Telephones, specifically landlines like those presented in the movie, were introduced in 1876 [1]. They revolutionized communication, allowing instantaneous and synchronous voice conversations between physically distant individuals.

Telephones became an ubiquitous item in American households around the 1960s, with residential telephone service standardly available across the country via a massive cable network [1].

These devices function by converting variations in air pressure (an individual's voice) into variations in current (an electrical signal). This signal is transmitted along telephone wires to the recipient's device which then convert it back into air pressure waves (the sender's voice).

Advancements in telephones have led to the development of mobile/cellular telephones as well as significant improvements in the range and quality of reception. Modern cellular devices now have WiFi capabilities and host a variety of functions other than basic communication powers. The future looks towards 5G networks that will significantly improve connectivity.

A laser printer is used in the movie to print out a frame of one of the camera's footage with a picture of a suspected card counter.

Introduced in 1977, laser printers allow the reproduction of any digital image as a physical copy. They function by sending pulses of a laser to a photosensitive drum and then adhering toner to these light affected spots. The printer then fuses the toner with the paper by applying head and pressure. [2]

Laser printers have since evolved in many regards, most notably speed, resolution, and ink efficiency [2].

The retail store in the film depicts an ADT alarm system adjacent to the entrance, which is likely the zone monitored by the system.

These security systems, when activated, sound off an alarm when the monitored zone is violated, alerting ADT or the respective security company via a telephone signal [3]. The motion sensors that communicate with the central unit detect both active and passive motion, using sound waves and infrared respectively [3]. The systems can be manually disabled by entering a specific key sequence.

Many home and business owners secure their property with such security systems, which have evolved to have capabilities that allow video monitoring and remote access to the systems.

Characters in the movie are seen using laptops in class for coursework as well as extracurricular projects, like the coding of the robot for the 2.09 competition.

Personal computers were introduced to the market in 1977, using 8-bit microprocessors and having some albeit limited memory capacity. As time went on, processors got smaller and faster, memory increased, and graphical user interfaces were implemented with the existing architecture. Computers evolved to become increasingly interconnected and offered more software to users granting them a wider range of computing capabilities [4]. Supercomputers and quantum computing are showing impressive advancements and in a decade or two it might be feasible for individuals to have their own personal, portable quantum/super computer.

Casino security consists of closed circuit surveillance cameras whose footage is displayed on banks of monitors in a central control room manned by a team of professionals.

As depicted in the movie, cameras capture images of patrons, record playing patterns, and track wagers and winnings. Machine learning algorithms analyze these images that they collect in large volumes of data to identify card counters/cheaters.

The camera architecture is a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera encased in a semi-transparent globe that obscures the direction the camera is facing [5].

PTZs can be manually rotated by an operator or automatically rotated using motion sensing technology. Both methods are usually used concurrently, with automated surveillance tracking general movement patterns and manual surveillance tracking specific targets - as shown by the security consultant focusing one feed on the main character/card counting suspect while other monitors display routine sweeping [5].

Advances in videographic technology have improved quality, range, and storage of CCTV feeds, but the general premise has remained the same since its introduction in 1949.

Airport security plays an underrated but key role in the movie, with TSA bag scanners having cash detecting abilities that would create problems for the card counting team as they try to transport their winnings back to Boston. Instead they hide their cash in various places on their person and pass through the metal detectors undetected.

Metal detectors create a magnetic field, by using a brief pulse of electrical current through wires/electrical devices, which is reflected back if metal objects are present. This reflection triggers an alert to the TSA agent for further investigation [6]. Recently it has been discovered that metal detectors can sense the metallic ink in the security strips of US banknotes and can therefore detect paper money. [6]

Baggage scanners use backscatter X-rays to uncover objects hidden beneath clothing and other objects and can detect metallic and non-metallic items [6].

One scene in the movie depicts the use of a bill counting machine as gamblers at the casino cash out their chips. These devices make it simple to quickly and accurately sum bills, with more advance ones having counterfeit detecting capabilities.

These machines work by individually pulling bills through the machine, the number of times an internal beam of light is interrupted determines the number of bills and pattern recognition using color image sensors determines the denomination of each. In addition the machines can verify bills' legitimacy by scanning for fluorescent symbols [7].

A large component of the movie’s subplot is the decreasing job security of the casino’s risk analyst, whose career is threatened by advancements in biometric facial recognition technology.

Casinos are rapidly integrating new computer systems into their existing security architecture, ones that possess facial recognition software. Historic facial recognition (1999) were ‘dumb systems’ and involved the compilation of a database of pictures, captured by simple surveillance cameras, and then the manual comparison of the resemblance between individuals and known casino undesirables. Today’s ‘smart systems’ create a non-photographic digital fingerprint of sorts of clients and then analyze these, comparing them to databases with internationally known card counters as well as law enforcement databases with verified criminals.

These non-photographic digital fingerprints are created by an overhead stereo camera that can track/identify the value of cards and the amount of players’ chips using contour analysis, template matching, and scale-invariant feature transforms.

Developments in facial recognition software include overall improvements in resolution and the reduction of bias in the systems.

In the movie, two characters are seen working on creating a robot wheel that will be able to navigate itself using a proprietary GPS system and will be their entry into the 2.09 robotics competition.

The navigation system on the robot will function the same way other GPS systems do, with a receiver constantly listening for signals from satellites, and using these signals to calculate its distance from the other satellites to determine its exact location [9].

Using laser scanners, cameras, microphones and other instruments, autonomous robots are able to sense their environment [9]. The robot in the movie was very rudimentarily autonomous, and likely used infrared or ultrasound sensors, while more advanced ones use radar and lidar combined with image recognition software that enable them to detect and identify objects that they ‘see’ [9]. Autonomous robots also have on board computers that they use for functioning.

The most advanced autonomous technology that we have today are self-driving cars and while they not currently fully autonomous, they likely will be in the near future.