Apple, for decades, stood as the modern paragon of disruptive innovation—the company that made us feel the future before it arrived. But lately, it seems Apple is trading in its greatest asset: creative momentum.
There’s a haunting symmetry between Apple’s current trajectory and the slow declines of once-mighty giants like Kodak and RIM. They too were titans. And like Apple today, they too began to prioritize maintaining temporary employee happiness over cultivating meaningful, creative urgency.
You’ve no doubt built a powerful ecosystem, but Apple has not invented anything explosively new since the Mac and the iPhone. The wearables, services, and accessories that followed are refinements—excellent, profitable, elegant—but not the kind of future-defining leaps Apple once made us believe in. The company that redefined “what’s next” has settled into “what’s slightly better.”
Creativity at its best comes from the hunger to solve problems, to make something essential. But when too much internal focus is spent on keeping people comfortable instead of inspired, you get happiness without invention. It’s a fog of satisfaction, not a fire.
As a user, observer, and former admirer of Apple’s creative heartbeat, I urge you to reconsider the direction. Look at what Jony Ive and OpenAI are poised to build—perhaps unintentionally—but they’re circling an idea Bill Joy once envisioned: an optimized OS seamlessly built into every device from toasters to cars— OS optimum for that specific device , all using a unified telemetry. One only needs to look at the ecoDESIGN of coral or sponges— all made up of individual units that communicate as one— the device itself. That is where things are heading. Apple could lead there. Or be led.
You now stand at a junction. You can switch tracks and rocket forward—rekindle invention not by coddling comfort but by stoking challenge—or you can pull off into the yard, satisfied with polishing the rails while faster trains slip by.
The legacy of Steve Jobs wasn’t just about products; it was about possibility. What future is Apple building today that will astonish the world in 2030?
Once upon a time, the world looked to you for dreams. Your stories lit up the dark. You taught us to hope, to fight, to love bigger than we ever thought we could. You drew us into the theaters–Heck! My first real job, at fifteen, was that of being an usher at the Algonquin Theater in Manasquan, NJ, wearing a suit several sizes too big, where my pants were belted up around my rib cage and I could stick my hand out the fly to collect tickets. I didn’t care, I loved watching the movies, over and over again. I know a part of my love for storytelling had its roots watching the dreams that came out of Hollywood, but somewhere along the way, you started recycling the dream.
Let’s be clear: the issue isn’t foreign productions undercutting you with cheaper labor or tax incentives. This isn’t about money—this is about meaning. While you’re too busy crunching box office projections, pushing agendas or polishing another paint-by-numbers sequel to a storyline so predicable, so superficial, the rest of the world is blistering by you, telling stories that feel alive.
Look around. South Korea delivers genre-bending tales that slip between social commentary and character drama without blinking. Scandinavian series dig deep into human darkness and come back with something honest. Indian filmmakers are blending myth and modernity with unapologetic flair. Even small indie studios are crafting intimate, resonant stories that travel the globe without a cape or a sequel.
What do you offer in return?
Another reboot. Another origin story. Another climax telegraphed halfway through Act One. Your scripts seem to be engineered by advertisers, your characters one ticket stub short of an influencer, your endings are a fast food big meal to placate the mindless couch polyps–– It’s not just predictable—it’s anesthetic.
The real loss is that you’ve trained audiences to expect less and you truly think we are stupid and are less. And now, those same audiences are quietly, steadily, turning to other voices. Not because they’re louder, but because they’re real. I would rather slug through an Amazon Prime series interrupted by brainwashing commercials than go see a Hollywood dumpster fire.
We know the risk is higher when a story doesn’t follow the template. But that’s what made you great in the first place. You took risks. You shattered norms. You redefined what cinema could do. So why now are you so afraid of silence, of slowness, of substance? You used to bulldoze through the walls of social pressure—now you’re just another face in line, submitting to pat-downs for the soulless dystopian junk you helped create.
Hollywood, the world still wants stories. But now, it’s learning to look elsewhere.
Wake up. Or keep fading into your own formula. You are so hell bent on protecting Intellectual Properties, thinking that A.I. is your greatest threat. Your greatest threat is not seeing that A.I. is your greatest asset.
