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Bill Gates Invests $80 Million in Arizona "Smart City"

posted by martyb on Wednesday November 15 2017, @01:05PM   
from the first-home-is-reserved-for-Winston-Smith dept.

takyon and Phoenix666 write:

Bill Gates is Buying Land in Arizona to Build a "Smart City"

An investment firm run by Bill Gates has put down $80 million to develop a planned community in Arizona. The 25,000 acres of land is about 45 minutes west of Phoenix, in an area called the West Valley. The community, which Gates wants to turn into a "smart city," will be named Belmont.

"Belmont will create a forward-thinking community with a communication and infrastructure spine that embraces cutting-edge technology, designed around high-speed digital networks, data centers, new manufacturing technologies and distribution models, autonomous vehicles and autonomous logistics hubs," Belmont Partners, the Arizona real state investment company involved in the deal, said in a news release.

The proposed freeway I-11, which would connect the Belmont area to Las Vegas, makes the land an ideal spot for a new community, according to Ronald Schott, the executive emeritus at the Arizona Technology Council. Of the 25,000 acres, 3,800 will be used for office, retail, and commercial space. Another 470 acres will be used for public schools. That leaves enough space for 80,000 residential units.

Also at TheUSBPort, Fossbytes, CNET, and Real Estate Daily News.

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Original Submission #1   Original Submission #2

• Should be interesting Should be interesting (Score: 5, Funny) by Grishnakh on Wednesday November 15 2017, @03:33PM (5 children)

  by Grishnakh (2831) on Wednesday November 15 2017, @03:33PM (#597308)

  I hope he puts his money where his mouth is, and makes sure that ALL the technologies in this city are running on Microsoft software. This includes the autonomous vehicles.

  Starting Score:	1		point
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• Re:Should be interesting Re:Should be interesting (Score: 4, Funny) by Gaaark on Wednesday November 15 2017, @04:21PM (3 children)

  by Gaaark (41) on Wednesday November 15 2017, @04:21PM (#597334) Journal

  Yeah, we're gonna have to have you come in on the weekend, due to you being late....because your WinAlarm didn't wake you up because it froze and because your WinSUV wouldn't start because it froze... in this 105^o weather...

  ...did you get the WinTps report?
  No?
  Did you get the WinBSOD? You did! Yeah.....

  --
  --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---

  Parent

  • Re:Should be interesting Re:Should be interesting (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Wednesday November 15 2017, @04:30PM (2 children)

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Wednesday November 15 2017, @04:30PM (#597338)

    Sounds like a nightmare, combined with the horrific Win8/10/Metro UI all over the place on every technological device you use.

    But it'll be funny as hell to watch idiots put up with that shit. I sure as hell won't be living there. Maybe someone will make a reality TV show about the place.

    Parent

    • Re:Should be interesting Re:Should be interesting (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 15 2017, @04:57PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 15 2017, @04:57PM (#597354)

      Holy mother of angelic buggery, man... Don't give them ideas or else we will be subjected to another generation of kardashians or whatever those half-humanoid modiforms are called...

      Parent

      • Re:Should be interesting (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 15 2017, @06:53PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 15 2017, @06:53PM (#597406)

        Subjected to? Are you strapped down and forced to watch TV like in A Clockwork Orange?

        You do know you have the option to ignore the stuff on TV you don't like, right?

        Parent

• Re:Should be interesting (Score: 4, Informative) by aristarchus on Wednesday November 15 2017, @08:53PM

  by aristarchus (2645) on Wednesday November 15 2017, @08:53PM (#597448) Journal

  And makes sure that ALL the technologies in this city are running on Microsoft software. This includes the autonomous vehicles.

  Whole new level of meaning to the "Blue Screen of Death", eh? Not as useful as a "check engine" light.

  There has been an undetectable error in the system. Prepare to die."

  or:

  This vehicle has performed an illegal operation. Abort, cancel, or die?

  Possibly my favorite:

  Clippy: "It looks like your are engaged in a high-speed chase! would you like some help with that?"
  User: "Sure, Clippy. Here, you hold the shotgun."

  Parent