Skybox Can Predict iPhone Launch Using Satellite Imagery

[MacRumors]

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.

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

 

[AngerDanger]

This seems analogous to using nuclear radiation to cook a pop tart.

 

[MonstaMash]

Considering the numerous fines Google has seen with its mapping services, I feel like this is just asking for another court case.

 

[MikeAnd]

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.

 

[doelcm82]

So Skynet can predict the next iPhone launch. How soon until they can prevent it?

Someone had to go there.

 

[ryansimmons323]

Well. That is interesting.

Perhaps Samsung will be a big customer?

 

[Oohara]

Skybox?

Or is it actually Sky...net??

 

[decimortis]

Hey! That guy in the red car's double-parked.

D.

 

[Jaminist]

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?

 

[Goldarn]

"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]

The step after that is real-time satellite mapping.

That's me. Waving to myself.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Cool technology! Maybe they can figure out why my wife keeps doing unpaid overtime at her employer's hotel.

 

[Tubamajuba]

Foxconn should figure out what day of the week that Skybox takes their image, and hide every single truck. Just once.

 

[1Zach1]

It's all coming together.

 

[macduke]

Considering the numerous fines Google has seen with its mapping services, I feel like this is just asking for another court case.

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.

 

[SeattleMoose]

Google continues to prove they are nothing more than the NSA's lap dog....

 

[suprakc]

Google sucks. Can't stand the company, there products, or there sub-contracted products.

 

[/\/\]

I thought, NSA can do this for years.

 

[MikhailT]

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]

...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.

 

[MarkusL]

Forget the iPhone launches. When is someone going to invent a technology to predict Mac Mini refreshes?

 

[ouimetnick]

Skybox Can Predict iPhone Launch Using Satellite Imagery

So Skybox will be able to tell the date and time that Apple will launch the next iPhone? Isn't that what MacRumors is for?

 

[coolfactor]

This is scary, in the wrong hands.

 

[Yelmurc]

Not creepy at all

 

[dannyyankou]

This is frightening.