Link rot, a problem with no end in sight

Every year I run a scan of Tech-media-tainment to check for broken weblinks and each year I’m saddened by how many I find.
I like to include weblinks to news articles, blog posts and websites to provide additional resources for readers. But as the years pass, a lot of those links stop working. People clicking on those hyperlinks will get 404 and other error messages.
That’s frustrating for readers. And it’s frustrating for blog editors like me. I spend a few hours every year deleting dead links, a problem known as link rot.
Link rot makes it difficult to preserve information and research online. What’s here today might not be here tomorrow. It is the biggest failed promise of digital content.
Once again I used the free online tool at BrokenLinkCheck.com to scan for web pages with broken or dead links. The tool processed 1,513 web pages at Tech-media-tainment and found 161 broken links.
Quite a few websites simply went kaput, including specialty sites and viral media aggregators on Tumblr and elsewhere.
Among the websites that shut down were those for older movies and canceled TV shows, including “Katy Perry: Part of Me,” “Terminator: Salvation” and NBC’s “Do No Harm.”
Defunct businesses that let their websites expire included the Bikini Hockey League and Lingerie Basketball League.
Another website that closed was for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. That website, Recovery.gov, was President Barack Obama’s plan to get the U.S. out of the Great Recession. I guess his administration said “Mission accomplished” and shut it down.
At least 16 of the bad links belonged to the Huffington Post. In many cases, HuffPo had run an Associated Press story, but the licensing rights likely expired.
News websites especially need to be better stewards of online content and keep weblinks from expiring. There needs to be more permanence to online content.

Photo: Huffington Post 404 error page.

List of movies featuring time machines

I’m a sucker for time travel movies. But most are pretty terrible. My favorites are the “Back to the Future” and “Terminator” movies.
The mode of time travel in movies is usually magic or something supernatural. Here I’ve tried to compile a list of live-action movies that feature time machines that are presumed to be science-based. So, no time machines that look like hot tubs or phone booths.
I tried to include only movies where the film revolves around the time machine, so I left out the “Terminator” and “Austin Powers” movies. In those movies, time travel is more of a device to launch the action or set up the fish-out-of-water plot.

Movies featuring time machines, with review score 

The Time Machine (1960), 77% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
The Time Travelers (1964)
Journey to the Center of Time (1967)
Idaho Transfer (1973)
Time After Time (1979), 86%
My Science Project (1985), 14%
Back to the Future (1985), 96%
Back to the Future Part II (1989), 63%
Back to the Future Part III (1990), 74%
Timecop (1994), 43%
12 Monkeys (1995), 88%
The Time Machine (2002), 29%
Timeline (2003), 11%
Primer (2004), 71%
A Sound of Thunder (2005), 6%
Timecrimes (2007), 88%
Looper (2012), 93%
Predestination (2014), 84%
Project Almanac (2015), 35%

Photo: Movie poster from "Back to the Future."

‘Mad Max’ to spark resurgence in post-apocalyptic movies

Post-apocalyptic movies have gotten off to a slow start this year.
After nine such movies in 2013 and eight last year, there has been just one major title released so far in 2015 (“Insurgent”).
But the genre will have a resurgence next month when “Mad Max: Fury Road” hits theaters. The fourth movie in the Australian action series opens in the U.S. on May 15.
The new film stars Tom Hardy as the title character navigating through a desert wasteland teaming with crazy bad guys.
This spring, an Australian zombie apocalypse movie “Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead” received great reviews, but a limited theatrical release in the U.S. Look for it on DVD later this year.
Another post-apocalyptic movie, “Turbo Kid,” is now on the film festival circuit. It received critical acclaim as well. It should be a winner on home video.
This summer, the latest movie in the Terminator robot-apocalypse series will be released. “Terminator Genisys,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Emila Clarke, is set to hit theaters on July 1.
Also on the way is “Air,” starring Norman Reedus and Djimon Hounsou. Set for theatrical release on Aug. 14, “Air” is about two custodians who struggle to hold onto their sanity while living in an underground bunker with cryogenically frozen people meant to re-populate society.
On Sept. 18,  “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials” opens. It is the second in a planned trilogy.
In September 2016, the supposed final film in the “Resident Evil” zombie apocalypse series is set for release. “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” stars the stunning Milla Jovovich.
Hollywood never seems to run out of ways to destroy the world.
I count at least 20 post-apocalyptic films in development or production. Half of them are sequels or remakes, including “Independence Day 2.” “World War Z 2” and “Planet of the Apes 3.”

Photos: Movie posters for “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Wyrmwood” and “Terminator Genisys.” 

