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Wearable Computer Expedition Reaches South Pole

Posted by michael on from the takes-a-licking-keeps-on-pinging dept.

henrym writes: "Tom and Tina Sjogren have reached the South Pole after skiing in for two months wearing portable computers. Their web site hasn't been updated to reflect this fact, but our station manager has just come back from greeting them as they reached the pole. Details of their expedition can be found at thepoles.com. Henry Malmgren, South Pole Station Network Engineer" It's not every day we get a story submission from the South Pole.

13 of 104 comments (clear)

  1. Why the South Pole by Britney · · Score: 4, Funny
    And not the North Pole?

    Is it because they wanted some Penguins?

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    1. Re:Why the South Pole by KjetilK · · Score: 4, Interesting
      The North Pole is a lot more dangerous hike than the South Pole. When you go to the North Pole, you will not have solid ground under your feet, you'll walk on ocean ice. Sometimes it breaks up, often it floats southwards, so you may well wake up one morning, finding you have drifted further away from the pole than when you went to sleep the previous evening. You must count on falling in the icy water, or you may want top walk a long way around open ocean. However, Børge Ousland, who did the first solo crossing of the ice cap (he failed to do it unsupported, though), had a suite that he used to swim across open fields between the ice flakes. Then, there are Polar Bears. You have to be on the alert, because they are probably the only species on earth that looks upon you as their natural pray. Penguins are definitately preferable, yes... :-) Sometimes, the ice builds up to immense towers. OTOH, in Antarctica, there is colder, and the sastrugi that you may encounter can be rather vicious.

      Actually, there is something about Antartica that is just very appealing to me. Not necessarily the South Pole (there are many expeditions there. If you want to do something big, though, you could try skiing there in the Winter, that would be something). But while Antarctica is appeal, the northern polar icecap seems just very, very scary. But, I guess I might change my mind about that too.

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      Employee of Inrupt, Project Release Manager and Community Manager for Solid
  2. Am I the only one who read by epsalon · · Score: 4, Funny

    "expidition" as "exhibition"...

    Imagine this: The 2020 wearables exhibition: Now at the South Pole ...
    And then they wonder why so few people came...

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    Make even shorter URLs - 8LN.org

  3. Imagine That? by TenPin22 · · Score: 3, Funny

    They went to all that trouble to serve up a webpage from the south pole. They surely can't have that much bandwidth at the south pole then they go and get slashdotted.

    Well at least their systems wont need any cooling.

  4. The website has now been updated by Dephex+Twin · · Score: 5, Informative
    The most recent entry now tells about their arrival at the Pole.

    S90 00 T08.30AM(Chile) Alt 3000m
    TT 12,0 h D 26,3 km TD 1133,1km/63days
    DSP 0 km (1100) sleds w 82 kg
    -37C/5kts, Sun As 2/3

    The last day turned every bit as hard as the previous. Chill of -70C and twelve hours travel. Already 24 km before the pole we spotted a building. It blew our mind and we started to run. But one hour and no breath later we slowed and watched the South Pole station grow before our eyes. We wrote frequent messages in the snow to each other and grand thoughts raced our brains interrupted only by the occasional roast turkey flying by.
    The polar station was backlit by the sun and it was like something from Waterworld. Or a base station on another planet. So unreal and so entirely awe-inspiring. Sounds of engines and mechanics, fumes and smell of industrial fuel, weird buildings and machines all lay deserted in the pale light. The station is on NZ time and we took it that everyone was to bed it being their midnight. It was like leaving the world of adventure and entering the world of science, although it is the same thing really.
    Except we couldn't find the stick marking the pole. We thought of knocking on the door of a hut and ask for the SP, but just then we noticed a crowd of perhaps 20 people in the distance. They waived and filmed. Cold and desperately tired we hurried over. It was the station guys up and waiting for us! We skied to the mark and they cheered us on. CNN was there for another coverage and so they got us too. There were flags everywhere and we watched each other like beings from different planets. We must have made some sight, frozen solid. After 60 days of isolation this was a very warm welcome. Well, we are in tent now, very tired and immensely happy. Hey guys, we made it!

    mark
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    If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. -- Carl Sagan
  5. the website data at a glance... by Em+Emalb · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's cold. We are tired. Be glad when we get there. Wish you were here.

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    Sent from your iPad.
  6. In the other news... by epsalon · · Score: 4, Funny

    AMD has produced video footage of an AMD-based PC that keep on working even when the heat sink is removed. When questioned about the results, AMD Spokesman just mentioned something about a "secret laboratory down south"...

    Ain't that a good idea?

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    Make even shorter URLs - 8LN.org

  7. A note by NiftyNews · · Score: 5, Funny

    Fingers freezing. Palm pilot stuck to chest. Must run cpu-heavy routines for warmth. So cold.

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    Today's Top Deals
  8. Wow. some gear. by Triv · · Score: 3, Informative

    From the site:

    The technology

    High energy Solar Panels
    Wearable computing
    PDA
    Finger mouse
    Wrist key board
    Head mounted display
    Flat panel display
    Customized technology west's
    Shoulder mounted web camera
    Lithium-Ion batteries
    Satellite phone
    Power converters

    I was wondering how they powered all that stuff, and now I feel like an idiot. I was thinking fuel cells, batteries (which, granted, they did have) wind power and the rest, but completely missed THE SUN.

    Funny what you don't think about when you live in a metropolis. I miss the country. :)

    Triv

  9. I want a wearable computer by TheDick · · Score: 4, Funny
    For MY South Pole....

    Damn. Bad Pun.

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  10. Re:Wearable computers by hughk · · Score: 3, Interesting
    There is a special club amongst people working at the South Pole. When conditions are good, they heat up a sauna and then run naked from the sauna (except for footware) run once around the pole and back again. I believe the club is called something like the two-hundred below club, the two hundred referring to the temperature difference between the Sauna and outside in Farenheit.

    Not a wearable computer in sight!!!!!!

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    See my journal, I write things there
  11. URL? by GeorgeH · · Score: 3, Funny

    http://www.thepoles.com/? Shouldn't it have been http://www.thepoles.aq/?

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    Why can't I moderate something "Wrong" or at least "Grossly Misinformed"?
  12. another live south pole camera by ehackathorn · · Score: 3, Informative
    We set this camera up a couple months ago and it shows the construction of the new South Pole station. I think the camera on this guy's web site is broken. If it is the same camera I am thinking about, the picture looks pretty nasty a few weeks ago. We had to replace our old camera since it just froze to death...


    South Pole Live Camera.


    or check out our South Pole Web Page.