On this week’s The Drill Down podcast Number 600, is it time up for TikTok, AT&T gets throttled for throttling, lasers hack your smart speaker, a way to preserve big data on glass, how well did Blade Runner predict 2019…and much, much more.

Rutger Hauer, the Dutch wunderkind of an actor whose steely intensity made his presence unforgettable in films like Blade Runner, Nighthawks, and other challenging projects, died on July 19 2019 at his home in the Netherlands after a short illness, per Variety. He was 75.

The blond-haired actor with piercing blue eyes was a force majure on screens big and small. There was always an expected nervousness he gave the viewer when playing characters, there was always a wonderful unsettling feeling he gave to the energy of whatever might have been going on in a picture, and his magnetism went toe to toe with screen stalwarts like Harrison Ford in Blade Runner and Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams in the underrated crime yarn Nighthawks.

Emanating from the 6th floor of Resorts World NYC in Jamaica Queens, NY Wintercon kicked off a weekend of cosplay, collectibles, comics and more. If you are in the NYC area and looking for a great geek out, they convention will feature a Blade Runner reunion, multiple cosplay contests and fun for all members of the family.

It’s been two months since New York Comic-Con”¦ are you feeling the itch? Was NYCC too overwhelming? If so, then New York WinterCon may be more your speed. For the second straight year, NY WinterCon rolls into Resorts World Casino NYC this coming weekend bringing with it the very best for sci-fi and genre fans. The convention will feature celebrity guests, epic movie reunions, cosplay contests, artist alley, panel discussions and Q&As, and vendors galore. Everything starts this Friday night, December 1st, in Queens, New York.

Blade Runner 2049
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Screenwriter: Hampton Fancher, Michael Green
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, Lennie James, Dave Bautista, Jared Leto
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Rated R | 163 Minutes
Release Date: October 6, 2017

Blade Runner doesn’t have all the flashy substance that makes up what some would say is a traditional sci-fi film, but it sure does have all the nuances and subtleties that would make for a great sci-fi noir. Slow-burning detective stories still continue to unravel even in the distant future. You still have the stark monochromatic colors, a constant stream of pessimism, and a character that is drawn into the world of crime. You add a splash of sci-fi, that not only mixes well together, but proves that the elements can work in the right hands.

Blade Runner 2049, Denis Villeneuve‘s strikingly visual follow-up, takes place 30 years after Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. The filmmaker stays true to the themes explored by Scott’s adaptation of the Philip K. Dick book (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), while also building upon the mystery and intrigue, as well as adding even more themes that will have audiences talking, even well after the film has ended. Check out the full review below.