blog Not content with already being one of the best places to work in Australia, local software developer Atlassian has taken its coolness factor one step further by installing videoconferencing gear set up to look like actual portals (you know, from the popular video game ‘Portal’) in several of its offices so that staff in different locations can talk to each other virtually. Of course, the devices are not yet feature-complete, as the company reports on its blog:

“Physical objects do not appear to transmit successfully, however: So far we’ve tried to send through a variety of items including beer, hula skirts, companion cubes and technical writers. Most of the beer has been recovered, but if anyone sees a dazed-looking technical writer please let us know.”

All kudos to Atlassian for doing this, but it does raise quite an important question: Where does Atlassian’s range of software products actually come from? Does the company truly employ actual software engineers to produce its code, or is there in fact a sinister artificial intelligence of some kind hiding in the back of the datacentre, waiting for their chance to put Atlassian’s staff through a series of tortured tests involving the portals? It pays to be careful.

Image credit: Atlassian

Tweet

1. PointZeroOne
   Posted 13/12/2011 at 3:40 pm | Permalink | Reply

   That’s awesome and Australian tech news :P

2. G Thompson
   Posted 13/12/2011 at 6:22 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Awesomeness, though what’s the bet there is still no cake!

   Even a Gingerbread cake would be nice [ http://toomuchgaming.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/portal-cakes.jpg ]

   • Renai LeMay
     Posted 13/12/2011 at 7:16 pm | Permalink | Reply

     Ooh very nice cake

3. Anthony S
   Posted 13/12/2011 at 6:48 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Any chance of a vid of it in action? And did they make it orange on the other side? Even better if they made it so the one making the call always got blue, and the receiver got orange.

   • Renai LeMay
     Posted 13/12/2011 at 7:15 pm | Permalink | Reply

     I believe it is orange on the other side; further pics here:

     http://blogs.atlassian.com/2011/12/developer-lives-saved-with-portal-device/

4. dave
   Posted 19/01/2013 at 12:21 am | Permalink | Reply

   What a waste of money.

• • Topic
  • Voices
  • Posts
  • Freshness
• • Malcolm Turnbull, Time Traveller

    Started by:  quink in: Everything else

  • 2
  • 4
  • 4 days, 11 hours ago

     Karl

  • Article on 'Ultraviolet'

    Started by:  ray73864 in: Everything else

  • 2
  • 2
  • 1 week ago

     Karl

  • Surface sells out … of its tiny amount of stock?

    Started by:  Renai LeMay in: Gadgets

  • 4
  • 4
  • 1 week, 1 day ago

     douglasrose

  • Coalition fraudband plan summary…

    Started by:  Hubert Cumberdale in: National Broadband Network

  • 4
  • 4
  • 1 week, 6 days ago

     JamesH1

  • NBN Is A Question Of Reliability

    Started by:  JamesH1 in: National Broadband Network

  • 1
  • 1
  • 1 week, 6 days ago

     JamesH1

  • Renai asked:

    Started by:  Tinman_au in: National Broadband Network

  • 1
  • 1
  • 1 week, 6 days ago

     Tinman_au

  • What Happened to Whirlpool posts

    Started by:  MikeK101 in: Everything else

  • 2
  • 2
  • 3 weeks, 6 days ago

     Bob.H

  • Conroy/Turnbull NBN Debate Next Week

    Started by:  zephram in: National Broadband Network

  • 1
  • 1
  • 3 weeks, 6 days ago

     zephram

  • Blocked from posting? Let me know

    Started by:  Renai LeMay in: Everything else

  • 2
  • 2
  • 4 weeks, 1 day ago

     Abel Adamski

  • Falsehoods of the day

    Started by:  Karl in: National Broadband Network

  • 4
  • 5
  • 1 month, 1 week ago

     Anonymous

  • Is IBM selling its Network Services Division to Telstra?

    Started by:  Renai LeMay in: Everything else

  • 1
  • 1
  • 1 month, 2 weeks ago

     Renai LeMay

  • 10 Terabit NBN plan? Yes please :)

    Started by:  daniel996 in: National Broadband Network

  • 2
  • 2
  • 1 month, 2 weeks ago

     Karl

  • Renai (or anyone else?): List of working tags?

    Started by:  Tinman_au in: Everything else

  • 3
  • 6
  • 2 months ago

     midspace

  • Receiving spam from "OEMSoftware Newsletter"?

    Started by:  Renai LeMay in: Everything else

  • 4
  • 4
  • 2 months ago

     midspace

  • A brief update on banned users

    Started by:  Renai LeMay in: Everything else

  • 6
  • 9
  • 2 months ago

     Autocrat

•