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Skybox Can Predict iPhone Launch Using Satellite Imagery

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MacRumors

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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sat-800x450.jpg
The Wall Street Journal profiles one of Google's recent acquisitions which has implications on mapping, competitive intelligence and even privacy. Skybox Imaging is an intelligence company that by the year 2018 will be able to take satellite imaging to the next level:
By the time its entire fleet of 24 satellites has launched in 2018, Skybox will be imaging the entire Earth at a resolution sufficient to capture, for example, real-time video of cars driving down the highway. And it will be doing it three times a day.
Click to expand...
The ability to take such frequent imaging will certainly aid Google's Maps product, but it also opens up a market for competitive intelligence. Skybox says they are already looking at Foxconn every week and are able to pinpoint the next iPhone release based on the density of trucks outside their manufacturing facilities.

Google plans on initially using the technology to improve their Maps product, potentially providing more up-to-date satellite images, but Skybox executives have long term plans for offering their data to outside developers for a fee.

Article Link: Skybox Can Predict iPhone Launch Using Satellite Imagery
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/06/16/skybox-iphone-satellite-imaging/
MonstaMash

MonstaMash

macrumors regular
Dec 24, 2011
205
82
Considering the numerous fines Google has seen with its mapping services, I feel like this is just asking for another court case.
 
M

MikeAnd

Suspended
Jan 8, 2008
105
112
Great...

So can a guy with a few hundred bucks and a willingness to bribe someone at Foxconn. Not to mention anyone with a calendar, an Internet connection, and the ability to read Apple's special-event announcements.
 
Oohara

Oohara

macrumors 68040
Jun 28, 2012
3,050
2,423
Skybox?

Or is it actually Sky...net?? :eek:
 
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J

Jaminist

macrumors newbie
May 31, 2011
11
13
Ummmmm... Don't Apple announce the iPhone release dates at their launches? They do, I've seen it. Tim Cook stands on a stage and lists all the features and then says how much it's gonna cost and when it will be available.

Oh, and isn't it roughly the same time every year? :D
 
G

Goldarn

macrumors newbie
Apr 17, 2012
11
0
"We've noticed you're driving to Best Buy. Here are some coupons you can use, all tagged with specials codes so we can see what you bought to improve your future recommendations."
 
Populism

Populism

macrumors regular
Jun 11, 2014
193
3,080
The step after that is real-time satellite mapping.

That's me. Waving to myself.
 
keysofanxiety

keysofanxiety

macrumors G3
Nov 23, 2011
9,539
25,302
Cool technology! Maybe they can figure out why my wife keeps doing unpaid overtime at her employer's hotel. :confused:
 
T

Tubamajuba

macrumors 68020
Jun 8, 2011
2,185
2,443
here
Foxconn should figure out what day of the week that Skybox takes their image, and hide every single truck. Just once.
 
macduke

macduke

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,139
19,675
MonstaMash said:
Considering the numerous fines Google has seen with its mapping services, I feel like this is just asking for another court case.
Click to expand...

You mean all the wrist slaps? All I've seen are fines ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to low millions. At this point breaking the law is just another operating cost for Google.
 
M

MikhailT

macrumors 601
Nov 12, 2007
4,582
1,325
I'm surprised the countries are even permitting this type of information in the first place. I suspect some countries are going to start banning them or restrict to internal use only. Russia would be one of those countries, there was some news about the NASA's use of imagery to disprove the Russia's arguments that the tanks did not come from Russia into Ukraine. I'm guessing that's one good thing about it, it'll make it every difficult for any countries to do bad things without being caught.

This would be extremely useful for tracking the movements of any citizens as well. If this can be used to predict the next iPhones, it can also be used to predict the next protest or any movement of _unwanted_ citizens.
 
thatisme

thatisme

macrumors 6502
Mar 23, 2010
485
106
United States
...DO NO EVIL! ...

This Skybox may help mapping progress, however, it holds so much more potential for privacy loss... Not sure I like the thought of how it *MIGHT* be used.
 
M

MarkusL

macrumors 6502
Jun 1, 2014
462
2,524
Forget the iPhone launches. When is someone going to invent a technology to predict Mac Mini refreshes?
 
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