Matt Novak, Author at Gizmodo

The Jetsons “A Date With Jet Screamer” (1962)

The Jetsons episode A Date With Jet Screamer originally aired September 30, 1962 as the second Jetsons episode ever. Even with flying cars and robot maids the Jetsons still utilize punch card computers to cook their instant meal. The advancements of push-button technology are obviously evident in most Jetsons episodes but it’s funny to think…

Tech News Matt Novak

Food of the Future (Indiana Progress, 1896)

This article from the January 1, 1896 Indiana Progress (Indiana, Pennsylvania) describes the synthetic food of the future. When the food of the future is once in vogue, the food dispensary, licensed by the government, will long since have supplanted the butcher shop and the grocery store. We’ll breakfast and lunch and dine by prescription…

Tech News Matt Novak

Future Arcade Games (1985)

The 1985 book Science: It’s Changing Your World features this photo of a futuristic arcade game. “Take that, Darth Vader!” Cruz Fino, Jr., 14, pretends to be a starship commander as he shows how an arcade game of the future might look. A player would sit inside a mini-dome. The player would shoot laser beams…

Tech News Matt Novak

Movie Trends of the 21st Century (1982)

The 1982 book The Omni Future Almanac describes the future of Hollywood. *Cartoons, westerns, and love stories will still constitute the pre-dominant hits of the twenty-first century. *Future audiences, unfamiliar with classic films like Citizen Kane, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, and The Godfather, will see these enduring tales remade with the stars of the…

Tech News Matt Novak

Digital Rights Management (April, 2007)

Much like jet packs, flying cars and moon colonies, digital rights management was to be the movement of the future. Back in April of 2007, organizations like the MPAA and RIAA held hilariously paleo-futuristic views on how to prevent piracy. These organizations were convinced that they could have total control over how creative works were…

Tech News Matt Novak

Gigantic Robots to Fight Our Battles (Fresno Bee, 1934)

The article “Gigantic Robots, Controlled by Wireless, to Fight Our Battles,” from the April 29, 1934 Fresno Bee (Fresno, California) was exceptionally sensationalistic. Professor [Felix Gaston] Gauthier disclosed in his address that two pacifistic-minded nations are today secretly (and supposedly unknown to each other) planning to construct gigantic fighting robots, controlled by wireless. “These mechanical…

Tech News Matt Novak

Jet Packs and Macs (1994)

Like the teaser ad for the new Power Macintosh in 1994, this ad reappropriates images of the paleo-future. See also: Power Macintosh Ad: This Future Belongs to the Past (1994)

Tech News Matt Novak

OMNI 500 (1982)

The 1982 book The Omni Future Almanac contains a list of the top companies for the year 2000. Telecommunications services, energy, and genetic/biological engineering will probably be the significant growth areas over the coming years, and the “Fortune 500” of today will look quite different from the “OMNI 500” of tomorrow. Here is a look…

Tech News Matt Novak

Communities May Be Weatherized (Edwardsville Intelligencer, 1952)

The Edwardsville Intelligencer (Edwardsville, Illinois) ran an article on December 15, 1952 outlining a vision of weather-controlled communities of the future. “Weather-conditioned” communities in the future are perfectly feasible, according to a professor of architecture. Ambrose M. Richardson of the University of Illinois announced that his graduate architecture students already are working on a model…

Tech News Matt Novak

Delicious Waste Liquids of the Future (1982)

The 1982 book Our Future Needs (World of Tomorrow) by Neil Ardley envisions a world where liquid waste is converted into food. A food factory of the future serves a desert city. Pipes bring waste liquids from industries in the city to the factory, where they are converted into foods by bacteria in tanks. Solar…

Tech News Matt Novak

Mammy vs. Robot (Charleston Gazette, 1937)

This Li’l Abner comic by Al Capp ran in the July 18, 1937 edition of the Charleston Gazette (Charleston, West Virginia). See also: Donald Duck’s “Modern Inventions” (1937) All’s Fair at the Fair (1938)

Tech News Matt Novak

I want an oil-cream cone! (1954)

In 1954 Victor Cohn wrote the book 1999: Our Hopeful Future. Cohn, a well respected science and medical journalist, reportedly interviewed scientists and engineers at MIT while researching for his book. Pink snow covered the ground in 1999. Farmers sprinkled dye to absorb sunlight, speed melting and advance planting … For lunch the Futures ate…

Tech News Matt Novak

1980-1990 Developments (1979)

The last two pages of the 1979 book Future Cities: Homes and Living into the 21st Century describes what will happen over the course of “the next 120 years.” Naturally, we’ll begin with the 1980s. 1980-1990 -Satellites in Earth orbit beam educational programmes to many countries in the underdeveloped Third World. -Wind turbines – modern…