Sincerely, A Storyteller Who Still Believes in Magic—Just Not Yours Anymore.
PostMortem
If you’re hunting for storylines, give me a ring—I’ve got enough to defibrillate the flatline diagnosis you’re mistaking for cinema.
Isaac Asimov’s The Robots of Dawn presents a vision of intelligent, humanoid robots integrated into society, raising questions about ethics, autonomy, and the boundaries between human and machine. Fast-forward to today, and we see real-world counterparts emerging in unexpected ways.
The, now, $1,000.00 Roomba, once seen as a novelty, now quietly symbolizes the normalization of domestic automation. For just a few hundred dollars, people can own a robot that navigates their homes, mapping spaces and cleaning autonomously — a concept that once seemed futuristic.
Tesla’s Optimus represents the next leap — a humanoid robot designed to perform complex physical tasks. This marks a shift from specialized automation to general-purpose robots capable of integrating into human environments. Recently, Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a startling claim that humanoid robots will surpass the human population by 2040, possibly over 10 billion robots. Sound preposterous? At first, but robots are not necessarily these metal and plastic devices, they come in the form of software (Alexa, Siri, Gemini, Grok, ChatGTP) or just an arm on a stand to make fries or flip burgers, clean up trash along roadsides, or carry things, clean, cook, pay your bills, etc. If you think this way, 10 billion might be conservative.
Meanwhile, in research labs and startup workshops, countless other robotic innovations are quietly taking shape — from automated delivery systems to caregiving assistants to military-grade drones. These developments, often overlooked until they reach mass adoption, can feel like a sudden wave of change.
Then there is the military side of Robotics, and it looks disturbing. I cannot help but think of SkyNet, from the original Terminator. With Sci-Fi just being fact before it happens, this is something that actually worries me.
There are so many current Robotic developments occurring in the Military from robotic dogs with mounted machine guns, to legions of robots that can fight 24 x 7 to flying drones that hover and observe while others close in on a human target for detainment or termination.
The phrase “When did that happen?” captures this societal dissonance — the sense that technology often feels like it’s arriving overnight, even when it’s been brewing for years. Just as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World depicted a society reshaped by science, we are witnessing an accelerating transformation that challenges our understanding of labor, privacy, and social dynamics.
So lets come back to the softer side and hope that Isaac Asimov’s Three Rules of Robotics hold true:
A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
But my bet is on the Adult Industry. Why? Well, the Adult Industry was the first industry to become profitable on the Internet. The Adult Industry has often been an early adopter — and sometimes the driving force — behind emerging technologies: The adult industry pioneered secure credit card transactions on the internet, driving early e-commerce innovation. Adult content creators were early adopters of VR technology, pushing hardware development and immersive experiences.
introducing Arya by Realbotix. While Ayra is marketed as a companion robot, her capabilities naturally extend to intimate scenarios. For individuals with social anxiety, physical disabilities, or those seeking companionship without emotional complexities, Ayra represents a deeply personalized solution. Although her current mobility is limited to a rolling platform, I don’t think it will be two many gens away from walking on her own.
Some may find this offensive, and like all emerging technologies there will always be the warped, the squeaky wheel that leaves a bad rep on this advancement. However, my thoughts are that what is lacking in the most advanced cutting edge of Robotics is the intimacy factor and I am not referring to sex, but the bedside manner. If history repeats itself, the Adult trade’s early adoption of Ayra-like robots could lead to breakthroughs in AI personality development, conversational depth, and emotional simulation. Over time, these advancements could reshape not only intimacy but also caregiving, mental health support, and social companionship. that can be adopted in the Healthcare industry for Healthcare, In-house care, Hospitals and Hospice.
There are certain pieces of music that trigger a person’s opiate receptors–– a channel opened–– only they can hear. For me, the performance of, In this Shirt by The Irrepressibles is just that… This performance is a collision of art and music, together of which are greater than the sum of its parts. This combination or artistic expression transcends space and time–– they do not merely coexist–– they intertwine, amplifying each other in a way that is both emerssive and transformative. This entanglement of color, vibrates like a chord creating a cosmic symphony where every living being, regardless of their location and form throughout the universe, perceives this moment in unison; sparking, perhaps, a universal consciousness, if even for a nanosecond.
