Pigeon to fly in face of data
2009-09-08 14:59
Cape Town - A homing pigeon named Winston will fly from Howick (outside Pietermaritzburg) to Hillcrest (outside Durban) on Wednesday morning to prove that he is faster at transferring 4GB of data than a landline.
The web is already abuzz with overwhelming support for Winston who will make the all important flight with a memory card strapped to his leg. He even has his own Facebook page and regularly tweets on Twitter, where, for obvious reasons, he feels very much at home.
Winston's historic journey is the result of intensive research by his employer, SA financial services company The Unlimited, on alternative methods of getting 4GB of information from their offices in Howick to their Head Office in Hillcrest, a distance of approximately 70km.
"We came across the lesser spotted internet protocol: IPoAC or CPIP, commonly known as Internet protocol over Avian Carrier or Carrier Pigeon Internet Protocol respectively," the company said in a statement on their website.
"The Unlimited has hired a high speed consultant, Winston, a top class racing pigeon from Gillits (just outside of Hillcrest). And on 9 September 2009 (090909), he will be transporting 4GBs of information in a micro-sd card and racing our 1mbps ADSL data line from Howick to Hillcrest."
An excited Winston told News24 on Tuesday afternoon that he will depart Howick at 10:00 on Wednesday morning and is hoping to arrive in Hillcrest by 11:00. "I have trained extensively and am confident that I can beat the landline," he said.
The organisers of the event have assured fans that no cats wil be allowed and that Winston's birdseed will not have any performance enhancing seeds within.
For more information visit the official website.