Having been present at the infamous "Microsoft is now our ally" Stevenote a few years back, the AtAT staff is quite familiar with the Strange Bedfellows principle. In fact, after hearing the audience's boos, hisses, and strangled cries of "please kill me now" that preceded the appearance of Bill Gates's Big Giant Head on the conference hall's video screen, we figure we're pretty jaded when it comes to corporate collaborations that might leave a bad taste in one's mouth. Heck, even the Apple-IBM teamup at the dawn of the PowerPC age seems tame compared to Mr. Sweater greeting the Macworld Expo crowd as his new humble servants. So yeah, Apple and RealNetworks joining forces may be an... interesting plot twist, but at least it isn't likely to send the Mac faithful into writhing, foaming seizures like that Microsoft deal.

In case you missed Apple's press release (first pointed out to us by faithful viewer Tim Rzeznik), here's the deal: Real has licensed Apple's QuickTime streaming technology for incorporation into RealServer 8, the next incarnation of the company's streaming media server product. What this means is that sites who rely on RealServer to webcast their content will soon be able to stream QuickTime without having to switch to (or add) Apple's QuickTime Streaming Server. So who gets what? Well, Apple gets (hopefully) more exposure for QuickTime on the server side of the fence, which it sorely needs, if the reports of Windows Media's growing lead are accurate. On the other hand, Real gets to offer its customers a "one-stop shop" streaming solution that can handle two popular formats for the price of one. (Okay, well, actually, for the price of two, since QuickTime's always been free. But still.) It would appear that the age of Apple's "No Server Tax" ads are over; Real Is Now Your Friend™.

Now, what we're hoping is that this plan doesn't blow up in Apple's face. According to various and sundry sources, Real has made some serious progress with RealSystem8; MacWEEK, for example, claims that the latest architecture from Real provides a "substantial boost in video quality" that might make QuickTime Streaming look like the dorky sidekick when the two are placed side by side. Here's hoping that the next update to QuickTime, due this summer, can help establish the lead in quality. And we also wouldn't mind if this Apple-Real deal also spawned a Mac-compatible version of RealServer. (Then again, given that Apple hasn't even released a Mac OS 9 version of the QuickTime Streaming Server, maybe we shouldn't hold our breath.)

It's only fitting; since the Power Mac G4 looks like it came from space, why not send it into space? That's just what SkyCorp plans to do next year-- according to SpaceViews, the fledgling satellite company wants to stick a G4 web server into a satellite and pop it into orbit during an upcoming shuttle mission, thus establishing what it believes to be the first web server in space. Yes, at some point in the not-too-distant future, you'll be able to sleep soundly knowing that there's a curvaceous Graphite-and-Ice Mac whirling through the heavens and extending the boundaries of impeccable industrial design beyond the earth's physical diameter.

SkyCorp's orbiting G4 will serve its pages to the earth-bound 'net via a "SkyCorp-developed variant of Apple's existing AirPort wireless networking technology." (Figures; these guys are going to establish a wireless link to a G4 flying miles above the surface of the planet, while we have trouble maintaining an AirPort signal between our front porch and the bedroom.) As for content, well, apparently it's going to be limited to "technology and hardware test data," so our hopes of a "very special AtAT" broadcast geosynchronously from space have been dashed. But heck, in a few years, everyone will have his or her own orbiting web server-- we predict it'll be the pet rock of the mid-'00s. So we can wait.

In case you were wondering, yes, Apple is in on this deal. The company has reportedly "agreed to provide hardware and technical support to SkyCorp for this venture." Uh-oh, did we just hear the conspiracy theory alarm bells going off? Since Apple's involved, and the G4 that's being launched into orbit will be "modified for space," we bet at least a few of you are wondering what other "modifications" Apple plans to make before the G4 gets dropped into orbit. Spy satellite? Nope-- too obvious. It's been done before, and Apple's an innovator. Reality Distortion Field Signal Booster? More likely-- or at least it would be, if Apple didn't already have one in orbit. (We can't think of any other way to explain Business Week's "Info Tech 100" results, which, faithful viewer Matthew Guerrieri notes, "ranks Apple (#58) above Microsoft (#75), Gateway (#83) and IBM (not even on the list)." (Dell's ahead, though, at #24.) So no, whatever Apple has in store for next year's orbiting G4 is even more diabolical. Electromagnetic Pulse Beam aimed squarely at Michael Dell's house? Now you're talkin'.

Okay, somebody tell Adobe and AppleInsider to quit ad-libbing and stick to the script. Everyone knows that the accepted industry-standard way to deal with a rumors web site leaking sensitive information is to have the lawyers issue a stern cease-and-desist order, after which the offending data is hastily removed and replaced with a "REMOVED BY ORDER OF (insert company name here) LEGAL" notice. But apparently these two missed rehearsal, because instead, Adobe has actually gone and filed a lawsuit against AppleInsider for posting "trade secret" details of upcoming versions of Photoshop and ImageReady. An article in The Recorder has the details-- thanks to faithful viewer Pastor Mac for being first to alert us to this serious breach of etiquette.

As near as we can tell, it went down like this: Adobe's lawyers told MacNN (AppleInsider's parent site) to pull the secret data "within 20 minutes" or else get sued. MacNN's webmaster, Monish Bhatia, apparently didn't take the "20 minutes" stipulation seriously, said he'd "look into it," and subsequently found himself the target of a lawsuit the very next day. Adobe is suing to "enjoin Macintosh News Network from soliciting or disclosing Adobe's trade secrets and for recovery of damages"-- damages which, the company claims, "could conservatively amount to tens of millions of dollars." (Seven zeroes for posting a preview of an unannounced product? Hey, Imatec wanted nine from Apple in that whole ColorSync flap. Go figure.)

Holy yikes! Say what you will about Apple's occasionally-overeager lawyers; at least they haven't actually sued a web site for leaking sensitive data-- and they've had their share of chances. (Remember the posting of Kihei images the week before the new iMacs were unveiled?) We can't help but assume that Adobe's lawsuit will now make the Mac rumorscape even more barren, as the rumormongers get cold feet when contemplating the now-very-real possibility of getting dragged into court. Then again, maybe not; AppleInsider's already gone ahead and posted An Inside Look at Office 2001. Gutsy, or just plain stupid? We suppose that depends on whether Microsoft's lawyers can squeeze enough time away from the "Redmond Justice" appeal to file suit.