I’ve always been a strong proponent of A.I. seeing its potential much like the calculator controversy in the mid-70s. Back then, calculators were briefly banned from U.S. schools because the Board of Education feared they’d dumb down Americans’ proficiency in math and science. Of course, the use of calculators led to landing rovers on Mars. Sure, for every mouse trap there will always be a smarter mouse and someone will bend it for ill-usage, but to change that perception, how about altering its underlying abbreviation to ““Assisted” Intelligence.
That said, there’s no way I’m downloading the DeekSeek app onto my iPhone—just as I wouldn’t stroll up to a bear and slap it on the ear. That is a singularity I fear will suck the life-blood from us all. (Images created using Grok -2)
Growing up in the 1950s, the idea of a future without flying cars seemed unthinkable. It was certain we’d see them in our lifetimes. Back then, images of flying cars leaped off the pages of pulp fiction, igniting dreams of airborne highways cluttered with assorted crafts, zipping along on raised avenues. Over the years, countless prototypes have emerged, yet most relied on fixed-wing designs that failed to revolutionize transportation.
Enter the Skyrider X1. At last, the concept of flying cars has become a reality. However, the true game-changer isn’t just the Skyrider X1 itself; it’s the infrastructure enabling its use—designated sites for liftoff and landing. This critical piece of the puzzle has long hindered the industry, which often focused too heavily on the product while neglecting the logistics necessary to support it.
Finally, someone has embraced the principles of Moshe F. Rubenstein’s The Minding Organization: identifying a purpose, assembling the right team, and working backward from the goal to achieve that vision. It’s a strategic approach that’s turning science fiction into everyday life.
Ask anyone if Time Travel exists and the vast majority of those asked will quickly tell you… No! Because they are looking to correct the past and the only direction that time travel exists in, is the future. So what is my proof? Well, I asked ChatGPT to summarize some of the earliest Sci-Fi novels that predicted the workings of the future: And the list was close to what I put together (I added references 8, 9 & 10.
The mere fact. I am using A.I. assistance is from Sci-Fi of the past (2001 A Space Odyssey).
And of course, I want to hear your proof that time travel does/does not exist, in either direction.
Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon (1865) Verne envisioned a crewed mission to the moon nearly a century before the Apollo 11 mission. Although his ideas on how the journey would be achieved differed (he suggested a giant cannon), the concept of space exploration and moon landings was well ahead of his time.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) Shelley’s novel imagined the reanimation of dead tissue using science and electricity. While the exact scenario remains fictional, her exploration of bioengineering, organ transplantation, and the ethics of life creation foreshadowed modern fields like genetic engineering and bioethics.
Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward: 2000-1887 (1888) Bellamy’s story imagined a utopian future society with features like credit cards, shopping malls, and a system resembling universal healthcare, many of which resemble modern developments in consumerism and public services.
H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds (1898) While The War of the Worlds is about an alien invasion, Wells speculated about advanced technology, including heat rays (which could be likened to lasers) and chemical warfare, both of which would later become real.
Hugo Gernsback’s Ralph 124C 41+: A Romance of the Year 2660 (1911) Gernsback, sometimes called the “Father of Science Fiction,” imagined technologies like radar, television, and solar energy. While his narrative is less well-known, these inventions were groundbreaking in concept at the time and became real within decades.
Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World (1912) Though not about the future per se, Doyle’s novel introduced the concept of exploring remote areas with unknown flora and fauna, which presaged real-life discoveries of species and ecosystems deep in the Amazon and other secluded regions. This can also be linked to modern biodiversity research and conservation.
E.M. Forster’s The Machine Stops (1909) This short story foresaw a world where people live in isolation, communicating through screens, with most services automated by a vast technological network. The eerie resemblance to the internet, social media, and even video conferencing makes Forster’s work uncannily prescient.
