Hallmark's got a 50th Anniversary HAL 9000 Christmas ornament… with light and sound!
The latest result in machine intelligence, the HAL 9000—thought to be the most reliable computer ever made and incapable of error—served as the brain and central nervous system for the Discovery One ship's ill-fated mission to Jupiter. Fans of "2001: A Space Odyssey" will want to bring home this special Christmas ornament that celebrates 50 years of the science-fiction masterpiece. Press the button to see the ornament light up as HAL says several memorable phrases.
Side note: reviewers can't decide if it's actually Douglas Rain voicing HAL or not (you can listen to a sample of HAL's ornament voice via the video on the product's page.):
Elizabeth: "I do believe these quotes on this ornament are the original Hal … I played it against my lap top computer from the movie clips to compare. The difference is the speaker on the ornament is not great quality so it makes the sound of his voice a little off but the quotes are said the same way… I wish they would have added a few more fun quotes from the movie I like mine and glad bought it."
Matt: Matt: "I just received this ornament today in the mail. The voice being used is not Douglas Rain's (Hal from the movies). This is not a minor issue for a product sold as "HAL 9000 50th Anniversary Ornament With Light and Sound." The use of another voice actor should have been disclosed as part of the product's description on this page. Clearly, Hallmark didn't want to spend the extra money to pay the licensing fees for the actual voice so they hired a voice actor instead. There is nothing wrong with that as royalties can add up fast, but it should have been disclosed…"
Either way, it's available for $19.99.
