In the 1990s, researchers at University of Texas in Austin determined that our attention spans could be described by the 1/f fluctuation, a pattern representing the ebb and flow of our concentration over a period of time. In a new study, professor James Cutting found that the more recent the blockbuster, the more closely the length of its shots followed that same fluctuation.

Whereas Detour, made in 1945, has shots that only vaguely correspond to the 1/f fluctuation, the 2005 King Kong remake stays surprisingly snug with the attention span wave.

As Cutting explains, this increasing correlation means that films "resonate with the rhythm of human attention spans," but just because movies are increasingly pleasing to our subconscious minds doesn't mean that we will necessarily like them more: the Star Wars prequels strictly followed the formula. [PhysOrg and PopSci]

The world will be shocked if Apple doesn't reveal a tablet computer next week. It won't be the first, not by any stretch, and it won't be the first multitouch device, naturally. But as we envision it, the tablet represents the fusion of two of the most steadfast dreams of sci-fi nerds and ordinary people alike.

This reel, compiled for Giz by Mike Byhoff and Frank Cozzarelli as a celebration of sci-fi's longstanding love affair with tablets and touch interfaces, is pretty self explanatory, but there are a few things to think about:

• The greatest literary device in sci-fi history, the actual Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, was, in fact, a tablet.

• Gene Roddenberry was—like some tech analysts these days—in favor of the tablet coming in large and small sizes.

• The Incredibles, created by Steve Jobs' Pixar, not only has the most Apple-like vision of a tablet, but shows it sliding out of a manila envelope, three years before Steve drew the slender MacBook Air out of the same.

• We're not sure what Bart Simpson is doing to that iMac either, but apparently "Mapple" beat Apple to the punch with touchscreen all-in-ones.

• It is physically impossible to craft a montage of sci-fi interfaces without showing Tom C. in Minority Report.

• You may say that the tablets of Moses weren't exactly interactive. Fine, believe what you will, but take our advice and stay the hell away from golden calves.

There are plenty more crazy touch computer sightings in TV and movies—if you can track any down, be sure to post them in comments.

Special thanks to Mike Byhoff and Frank Cozzarelli of Gawker TV for working overtime to pull this reel together. The catchy music—chosen for its sci-fi-friendliness, its nice buildup, and its utter lack of resemblance to 1990s techno—is "Lovely Allen" by Holy Fuck, which you can (and should) buy here at Amazon, or here on iTunes.

I naively enjoyed the Blu-ray/Digital Copy combo for a while, during the period I was still trying to see the point of Apple TV, and didn't mind the rights-managed movie files. Now that Apple TV is dead to me, and I use other media players, I prefer a clean Handbrake rip to a DRM-shackled digital download. I am not a pirate; I just like being able to do what I want with a movie I buy.

Sell me a Blu-ray disc, solo, and I can rip it, maybe even downrez it. But melting a hole in my laptop trying to rescale 1080p to DVD-standard 480p is a thousand-hour pain, and trying to play a movie at my in-laws when all I have is a Blu-ray disc (and they don't have a player) is annoying too. Combining Blu and the DVD solves these problems, so it's the best, but it does render the Digital Copy totally pointless.

With the right gear and software, I can watch movie files pretty much wherever. But so many people don't rip movies and don't download them either. Combo packs solve a huge headache, but again, Digital Copy is the odd man out.

A DVD can be portable-ish, playing on laptops, little LCD DVD players, and—especially for family stuff where these combo packs first appeared—in-car entertainment systems. There aren't many Blu-ray players in cars, and unless each of your kids gets their own iPod Touch, iTunes DRM video isn't gonna work either. Maybe someone has a Blu-ray player in the home, connected to an HDTV, but that Blu-ray disc is never really portable. Hollywood backs into these problems, then brings its ace out of retirement to solve them. DVD proves it's still the best.

Warner Home Video is delivering the monster pack of Where The Wild Things Are on March 2, 2010. It's priced at $36, steep but it will no doubt be reduced by a lot when it arrives at Amazon. The Pixar movie Up! is selling in a triple combo pack for $18, while Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs sells in combo for $25. The Bourne trilogy will be out in three separate $20 combo packs on January 19.

I would argue that Hollywood cares less about people ripping DVDs than confusing (and losing) the mini-van set. Everyone will benefit, as more and more high-profile films get the triple-combo-pack treatment. Hell, I will gladly pay $18 for a movie if I get to keep all of that stuff—that's not even the price of two theater tickets, and I pretty much hate movie theaters these days. But at $18, Hollywood's "upsell" for the included Blu-ray and iTunes download is gone. It's less what they gain than what they don't lose, I suppose. So where does that new dual-sided Blu-ray/DVD combo disc fit in? I doubt it'll go far. It costs more—and confuses more—than good old standalone DVD. Hail to the king, baby.

The deal with Starz that gives Netflix (and us) streaming access to newer movies apparently arched a lot of eyebrows, and even Netflix admitted it's gonna have to start getting permission directly for studios—probably paying more for the movies. It's also gotta fight the entrenched window system, the strange path a movie follows from theatrical release to DVD to HBO to cable, which is how movie studios continue to pull profits out of a movie long after it leaves the big screen.