Are Amazon and Google trying to make the robot apocalypse happen?

Internet giants Amazon and Google have taken a serious interest in robotics lately.
Amazon is developing a fleet of flying delivery robots called Amazon Prime Air. It also is increasing its use of robots in its warehouses, using technology it acquired from Kiva Systems.
Meanwhile, Google is working on self-driving cars. Plus, on Friday, Google revealed that it purchased Boston Dynamics, maker of robots that resemble mechanical pack mules and Terminators.
Boston Dynamics made Atlas, a 6-foot 2-inch tall, 330-pound monster that walks on two legs and is the stuff of nightmares. It was designed with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to help respond to disasters, such as the Fukushima nuclear reactor meltdown in Japan in 2011. But it looks like the killer robots from the Terminator movies.
Atlas and a bunch of similar robots will be competing in a DARPA competition this week in Homestead, Fla.
The New York Times reports that Google has purchased eight robotics companies in the last half year. Google isn’t saying exactly what it has in mind with the technology.
Advancements in robotics have some people wringing their hands about safety and security.
Robots also are making it more cost effective to do manufacturing in the U.S. again. For instance, Apple’s new factory in Texas to make the Mac Pro computer is highly automated.
Quite a few articles were written this year about the potential for job losses related to increased use of robots. (See articles by the Huffington Post, Associated Press, New York Times and Mindflash.)
Welcome to the future.

Related reading: 

Meet the real life Terminator: Most advanced robot ever is able to walk through battlefields as bullets fly and even nuclear disaster zones to rescue the injured. (The Daily Mail; July 12, 2013)

Amazon unveils futuristic plan: Delivery by drone. (CBS; Dec. 2, 2013)

Amazon Tests 30-Minute Delivery Via Helicopter Drones. (IBD; Dec. 2, 2013)

Before Amazon’s Drones Come the Robots. (Wall Street Journal; Dec. 8, 2013)

Google Puts Money on Robots, Using the Man Behind Android. (New York Times; Dec. 4, 2013)

Photos: Atlas robot from Boston Dynamics; Amazon Prime Air drone. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger could repair his image by helping the Robot Hall of Fame

Former California governor and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger took a big hit to his reputation when it was revealed in May that he fathered a son with his housekeeper while married to Maria Shriver. Because of the media backlash, Schwarzenegger had to put his movie career comeback on hold. He’s kept a low profile since then.
But Schwarzenegger can still refurbish his reputation. As much as the media relishes tearing down a top celebrity, they also love a comeback story.
Schwarzenegger’s official website has a banner than reads “Stay tuned for my next move.” (See above photo.)
A good move for him would be to do something that reminds people about his glorious past while looking to the future.
My suggestion: Make a donation to Robot Hall of Fame in Pittsburgh so it can induct a new class of robots, including the T-800 Terminator, played by Schwarzenegger in the “Terminator” movie series.
Last November, I wrote about how funding woes had temporarily halted activity at the Robot Hall of Fame. (See article “Funding Woes Short-Circuit Robot Hall Of Fame Activity” at Investors.com.)
The hall was created by the Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science in 2003 to honor both real-world robots and fictional robots that have inspired scientists. It was supposed to hold its biennial induction ceremony for a new class of robots last fall, but it was indefinitely postponed.
The organization only needs about $50,000 to $75,000 to hold the induction ceremony. Schwarzenegger and his friend James Cameron, the creator of the “Terminator” franchise, should pitch in to fund the ceremony. They also should attend the event to celebrate their creation.
The other inductees are the DaVinci Medical Robot System from Intuitive Surgical; NASA’s Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity; the Roomba vacuum cleaner from iRobot; and Huey, Dewey and Louie from the 1971 science-fiction film “Silent Running.”
Inductees are enshrined at a permanent robotics exhibit called Roboworld at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh.
The induction ceremony would be a perfect fit for Cameron and Schwarzenegger. Both men are passionate about science and technology as well as education. This is a great way for them to show it.
President Barack Obama just visited the robotics school at Carnegie Mellon University last week.
Will Schwarzenegger follow suit?
I hope so.

