Matt Novak, Author at Gizmodo

Man and the Moon (1955)

The Disneyland TV show episode Man and the Moon originally aired December 28, 1955 and was released theatrically outside the United States. The entire episode prominently showcases Werhner von Braun’s torodial space station. The clip below dramatizes what a space mission may involve some day in the distant (paleo)future. You can view a clip of…

Tech News Matt Novak

Futuristic Phone Booth (1958)

This photo of a “futuristic phone booth” from 1958 can be found in the Library of Congress collection. See also: Outer Space Furniture (1964) Governor Knight and the Videophone (Oakland Tribune, 1955) Face-to-Face Telephones on the Way (New York Times, 1968)

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Electric Belt (1903)

Many people of the early twentieth century held magical beliefs about electricity. This ad in the April 24, 1903 Manitoba Morning Free Press (Winnipeg, Manitoba) promised to cure what ails ya. From rheumatism to lame backs to stomach and bladder problems, Dr. Sanden’s Electric Belt was pure magic. For modern-day nonsense check out the Q-Ray…

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Closer Than We Think! Throw-Away Clothes (1959)

Apparently the ability to throw away your clothes is worthy of more attention than the commuter helicopters everyone’s flying around in the future. This strip ran in the October 25, 1959 Chicago Tribune. Do your clothes need to be cleaned or washed? Are you tired of the old patterns or colors? In the future, if…

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Future Shock – Babytorium (1972)

As I’ve asserted before, Future Shock is probably the strangest motion picture ever to claim the genre of documentary. While not altogether wrong about what the future holds, the film certainly presents its case in a rather dramatic and overstated manner. Case in point, “Babytoriums” of the future. You can find Future Shock on the…

Tech News Matt Novak

How Do You Like Them Apples?

I guess “Where’s my Jetpack?” can no longer be the battle cry of the paleo-futurism movement. Mexican start-up Tecnologia Aeroespacial Mexicana (TAM) offers its custom-built TAM Rocket Belt for $250,000, which includes flight and maintenance training. On a full tank of hydrogen peroxide the belt weighs 124 to 139 pounds (the bigger the pilot, the…

Tech News Matt Novak

Going to the Opera in the Year 2000 (1882)

This lithograph from 1882 depicts the fanciful world of 2000; flying buses, towering restaurants, and of course, 1880’s French attire. Albert Robida is less well-known than Jules Verne but contributed just as much to the collective imagination through his amazing illustrations. If you speak French I recommend picking up the Robida book La vie électrique.…

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Edison Battery Solves Old Problems (1909)

Think gasoline engines are on their way out? We’ve been thinking that for about a hundred years now. This story ran in the June 27, 1909 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California). The commercial value of the gasoline motor will then disappear. Vehicles charged with the new battery will be about as noiseless as it will be…

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Starfire (Part 8, 1994)

And now, the thrilling conclusion to the 1994 Sun Microsystems concept video, Starfire. If you’d like to download the video in its entirety you can find it here. See also:Starfire (Part 1, 1994)Starfire (Part 2, 1994)Starfire (Part 3, 1994)Starfire (Part 4, 1994)Starfire (Part 5, 1994)Starfire (Part 6, 1994)Starfire (Part 7, 1994)Connections: AT&T’s Vision of the…

Tech News Matt Novak

Futurism’s Past Littered With Faulty Forecasts

John W. Schoen over at MSNBC recently wrote an interesting piece about paleo-futurism. An excerpt appears below but you can read the entire story here. To make a bold prediction about the future, you have to think outside the box. But as the history of these predictions shows, when you try to stare too deeply…

Tech News Matt Novak

Closer Than We Think! Fish Bowl Swimming Pool (1958)

More often than not, Arthur Radebaugh’s brilliant series Closer Than We Think! makes practical sense. However, this image which ran in the July 13, 1958 Chicago Tribune, threw me for a loop (cringe-inducing pun intended). Today’s spectators can see beneath the surface of a swimming pool only through windows or portholes below the water line.…

Tech News Matt Novak

Frigidaire Kitchen of the Future (1957)

The blog Mutagenic Mushroom recently posted this photo of the 1957 kitchen of the future. I can’t tell where they found it but they claim it was produced by Frigidaire. Anyone with more information about this image is encouraged to fill us in. See also: 1999 A.D. (1967) Monsanto House of the Future (1957-1967)

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Thinking Men and Women Predict Problems of World Century Hence (1923)

The February 12, 1923 Bridgeport Telegram (Bridgeport, Connecticut) ran an interesting piece looking at the world of 2022. The article contains contributions from movie producers, architects, teachers, engineers, Margaret Sanger and the head of the NAACP. The introduction is below. Stay tuned as we explore each piece of the article in the coming weeks. In…

