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The Pursuit of Levitation
Apparently, now is the right time to hover.
Scheduling my ride on the first-ever hoverboard last Friday was born out of availability and great airfare. It never dawned on me that the subsequent week would reveal the first glimpse of the world’s second hoverboard: SLIDE.
Utilizing similar principals of magnetism, the specialized design group at Lexus has dipped its toe into the water (well, technically in the air) of hover technology following Arx Pax and their pioneering Hendo Hoverboard. Still, the specific components between the Hendo and Lexus hoverboards are distinguishable enough.
“Lexus said the test hoverboard in its “Amazing in Motion” campaign generates magnetic levitation by combining the effects of liquid nitrogen-cooled superconductors and permanent magnets” (USA Today).
Appearance wise, the hoverboard by Lexus is sleek and appears consumer-ready. Functionality wise, however, is still a lingering question. Looks like October 21st of this year will reveal that verdict, the same day Marty McFly quickly found out the answer to this question. Also, Hendo does not use liquid nitrogen-cooled superconductors, which is important to note for a couple reasons. First, both companies have legitimate claims to creating original hovering technologies, however similar the role magnets are to flotation. Second, it’s wonderful to see there is more than one way to build a hoverboard.
The creative minds at Hendo and Lexus, developing this desired mode of transportation out of nostalgia for the future (it makes sense), are in the alpha stage. Envisioning what the beta stage and beyond will produce is exciting as reductions in cost (Hendo’s board costs $10,000), battery life improvements and infrastructure will undoubtedly become focal points of business plans going forward. Perhaps this leads to a small skate park with magnets built underneath in the next few years (Lexus did that for the video above), then a long pathway around a park and then Marty’s daring and boundless flight throughout a town square will be reality soon thereafter.
Except over water.
The power of movies (and love for the BTTF fan) is inspiring for many reasons. Despite living in 2015 without most of the cool advancements featured in Back to the Future Part II, those scenes have clearly made a permanent impression on fans and innovators alike as a future to strive for and build towards. That’s incredible. The sparks of innovation can literally come from anywhere.
And Lexus seems to be opening a future debate: Will consumers buy a luxury car or a luxury hoverboard?
They may be surprised by the answer.
There’s No Independence Day After Earth
Now this is what I call a close encounter…of the sequel kind.
The follow-up to Independence Day was announced a few months back, but during a recent forum in the secret alien hotbed of Albuquerque, New Mexico with the stars (including Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman) and director Roland Emmerich, the most pressing question was discussed:
Why didn’t Captain Steven Hiller Will Smith return?
Emmerich shed some light on this issue.
In the very beginning, I wanted to work with him and he was excited to be in it but then after a while he was tired of sequels, and he did another science fiction film, which was his father-son story, so he opted out.”
Keep in mind that the science-fiction film with the literal father-son story was a movie called After Earth, which was heavily panned and was a box office flop. Still, an Independence Day sequel would have revived a favored father-son relationship, while being just one of many character plot lines. The scale of this science-fiction saga stretches far and wide, both with its story and characters. It would not have been “the Will Smith movie,” yet he is a critical part of this newly created franchise. Plus, the 1996 alien summer blockbuster is still loved by fans and Will Smith is a major reason for that.
Smith’s excuse, therefore, is weak and unacceptable. He is one of the few actors in Hollywood that earns a fresh look from the audience with each new project. Arriving in theaters next year, it’s probably safe to say that Smith will regret passing on this movie. It’s essentially impossible to bring something back from yesteryear and for it to be as good as the original. Except, with this movie and its original director, all of its big name stars returning and the initial plot (it’s 20 years later and David Levinson is/has been leading a global initiative to prepare for any future alien attacks), the potential is high for a fun return to some exciting 1996 cinematic nostalgia.
As a bonus for fans, the official title was revealed:
Independence Day: Resurgence.
The aliens will try to blow up Jurassic World’s box office records next summer starting June 24th.
The Beautiful Resignation
(Daily Mail)
FIFA’s mountain of corruption, bribery and destruction towards the beautiful game for decades has been hit at the place many demanded, yet presumed was impossible to reach: the summit.
“Sepp Blatter, FIFA’s long-time president, announced on Tuesday that he will be resigning as soon as an extraordinary FIFA congress has elected a successor,” Leander Schaerlaeckens wrote (FC Yahoo).
The four-term president (who was elected to a fifth-term just days ago) signifies that the 14 arrests made late last week of FIFA officials and executives is truly the seismic shift the soccer world has been wanting amid relentless controversies and favoritism for more than 20 years that violated clear ethical grounds and the very integrity of the game itself. This is not a minor moment. It has shaken soccer’s foundation, for the better. While this news currently looks like a cloaked admission of guilt or impropriety in the very least by Blatter, it’s a massive declaration, nonetheless, that will prove to be a powerful pivot for soccer.