George Orwell’s 1984 (1949) Orwell’s 1984 envisions a dystopian future where totalitarianism is taken to an extreme, with constant surveillance, government propaganda, and strict control over personal freedoms. Many concepts from the novel, such as Big Brother, Thought Police, and Newspeak, now feel strikingly familiar in an era of mass surveillance, data collection, and media manipulation. Technologies and practices Orwell describes, like surveillance cameras, facial recognition, and even censorship, are in effect in various forms worldwide. His work has often been cited in discussions about government overreach, privacy rights, and digital surveillance in the modern age.
Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged (1957) Rand’s Atlas Shrugged presents a world where government intervention and regulation stifle innovation, leading to economic collapse and the eventual exodus of society’s most productive and creative individuals. While not a direct prediction, Atlas Shrugged resonates with real-world debates about government regulation, free markets, and the role of individualism versus collectivism. Concepts like entrepreneurial burnout, over-regulation, and the idea of “going Galt” (named after John Galt, a central figure in the book who withdraws his talents in protest) are themes that have found new life in discussions of government policy, innovation, and economic freedom.
Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which he developed in parallel with Stanley Kubrick’s iconic film, is one of the most prescient science fiction works in terms of technology and space exploration. Clarke predicted or inspired several technological advancements that later became reality:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Voice Recognition The story’s AI, HAL 9000, is an intelligent computer capable of natural language processing, decision-making, and even emotions. HAL anticipated the development of AI systems like Siri, Alexa, and advanced voice recognition. Although HAL’s sentience and emotional intelligence remain fictional, modern AI and natural language processing have achieved many of the interactive functions Clarke imagined.
Tablets and Personal Screens The film depicted astronauts using flat, tablet-like devices to watch news and gather information. This closely resembles the modern tablet, and companies like Apple and Samsung have created devices nearly identical to those imagined by Clarke and Kubrick. In fact, Apple referenced 2001: A Space Odyssey during its patent dispute with Samsung, pointing out how the film showcased tablet-like devices decades before the iPad was invented.
Commercial Space Travel 2001 envisions a future where commercial flights to space are routine, with a space station orbiting Earth and a shuttle taking travelers to a lunar base. While routine space travel for civilians hasn’t yet reached this level, we’re seeing a new era of commercial space travel with companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic making strides toward space tourism and lunar missions, bringing Clarke’s vision closer to reality.
Video Calls The movie showed video calling (such as when Dr. Floyd talks to his daughter from space), a concept that seemed futuristic at the time. Today, video calls are commonplace on platforms like Zoom, FaceTime, and other video conferencing apps, making this one of Clarke’s more immediate predictions to come true.
Space Stations and Moon Bases Clarke’s vision included a rotating space station and the prospect of human settlements on the Moon, both of which became more plausible after the Apollo missions. The International Space Station (ISS) functions as a multi-national, rotating habitat much like the one depicted in 2001, though on a smaller scale. Plans for permanent lunar bases are currently under development through programs like NASA’s Artemis mission.
Suspended Animation (Cryosleep) Although still in the realm of science fiction, Clarke’s concept of astronauts in suspended animation for long journeys remains an area of scientific interest. Researchers are actively exploring ways to extend human hibernation or stasis for long-duration space travel.
As you can see, all one needs to do is read Science Fiction to know that Time Travel into the future exists. Science Fiction is simply fact waiting to happen. And what better example of Time Travel into the future than looking at our current political climate. This election cycle was perhaps the most looked upon, global election of our time. The outcome of which will create U.S.A. 2.0. But I am going to leave that snippet for a later post and get back to time travel into the future, but as it relates to this election cycle.
Probably the most notable Science Fiction is George Orwell’s 1984. In a quick flyby. it involves a government over-reach (Oceania), a Super State in a constant war that may or may not exist, to corral it’s society in fear and distraction of Big Brother. Why this is not a mandatory read in our current educational system is because it was being played out in real-time. But with recent events in our political climate, in this version, Winston Smith will prove out that 2 + 2 does equal 4.
