Perhaps the coolest screensaver ever!
The Star Alliance Screensaver is a map of the world that features all of the Star Alliance flights currently in the air. The Star Alliance is a network of major carriers including United, Air Canada, Lufthansa, and about 14 others.
At any given time there might be upwards of 1500 flights crisscrossing the globe. The Star Alliance Screensaver features real-time updates of all of its carriers in the air. Each plane is represented by a blinking dot, color coded by airline.
A real time shot isn’t the most interesting function, however. The screensaver can be adjusted to show “accelerated mode,” a sped-up version of the flights over the last 24 hours, updating at 10 minute intervals every 2 seconds. In this manner, you can watch individual flights make their way around the world as the sun moves.
I was in a meeting the other day when this screensaver popped up on a terminal and that was it for me. I sat mesmerized staring at all the planes going to places so very far away. It was also fascinating to check out the patterns. As daylight approaches Europe, international flights begin encroaching on it from all angles. The flights subside as the day goes on and then a whole rash of outbound flights begin heading away as night approaches, like a storm of insects. Very Cool!