Posted by : Jared Kisten Wednesday 21 October 2015

Decimal Heads Back to the Future Too




Imagine sitting at your desk today, minding your own business, finishing that report your boss needs so desperately. Then, suddenly, a silver DeLorean appears out of nowhere, and out steps the two weirdest characters you have ever seen…

Impossible? If you’re an avid Back to the Future fan, then it isn’t at all!

Whether you’re a fan or not, the second film in the 1980’s Back to the Future Trilogy is known as one of the best films ever made. Starring Michael J. Fox as the adventurous Marty, and Christopher Lloyd as the outworldly “Doc”Brown, the film won the Saturn Award for Best Special Effects and a BAFTA Film Award for Ken Ralston, the special effects supervisor, an Internet-voted 2003 AOL Movies DVD Premiere Award for the trilogy DVDs, a Golden Screen Award, a Young Artist Award, and the Blimp Awards for Favorite Movie Actor, amongst many others.

The story starts of where the first one ends, on October 26 1985. Marty McFly has just arrived back from his trip into the past when Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown arrives in his flying DeLorean time machine and persuades Marty McFly and his girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, to come back to the future with him to help their future children.

And this is where it gets interesting. They arrive on October 21, 2015, where they find the future littered with new gizmos and innovations that the 80’s generation could only dream of. From flying cars, 3D advertising and online communication to hoverboards, perfect pepsi and self-lacing shoes.

Today we celebrate that date, and we look at how accurately the producers of the film predicted the future, 30 years ago.

1. Augmented Reality: A cross between a digital binocular and a smartphone, Doc walks around with a device that gives information about people as they pass him. It might seem completely outlandish, but is actually not half as advanced as some of the online information devices we have today, like Facebook Face Recognition, Google Glass and Microsoft’s HoloLens

2. Self-lacing Shoes: Nike has done it again using the movie as inspiration to design the first pair of self-lacing shoes. The shoes are an upgraded version of the 2011 Nike MAG, a limited-edition replica of McFly’s sneakers. The new footwear will feature “power laces,” in which motorised rollers in the shoe’s sole sense weight and tighten the laces when someone steps into the shoes, according to Nike’s patent. How cool is that?!

3. Pepsi Perfect: Your prefered drink on command would be a really handy device. Especially when the game is on and you don’t want to miss that try while you’re getting a drink you don’t like. Well, Coke managed to design just such a machine in 2009. With over 100 drink selections, it covers pretty much every taste, and all you have to do is press a button. Pepsi, on the other hand, has released a Limited Edition Pepsi Perfect bottle, designed to look exactly like the one in the movie. However, at $20.15 a bottle, I would rather keep to my favourite drink on command.

4. Player-controlled Games: Looking back on the arcade games that were played in the 80’s, I think we can all agree that technology has evolved dramatically. While the movie doesn’t actually show the predicted gaming-technology, Microsoft’s Kinect has proven you don’t need to use your hands to be a pro, especially in its Xbox One Iteration.

5. Mobile Payments: This is one technology where we have gone even beyond what BTTF II predicted. In the movie, a man tries to convince Marty to donate money to his cause. He pulls out a mobile device that requires only a fingerprint to process the payment. Credit & Debit Card transactions, anybody? We even have online applications like PayPal that don’t need a card to make a payment. As for the fingerprint technology, you can find that on various smartphones today. Apple Pay also uses TouchID as part of its payment security system.

6. Home Automation: When Jennifer enters her future home, she is welcomed with voice-controlled lights. This feature seems commonplace these days, and doesn’t just include your home. Xbox One can control your TV viewing by voice very well. Samsung’s SmartThings can also detect when you are home and can will start the kettle before you’re home.

7. Flat-screen TV’s: In the 80’s we were given boxy, unwielding cathode ray tube TV sets - big devils that took over the entire TV-room. These devices have become collector’s items, as you will rarely find a home that doesn’t sport a huge LCD flat-screen TV mounted on the wall these days.

8. Movie Sequels: In BTTF II, the producers lovingly joke about JAWS 19 showing at cinemas. At the time, the joke was funny, and everybody laughed. But, while JAWS 19 hasn’t seen the screen, movie sequels and remakes are jumping up left, right and centre. Jurassic Park, Spiderman, Batman…

9. Flying Cars: Yes, I hear you saying that we don’t see cars hovering next to us in traffic. But don’t be too disappointed just yet. In 2013 Terrafugia announced the development of the TF-X, a battery-charged hybrid tilt-motor vehicle that is rumoured to be the first flying car on the market, in 10 years time. However, AeroMobil, a Slovakian manufacturer, has unveiled a prototype vehicle that can go from car to aircraft in a second (maybe more). If this counts, then the vehicle will be available for sale in 2017. Expect it to cost a lot....

10. Hoverboards: This is my personal favorite future concept. Teenagers hovering in the sky, performing unbelievable tricks… While every teenager in the world does not yet own a hoverboard, legendary skater Tony Hawk recently tried a prototype. In development for over 10 years, recent breakthroughs have allowed various companies to put their own spin on the hoverboard. US company Hendo Hover has developed the first operational board that hovers about an inch off the ground, using four hover-engines. Not very practical. The Lexus Slide Hoverboard, however, works much more like the movie-version, but requires a magnetic skatepark to operate. It’s just a matter of time, skaterboys.

30 years ago, none of these technologies seemed possible. In fact, the concepts were laughed at and joked about. However, today we live in a world where nothing is impossible. In the next 30 years we might have tablets that replace meals entirely, artificial intelligence making our lives easier, homes on Mars or telepathic capabilities made possible by a chip implant.

Decimal embraces these changes and rejoice in the evolution of science. But more than that, Decimal strives for positive changes and growth in the advertising industry. That’s why we bring you innovative designs, strategies and developments, to ensure your business will be at its peak in 30 years from now.



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