Up in the Air

There was a time when I used an orange-hued, monochrome monitor. In those days, an unmoving image, if left on for many hours, would burn the tube's phosphors. To prevent this, screensavers were born.

Today, there is absolutely no reason for a screensaver on my LCD. I haven't really collected that type of program since the days of Windows 3.0 and Berkley System's Afterdark with Flying Toasters.


Yet I just downloaded this! I'd been checking to see if my Air Canada airmiles would be accepted on Singapore Airlines. They are, in fact, both Star Alliance Partner members. The screenshot above is a screen saver which tracks the one-thousand partner flights that are in the air at any moment. It shows the earth and parts currently in light and in darkness. Little swarms of aircraft flow across the globe. I'll probably never actually keep it running, but it is interesting.