“Senator Grant Chapman, Chairman of the Federal Government’s Industry and Resource Committee announced today that AstroVision Australia Limited (‘AstroVision’), which will launch an Earth Observation Satellite (EOS) in 2008, will be using Apple technology for processing data when received on Earth,” SPX reports.
“Senator Chapman said, ‘In teaming with Apple AstroVision intends not only to set up the fastest supercomputer in Australia but to deliver a vital service to a whole range of organizations and consumer markets across the Government, Education and Private sectors,'” SPX reports. “Managing Director Michael Hewins comments: ‘Apple was our first choice for this project given its advanced capabilities in the design and development of mission-critical supercomputers. Also, the industry-leading QuickTime platform for the creation, distribution and playback of digital multimedia will enable us to quickly provide customers with stunning real time imagery from Space. We have been working with Apple Computer Australia for some time now and their extensive international expertise and focus on innovation provides significant value to our operations.”
“The company will establish the first live, continuous, high-resolution and true-colour motion imagery and data of the Earth from a geostationary imaging satellite. The data can be used to monitor weather and natural disasters, reduce bushfire and hail damage, improve coastal surveillance, navigational hazards for maritime and aviation industries, and improve electrical energy forecasting and delivery efficiency. It will be used to create a safer environment and cost savings to government, business and the private sector.”
Apple Computer Australia will provide AstroVision with:
• construction of a state of the art High Performance Computing (HPC) environment using Apple’s Unix-based Xserves and Xgrid computing software
• expertise in design and development of HPCs for parallel computing
• QuickTime, the global digital media standard
• an architecture for online distribution of multimedia content
• the research and design for the development of new consumer electronics products and product channels.
Full article here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Australia’s fastest supercomputer to use Apple Xserves, Xgrid and Mac OS X – April 20, 2005
“macs for science”
hellza yeeah
As a science teacher, I think this is great!!
‘an architecture for online distribution of multimedia content’ Very interesting
^ As a dorky nerd, I think this is even GREATER!!!!!
And as a nerdy dork, I agree.
Maybe now Mac users in Australia will get some respect, instead of being (more or less) laughed at by the PC majority.
As an Alien, it probably means I have a place to check my email.
“the research and design for the development of new consumer electronics products and product channels.”
Wow – can you say satelite video iPod?
aussies rule
Nice little comment about Quicktime – it’s a shame so many websites stream only in Real or Windows Media. BBC, are you listening????
Yes it is a shame about QT not being more broadly accepted, even though I believe it is outpacing both Real and Windows Streaming in gaining ground.
NPR used to stream all of their stuff with either Real or QT, not they give the choice between Real and Windows Audio. I don’t think it was a coincidence that they made that switch shortly after Microsoft became a major sponsor!
I can run that Mac MATE……..
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Butdo you get it? It’s QT and it’s huge data and its real time. How F@#Kn’ Cool is that!
sorry, spyinthesky did get it. cool.
Thats out of this world, but some satalites already use a special version of the PowerPC 750 aka G3 to power them…
Apple Satalite Next!!! woohooo
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All well and good to have Commonwealth support, but the Howard Government has a history of rapid turnarounds and non-deliverance, esp. when it comes to high-tech stuff. Let’s wait and see what happens in a few months. Besides, I haven’t seen this yet in the mainstream media…
Sentinel:
This is purely a commercial endeavor. At this time there are no government funds involved. At this time there are no plans to seek government funds. AstoVision Australia (AVA) is 51% owned by a public company. The project is being funded through both private placements and public purchases of stock.
If you are interested in supporting AVA contact me. If you are interested in supporting AVA contact your commercial providers and ask them if they are going to carry AVA’s service.
The bigger question is…
Since AstroVision started in the U.S. why is AstroVision Australia getting more growth than the original AstroVision? The reason is fairly simple: the U.S. government wants no part of this system — and will give absolutely no support for it (financial, verbal or otherwise). In simple fact, the U.S. government would rather AstroVision would just fade away.
Why? Because they believe (incorrectly) that this system is a competitor to the U.S. government’s own systems.
If the commercial system gives updates on a second by second basis and the U.S. government system gives updates on an average of once every twenty minutes then the huge bureaucracy running the U.S. government system feels threatened. If the commercial system gives images in true, full color and the U.S. government system gives only red and infrared then the U.S. government bureacracy feels threatened. If the commercial system has 16 times the spatial resolution as the U.S. government system then the U.S. government bureaucracy feels threatened. And so forth and so forth.
In all fairness, the U.S. government plans on putting up a better system starting in 2012. However it will not be until the NEXT system — the one to launch in 2025 — that they plan on fielding a system with the specifications mentioned above.
Thus the concept has gotten much, more support outside the U.S. than inside the U.S.
If you are interested in knowing more about this or want to actively support it contact me.
yes, this is a very cool project and shadowself is definitely in the know as it were. and he is absolutely correct – it is NOT a government program, but a private one. which is why it can bring to market such advances long before the government ever will.