MW slogans point to outer space.

I remember seeing news articles a few days ago that the first internet-server in space was going to be a OS X machine, but hadn't paid too much attention since I thought "so what?".

Could this be related? If it is, well this "hype" campaign must be the sickest thing I've come across in my whole life. :-)

I don't understand what that guy was actually going to DO with the servers in space, so I never really paid much attention to it. Communications is the major problem, and I'm not so sure that just sticking a bigger antenna on an Airport card will work.

Now, things in space are not normally trivial things. Very expensive radiation-hardening, etc., etc. But if instead of one (or a few) big satellites, what if there were a very large number (1000+) of inexpensive, redundant satellites that were expected to fail after a much shorter period of time?

It would be cool if Apple could end up doing for only a couple million what Teledesic has failed to with billions. But it probably won't happen.

This would also fit the "Cube will be resurrected" press release, as the Cube was the original space-server, and still makes a lot of sense.

It'd be nice if someone could explain how exactly that guy was going to transmit data to space and back.

Alex

Here's another one:

<a href="http://www.apple.com/scitech/stories/skycorp/" target="_blank">http://www.apple.com/scitech/stories/skycorp/</a>

It says: "In October 2001... one PowerMac G4... inside a sattellite... will make history."

However, the whole thing isn't written in the past tense, but in the future.

If it's not really old news (which it may well be, since I don't find this one too extremely spectacular and wouldn't have cared), I'd be willing to bet that Apple is completely fooling us all with this "hype" campaign.

Maybe it's satellite broadband. Instead of AirPort, we'll have SpacePort.

But seriously, I think they've either been in contact with aliens, and therefore have alien technology that they will unleash on us, or it's a mouse we can talk to, if we wanted to make, say, transparent aluminum (or aluminium for those that can't spell).

[quote]Originally posted by GardenOfEarthlyDelights:
<strong>Maybe it's satellite broadband. Instead of AirPort, we'll have SpacePort.
</strong><hr></blockquote>

Gigawire?

yes, there definitely... DEFINITELY... seems to be a "GLOBAL" or "SPACE" theme to apple's teasers. this coincides nicely with my theory that apple, with its itools service, has extended the "whole widget" off the desktop and into the ether, with the internet being as accessible as a radio broadcast or a television network, allowing you to sync your information via airport (or, as mentioned, spaceport - damn, that sounds cool) from anywhere. restaurant, bus, car, office, home... without having to be "virtually tethered" to your desktop as home base. could quicktime's streaming ability allow for people to place compressed mp3's on their idisks for listening like your own personal radio station? being an apple customer would literally be a "lifestyle" (hell, for me, it already is ... do you know what lengths i go to for accumulating crap with the apple logo on it???)

the mind boggles. :eek:

now, the question is, would apple do this on their own tab, or would they create a partnership with one of the big two - AOL/Time Warner or Microsoft? <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: rok ]</p>

Maybe Steve's gonna be the 2nd billionaire in space. LOL.

I would LOVE it if every Mac came with always-on high speed satelite based internet access. Talk about high expectations!

Hmm, the other day my brother showed me some hand held radios he had purchased (he's a techno-geek to the max).

These things were like the small Motorola radios you see EXCEPT they had a little more power. I think a 5 mile range on semi-flat land.
I thought it was cool and all but then he said something I found to be interesting..

"Yeah, in the manual it says these things can send a signal to the moon, line of sight."

These radios were $540 each, used AA batteries and made me start thinking about satellite broadband. They were also made by Motorola.

Maybe Apple gives you a free one with a years worth of service to AirSurf.

ANyone know the bandwidth limitations on UHF communications via Satellite?


MSKR

That might explain why two of the three Ti Powerbooks come standard with Airport. Why include something to so many people who may never use it.

[quote] now, the question is, would apple do this on their own tab, or would they create a partnership with one of the big two - AOL/Time Warner or Microsoft? <hr></blockquote>

Actually, I was watching Discovery the other day and they were discussing Microsofts interests into a "global" wireless broadband internet. Apple could EASILY team up with the devil and make a global "Airport" network.

I'd die and go to heaven! There's nothing more pathetic looking than a guy running all over campus with his iBook looking for a vacant Ethernet port. Give me Airport anywhere!

Mac Guru

This is more along the lines of what I was thinking of too, it just seemed too good to be true. Somenone posted an interesting comment in the macnn news section a few days ago. The said something to the effect of "I know what they're doing blah blah... I wish I could tell you, blah blah... the should get william shatner to be the spokesperson".
And then apple posted todays tagline. Interesting. I stand my my guest that it goes beyond hardware and software and also includes a "breakthrough" service of some sorts.

Here's a nice little way to get 10 miles out of your Airport base station..

imagine this in satellite form.

