Google balloons

[wayno]

they are supposed to operate above the altitude of commercial airlines, i'd imagine they have some ability to control teh height, if it ends up at aircraft cruising altitude they can vent the balloon to make it drop down to earth gradually,

[GPSGuided]

I read that Google will be able to control their altitude and adjust their paths. But I find it hard to believe that they have so much control that any specific balloon can stay above one general area on the planet for an extended period. I have this vision of thousands of balloons all drifting in an Easterly direction, unevenly spread across planet Earth's upper atmosphere pending Google's instruction.

[wayno]

they should have a limited amount of control. adust the altitude to pick up the differing wind directions.. but i think they realise control will be limited and they'll just blanket the sky with them and you should have one around for coverage on teh ground.

[walkinTas]

We are already starting to see the dawn of a society divided not by class but by technology - haves and have nots.

This is well recognised and known as the "Digital Divide". Especially in poorer countries where it is strongly dictated by level of disposable income.

That's the one. As a global society we've failed to distribute economic wealth and we have failed to feed the worlds population (...and to his credit, Bill Gates is a positive campaigner). The Digital Divide is both between countries and within countries. It is probably going to get worse before it gets better.

Only trouble is it will breed an industry of software greed that products will not work unless connected to the web and paying an hourly charge.

There is a growing trend to move software and software-access into the cloud (Office 365 paradigm) - but that's a very big topic in itself. The concern is that technology access continues to be priced out of the reach of some (many).

I didn't mean to sound like a Microsoft basher either, or to commit to any particular camp - (I will always argue that technology is a tool not a religion - and I'm a user not a disciple). It always amuses me when people have MS products installed on everything and then sit around and *&%$#! about the company. As I said above, consumers can shape the market by what they buy - people have a choice - but consumers are only just starting to realise this. For a long time they chose Microsoft (for all sorts of reasons). I imagine that now MS are pushing into the touch screen devices many will again choose Microsoft. For some it is simple, it works, its user friendly and they like it. What's that old cliché - familiarity breeds contempt.

Interesting idea and proves if you wait long enough old ideas like ballooning will come back into fashion.

I am surprised by Google's choices here. Balloons will never be Geo-stat. And why 40°S? I mean, even if you had enough balloons to have one constantly appearing over the horizon, the population density at 40°S doesn't justify the investment. So obviously it has nothing to do with giving Tassie an ubiquitous Internet access.

There have been better technologies proposed (well, seemingly better). Aircraft with massive gas filled wings and solar panels that fly just inside the earth's atmosphere. One reason for using this type of "platform" ahead of LEOS is that the aircraft can be landed and the technology fixed or undated, and relaunched. What do Google hope to achieve with balloons? Is it really the right platform for the ubiquitous networks of the future?

[Ent]

The problem with geostationary satellites is Einstein speed limit on light so 36,000 kilometres up and then down results in lag. Low earth satellites have to deal with drag so have a limited life and unless you are the US military unaffordable. Balloons is a novel and dare I say ambitious approach. Trouble with high altitude is the jet streams and you need powerful engines to fight this so fuel load limits life. I doubt if solar powered planes could fight the wind. Balloons biggest problem is the leakage of the lighter than air gas from the containing membrane. This I would imagine is the main limit on flight time plus keep charge up to transmitters.

Though they might fly above commercial aircraft more than a few spy planes might find issue with these balloons. The worlds oceans are vast but this did not stop a UK and a French nuclear submarine colliding with each other.

Brave new world but the path to technological change is full of stops and starts. Good on to Google for having a go.

When I was in Greece in 2005 the government identified access to the internet as a social right (I know we humans are not suppose to have rights according to bureaucrats) and was starting to provide free wifi spots in poor areas. Not sure what has happened to that given the GFC. One thing is certain, Australia is very expensive and backward in provision of data. What is the company's name again, arh yes Telstra.

As for the helium issue. My understanding it leaks out of the ground in the USA and they control the supply so created the Hindenburg disaster by refusing to supply it to the Nazis.

Cheers

[walkinTas]

I hadn't heard of the Greece example, but I read somewhere that Norway (I think) has a similar policy for all kids in education.

Rights! - natural, legal, god given! - if we were going to have that discussion over a bottle of wine, we'd need a vineyard. I think we take a lot for granted with the Internet. I think a few ideas will be challenged in the not so distant future. Give the current controversies, even the underpinning concept of "net neutrality" is going to be under pressure.

Brave new world but the path to technological change is full of stops and starts. Good on to Google for having a go.

I agree. Check this out.

[colinm]

One really useful application of (tethered) balloon technology would be as a comms hub for SAR ops. Imagine giving up those heavy radios for something as simple as wifi or mobile phones? Whether it scales to free-flying balloons I don't know, I guess this is where google gets to surprise everyone, or not. In any case, a prototype comms balloon would have many applications.

[Rob A]

Effin google. Im just getting over the G+ fiasco.
And if I turned up and took a photo of your car in your drive and posted it on the internet ....

[colinm]

And if I turned up and took a photo of your car in your drive and posted it on the internet ....

I would have absolutely no recourse, because there is no firm legal basis for an expectation of privacy as far as images go.

I'd be ok if there were a law prohibiting people from taking and/or publishing images and video from a public place, but it would have to apply equally to the ubiquitous 'security' cameras we see all around the place, and that's never going to happen.