Tech News Matt Novak

1999 A.D. (1967)

Split second lunches, color-keyed disposable dishes, all part of the instant society of tomorrow. A society rich in leisure and taken-for-granted comforts. In 1967 the Philco-Ford Corporation released a short film titled 1999 A.D. In it the inevitable advances of the future are demonstrated. This clip of the kitchen of the future showcases a world…

Tech News Matt Novak

Memory of ‘Tomorrow’ (New York Times, 1941)

Fanciful visions of the future were few and far between in the early 1940s. This article by Sidney M. Shalett, from the April 27, 1941 New York Times sums up why. It was on a Sunday morning – the last Sunday in April – two years ago when the great World’s Fair opened: April 30,…

Tech News Matt Novak

Ray Gun book (1999)

The book Ray Gun by Eugene W. Metcalf and Frank Maresca examines the science fiction side of the paleo-future. I tend to stay away from pure science fiction on the Paleo-Future blog but there’s no doubt that images of futuristic heroism had a large impact on mainstream ideas of what tomorrow held. Above is one…

Tech News Matt Novak

Homework in the Future (1981)

Forget jetpacks, Martian colonies and floating cities. We may have found the most astonishing claim made by anyone of the paleo-future. According to the 1981 book School, Work and Play (World of Tomorrow), in the future, homework will be fun! Upon hearing the news every child of the early 1980s choked on their bologna sandwich.…

Tech News Matt Novak

In 50 Years: Cars Flying Like Missiles! (Chicago Daily Tribune, 1959)

The Chicago Daily Tribune ran an article in their April 26, 1959 edition proclaiming, “In 50 Years: Cars Flying Like Missiles!” Below is an excerpt from the piece. Can you imagine an autoist driving up to a “gas” station 50 years from now and receiving replacement energy capsules for his car instead of getting a…

Tech News Matt Novak

‘Humanization of space’ envisioned in shuttle’s wake (Christian Science Monitor, 1979)

A November 2, 1979 article by John Yemma in the Christian Science Monitor outlined Jesco Von Puttkamer’s vision of America’s future in space. Von Puttkamer was a planner for NASA and even consulted on the first Star Trek movie. By the late ’80s or early ’90s, a huge solar power satellite may be constructed to…

Tech News Matt Novak

Power Macintosh Ad: This future belongs to the past (1994)

In 1994 Apple Computer ran a series of ads that were essentially reflections on the paleo-future. The idea was that with the Power Macintosh the real future had arrived. See also:Apple’s Knowledge Navigator (1987)

Tech News Matt Novak

Matt Novak

The Jetsons “A Date With Jet Screamer” (1962)

Food of the Future (Indiana Progress, 1896)

Future Arcade Games (1985)

Movie Trends of the 21st Century (1982)

Digital Rights Management (April, 2007)

Gigantic Robots to Fight Our Battles (Fresno Bee, 1934)

Jet Packs and Macs (1994)

OMNI 500 (1982)

Communities May Be Weatherized (Edwardsville Intelligencer, 1952)

Delicious Waste Liquids of the Future (1982)

Mammy vs. Robot (Charleston Gazette, 1937)

I want an oil-cream cone! (1954)

1980-1990 Developments (1979)

1999 A.D. (1967)

Memory of ‘Tomorrow’ (New York Times, 1941)

Ray Gun book (1999)

Homework in the Future (1981)

In 50 Years: Cars Flying Like Missiles! (Chicago Daily Tribune, 1959)

‘Humanization of space’ envisioned in shuttle’s wake (Christian Science Monitor, 1979)

Power Macintosh Ad: This future belongs to the past (1994)

Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway’s Mystery’s Sci-Fi Film Has Its First Trailer

Scientists Just Found the Salt Limit That Pushes Your Heart to the Breaking Point

White House Social Media Just Had Its Covfefe Moment

Roborock F25 Ultra Steam Wet Dry Vacuum Is Now at Its Lowest Price, but Only During the Spring Sale Window

This $450 Semi-Dumb Phone Is Barely Even a Phone

Startup Successfully Ignites World’s First Fusion Rocket

Shokz OpenDots One Earbuds Hit Their Lowest Price Yet Across All Color Options, Including the New Ones

INIU Portable Power Bank Is Small in Size and Smaller in Price for Amazon’s Big Spring Sale (45W, 10,000mAh)

Humans Were Already Dog People 16,000 Years Ago, DNA Suggests

California Regulator Says Tesla’s ‘Robotaxis’ Are More Like a Limo in the Eyes of the Law

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