December 27th, 1999

[2:15 PM] Apple Powers MTV's The Bunker Project; iBooks Abound by Staff Apple has gone to work for MTV by supplying the machines and technology behind The Bunker Project. The Bunker Project is clever effort by MTV to exploit the Y2K situation by placing 6 "bunkernauts" in an underground bunker below TImes Square in New York City to await the new year. The entire event is of course available to the public through MTV and, more importantly to our story, to the web. The Bunker Project has several Web Cams set up and is streaming the content from these cameras through QuickTime, set up by Apple for the network. A quick visit to the site and the Web Cams currently shows three bunkernauts doing some live chat with Tangerine and Blueberry iBooks sitting pretty on their laps. According to MTV: When we last tuned in, MTV.com had just selected six courageous young men and women to be sent into an underground www.MTV.com Bunker, where they will live in seclusion and wait out the turn of the century. In the event of an epic millennial catastrophe, these brave bunkernauts will survive in their lair beneath Times Square, and when they emerge, start human civilization on earth all over again. Until then, may we suggest you check in on exactly what kind of people they are? (In this case, it's not just okay to spy-it's a moral imperative. After all, if these people are to serve as modern-day Adams and Eves, we better make sure they're not digging into any forbidden fruit). Here's how you can keep tabs on all the underground action, and stay in touch with fellow voyeurs 24/7 through MTV.com: DO A LITTLE SPYING - Monitor the behavior and fate of the bunkernauts on MTV.com via a network of Web-cams created exclusively by Apple. All Macintosh and Windows users need to do is download the QuickTime 4 Player free from www.apple.com/quicktime. TALK BEHIND THEIR BACKS - The Bunker Chat, powered by PeopleLink, allows you to chat with other bunker voyeurs during the project. There are seven Web-cams in the bunker, which link to separate chat rooms. READ ALL ABOUT IT - Sign up for the free Bunker Newsletter (http://w3.0mm.com/mtv/bnk/) will keep you up to date throughout the entire Bunker project via daily e-mail briefings. DROP A LINE - "Dear Bunkernaut" allows you to send messages to individual bunkernauts throughout their subterranean stay. A visit to the site will quickly show you the various opportunities to engage in this project. The Mac Observer Spin: What a coup for Apple! This is very likely to be a very popular program for MTV as well as a successful Internet sensation. Apple scores big by having QuickTime be the streaming mechanism, not to mention having who knows how many Macs showcased throughout the show. MTV has long been a Mac stronghold both on the road and in their studios. For those keeping score, it is interesting to see this "Real World" like set up without the slick production. Especially with 6 iBooks adorning the laps of the chosen ones. MTV - The Bunker Project