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The Future of Communication, for GEO Magazine

7 images Created 26 Jan 2013

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  • Jack Arnold - VP of Harris Corporation with Microwave relay telecommunication equipment on top of a mountain, outside Vacaville, California. Equipment was built with Harris components. Double exposure of Harris in his office with the long night exposure of the equipment on the mountaintop with star trails (due to the rotation of the Earth). MODEL RELEASED
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  • FIRST CONTACT: "FETALFONE" Photo Illustration for the Future of Communication GEO (Germany) Special Issue. Fictional Representation and Caption: The Smith's of Vallejo, California were not certain that the latest hi-tech form of giving their (unborn) child a headstart was effective, but it sure was fun to see Junior react to their voice on his "fetalfone". It was true that the youngster could only use it to listen (even if he could talk, it would very difficult in the amniotic fluid), but they enjoyed the idea that their offspring would be comfortable with a cell phone from Day Minus-90 to Day One when he popped out. The flat screen imaging unit affords the parents (and in this case older sister) the opportunity to track the unborn's development and also watch his reactions when they talk to him on the "Fetalfone". [Fetus with "Fetalfone" shown on "Babewatch", fetus-scan home imaging system can be monitored by absent parent via Internet.] MODEL RELEASED.
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  • SUPER SUPPER WITH I-GOGS"  Photo Illustration for the Future of Communication GEO (Germany) Special issue. Fictional Representation and Caption: Statistics and cultural studies always harked that families who dine "ensemble" have much better relations than those who do not. The time-honored tradition of families eating together fell by the wayside by the end of the 20th century. In the time-starved 21st century, families re-instituted the practice, but with a twist. They ritualistically eat together but are nearly all multi-tasking at the same time. But they can and often do interact with new half-mirrored goggles "I-GOGS" that allow virtually any computer/TV/school/ or video game program to be played at any time. Mealtime became an opportunity to share data as well as food. The Elkins family of Yountville, California are all surfing various audio-visual entertainment nodes while partaking of their Friday evening fish logs, sports drinks and Jello. MODEL RELEASED.
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  • FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: "GREENREAD" AND "WASTEWATCHER" Photo Illustration for the Future of Communication GEO (Germany) Special Issue. Fictional Representation and Caption: The first day of school for one-year-olds is less traumatic when the learning guide can monitor their progress with infant-friendly "Greenreads", (friendly retro laptops with green-red monitoring LEDs that display learning progress). Getting a jump-start on education is crucial to the future success of a citizen in this very wired world. Moving beyond the abdominal skin speakers to fetal cell phones became so common by mid-century that many children were able to communicate very well by the time they started school at 12 months, even though they had not mastered verbal speech. Photographed at Headzup Learning Center in Napa, California MODEL RELEASED.
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  • BEDTIME FOR BOZOS WITH THE "HONEYMOONER" Photo Illustration for the Future of Communication GEO (Germany) Special issue. Fictional Representation and Caption: Video phones and teledildactic interactive body gloves facilitated large numbers of long distance relationships among huge numbers of couples in an age where job mobility was crucial to financial well being. But as divorce rates grew, the interpersonal skills for maintaining relationships atrophied, and couples found it easier to have a virtual partner that had a physical presence in the bedroom. No more headaches, bad breath, receding hair or cellulite to worry about. With a "Honeymooner", robotic sex doll, programmable with a PC, all kinds of simulations are possible. Richard "Dick" Kravitz of Sonoma, California,  MODEL RELEASED.
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  • FINAL CONTACT: "GRAVEWATCH".  Photo Illustration for the Future of Communication GEO (Germany) Special issue. Fictional Representation and Caption: Interactive gravestones became quite popular in the 21st century. Adding snippets of video of the diseased was quite easy to program since nearly every family had extensively documented their family time with small digital videocams. AI (artificial intelligence) computer programs made conversations with the dead quite easy. These virtual visits to the underworld became passé within a decade however, and graveyard visits became less common. By mid-century many people wanted to insure that their relatives would continue paying their respects, and keeping their memory alive. New technology insured regular visits to the gravesite to pick up a monthly inheritance check issued electronically by a built-in device with wireless connection to the living relative's bank account. Face recognition (and retinal scanners on high-end models) insured that family members were present during the half-hour visits. A pressure pad at the foot of the grave activated the system and after 30 minutes of kneeling at the grave, watching videos or prerecorded messages or admonitions, a message flashed on the screen, indicating that a deposit had been made electronically to their bank account. For the Wright family of Napa, California, there is no other way to collect Uncle Eno's inheritance other than by monthly kneelings. ["Gravewatch" tombstones shown with "Retscan" retinal scanning ID monitors.] MODEL RELEASED
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  • FINAL CONTACT: "GRAVEWATCH".  Photo Illustration for the Future of Communication GEO (Germany) Special issue. Fictional Representation and Caption: Interactive gravestones became quite popular in the 21st century. Adding snippets of video of the diseased was quite easy to program since nearly every family had extensively documented their family time with small digital videocams. AI (artificial intelligence) computer programs made conversations with the dead quite easy. These virtual visits to the underworld became passé within a decade however, and graveyard visits became less common. By mid-century many people wanted to insure that their relatives would continue paying their respects, and keeping their memory alive. New technology insured regular visits to the gravesite to pick up a monthly inheritance check issued electronically by a built-in device with wireless connection to the living relative's bank account. Face recognition (and retinal scanners on high-end models) insured that family members were present during the half-hour visits. A pressure pad at the foot of the grave activated the system and after 30 minutes of kneeling at the grave, watching videos or prerecorded messages or admonitions, a message flashed on the screen, indicating that a deposit had been made electronically to their bank account. For the Wright family of Napa, California, there is no other way to collect Uncle Eno's inheritance other than by monthly kneelings. ["Gravewatch" tombstones shown with "Retscan" retinal scanning ID monitors.] MODEL RELEASED
    USA_SCI_COMM_07_xs.jpg
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Peter Menzel Photography

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