SLVQC@CUNYVM (Salvatore Saieva) (11/28/90)
Here this! From the Rumor Central column, Nov 12, 1990 issue of PC Week:
``Wandering the weaving 747, the Feisty Meister of industry brouhaha
came across a Kattophile who's tapped into the Central Intelligence Agency.
Seems the agency has ordered 2,500 NeXT machines to use in its underwater
sonar-detection operations, for security and intelligence gathering.
No one really knows for sure, but the buzz is that---apart from the box's
undercover black design---the CIA likes the NeXT machine's enhanced
digital processing and sampling capabilities, and will be writing its own
program code.''
Fancy that. I'm skeptical too but you have to admit it's a wild rumor.
Sal.
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Salvatore Saieva Internet: slvqc@cunyvm.cuny.edu
Queens College, Academic Computer Center BITNET: slvqc@cunyvm.bitnet
65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, N.Y. 11367 DeskNet: (718) 520-7662
awk, sed, grep, lex, yacc, make, >, <, |,... ``I got the Power!''SLVQC@CUNYVM (Salvatore Saieva) (11/28/90)
Hear this! From the Rumor Central column, Nov 12, 1990 issue of PC Week:
``Wandering the weaving 747, the Feisty Meister of industry brouhaha
came across a Kattophile who's tapped into the Central Intelligence Agency.
Seems the agency has ordered 2,500 NeXT machines to use in its underwater
sonar-detection operations, for security and intelligence gathering.
No one really knows for sure, but the buzz is that---apart from the box's
undercover black design---the CIA likes the NeXT machine's enhanced
digital processing and sampling capabilities, and will be writing its own
program code.''
Fancy that. I'm skeptical too but you have to admit it's a wild rumor.
Sal.
-------
Salvatore Saieva Internet: slvqc@cunyvm.cuny.edu
Queens College, Academic Computer Center BITNET: slvqc@cunyvm.bitnet
65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, N.Y. 11367 DeskNet: (718) 520-7662
awk, sed, grep, lex, yacc, make, >, <, |,... ``I got the Power!''shwake@raysnec.UUCP (Ray Shwake) (11/29/90)
SLVQC@CUNYVM (Salvatore Saieva) writes: >No one really knows for sure, but the buzz is that---apart from the box's >undercover black design---the CIA likes the NeXT machine's enhanced >digital processing and sampling capabilities, and will be writing its own >program code.'' Why do you find this so curious a story? These organizations which confirm and deny nothing, have budgets and mandates they don't talk about, have always looked to new technologies to support their missions - whatever they are. 8-)
ppham@gmuvax2.gmu.edu (ppham) (11/30/90)
>NeXt selling 2500 machines to the CIA.
Yes, I think it is true, I know for sure that "some branch" of the US
Gov. was evaluating he machines, so I guess that it musta been the CIA.mcgredo@prism.cs.orst.edu (Don McGregor) (11/30/90)
In article <3003@gmuvax2.gmu.edu> ppham@gmuvax2.UUCP ( ) writes: >>NeXt selling 2500 machines to the CIA. > >Yes, I think it is true, I know for sure that "some branch" of the US >Gov. was evaluating he machines, so I guess that it musta been the CIA. For the application that was mentioned (digitial signal processing of underwater data) it sounds more likely that it would be one branch or another of the Navy. I believe the CIA gets more involved in the analysis of collected data than in crunching numbers of this type. Don McGregor | "I too seek the light, so long as it tastes mcgredo@prism.cs.orst.edu| great and is not too filling."
jchin@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca (Joseph Chin) (11/30/90)
In article <3003@gmuvax2.gmu.edu>, ppham@gmuvax2.gmu.edu (ppham) writes: > >NeXt selling 2500 machines to the CIA. > > Yes, I think it is true, I know for sure that "some branch" of the US > Gov. was evaluating he machines, so I guess that it musta been the CIA. I read somewhere (I believe in one of the Tao issues ... Rob's excellent newsletter) that some of the reasons why the CIA likes the NeXT are: 1) The DSP chip is great for sonar analysis ... 2) The OD can be removed from the machine after each use and be stored in a safe ... safe from prying eyes and more portable than a SCSI drive. Joe jchin@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca ps. NO ... I don't work for any defense contractor. Just my $0.02 ...
dan@gacvx2.gac.edu (12/01/90)
In article <681@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca>, jchin@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca (Joseph Chin) writes: > In article <3003@gmuvax2.gmu.edu>, ppham@gmuvax2.gmu.edu (ppham) writes: >> >NeXt selling 2500 machines to the CIA. >> >> Yes, I think it is true, I know for sure that "some branch" of the US >> Gov. was evaluating he machines, so I guess that it musta been the CIA. > > I read somewhere (I believe in one of the Tao issues ... Rob's excellent > newsletter) that some of the reasons why the CIA likes the NeXT are: > 1) The DSP chip is great for sonar analysis ... > 2) The OD can be removed from the machine after each use and be stored in > a safe ... safe from prying eyes and more portable than a SCSI drive. > > Joe > jchin@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca > > ps. NO ... I don't work for any defense contractor. Just my $0.02 ... I wouldn't worry about the CIA buying NeXT's or any other computer. They have become a front organization nowadays. The CIA is responsible for a lot of international press about the U.S. (pro U.S. propaganda) They are probably just looking for a good desktop publishing system. Their operations are too public. The really important secret stuff is done by the NSA, NSC and organizations that are to secret to have names. -- Dan Boehlke Internet: dan@gac.edu Campus Network Manager BITNET: dan@gacvax1.bitnet Gustavus Adolphus College St. Peter, MN 56082 USA Phone: (507)931-7596 P.S. I also don't work for the government, but do spend too much time reading department of energy press releases about civil defense.