Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications

    Star Wars’ IT Legacy 30 Years Later

    By
    eWEEK EDITORS
    -
    May 28, 2012
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      PrevNext

      1Star Wars’ IT Legacy 30 Years Later

      1

      Star Wars, which celebrates its 30th anniversary May 25, gave the IT industry more than a collective hobby and heroes. Many of the technologies introduced in the original 1977 film and its two sequels are now everyday technologies.

      2Star Wars’ IT Legacy 30 Years Later – Aerial Spy Droids = Predator Drones

      2

      The spy droid that crashes near the Rebel base at the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back foreshadows the U.S. military’s Predator drones that now fly above battlefields in Afghanistan and Iraq.

      3Star Wars’ IT Legacy 30 Years Later – Stun Guns = Tazers

      3

      The stun gun used on Leia in Star Wars has a real-world equivalent in nonlethal weapons currently being tested–Tasers, sound-wave guns, microwave guns. No handheld blasters yet, though …

      4Star Wars’ IT Legacy 30 Years Later – Handheld Communicators = Cell Phones

      4

      Who imagined when we first saw C-3POs handheld communicator that every preteen would one day possess similar technology?

      5Star Wars’ IT Legacy 30 Years Later – R2-D2’s Probe = USB Devices and Thumb Drives

      5

      R2-D2s hacking arm that seemed to fit into every data outlet on the Death Star later came to be in the form of USB devices and thumb drives.

      6Star Wars’ IT Legacy 30 Years Later – Holograms = Videoconferencing

      6

      Darth Vader kept in constant personal contact with the Emperor through his hologram, and now your boss can do the same with videoconferencing.

      7Star Wars’ IT Legacy 30 Years Later – R2-D2’s Network Hacking Skills = Security Breaches

      7

      R2-D2s seemed to be able to break into any computer network anywhere in the galaxy any time he needed to rescue someone from imminent termination. Unfortunately this same skill set now resides with malicious hackers.

      8Star Wars’ IT Legacy 30 Years Later – Skywalkers’ Bionic Arms = Prosthetic Limbs

      8

      Luke and Anakin’s bionic hand prostheses are coming close to reality.

      9Star Wars’ IT Legacy 30 Years Later – R2-D2 = Robots

      9

      Robots are now nearly as robust and complex as R2-D2.

      10Star Wars’ IT Legacy 30 Years Later – The Shouldas, Couldas and Wouldas

      10

      In 1977, many were certain that the next 30 years would bring us flying cars and personal aircraft, space travel (to other planets), and laser rifles and blasters, but alas, that was a long time ago.

      PrevNext
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×