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Metal Man Comes to Life (1939)

The May 1, 1939 Hammond Times (Hammond, Indiana) ran these images of Elektro, a robot featured at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Elektro could supposedly “speak,” distinguish between colors, smoke a cigar and direct an orchestra. See also: All’s Fair at the Fair (1938) Robots Will Be Kings (1949) “I Can Whip Any Mechanical…

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Elektro and Sparko Ad (1956)

After Elektro and his dog Sparko were done showing off their skills at the 1939 New York World’s Fair they toured Westinghouse retailers helping sell refrigerators. This ad ran in the July 2, 1956 San Mateo Times. See also: Metal Man Comes to Life (1939) All’s Fair at the Fair (1938) The Mechanical Man of…

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Starfire (Part 7, 1994)

Part 7 of the Starfire video shows the helmet-haired antagonist attempting to derail our heroine’s brilliant business plan. Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion. See also:Starfire (Part 1, 1994)Starfire (Part 2, 1994)Starfire (Part 3, 1994)Starfire (Part 4, 1994)Starfire (Part 5, 1994)Starfire (Part 6, 1994)Connections: AT&T’s Vision of the Future (1993)

Tech News Matt Novak

McFly 2015 Buttons and Stickers

The people over at McFly 2015 were kind enough to send me some stickers and buttons. For those unfamiliar with the campaign, McFly 2015 seeks to pressure Nike into producing the boots Michael J. Fox wears in Back to the Future: Part II. Basically, “Where Are My Shoes?” rather than “Where’s My Jetpack?” See also:…

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Solar Power of 1999 (1956)

The fascinating book 1999: Our Hopeful Future by Victor Cohn explains in chapter nine how the world will harness the power of the sun. Below is an excerpt from chapter nine titled, “We Hitch Up the Sun.” The sun rose as usual on January 10, 1999, and went to work. In a great, sun-drenched desert,…

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Like Earth, Only in Space …. and with monorails (1989)

This image is featured in the 1989 book Checkerboard Press Computers and Electronics (Encyclopedia Series). The caption appears below. Space colonies are now being considered seriously by some people. The one in the picture [above] is controlled throughout by a big central computer. The colony is positioned 240,000 miles (350,000km) from Earth and about the…

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Closer Than We Think! Polar City (1959)

The January 25, 1959 Chicago Tribune ran this picture of the “Polar City of the Future” as a part of the Closer Than We Think! series. As Alaska joins the union, more rapid development of the vast open spaces of that new state can be expected. Experts are already studying the problems involved in creating…

Tech News Matt Novak

Matt Novak

Man and the Moon (1955)

Futuristic Phone Booth (1958)

Electric Belt (1903)

Closer Than We Think! Throw-Away Clothes (1959)

Future Shock – Babytorium (1972)

How Do You Like Them Apples?

Going to the Opera in the Year 2000 (1882)

Edison Battery Solves Old Problems (1909)

Starfire (Part 8, 1994)

Futurism’s Past Littered With Faulty Forecasts

Closer Than We Think! Fish Bowl Swimming Pool (1958)

Frigidaire Kitchen of the Future (1957)

Thinking Men and Women Predict Problems of World Century Hence (1923)

Metal Man Comes to Life (1939)

Elektro and Sparko Ad (1956)

Starfire (Part 7, 1994)

McFly 2015 Buttons and Stickers

Solar Power of 1999 (1956)

Like Earth, Only in Space …. and with monorails (1989)

Closer Than We Think! Polar City (1959)

Deadpool Will Deface ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Classics for a New Secret Lair

Apple’s Siri Isn’t Just Going to Use One Chatbot. It’s Going to Use All of Them

Why ‘For All Mankind’ Season 5 Is the Key to the Rest of the Series

ASUS ZenScreen 15.6-Inch Portable Monitor Is Now Cheaper Than Black Friday in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale

Early Wildfires Are Surging Across the US—and Trump’s New Fire Agency Isn’t Ready

INIU Brings Another Power Bank to the Spring Sale as SnapGo Keychain Portable Charger Drops to Its Lowest Price

Attorney Hit With Historic Fine for Citing AI-Generated Cases

Travelers Experiencing the Longest Security Lines in TSA History

Could There Be a ‘Project Hail Mary’ Sequel?

Meta Has More Smart Glasses Coming Whether You Want Them or Not

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets

Apple Studio Display XDR Review: It Looks So Good, I Wish It Were an iMac

RayNeo Air 4 Pro Review: My Eyes Love These Video Glasses, but My Nose Disagrees