or one that will translate that text into Braille, to be rendered by electro-magnetically driven anal beads.

I wonder how far away form GPP interfaces we are?

[edwardpickman]

After the attempt at Bob and then Clippy I wonder if Douglas Adams predicted where Microsoft will be 200 years from now? Are they the real Sirius Cybernetics? If so how long do I have to wait for my very own Marvin? ...........Now that I think about it hopefully a very very long time.

Re:Star Trek comm badge logic

[rklemaster]

You need to get laid.

Re:Alien

[Oktober Sunset]

I think the TNG computer was a sack of crap, you ask it where someone is and its says they aren't on board, if the computer knows where people are on he ship, why doesn't it tell you something usefull like, they went crazy and flew off in a shuttle or they mysteriously vanished from some coridor due to weird alien crap. And why didn't it tell someone when they went missing, rather than sit there like a fucktard for 5 hours untill someone notices they are gone before telling anyone they were mysteriously abducted by wierd energy monsters or whatever. The interface was good, with the touch screens and the voice, but the AI of the thing was dumb as fuck.

Re:Swordfish

[edschurr]

Apparently the nipple isn't so intuitive.

Scotty

[jac89]

Hello Computer?? ***maybe you should use the keyboard*** ... Ah yes, how quaint.

Re:Alien

[Anonymous Coward]

While it never made it in to film, the interface in the later Foundation novels wins for me. Do the UI components still explode with a sea of sparks every time the ship has any problem like in the TV shows? Or have they finally figured out how to get input from consoles without needing 100,000 V and a couple of pieces of random explosives strapped inside?

Re:Swordfish

[chebucto]

Which is why this product is truly the pinnacle of human-computer interfaces.

Re:Mouse?

[Anonymous Coward]

you might be the only one who thinks a mouse is faster

Not the only one. Usability researchers think so too, but that's only because they are deluded enough to actually measure it instead of relying on their flawed perception.

Re:Swordfish

[Scarletdown]

I'm dropping out of society if this ever becomes a standard interface for any system.

Eureka (TV)

[pipingguy]

I was watching an episode of Eureka the other night where the trapped people in the automated house were asked, "Shall we play a game?" by the house's temporarily evil software. The characters all said (in increasing tones of concern/panic), "No!"

It was extremely funny as a reference to Wargames. I find Eureka to be very entertaining. YMMV.

[I am a fan of ReGenesis and Dexter also -TV is not a total wasteland]