<a href="http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/Airport/Primestar/Primestar.html" target="_blank">Long Range Airport 802.11b</a>

MSKR

could that explain a higher priced iMac

iMac LCD with 2 years high speed digtial satellite broadband connection via airport/gigawire or whatever....

i would love satellite broadband...i live out in the middle of nowhere and will be years till dsl or cable internet reach me...and the phone lines ain't that great out here either...lots of disconnects....but a great view of the sky and nothing between my house and the heavens, so SJ please throw a couple of hundred G-4 servers up in space (or however many you need for worldwide coverage)...g

[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: thegelding ]</p>

Oh fvck, I'm going to kick myself in the ass for this, but for once I'm oing t reference Kormac, but I ain't happy bout it

He mentioned something of a partnership between Sony and Apple and other's I think. Could some other big players be set to band together in pre-emptive satellite internet initiative described under the catch phrase GIGAWIRE! Still doesn't prove that Kormac does anything more than read the right tech pages, but it is interesting I think. They'd be not really partners, but rather two major players/early adopters of a standard. Perhaps even one developed by Apple.

One thing's for certain, such a service, if it could be deployed in the next three months, and done so with a level of mac exclusivity would do two MAJOR things. 1) Produce at least an 18 month lead on anyone else. And 2.) Because of 1, sell more Mac laptops (to PC users no less) than 3 Apples could make.

[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: Matsu ]</p>

i'm not letting this thread slip too far... and it still counts as future hardware, folks, because good ol' as the apple turns just added fuel to the GLOBAL apple internet idea with their follow-up on what the patent for "gigawire" actually entails.

go to <a href="http://www.appleturns.com," target="_blank">http://www.appleturns.com,</a> and really get those wheels turning. screw cat-5 cables, man, just give me a little bit of a internet broadcast signal, and i can surf the web ANYwhere, ANYtime.

now, folks, THIS is progress.

p.s. not that i am bitter or anything, but on the old AI threads, i was one of the first (if not THE first) people to theorize if this was possible. 'course, i can't seem to take credit anymore... darn it. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />

GIGAWIRE!! (like that annoying Afleck(sp?) duck).

[quote]Originally posted by Masker:
<strong>Hmm, the other day my brother showed me some hand held radios he had purchased (he's a techno-geek to the max).

These things were like the small Motorola radios you see EXCEPT they had a little more power. I think a 5 mile range on semi-flat land.
I thought it was cool and all but then he said something I found to be interesting..

"Yeah, in the manual it says these things can send a signal to the moon, line of sight."

These radios were $540 each, used AA batteries and made me start thinking about satellite broadband. They were also made by Motorola.

Maybe Apple gives you a free one with a years worth of service to AirSurf.

ANyone know the bandwidth limitations on UHF communications via Satellite?


MSKR</strong><hr></blockquote>


Uhh...I think it can be up to a couple of megabits per connection. The latency would be horrible though. Also, it needs to be line of sight or the fast signal drops very quickly.

ya know I'm thinking about this worldwide broadband connection available ANYWHERE you go and are...that would certainly make the internet alot more free(in the sense that people wouldn't necesarilly have to run through their schools or work to get on their connections...thus less proxy bullshit and all that...unless of course the satalitte systems were relay based where they would relay to a main office building at a school and then work its self out through the school smaller scale...)
I think that if apple were to do this, then not only would it kick amjor ass, but then I would buy a laptop...that simple, if I could be sitting around at lunch or free period with my laptop surfing the internet wire free, then pick it up walk to the hill couple hunred feet away, and still be connected, damn I would Love that, needless to say that If it could work in a car...oh my god(unless I was driving of course)...on planes...wow this is a bit far fetched, but I definatly see the future involving always connected wireless broadband.

if apple DID manage to somehow get this under their belt, I seriously believe that they could turn the marketshare tables by well at least a 1/4
but then again if apple earned 25% of the marketshare...wow, thats a huge leap...now I'm getting ahead of myself....I'm sure microsoft(as much as I don't WANT this) will be the first to jump on that boat....with near limitless resoucres at his desposal bill gates could easily monopolize this market as well(look at the multi million dolalr x-box and xp campaigns)
oh well, at least this will probably be the future either way(I just really hope apple gets on it first and actually manages to reel in the pc users)

If this were to happen I'd sell my DP 533 G4, 640MB RAM, 2x 60GB HDs, and get the best iBook or TiBook that I could.

god damn it horned_frog, i have not had a god damn cigarette for 3 days and the one place i thought i could come in peace and not be REMINDED that i am DYING for a cigarette is an online BB like this, and what do I see but you posting that little "cigarette smoking man" gif everywhere!

argh!!!

hk-star

PS and he's smiling! argh!!!!

[quote]Originally posted by hk-star:
<strong>god damn it horned_frog, i have not had a god damn cigarette for 3 days and the one place i thought i could come in peace and not be REMINDED that i am DYING for a cigarette is an online BB like this, and what do I see but you posting that little "cigarette smoking man" gif everywhere!

argh!!!

hk-star

PS and he's smiling! argh!!!!</strong><hr></blockquote>


Good luck man.

Try staring at your watch for 2 minutes until the craving passes...

