THE FUTURE IS GOOD

NO PLACE TO SMOKE
New York, New York
Soon New York City's one million smokers may have nowhere to light up after city health commissioner Thomas Farley declared that he wants to ban smoking at city parks and public beaches. Smoking has been illegal in offices, train stations and indoor public places since 2003, and in restaurants and bars since 1995. According to the health department, 17 per cent of New Yorkers were smokers in 2008, down from 21 per cent in 2002.


CINEMA (3-D)
To say that 3-D movies have taken a long time to become accepted is an understatement: the first one (now lost) was produced in 1922, and for generations they have been considered as little more than a gimmick. All that changed in 2009, however, with a series of films including Up and Avatar. Whereas previous 3-D technology made objects leap forward from the screen, the new technology creates a depth-of-field similar to the way we see the real world. And as James Cameron proved with the 3-D realization of his alien planet in Avatar, the technology can now make actions scenes more visceral and the visual experience more beautiful. For the film industry, which has lost billions because of internet downloading, 3-D offers the public a good reason to see films in the cinema. One day, no doubt, this advantage will disappear as home screen become 3-D, too. But for the next few years the magic will be back where it is supposed to be - in the cinema.