Articles by Daniel Rasmus

Daniel W. Rasmus is the founder and principal analyst at Serious Insights. He is the author of Listening to the Future, Management by Design and Sketches of Spain and other poems. He teaches strategy at Pinchot University.

How Funko pops out a Pop! Inside the process of creating collectible figures, from idea to product

30 years later, the legacy of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ lives on
Reflections of a 50-ish gamer: How I rediscovered video games, and what I learned in the process
Cinematic VR Challenge shows how virtual reality is set to transform film

Latest from Daniel Rasmus

A new comic-con hero for Seattle? ACE Universe bringing its star-studded event to the city in June

by Daniel Rasmus on April 7, 2018April 6, 2018 at 10:37 amComment

When it comes to pop culture and comics-related experiences in the Seattle area, Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC) and PAX have served geeks well for years. And regular MoPOP exhibits or neighborhood… Read More

How Funko pops out a Pop! Inside the process of creating collectible figures, from idea to product

by Daniel Rasmus on March 25, 2018March 26, 2018 at 10:45 amComment

Alana and Marko are interspecies lovers. They erupt onto comic book panels amid scenes of childbirth, intense battles, and robot sex. They quickly flee into an otherworldly sewer system. It’s… Read More

Exclusive! The inside story of Comic-Con’s most coveted collectibles

by Daniel Rasmus on August 12, 2017August 12, 2017 at 4:49 pmComment

Several years before I became a regular attendee of San Diego Comic-Con, I asked my friend to pick up a Doctor Who exclusive for me. He graciously declined. People who… Read More

Video

How ‘The Tick’ took over Comic-Con: Amazon’s superhero is a big, blue deal in San Diego

by Daniel Rasmus & Kurt Schlosser on July 24, 2017July 24, 2017 at 12:27 pm1 Comment

There’s a line in the song for Amazon’s new original TV series “The Tick” which says, “We run this city.” It’s an accurate pronouncement judging by the way the tech… Read More

Video

Star Trek’s Tricorder, realized? This device uses AI to diagnose medical conditions

by Daniel Rasmus on May 29, 2017May 30, 2017 at 6:56 amComment

According to Star Trek, 23rd century doctors will diagnose most illnesses and determine the general state of health via a device called a Tricorder. But as with many of Star Trek’s futuristic… Read More

30 years later, the legacy of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ lives on

by Daniel Rasmus on May 29, 2017May 29, 2017 at 6:26 pm 3 Comments

Silicon Valley Comic Con held a panel to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) this spring in San Jose’s historic City National Civic theater. At… Read More

GeekWire Picks

GeekWire Picks: Star Trek ‘TNG’ Bluetooth ComBadge works with Siri, Google Now, Cortana

by Daniel Rasmus on March 30, 2017March 30, 2017 at 7:40 amComment

Technology moves quickly in the 21st Century. More so, perhaps, than in the 23rd or 24th. Last year, the Wand Company offered up the iconic Star Trek Communicator that Captain Kirk and… Read More

Rituals of Emerald City Comicon: How these cosplayers and comic fans make their traditions

by Daniel Rasmus on March 5, 2017March 5, 2017 at 3:32 pmComment

As Emerald City Comicon beams into Seattle again this weekend, I recognized that I was following some rituals that developed over the years. I downloaded the app, scanned the celebrities… Read More

Review: Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac shows why a virtual machine matters

by Daniel Rasmus on January 2, 2017January 2, 2017 at 3:38 pm1 Comment

For many years, Apple’s OS X (now macOS) met Windows in various dual-boot options that usually swapped out the Apple OS by running or sharing the Intel chip at the… Read More

Reflections of a 50-ish gamer: How I rediscovered video games, and what I learned in the process

by Daniel Rasmus on September 18, 2016September 18, 2016 at 11:51 am 4 Comments

I thought my video gaming days were over. Most of the arcades were gone, and those that still existed were often broken and sad. I kept promising myself I would… Read More

Cinematic VR Challenge shows how virtual reality is set to transform film

by Daniel Rasmus on September 4, 2016September 4, 2016 at 8:25 amComment

As the sun set over the Olympic Mountains on a warm and muggy Sunday, I trekked from the manicured suburbia of Sammamish, Wash., to Seattle’s historic Fort Lawton district, where… Read More

Why Jonathan Coulton left a comfortable tech job to launch a music career — and his own cruise

by Daniel Rasmus on August 27, 2016August 31, 2016 at 3:07 pm1 Comment

With all the emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math, better known as STEM, many people would be satisfied with a high-paying career in software development, with rising opportunity and good benefits. But Jonathan… Read More

