Wi-Fi, Now Available On the ISS

Grant Henninger writes "Rejoice! The next time you have an extra $20 million and decide to visit the International Space Station you won't need to leave the window to tell all your friends how cool it is. The ISS now has a new Wi-Fi network, so all you'll need to do is fire up Twitterrific and announce how much better you are than your Earth-based friends."

Comments

War-orbiting

[Tyger]

Alright, who is going to be the first to start the new war-orbiting trend?

I wonder if it is an unsecured wireless network. Does being far above anyone else who could access your wireless network count as security through obscurity?

Extra $20 million

[bigtallmofo]

The next time you have an extra $20 million...all you'll need to do is fire up Twitterrific and announce how much better you are than your Earth-based friends

The next time I have an extra $20 million, I won't need Twitterific or even a visit to the ISS to let my friends know how much better I am than them. I'll hire people to follow my friends around town to let them know that fact on an hourly basis.

Re:NASA will probably cooperate

[amdpox]

I don't think a Pringles cantenna is going to be sufficient here... anyone got a spare grain silo laying around?

Network Stumbler

[DeadBugs]

That would explain why every 90 minutes or so "ISS" pops up on my available networks and then promptly disappears.

Re:Network Stumbler

[spaceman375]

Can I borrow your antenna?

But you will have to speak Russian

[bornwaysouth]

I thought there are fears that once the Shuttles no longer service the ISS in 2010, then access to the ISS will be limited to nations that can say "Da, you can have Georgia" in Russian.

So your friends will have to accept you talking through a Russian interpreter. This may well improve the conversation. I mean, how often can you say 'The earth is a blue and white ball' without getting boring. Whereas, a mistranslation such as 'Why on earth are your balls blue and white?' will at least help.

Is it free?

[snikulin]

My 20 mil contract does not say anything about WiFi. Should I buy a cup of coffee to use it?

First Message

[PPH]

To: Gfnnrzx
From: Plftspnk
Subject: New WiFi Hot Spot

Hey dude! I was cruising thru the wasteland in my saucer and I found this great open hot spot. Its right near that crazy pile of junk orbiting planet Irth. Just pull up behind them, so they won't see your ship and you can log your laptop onto the Irth Internet and download lots of cool homosapien p0rn. Also, log onto this site called Slashdot and post something about welcoming alien overlords. They'll get a kick out of it.

Later, dude.

P.S.: What's a lap, anyway?