30 years after the world first experienced the tale of "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away," the cultural impact of Star Wars continues to resonate in ways both expected and mystifying. One of the more interesting ways is the movies' impact on technology, both perceived (Industrial Light and Magic's enormous influence on the world of special effects) and assumed, as listed in this article in eWeek. Some of the connections are a little far-fetched - hologram communications to video conferencing, for example - but if you're looking for a quick reminder of how far technology has come in 30 years (and how far it has to go), this article is a fun read.

Via Switched