And what better, equally powerful, read than by Ayn Rand, because I can’t think of a more controversial figure who predicted the future so accurately. And what more controversial work of hers, but Atlas Shrugged. Read this snippet of Atlas Shrugged:
“I don’t know what it is that they think they accomplish—but they want us to pretend that we see the world as they pretend they see it. They need some sort of sanction from us. I don’t know the nature of that sanction—but, Dagny, I know that if we value our lives, we must not give it to them. If they put you on a torture rack, don’t give it to them. Let them destroy your railroad and my mills, but don’t give it to them. Because I know this much: I know that that’s our only chance.” She had remained standing still before him, looking attentively at the faint outline of some shape she, too, had tried to grasp. “Yes . . .” she said, “yes, I know what you’ve seen in them. . . . I’ve felt it, too—but it’s only like something brushing past that’s gone before I know I’ve seen it, like a touch of cold air, and what’s left is always the feeling that I should have stopped it. . . . I know that you’re right. I can’t understand their game, but this much is right: We must not see the world as they want us to see it. It’s some sort of fraud, very ancient and very vast—and the key to break it is: to check every premise they teach us, to question every precept, to—”
Anyone who has spent time with me discussing technology or science fiction knows that one of the most influential books I’ve ever read is Snow Crash (1992) by Neal Stephenson. For me, it was a trailblazer, lighting the way to ideas often overlooked by mainstream thinking. For anyone entering the field of information technology, it’s like a guidebook for imagining the future. But, amusingly, very few of the people I’ve urged to read Snow Crash ever actually did—much like when someone says, “You really should read the Bible…”
I doubt even Stephenson–– when he finished writing this novel–– fully anticipated the profound impact his work would have. Beyond laying out the blueprint for the internet, coining future-defining phrases, such as the Metaverse (Facebook’s Meta)…, defining concepts of franchising a culture, and inspiring entire gaming platforms (i.e. Second Life, World of Warcraft, etc), Snow Crash set the stage for a wave of sci-fi novels and films that followed his vision.
But for me, one brief passage in the book sparked a truly unconventional view: it led me to question our so-called “addiction” to screen time—or, as I like to call it, glassed. The hours people spend immersed in digital worlds aren’t necessarily wasteful or detrimental; instead, they offer new avenues for creativity, connection, and exploration. This, however, is a perspective I rarely succeed in convincing others of. My audience often hears me out, their interest piqued at first, only to be overwhelmed by new ideas before they drift away, defaulting back to familiar doubts about technology’s role in our lives.
Stay with me on this, and if you can”t, just scroll to the bottom and watch the trailer, then come back to this part of the post:
The protagonist in Snow Crash, Hiro, encounters Da5id. In real life, Da5id is a quadriplegic, but in the Metaverse, he is a formidable presence—a “bad-ass” who moves freely and with authority. His character exemplifies how people can adopt powerful, alternate personas in digital spaces, unconstrained by their physical limitations in the real world. I think why this resonated with me much as it did, may have had a lot to do with the character, Da5id (sounds a lot like David), who opened my eyes to a world I had thought of as just play, until I heard his story.
If you have ever spent time in an MMO (Massive Multiplay On-line game), you can easily loose your concept of time as well as who you really are. In these MMO platforms, you adopt an Avatar to represent you in the digital world, like putting on a cowboy hat or crown as a kid and the alter-ego you became. I myself have never submerged in one long enough to dive into the abyss, but those who have, like Hiro, just may have had a better life in the digital world then the one, limited by flesh and blood.
At parties, if I am lucky enough to be in the company of others who bring up the inevitable: “The real problem with this world is that people are spending too much time on their phones...” This is where I cast the line and with just the right amount of jigging, I set the hook…. but more often I loose my catch before reeling one in. If you have ever seen a fish with a hook set in it’s jaw, as I have, the first thing you notice are the glassing of the eyes–– they are only thinking of escape, like my audience. LOL.
But too my point and before I loose my catch, I highly recommend you watch this amazing NetFlix documentary called, The Remarkable Life of Iberlin, before it is gone. Then afterwards, we can have that conversation. Thank you , as always, for your time.
Just as every mousetrap eventually gives way to a more clever mouse, securing elections presents a similar challenge. Evidence of substantial voter fraud in recent U.S. presidential elections isn’t hard to find—I avoid conspiracy theories posted social as well as main stream media feeds, and rigorously fact-check my sources and there is direct evidence of fraud that the mainstream media does not report
Could blockchain be the answer? By using it as a voting platform, we may finally create a trap that’s tough for even the smartest mouse to evade.”