BusinessWeek makes it clear it's not gonna be easy. But that just means I'll be watching fewer movies. [BW]

Rodney Charters, the Director for Photography on 24 expressed interest in it via an email sent to planet5D. He also believes that it may have been used on Ironman, although he has no confirmation on that. Either way it would make for some interesting fight and POV scenes, not to mention comical situations on set for anyone trying to pass through a doorway with one of these on. [planet5D]

It's not the first time Soderbergh has experimented with different ways of releasing his films. His 2006 film Bubble was released simultaneously on HDNet Movies and to theaters, with a DVD release coming a mere 4 days later.

Traditionally, studios have been reluctant to dabble in simultaneous releases because they worry that people will skip the theaters to watch from the comfort of their own home. But as piracy and digital downloads become the norm, that choice isn't really in the studio's hands anymore. Yet people still go see movies in theaters for the experience, so why not make some cash via digital sales and rentals at the same time for people who wouldn't go to the theater in the first place?

It's an interesting experiment, one that may become more and more common in the future. I makes sense especially with independent films that are traditionally given limited releases to theaters. And movies staring porn stars, as it's awkward to jerk off in a movie theater.

[The Girlfriend Experience on Amazon; Fleshbot Review (NSFW)]

Paramount Pictures and Sony Computer Entertainment announced today that a series of Star Trek movie promotions would be beaming to Home users starting tomorrow. That includes "an exclusive video greeting" from Abrams and the newest Star Trek movie trailer, both hitting Home as of Friday.

Also coming to Home are Starfleet uniforms and t-shirts, arriving in the Threads Store on April 23rd. Now, here's where we nerd out.

On Monday, April 20th, director J.J. Abrams and movie stars Chris "Kirk" Pine and Zachary "Spock" Quinto will visit Home for a Q&A session with "selected press and bloggers from around the world." That means Kotaku. And that means, if you have a burning question for Abrams, Pine or Quinto, we'll try to ask it on your behalf.

And if you have a preference for which of the three you'd like us to start cabbage patching with first, we'll try to honor that too.

They'll also be holding a post Q&A "virtual roundtable" within Home. Both events will be streamed live online at the Star Trek PlayStation Home web site.

So, think of something extremely clever, cutting and maybe insightful to ask, and we'll see you there on Monday.

The Hollywood unit can accommodate flat-panel LCD or Plasma televisions up to 42" wide while the Dolce Vita handles smaller sets up to 32". Both are vertically adjustable, so you can achieve the height that is most suitable for viewing. In addition to the glass shelving, the Hollywood also features a stainless steel CD storage unit mounted behind the television.

I'll admit that I like the clean contemporary look, but spending $1468 and $1573 respectively for the Dolce Vita and Hollywood is a lot of money to drop on a TV stand. There are, of course, cheaper options for achieving a clean look without wall mounting—like the Synchro Furniture Mate for $599. [Cattelan Italia via Trendir]

There aren't a lot of bargains, as you might expect. Top-shelf merchandise like this is expected to fetch big collector prices. But the catalog is almost too good to be true—check out 34 highlights in the gallery below, and a few extra special favorites here:

Forget any exercise you could possible think of—it won't come close to the strength of using Bruce Lee's own actual forearm strengthener. Possibly some Dragon sweat still on it.

No, It doesn't hover but I couldn't give less of a damn. If I can't have the shoes, I want this. Too bad it's expected to fetch $30-$50k.

I love scotch. But I'm pretty certain I would love it even more if I was drinking it out of this ultra-dystopian Blade Runner tumbler. Plus this one's one of the few sub-$1,000 items.

Just one of the countless things the originals have on Lucas's new films, the costumes in the original Star Wars were incredible. Especially the Imperial dudes—stylish in only the way a space fascist can be.

More highlights from this incredible trove, including C3PO's feet, Ahnold's sawed-off from T2, the rabbit mask from Donnie Darko and more:

[Profiles in History Auction House via Tech Digest]

In Hollywood, the same rule that applies to babies and cars applies to key props: There has to be more than one. In the shooting of Get Smart, there were a total of seven functional Swiss Army knives, three with working crossbows, and two each with working flamethrowers and blowguns. There were also a dozen or so rubber versions for shots where the knife flies through the air or takes some other kind of a beating.

Wiles—whose prop mastery has been seen in everything from Magnolia to You Don't Mess With the Zohan, and whose inventory includes USPS-friendly sex dolls, magic remote controls, a diver stuck in a tree and a "crazy hair stimulator" for Jack Nicholson—was naturally excited to be on the Get Smart gig. As you'd expect, the script called for numerous gadgets:

• Dental floss detonator, explosive floss
• Tooth transmitters ("We got fake teeth from a dental supply company, embedded microchips and hollowed them out to make them look like toothcaps," says Wiles.)
• Bracelet receiver made from an existing Marc Jacobs watch, with a slide-out antenna and compartment for wireless bugs
• Smoking compacts
• Glowing coin transmitter
• Piano bomb with countdown timer
• Violin tuning peg laser for cutting holes in walls
• And of course, the Cone of Silence

But it was the knife that was the center of Wiles' attention. He got clearance from the companies who own the Swiss Army license (Wenger and Victorinox) to feature a souped-up version in the movie. "Then we bought 50 or 60 big fat Swiss Army knives and gutted them—took them apart and built frames to house the mechanisms to do what we needed it to do."