(dunno saw it in an anti-smoking commericail)

-Paul

thanks very much, i drank 3 glasses of fruit juice, that works well, it's hard to think of a cigarette as attractive after that.

anyway peer pressure is the thing at work really, once you've comitted, you have to follow through or you're confirmed weak ..

apple.com updated, spymac was right about the slogan, they probably guessed the URL

hk-star

[quote]Originally posted by hk-star:
<strong>thanks very much, i drank 3 glasses of fruit juice, that works well, it's hard to think of a cigarette as attractive after that.

anyway peer pressure is the thing at work really, once you've comitted, you have to follow through or you're confirmed weak ..

apple.com updated, spymac was right about the slogan, they probably guessed the URL

hk-star</strong><hr></blockquote>

Ouch, remind me never to take up smoking!

No, I think it is more likely that they saw it from someone on a board or somthing and just assumed it was correct. Also their graphic was WRONG. Wrong font and capitalization was off...

I dont belive a WORD they say.

-Paul

You are all wrong.

aquaMac

The worlds first waterproof computer.

[quote]Originally posted by Scott H.:
<strong>You are all wrong.

aquaMac

The worlds first waterproof computer.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I'm sure there are other water-proof computers...

-Paul

I really wish some of you would listen to many of the previous posters on this topic regarding a global wireless network. Satellite communications are not yet practical for many applications of broadband technology. For streaming content, transfer of large files, etc... it would work fine. However, any function that requires rapid transmission and response of small packets, such as any game would suffer greatly.

I am not an engineer, but when I was upgrading to broadband, I thoroughly researched the issue, and learned that the problem with every satellite provider is that latency becomes appreciable. Instead of a 2 mile journey to the phone or cable company with normal broadband, you have a 30 mile journey to a satellite, which relays, maybe even parses the information, and then it is sent back to earth to the satellite company, and THEN is transmitted across the internet to its destination, after which you must wait for the response.

If apple has found a solution to this, possibly a technology that does not require line of sight but can operate over a longer distance than Airport or even a GSM/GPRS service, I will be absurdly impressed. Besides, developing a network takes time, and you cannot covertly launch 50 or more satellites without someone catching on. No one's going to want to hear a plan of development for the next 4 years. Everyone wants/expects something we can use now. Despite the Apple hype, I highly doubt they will be going as far as space.

Interesting option: someone said OS X has a feature built into it to be able to hand off tasks to other OS X computers, kind of like dynamically parsing out render jobs. If every apple computer in the world acted as a base-station of sorts with the range of a small cell tower, some new roving device might be able to take advantage of a communal overlapping network with computers handing over control of it.

This first option is very big brother ish, and i dont like it. but what if it were an apple device with specifically that purpose. Not your home computer which I sure wouldnt want people mooching off of, but a dock type thing that you buy with the idea that once you have your portable device/dock combo, not only can you roam around the house with your tablet, you can roam anywhere accessing the services (internet connection, processing power) of anyone's dock with your info and files, safely stored on your tablet. In cities, I think it could be pretty cool.

Just a thought. Probably about 20 years down the road, not 2 days. Whatever...

.: Michael

yes, there definitely... DEFINITELY... seems to be a "GLOBAL" or "SPACE" theme to apple's teasers.


Hey does anybody know who controls the Iridium satellites now? I seem to remember that someone bought them at the last minute for pennies on the dollar?

just a thought!

I think it's something to do with rocket toys:

"Full speed ahead: Lust Factor Ten"

Tomorrow it'll probably say:

"Get ready for lift-off."

which could just mean the beginning of MacWorld
OR
The start of an Apple rocket.

Hoo nose?

[ 01-05-2002: Message edited by: Phatbert ]</p>

Forget the segway, Steve BEAMS onto the stage.

I think this is so obvious, and we're obviously missing it. Let's look at the clues:

- Star Trek references
- San Francisco

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you:

A flower-power iMac from transparent aluminum.

(Insert "Scotty" reference here.)

As an aside-- yes, there's significant latency in satellite broadband. Even if I (mockingly) suggested such an idea above, it takes years to implement such a project. One just doesn't decide, hey, let's heave a few rocks in space and start a global network.

Do you remember why it was called "Iridium?" Because its no. 77 on the periodic table, the same number of satellites that they needed for world-wide coverage.

How do you sneak 77 satellites into space? (Okay-- there's another company giving it a go, with fewer satellites. They're trying it with ~40. Still a lot.)

As for using the current Iridium satellites, personally, I don't think they have the bandwidth for anything useful, but even modem speeds would be kinda cool if you could hook up on top of Mt. Everest.

Of course, if tomorrow's tagline has something to do with "Whales" (e.g., "You'll have a whale of time") then they've found a cloaked Klingon Bird of Prey in a park, and they're giving free rides to take disruptor pot shots at Redmond.

[quote]Originally posted by Phatbert:
<strong>I think it's something to do with rocket toys:

"Full speed ahead: Lust Factor Ten"

Tomorrow it'll probably say:

"Get ready for lift-off."

which could just mean the beginning of MacWorld
OR
The start of an Apple rocket.

Hoo nose?

[ 01-05-2002: Message edited by: Phatbert ]</strong><hr></blockquote>

Of course it's about the launch of a rocket. What do you think why they needed to reschedule the keynote?