The Best of 2009’s Tech and Entertainment

The year is almost at a close, and everyone’s making lists – so here’s the “Best of 2009”, in relation to entertainment and technology, without any particular sorting order.

1.  Avatar [Film]

James Cameron’s long-awaited science fiction epic debuted in early December and has reset the stage of expectations for what level of realism and engagement CGI-heavy movies can accomplish.  Avatar is still dominant at the box office and moviegoers worldwide are raving about it – this long film about a distant moon and blue humanoid aliens could quite possibly have the same devastating effect on the modern generation that the original Star Wars did in its day.

2.  Mastodon – Crack the Skye [Albums]

Mastodon is a progressive metal band that released an earth-shattering album early in the year, attaining massive critical acclaim – even outside the metal community.  Ambitious, genre-bending, epic, sonorous, and immensely entertaining, “Crack the Skye” is not only one of the best albums of their career, but one of the year’s best and most innovative pieces.

3.  Google Android [Cellphones]

After de facto dominance for some time by Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android smartphone software has arisen as a viable competitor with great potential, providing non-fanboys all the functionality and features they want without being attached to AT&T or Apple.  Although HTC is the only manufacturer currently using the open source operating system, more will surely come and the mighty iPhone will have a threat to the throne.

4.  The Nook [E-reader]

Amazon’s Kindle continued, for the better, what many others had started – but Barnes and Noble’s new e-reader, the Nook, is the latest in a series of evolutionary steps that will inevitably lead to a mass market device to revolutionize the printing industry.  Boasting a feature-list that builds on its predecessors, the Nook takes the user experience for digital reading to a new, and slightly more aesthetic, level.  Even though it’s not perfect, this device will have a marketing power previously unseen in this arena and should result in greater consumer consumption and, by consequence, further innovation.

5.  Stargate: Universe [TV]

Many critics of science fiction like to point to some of the inherent corniness found in some of the most popular items:  Star Trek, Star Wars, and Alien are all prime candidates.  Stargate: Universe’s predecessors, Stargate: SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis, were no exception since they were prone to moments of severely suspended disbelief, insane comedy, and generally hokey moments – until now.  SGU took some cues from the visual and emotional palette of Battlestar Galactica, mixed it with Stargate characters and lore, and produced a wonderful successor to the pyramid-and-aliens canon.  Balancing darkness with humor, deep thought with action sequences, science with drama, this show is destined to continue to change the tone of the Gateverse, if not science fiction television.

6.  Netbooks [Computing]

As small computers that are lightweight and remove some features found in fully fledged computers, netbooks came into their true power only within the last year.  Cheap, light, and portable, these small computers have become the device of choice for many to stay connected, no matter their location – partnered with a wireless broadband card, they can offer far greater functionality than smartphones or other mobile devices.

7.  District 9 [Film]

Neill Blomkamp delivered a brilliant science fiction film that came entirely from left-field, complete with a commentary on xenophobia during the Summer of 2009.  The $30 million spent in its development is a paltry sum compared to most other big sci-fi/action movie budgets, and this budget seemed to enhance, rather than hinder, the overall tone and presentation of the Peter Jackson-endorsed masterpiece.  Besides being the greatest live-action film of the year, District 9 singlehandedly opened the door for unknown directors to become successful based on talent alone, as well as calling into question the ever-greater budgets and celebrity rosters of many of the production studios’ favorite projects.

8.  Taken [Film]

There’s no deep message, grand special effects, or industry-changing node within the movie Taken, but this is what makes it so wonderful: 91-minutes of Liam Neeson destroying, menacing, and abusing some very evil humans.  It could be said that it’s an offshoot of the Bourne movies, without some of the political overtones, but either way Neeson delivers a performance that is one of the year’s more plainly entertaining.

9.  Battlestar Galactica [TV]

As one of the best things to ever happen to television, the most recent reimagining of Battlestar Galactica concluded in late Spring after a five-year run that dragged audiences through numerous emotional peaks and states, leaving a trail of other television shows in its wake.  Proving once and for all that science fiction TV can have deep meanings, dark tones, apocalyptic scenarios, space battles, and robots while retaining credibility and large audiences, Battlestar Galactica changed the future of sci-fi forever, but sadly ended with mixed viewer emotions.

10.  The FCC’s Net Neutrality Position [Internet]

Since the internet’s debut, the idea that ISP’s would meddle in the affairs of their customers had been largely ignored – until Comcast started making customers aware of this issue by doing so.  Since then, other providers’ behaviors have come to light, and many have been clamoring for federal intervention.  The FCC’s new Chairman has made it publicly known that there will be regulations for the industry to follow in order to protect the privacy and activities of American citizens, likely setting the tone for other nations to quickly follow.

Kyle can be found on his blog, on Facebook, via email, or on Twitter.