As you can see in the sketches above, the crossbow concept requires a little "suitcase" for the bolts, while the flamethrower makes sense only when the knife has its own propane tank, so Wiles had to add both, on either side.

When it came time to deploy the functional units for scenes, some trickery was still required. For instance, the flamethrower did manage to shoot a jet of fire four to six feet, says Wiles, but it was assisted by a line to an actual propane tank that was hiding just off-camera and controlled by "the effects guy."

The crossbow totally worked, but its bolts were rubber tipped. Even though Carell appears in the stills below punctured with bolts, Wiles and the crew assumed the real ones probably wouldn't have done too much damage. Nevertheless, on the day of shooting, the crossbow turned out to be all too powerful, and they had to "back off the tension" before someone lost an eye.

"Even though they were rubber harpoons, they still hurt if you got hit by them. In that confined space [an airplane bathroom], while we were shooting, they ricochet all over the place," says Wiles.

It's great to know that Hollywood isn't all CGI these days, and that actors are willing to put their lives (or at least their eyes) on the line for a solid visual gag. Below, you can see the knife featured in its various configurations—and hopefully in the movie, which opens on Friday, June 20, we'll get to see the knife (or knives) fully in action. Now, if they could just install an electric screwdriver, I'd be sold. [Get Smart]

My second "ooooh" moment was exactly the opposite. I was watching a movie on something like HDnet. And I was worried for a moment—what were all those little spots on my television screen? I looked closer and realized that it was film grain. And then I absolutely knew that my TV had been a good "investment." But not all people feel like I do. And Hollywood is accommodating them for Blu-ray releases.

The Digital Bits reports that to accommodate for those with no taste who hate film grain, studios are doing one of two things to back-catalog Blu-ray rereleases:

1. Sharpening film to death through copious Digital Noise Reduction
2. Simply not releasing especially grainy movies at all

Film grain is not a problem to be eliminated. While sometimes a production limitation altering decisions on film stock and lighting requirements, it's long been seen as another tool in a cinematographer's arsenal. And, ironically enough, it's important enough to the viewing experience that digital productions tend to add the stuff for theater release.

Part of what's amazing about new display and codec technologies is that the consumer can come closer than ever to re-creating the theater experience at home. When I saw film grain so clearly on my screen for the first time, I bought in to that truly incredible and empowering phenomenon, a sort of technological manifestation of divine marketing BS. And I realized that, no matter what better-than-HD technologies were around the corner, we were quickly approaching the point of diminishing returns. Our eyes would be bested by our displays. There'd be more information than we could see.

But if we destroy a by-product so intrinsically (and often artistically) linked to the film medium, our enjoyment of film will become said case of diminishing returns. So let's just not do that. [The Digital Bits via Gadget Lab]

You can tell Belzberg interned with Frank Gehry, can't you? For more window-licking images of Belzberg's interiors and exteriors of this eye-opening LA pad, follow the link. [Coolhunter]

First, it opens the door for other organizations to make demands as to what should and shouldn't be allowed. Verizon doesn't feel the internet should be excessively policed. Second, it sets a precedent that would make networks and service providers liable for future cases where they fail to block content. Third, Verizon sees content filtering as an invasion of privacy, and they try to balance the wishes of customers with the necessity for content protection. Amen. [NY Times]

From Terminator 2, this chrome-plated T-800 endoskeleton can be yours if you win an auction going on today and tomorrow at the Profiles in History auction house in Calabasas, California. While chrome is nowhere near as advanced a technology as the T1000's liquid metal, this endoskeleton is still expected to fetch somewhere near $100.000—probably because it was featured in the opening credits of Terminator 2.

If you prefer your Terminators with flesh, a skinned model from Terminator 3 will also be up for auction. It's expected to bring in slightly less money, somewhere between $60,000 and $80,000.

But hey, some of the proceeds go to charity. So you'd basically have to be a total tool not to pick up at least one Terminator today. [luxurylaunches]

The video path basically has to be locked down at every point, and both Microsoft and Apple's OSes are required to employ "techniques of obfuscation clearly designed to effectively disguise and hamper attempts to discover the approaches used" so it's harder to hack, among other great "features."

Because they want PCs and Macs to be able to play high-def content, neither Microsoft nor Apple are in a position to tell Hollywood to take a flying fuck, either—to wit, Vista's already loaded down with it, and Apple's on the Blu-Ray board, so expect them to saddle up soon enough.

The bottom line for end users is that they're stuck with a copy protection system that's a total pain in the ass, while it devours system resources to constantly monitor the stream's "integrity." Awesome. Thanks, Hollywood. [Ars Technica, Image via Flickr]