Review: ‘Star Trek’ Original Series Bluetooth Communicator is more than a prop

by Daniel Rasmus on August 20, 2016August 20, 2016 at 10:19 am 2 Comments

There is one thing every geek of a certain age wanted as a child: a Star Trek Communicator. Various toy versions satiated desire for awhile, but it wasn’t until Motorola’s… Read More

From ‘Supergirl’ to ‘Game of Thrones’: What the well-informed geek will be watching in 2016-17

by Daniel Rasmus on August 1, 2016August 1, 2016 at 7:16 pm 3 Comments

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Comic-Con 2016 was awash in content. The event is no longer dedicated to comic book-inspired shows dominated by super heroes, science fiction and fantasy. Networks and streaming services employ… Read More

Notes from Comic-Con: Why the Hollywood studios need to change how they engage with fans

by Daniel Rasmus on July 28, 2016July 28, 2016 at 4:46 pmComment

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — As the San Diego trolley pulls up to the Convention Center stop, multiple versions of Conan O’Brien stare down from window clings on the Marriott Marquis… Read More

Video

Top 5 cool things from E3 2016, despite a smaller feel and fewer exhibitors

by Daniel Rasmus on June 19, 2016May 31, 2017 at 8:04 pm1 Comment

While this year’s announced attendance was up at the E3 game convention, the number of exhibitors was significantly smaller, and many parts of the show floor felt almost quiet. Disney Interactive and… Read More

Interview: ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ star Clark Gregg on how technology is transforming Hollywood

by Daniel Rasmus on June 2, 2016June 2, 2016 at 5:41 pmComment

Agent Phil Coulson owes his life to Twitter. The beloved Marvel character, played by Clark Gregg, was killed off in the first blockbuster Avengers film. Outraged fans took to social media, hoping… Read More

Inside the Seattle VR Hackathon, a glimpse of virtual reality’s potential

by Daniel Rasmus on April 30, 2016May 4, 2016 at 4:51 pm1 Comment

Nearly 130 virtual reality developers from around the Seattle region gathered at the Center for Education and Research in Construction last weekend for the Seattle VR Hackathon, a biannual event that encourages… Read More

Almost science fiction: How Emerald City Comicon uses technology to create an epic show

by Daniel Rasmus on April 11, 2016April 11, 2016 at 10:49 amComment

Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC) once again invaded downtown Seattle for the weekend. To the dismay of many attendees, the world of Comic Cons doesn’t run on magic or any… Read More

Where Woz meets Shatner: Silicon Valley Comic Con puts the science in science fiction

by Daniel Rasmus on March 26, 2016March 26, 2016 at 3:56 pmComment

SAN JOSE, Calif. — At one point during an epic exchange with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak at Silicon Valley Comic Con, actor William Shatner launched into a rant about horse-based therapy and mysticism, followed by a loosely connected… Read More

How an iPad add-on transforms the visual effects of ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’

by Daniel Rasmus on March 2, 2016March 2, 2016 at 8:48 amComment

I’m standing on the rear cargo door of a S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet, just as Captain America did before his famous leap without a parachute. I am surrounded by two assailants both… Read More

The state of virtual reality in 2016: What’s working, what’s not, and what’s next

by Daniel Rasmus on January 16, 2016January 15, 2016 at 6:04 pm 7 Comments

LAS VEGAS — On the outskirts of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Central Hall, an expansive stadium, emblazoned with the Samsung Gear logo, was temporary erected for CES 2016. Long… Read More

How to compute fireworks: The technology behind the Space Needle’s epic New Year’s show

by Daniel Rasmus on December 31, 2015December 31, 2015 at 10:35 am 2 Comments

While pyrotechnics may be imagined and installed by human beings, the design and execution of the Space Needle’s New Year’s fireworks extravaganza in Seattle spends most of its life inside… Read More

Testing Amy: What it’s like to have appointments scheduled by an AI assistant

by Daniel Rasmus on December 15, 2015January 6, 2016 at 2:40 pmComment

I met Amy several months ago when a colleague invited me to a meeting. My first thought was jealousy over his ability to afford an assistant. I later found out… Read More

Virtual reality will transform business — if developers can address these 7 key issues

by Daniel Rasmus on October 27, 2015October 27, 2015 at 9:03 pm 3 Comments

The arrival of Oculus, and its subsequent acquisition by Facebook, created new buzz around virtual reality (VR), but much of the excitement focuses on hardware, as does the resurgent skepticism.… Read More