Yes, blockchain can be used as a platform to validate voting, offering benefits like transparency, security, and verifiability. Blockchain’s decentralized nature ensures that once a vote is recorded, it’s almost impossible to alter, helping to protect the integrity of the election. Here’s how it could be effective:
Transparency: Each vote recorded on a blockchain would be visible to all, but without revealing the voter’s identity, preserving privacy while ensuring openness.
Security: Blockchain’s encryption and consensus mechanisms make it highly resistant to tampering, ensuring that only valid votes are recorded.
Auditability: Blockchain enables a traceable, verifiable record of all votes, which makes it easy to audit results and detect irregularities.
Access Control: Through cryptographic methods, blockchain could allow only eligible voters to participate and limit the number of votes per person, thus addressing voter identity and eligibility concerns.
However, let’s introduce a very smart mouse and while a blockchain voting platform is secure by design, it’s not completely immune to potential forms of manipulation or misuse. Here are some ways in which it could theoretically be exploited:
Voter Coercion or Manipulation: If individuals can vote from personal devices, there’s a risk of coercion by someone else, which blockchain itself cannot prevent. For example, someone could exert pressure on a voter to vote a certain way, or vote on behalf of someone else under duress.
51% Attack: In public blockchains, if one entity controls over 50% of the network’s computational power, they could potentially alter the blockchain’s records. This is unlikely in private or permissioned blockchains, where access is tightly controlled, but it’s theoretically a concern for public or decentralized voting systems.
Voter Identity Theft: If voter authentication isn’t secure or if voter registration databases are breached, an attacker might gain unauthorized access to voting credentials, enabling them to vote fraudulently in someone else’s name.
Exploitation of Smart Contract Vulnerabilities: Blockchain voting might use smart contracts to tally votes automatically, but if these contracts are poorly designed or coded, attackers could exploit vulnerabilities to misrecord or miscount votes.
Device Security: If a voter’s device is compromised with malware or spyware, an attacker could intercept or alter votes before they’re cast on the blockchain, a risk outside of the blockchain’s control.
Node Manipulation: If specific nodes on a blockchain are compromised or bribed, especially in permissioned blockchains, they could censor transactions (votes) or disrupt the voting process.
To build a truly secure blockchain voting system, it would be essential to address these potential weaknesses through enhanced voter authentication, network safeguards, and robust smart contract development.
But the real, more tangible issues are these: Scalability, privacy concerns, and the need for widespread digital literacy. But with time, the blockchain’s potential is promising for secure and transparent voting systems.
On April 13, 2029, the asteroid Apophis (designated 99942) will pass within 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) of Earth—an incredibly close distance in astronomical terms. This asteroid is about 1,100 feet (340 meters) in diameter.
NASA assures us there is no risk of Apophis impacting Earth for at least the next century (really). If you’re curious, NASA’s website offers live tracking of the asteroid’s current location, which is definitely worth checking out.
Still, when it comes to asteroids, even a near miss can feel unsettling—like playing horseshoes, where close counts.
To put the distance in perspective: if we were to unravel Earth’s circumference (about 24,000 miles) into a straight line, it would stretch 4,000 miles beyond where Apophis will pass. For further context, geosynchronous satellites orbit 22,000 miles above Earth’s surface—2,000 miles farther than Apophis’ path—and there are roughly 400-500 such satellites currently in orbit.
And here’s an interesting coincidence that NASA doesn’t mention: Apophis will make its closest approach on Friday, April 13th. Yes, Friday the 13th. And then you need to consider the name, Apophis, the ancient Egyptian god of chaos and destruction….
For a thrilling and thought-provoking read, check out Red Lightning by John Varley, if you can find it (out of print). In this science fiction novel, a massive, unidentified object skips past Earth, initially feared to be a weapon but later revealed as an asteroid. Although it didn’t collide with the planet, it came close enough to generate a shockwave that grazed the Atlantic Ocean, triggering 300-foot tsunamis that devastated the Eastern U.S. coastline as well as parts of Europe and Africa. It’s a gripping story that blurs the line between fiction and reality—reminding us that we are all in a game of Galactic Roulette.
David Nadas 