Terminator timeline reset; Autonomous military robots on the way

Pop culture enthusiasts had a lot of fun this spring by noting that Judgment Day from the “Terminator” movie and TV series was to occur on April 21, 2011.
That date came and went without incident.
But it looks like progress on making real-life Terminator robots – and perhaps our robot apocalypse – is running just a few years behind.
At the Robotics Summit Virtual Conference & Expo on Wednesday, Tim Trainer, vice president of operations for iRobot’s government and industrial division, spoke about advancements in military robotics.
Right now, iRobot makes mobile robots for reconnaissance and bomb disposal. These robots are used by U.S. military forces in Afghanistan and Iraq to keep soldiers safe. But these robots can’t think on their own.
The current operations model requires one operator to one robot, Trainer said.
“The future of robotic systems and innovations rests with autonomy,” he said. “Our goal is to drive it to robotic squad members.”
Companies like iRobot are working to give military robots the capability to execute a desired task or mission without continuous operator guidance, Trainer said.
“Ultimately where are we going? Robotic organizations, where we give a whole mission task to perhaps a robotic organization and it carries those tasks out either in conjunction with or independent of human operators,” Trainer said.
Going from today’s 100% operator control to “mission autonomy” of 1% operator control could happen in 10 years, assuming government investment, he said. Under the scenario of mission autonomy, one person could control an army of 50 or more robots.
Tomorrow’s autonomous robotic systems will be capable of performing as teammates and independently perform mission-level activities, he said. In his presentation, Trainer even showed an artist’s representation of Terminator-like robots working with military personnel. (See above photo.)
Trainer predicted that partial task autonomy for military robots (25% operator control) could occur in two years, with one person controlling one to three robots. Task autonomy (10% operator control) could occur in five years, with one person controlling five or more robots. And mission autonomy (1% operator control) could occur 10 years from now. (See iRobot chart below for detailed timeline.)

Judgment Day Terminated

According to the “Terminator” movie and TV show franchise, the world was supposed to be destroyed last night by Skynet, a robotic military system that humans created.
Well, Judgment Day, as it’s known in Terminator lore, didn’t happen.
Our destruction on April 21, 2011, joins a list of science-fiction dates that have come and gone without incident.
Other examples:
The HAL 9000 computer from “2001: A Space Odyssey” was supposed to become operational at the University of Illinois in Urbana, Ill., on Jan. 12, 1997.
In the 1981 action movie “Escape from New York,” a crime-ridden United States converted Manhattan Island into a maximum security prison in 1988.
But some sci-fi predictions could still come true.
As Unreality Magazine notes, “Back to the Future II’s future is 2015, so we can still hold onto hope for hoverboards.”

Four low-rated TV shows worth saving

I have the frequent misfortune of choosing to watch TV shows that end up having short lives.
Four of my favorite TV shows are “on the bubble” and being considered for cancelation because of low ratings. They are:

1. “Cupid” (ABC): With all the violent, pessimistic, base TV shows out there, you’d think there’d be a place for a gentle, romantic comedy with heart and mystery. This remake of the 1998-1999 TV series of the same name might be even more short-lived than the original. Both shows feature a main character who thinks he’s the Roman god of love, Cupid, and must get 100 couples to fall in love so he can return to Mt. Olympus. Or he might just be insane. In many ways, the new version is better than the original, which lasted just 14 episodes on ABC. (Another episode was unaired, according to Wikipedia.) The freshman series is a midseason replacement with just 7 episodes ordered.


2. “Dollhouse” (Fox): Another entertaining and thought-provoking series from Joss Whedon, the creator of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel” and “Firefly.” This show, staring Eliza Dushku, got off to a slow start but is really cooking now plot-wise. “Dollhouse” revolves around a secret organization that uses programmable people to carry out missions and fantasies for high-paying clients. Fox ordered 12 episodes of the new series. (A 13th episode was filmed, but Fox hasn’t agreed to air it.)


3. “Reaper” (CW): Now in its second season, “Reaper” is a hugely enjoyable comedy-drama. The show focuses on Sam Oliver (played by Bret Harrison) who works as a reaper for the devil, retrieving souls that have escaped from hell. Oliver is helped by two sidekicks – slacker co-workers from a home improvement superstore called the Work Bench. Comic standouts include Sam’s buddy Bert “Sock” Wysocki (played by Tyler Labine) and the Devil (played by Ray Wise).


4. “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (Fox): This television sequel to “The Terminator” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” movies has been inconsistent during its two-season run so far. This season started slow (a sin with short attention span audiences these days), but ended with a bang. The show is at its best doing twisty science-fiction and intense action sequences featuring murderous Terminator robots from the future.

My hope is that these shows have fans at the networks who are willing to give them another chance and maybe a different time slot. Or maybe a cable network is willing to pick them up. Either way, fingers crossed.