What was discovered about Blatter? Was this a strategy/agreement to prevent the disclosure of damaging evidence? How much pressure did soccer’s biggest advertisers apply to Blatter and FIFA? Will votes be recast for the 2018 World Cup? The 2022 World Cup?
These are important questions that need to be asked and answered. As of right now, the future is unclear. However, this rainy, overcast feeling is far superior to the smoke that was created by the multiple fires of corruption and bribery the soccer world has been living under for far too long with Blatter in charge. The chance for a bright sunrise on soccer fields around the world is finally here. As soccer is the world’s most popular game, the subsequent decisions made by FIFA will define this broken institution and be analyzed by fans of this sport for generations to come. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for genuine change for good.
The penalty kick has been given in the championship game and it’s tied in extra time. It’s golden goal.
Whose going to take it?
FIFA’s Red Card
(Pascal Mora, New York Times)
FIFA’s uninterrupted, pampered 5-star treatment may finally be downgraded.
The breaking news regarding the arrests of several high-ranking FIFA officials (sans Sepp Blatter) at the 5-star Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich, Switzerland is a bombshell everyone saw coming a mile away. Its severity is enormous, yet it surprises virtually nobody, especially those who followed the bidding process of the upcoming two World Cups ( 2018 – Russia and 2022 – Qatar) that was riddled with accusations of painfully obvious corruption. The only surprise may be that the indictments were actually given.
FIFA is a multi-billion dollar organization with a surreal reach that hugs the entire globe in literally every country that has a soccer ball that has even the slightest ambition in getting a second ball…and soccer fields, media deals, inclusion with the world’s top nations and tournaments, etc. As Joshua Robinson revealed in a great article in the Wall Street Journal titled, “Why FIFA Can’t Get Out of Its Own Way,” every nation is counted as equals in the voting for its president. This unfair fairness, equalizing the voting impact of soccer leaders like Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina and Holland with Mauritius is mind-bogglingly incompetent. The most vital reason is the devastatingly easy route to corruption and abuse to bribe the smallest, least influential nations with “goodies” (use your imagination) that propel them in ways that might be nearly impossible on the pitch alone.
Now, Mauritius is not guilty of any wrong-doing, but they were listed only to serve as an example of a tiny nation that’s granted the same voting weight as soccer powerhouses.
The charges, accusations and evidence of bribery brought by the U.S. Department of Justice constitutes a long list of illegal activities that began in 1991, including hundreds of millions of dollars exchanged for precious influence and privilege in a variety of high-profile circumstances. And the soccer region that was a major player in these actions was CONCACAF. Yes, this is the same qualifying group as the United States of America.
According to the indictment, several international soccer events were tainted by bribes and kickbacks involving media and marketing rights: World Cup qualifiers in the Concacaf region; the Gold Cup, a regional championship tournament; the Concacaf Champions League; the Copa América; and the South American club championship, the Copa Libertadores. The indictment also claims that bribes and kickbacks were found in connection with the selection of the host country for the 2010 World Cup.
Absorbing all this information results in one immediate conclusion: FIFA is not of sound mind or sound ethics to be the governing body of the world’s game. Soccer is too amazing of a sport to be dragged down by greedy executives and immoral officials. Perhaps the most vindicated collection of people today are referees, who are now able to declare they are (in accordance with the law) not the most corrupting force in the soccer.
However, this fact can be heavily debated and proven otherwise without much difficulty, but FIFA’s governing body is first in line for scrutiny and punishment right now. Well, we’ll have to see about that whole “punishment” thing, specifically when referring to re-voting on future World Cup sites.
The issue was, in fact, raised again Wednesday. When pressed by reporters at the news conference, Walter de Gregorio, a FIFA spokesman, repeatedly said that FIFA would not consider reopening the bid process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
There are almost no words. This shockingly oblivious admission of reality promises these bribery and corruption charges will sustain for at least the next 7 years, as de Gregorio wants.
The 14 FIFA officials arrested took the beautiful game whose roots grow with strength, purpose and opportunity in the poorest and richest nations and flooded it with dirty money, thereby damaging the sport’s foundation of hard work, creativity and upward mobility in countries and neighborhoods all around the world.
Do you remember when Zinedine Zidane headbutt Marco Materazzi of Italy in the 2006 World Cup Final?
This is like that, except magnified hundreds of millions of dollars times.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 