Down to earth - a big step for technology?

Surely progress is supposed to be about grander and grander designs, technological systems no less impressive than what the best minds in science fiction could conjure.

And preferably the truly astounding innovations involve space, which still carries a certain exciting ... air? ... even in these days of incessant Ryanair-travel.

At least US presidents seem to believe so.

Take Star Wars satellites from ... 1983 (he had to beat George Orwell's 1984, didn't he?). Ronald Reagan's cold war recipe was like a wet dream factory to influence future box office -hits (ok, Star Wars the movie got there a bit earlier). For various reasons, George Bush 2's own science fiction fantasy has not got too much coverage recently.

I know, I am ironic, but all too unfortunately, many innovations have been made for military purposes. Wars - preferably big ones - and innovations are definitely interlinked as the following concise article shows.

Against this, admittedly a bit rambling - background the article that I recently read seems very interesting. The piece read that sending and receiving TV signal via satellites is in danger of becoming obsolote technology!

(Sky will be ... moving from satellite distribution into the broadband market, via the recent purchase of telecom company Easynet, and is clearly contemplating its options on other delivery platforms. Full story here (needs registration that is free))

So, broadband is the future, especially wireless one. Networks invisible to the eye covering most of the globe.

No need for exact pinpointing of the satellite dishes to far far away energy beams of tens of only tens of watts to receive a grainy signal, then, surely. (GPS satellites emit signal of max 50W whereas a normal light bulb is 60W) . And you for sure know which one its emitting its radiation from a nearer distance! And, sorry, can't resist, oh those Russians. (A small confession that 'a victim of popular culture' am I too)

If that goes for the military as well is not so sure. Even though I'm pretty sure they would want to avoid £500,000 phone bills made on their stolen satellite phones. This actually happened recently to the British military. The story did not tell to which numbers these calls were made ...
(for an exercise, try to find this article yourself if you don't believe me as you obviously should. i'm going to bed!)

Beam me up, Scotty!