Terminator, Roomba in Robot Hall of Fame

The Robot Hall of Fame has chosen the T-800 Terminator from the 1984 film “The Terminator” and iRobot’s Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner for its latest class of inductees.
The other members of the class of 2010 are NASA’s Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity; Intuitive Surgical’s DaVinci Medical Robot System; and Huey, Dewey, and Louie from the 1971 film “Silent Running.” Check out the press release here.
Carnegie Science Center and Carnegie Mellon University announced the inductees Tuesday at a press preview of Roboworld, the Pittsburgh science center’s new robotics exhibition opening June 13. Roboworld will be the permanent home for the Robot Hall of Fame. The hall honors both real world robots and fictional robots.
The five inductees (actually eight, but who’s counting) are all fine choices. For the second year in a row, real robots outnumber the fictional ones among the selections. That’s a testament to the maturation of the robotics industry.
My only complaint is that the group won’t be formally inducted until a ceremony next year. So, the Robot Hall of Fame is skipping a year of inductees. The last three classes of inductees have been done every two years. As a robot enthusiast, that’s disappointing to me. There are enough interesting robots to be inducted annually. Hopefully with the Roboworld exhibit opening, inductions will take place on a yearly basis after next year.

My picks for Robot Hall of Fame this year: Transformers and Terminator

Every year about this time, the Robot Hall of Fame announces its latest inductees. The honorees include both real robots from science and industry and fictional robots that have inspired future engineers and researchers.
CNet, a unit of CBS, recently made its choices for the top five “coolest movie robots” and “best TV robots.”

Several of those top robots already have made it into the Robot Hall of Fame, which was established in 2003 by the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
CNet’s picks for the top five coolest movie robots are, in ascending order: Maria from “Metropolis” (1927), Marvin the Paranoid Android from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (2005), Robby the Robot from “Forbidden Planet” (1956), Johnny-5 from “Short Circuit” (1986), and the pairing of R2-D2 and C-3PO from “Star Wars” (1977).
CNet’s choices for the five best TV robots are, in ascending order: Rosie the Robot from “The Jetsons” (1962-63 and 1985-87), Robot from “Lost in Space” (1965-68), Cylon from “Battlestar Galactica” (1978-80 and 2003-2009), Bender from “Futurama” (1999-2003 and 2008-present), and Data from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1987-1994).
Of those CNet picks, five are in the Robot Hall of Fame – Maria, Robby the Robot, R2-D2, C-3PO and Data.
Other fictional robots in the hall are HAL 9000 from “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968), Astro Boy from the Japanese show “Astro Boy” (1963-66), Gort from “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951), and David the android child from “A.I.: Artificial Intelligence” (2001).
Here’s my list of the top five fictional robots that aren’t already in the Robot Hall of Fame:

1. Transformers – These “robots in disguise” likely got a lot of kids interested in engineering with cars, trucks and other vehicles that transform into humanoid robots. I’d induct all the Transformers at once – heroic Autobots and evil Decepticons. That way you cover all the favorite characters: Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, etc. Transformers have been popular as toys, comic books, cartoons, and movies.



2. Terminator – Once again, I’d induct the whole class of robots known as Terminators. That includes the original Arnold Schwarzenegger model and different models from the movies and TV series.



3. Wall-E – Disney Pixar’s animated film “Wall-E” (2008) showed a future where robots do our dirty work and take care of our every need. It also was a touching romance between two lonely robots (Wall-E and Eve).



4. Cylons – Yet again, I’d induct all the Cylons from “Battlestar Galactica.” That includes the original chrome Centurions from the 1978-80 TV series, the reimagined Centurion “toasters” and the humanoid “skin-jobs” of 2003-09 TV series.



5. Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT) – KITT is the Pontiac Trans Am controlled by a computer with artificial intelligence from the 1982-86 TV series “Knight Rider.” Let’s just forget the follow-ups and remakes. Who wouldn’t want a talking car that can chauffeur you around and give you personal advice?

Runners up include Robot from “Lost in Space,” Rosie the Robot from “The Jetsons,” Nomad from “Star Trek” the original series (1967), Bishop from “Aliens” (1986) , Gunslinger (played by Yul Brynner) from Michael Crichton’s “Westworld” (1973), and Huey, Dewey & Louie from “Silent Running” (1972).
The Transformers and Terminator robots would be good choices this year since both have big-budget summer movies coming out. “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” opens on June 24. “Terminator: Salvation” is out May 21.

You can vote for your favorite robots or nominate ones not listed at the Robot Hall of Fame Web site. The list of nominees needs to be cleaned up however. It contains a lot of duplicate entries and some that are already in the hall of fame.
The 2009 inductees to the Robot Hall of Fame are scheduled to be announced on Tuesday.