How personalized learning can reshape education: Insights from a special Gates Foundation panel

by Daniel Rasmus on October 17, 2015October 17, 2015 at 9:05 amComment

Buy the textbook. Attend lectures. Take tests. Get graded on a curve. This is the way most people remember their college or university learning experience. Learners, however, are a diverse group,… Read More

VR hackathon projects demonstrate emerging value of virtual reality

by Daniel Rasmus on October 1, 2015October 1, 2015 at 6:05 amComment

The Seattle VR Hackathon was held this past weekend in the University of Washington’s Center for Education and Research in Construction. The event consisted of two simultaneous competitions, the AEC Hackathon… Read More

Inspired by ‘Back to the Future,’ this machine turns food waste into energy

by Daniel Rasmus on September 27, 2015September 27, 2015 at 6:05 pm 3 Comments

Many people in the Northwest separate out their table scraps, wilted leaves and old fruit, carting them off eventually to a compost bin or joining their grass clippings and pruning… Read More

‘Doctor Who’ in 3D: Gearing up for the new season with my fellow Whovians

by Daniel Rasmus on September 18, 2015September 18, 2015 at 7:42 pmComment

[Author’s Note: There are spoilers ahead if you haven’t already seen last season’s Doctor Who finale. If you are a Doctor Who fan, though, spoilers are expected, given the timey-wimeiness… Read More

Step aside, consoles and PCs: PAX hints at gaming’s mobile future

by Daniel Rasmus on September 3, 2015September 4, 2015 at 8:18 am1 Comment

At PAX Prime 2015, the hardware was big — some of it actual big iron, like Corsair’s DIY PC made from a truck bed. The other class of big hardware… Read More

Articles by Daniel Rasmus

Top Stories from Daniel Rasmus

How Funko pops out a Pop! Inside the process of creating collectible figures, from idea to product

Latest from Daniel Rasmus

A new comic-con hero for Seattle? ACE Universe bringing its star-studded event to the city in June

How Funko pops out a Pop! Inside the process of creating collectible figures, from idea to product

Exclusive! The inside story of Comic-Con’s most coveted collectibles

How ‘The Tick’ took over Comic-Con: Amazon’s superhero is a big, blue deal in San Diego

Star Trek’s Tricorder, realized? This device uses AI to diagnose medical conditions

30 years later, the legacy of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ lives on

GeekWire Picks: Star Trek ‘TNG’ Bluetooth ComBadge works with Siri, Google Now, Cortana

Rituals of Emerald City Comicon: How these cosplayers and comic fans make their traditions

Review: Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac shows why a virtual machine matters

Reflections of a 50-ish gamer: How I rediscovered video games, and what I learned in the process

Cinematic VR Challenge shows how virtual reality is set to transform film

Why Jonathan Coulton left a comfortable tech job to launch a music career — and his own cruise

Review: ‘Star Trek’ Original Series Bluetooth Communicator is more than a prop

From ‘Supergirl’ to ‘Game of Thrones’: What the well-informed geek will be watching in 2016-17

Notes from Comic-Con: Why the Hollywood studios need to change how they engage with fans

Top 5 cool things from E3 2016, despite a smaller feel and fewer exhibitors

Interview: ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ star Clark Gregg on how technology is transforming Hollywood

Inside the Seattle VR Hackathon, a glimpse of virtual reality’s potential

Almost science fiction: How Emerald City Comicon uses technology to create an epic show

Where Woz meets Shatner: Silicon Valley Comic Con puts the science in science fiction

How an iPad add-on transforms the visual effects of ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’

The state of virtual reality in 2016: What’s working, what’s not, and what’s next

How to compute fireworks: The technology behind the Space Needle’s epic New Year’s show

Testing Amy: What it’s like to have appointments scheduled by an AI assistant

Virtual reality will transform business — if developers can address these 7 key issues

How personalized learning can reshape education: Insights from a special Gates Foundation panel

VR hackathon projects demonstrate emerging value of virtual reality

Inspired by ‘Back to the Future,’ this machine turns food waste into energy

‘Doctor Who’ in 3D: Gearing up for the new season with my fellow Whovians

Step aside, consoles and PCs: PAX hints at gaming’s mobile future

New Tech Eastside

Data at Hyper-Scale w/ Uber’s Phil Geurin: Keynote| Flatiron School Seattle

Explainable AI with H2O Driverless AI’s Machine Learning Interpretability Module