Author Topic: "It exists!" - Sci-fi dreams come true  (Read 3280 times)

DDog

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on: January 19, 2008, 07:28:59 AM
I have been bemoaning the fact that Google et al. will only allow me to search for songs by title, artist, album, or lyrics. Much of the time this is great, but sometimes I can't remember any of the words, but only a snippet of the tune. I have been wishing for a search engine that would let me locate songs by tune for months, and had just about resigned myself to the idea that I would need to make one myself down the road if I wanted one.

But no longer: midomi fell into my lap. If you have a microphone, you can sing or hum a few bars of your latest earworm and the website finds it based on analysis of song samples provided by other users. Obviously the database needs some more training for some of the more obscure or less mainstream songs (but not all: I just got it to successfully look up "Levan Polkka" and "Still Alive"), but it is pretty freakin' cool.

This is like one of my sci-fi dreams come true. Please share any of your sci-fi dreams that have also come to fruition, or look like they might almost be here.

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Tango Alpha Delta

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Reply #1 on: January 20, 2008, 04:30:57 PM
I always wanted a corner pub... but I don't like to be around cigarette smoke, loud TVs blaring sports, or obnoxious people who want to smite me for the crime of matching their obnoxiousness.  Plus, I'd never have time to GO to a place like that, even it it existed close by, because of work schedules, small children, etc.

What I needed was a "local" stocked with what I like to drink, my favorite snacks, that only plays my tunes, and lets me pick and choose who I will hang out with and shoot the shit with about whatever is on the old bean.  It would be really great if the clientele shared a common interest with me.  Like, maybe sci-fi books and writing, etc.

Hmmm.   I don't know if that kind of crazy dream will EVER come true.   ;)


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Russell Nash

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Reply #2 on: January 20, 2008, 04:38:14 PM
I always wanted a corner pub... but I don't like to be around cigarette smoke, loud TVs blaring sports, or obnoxious people who want to smite me for the crime of matching their obnoxiousness.  Plus, I'd never have time to GO to a place like that, even it it existed close by, because of work schedules, small children, etc.

What I needed was a "local" stocked with what I like to drink, my favorite snacks, that only plays my tunes, and lets me pick and choose who I will hang out with and shoot the shit with about whatever is on the old bean.  It would be really great if the clientele shared a common interest with me.  Like, maybe sci-fi books and writing, etc.

Hmmm.   I don't know if that kind of crazy dream will EVER come true.   ;)



How far is your beer cooler from your computer.  This is an important factor.



Tango Alpha Delta

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Reply #3 on: January 20, 2008, 05:01:55 PM
I always wanted a corner pub... but I don't like to be around cigarette smoke, loud TVs blaring sports, or obnoxious people who want to smite me for the crime of matching their obnoxiousness.  Plus, I'd never have time to GO to a place like that, even it it existed close by, because of work schedules, small children, etc.

What I needed was a "local" stocked with what I like to drink, my favorite snacks, that only plays my tunes, and lets me pick and choose who I will hang out with and shoot the shit with about whatever is on the old bean.  It would be really great if the clientele shared a common interest with me.  Like, maybe sci-fi books and writing, etc.

Hmmm.   I don't know if that kind of crazy dream will EVER come true.   ;)



How far is your beer cooler from your computer.  This is an important factor.

Well, the coffee maker is just in the kitchen... about 40 feet.  But I'm usually on the laptop, which can, of course go anywhere.   Beer either makes me fall asleep or write really meandering rant-posts that I usually delete without posting.


But my wife just walked through, saying, "I don't know how I lived in the days before Google; I love being able to find 800 recipe possibilities in five minutes."  I asked if that was her sci-fi dream come true, and she said no, MapQuest and GPS is her dream come true.

She's holding out for a replicator, though.  Preferably voice-activated.

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I finally published my book - Tad's Happy Funtime is on Amazon!


Darwinist

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Reply #4 on: January 21, 2008, 03:32:10 PM
For me it is my I-Pod.  I love all types of music and remember how cool it was when I got my first Walkman and I could listen to my tapes on the move.  In college I carried cassetes with me whereever I went, it was a pain in the butt and they wore out.  Now I've got this little gizmo with 4,000 songs, tons of audio and video podcasts, and a few TV shows on it.  I can play any song I want through my car audio system, while on planes, while walking the dogs, etc., etc.  Back in the early 80's I couldn't imagine a device such as the I-Pod could hold so much media.   

For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.    -  Carl Sagan