Fast internet is fast. Google Fiber’s gigabit connections? That’s like driving a sports car compared to the go-cart-speed connection that’s probably in your house. But new technology from IBM opens the door for connections that are beyond fast. Comparatively, it’s like flying a fighter jet.
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Fiber internet is great no matter who’s laying it down. Gigabit connection speeds? Hell yes. But if you thought that was fast, researchers in the UK have something better that will not only blow your hair back, but blow it right off: a 1.4 terabit connection, and all with commercial-grade hardware.
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Jeff Keacher wanted to get his Mac Plus, now well into its third decade, online. It had been on BBSes and text-only Lynx via dial-up back in the day, but Keacher wanted to go full TCP/IP. And it worked. He even loaded Gizmodo for us!
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If Internet.org ever hopes to be successful with its goal of bringing affordable internet to the next 5 billion people, the cost of delivery will need to be much cheaper than it is today. Today, members of the coalition — which includes Facebook, Qualcomm, Ericsson and others — released a substantial 70-page white paper that outlines some of the initial steps that are on the drawing board. According to the group’s estimates, data delivery is currently 100 times too expensive to execute the vision of Internet.org, but all of that could change within the next decade.
To accomplish this, Internet.org is seeking ways to bring a tenfold improvement to the cost of delivering data, along with apps that are 10 times more efficient. For Facebook’s part, it highlights technologies such as HipHop for PHP and the HipHop virtual machine, which allows its existing servers to accommodate 500 percent more traffic than before, and its Air Traffic Control system, which allows it to simulate different mobile networks and congestion systems around the world. Similarly, Facebook is looking to compression technologies such as WebP — currently in use on its Android app — to replace image formats such as PNG and JPEG, which alone could reduce network traffic by 20%.
Another challenge is looming, however, as Qualcomm estimates that the demand for data will double each year over the next 10 years, ultimately increasing 1000 fold over where it is today. To meet that demand, it’s lobbying for a substantial spectrum reallocation, along with technologies such as carrier aggregation, LTE-Broadcast and LTE Direct. Combine this with more unconventional approaches that it’ll reveal at a later date, and you begin to appreciate the massive undertaking that lies ahead for the partners of Internet.org.
Filed under: Internet, Mobile, Facebook
Source: Facebook, Internet.org (PDF)
Successive generations of console gaming have been, historically, defined by improvements in graphics. But Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg envisions a different future for the coming next-gen of gaming and it’s all about connectivity. As he told our own Ben Gilbert at Gamescom 2013 this week, “The same way that Xbox Live and PlayStation Network led to the big trend in this generation being multiplayer games, I think that some sort of connectivity and social amplification of games is probably something you’ll see a lot of creative activity around [in the next-gen].” Hirshberg offered up Destiny, Bungie’s upcoming hybrid FPS / persistent world game as a prime example of this trend, and referred to the title as being “born modern” — a video game and social network rolled into one.
Hirshberg’s aware that not all gamers are ready to jump ship from the current console generation. Which is why his company decided to invest in a new engine for Call of Duty: Ghosts to maximize the beauty of its visuals and audio, but still make it a multiplatform, cross-generational title. Activision’s even partnering up with retailers to offer gamers incentives (in the form of a minimal upgrade fee) to make the next-gen leap should they initially purchase the PS3 or Xbox 360 version.
As for where forward-facing virtual reality hardware like the Oculus Rift fits in, Hirshberg wasn’t as optimistic. He’s used the VR headset before, but primarily views it as a non-additive layer for gaming that’s better enjoyed in “small doses” due to its intensity.
For our full interview with Hirshberg and all his thoughts on the next-gen of gaming, click on past the break.
Google’s strategy for bringing internet access to underserved areas involves giant balloons, but Facebook’s leans more on collaboration. The social network has founded Internet.org along with Ericsson, MediaTek, Nokia, Opera, Samsung and Qualcomm, and is setting the partnership’s sights on making sure the two-thirds of the world that doesn’t have internet access gets the proper hookup. Zuckerberg and friends aren’t ready for a complete show-and-tell of their plans just yet, but they’ve outlined some of their goals: making access affordable, using data more efficiently and lending businesses a hand so they can increase access.
When it comes to cost cutting, the group aims to develop and use tech that allows for cheaper connectivity, such as affordable high-quality smartphones. As for data efficiency, the team may investigate compression tools and caching systems to help ease the load on fledgling networks. In fact, Facebook is already working on reducing its Android app’s daily data usage from 12MB a day to just 1MB. Lastly, the organization intends to look into sustainable business models that sweeten the pot for everyone from developers to mobile operators to pitch in for the cause. Connecting roughly 5 billion people to the web is a tall order by any standard, but Facebook and Co. are drawing inspiration from their successful Open Compute Project to give themselves a fighting chance. Zuck’s scheduled to talk up the alliance on CNN tomorrow morning, but you can head past the break for a video from Internet.org that tugs at the heart strings.
Filed under: Internet, Facebook
Via: The New York Times
Source: Facebook (1), (2), (3), Internet.org
There’s not much your phone or tablet can’t do these days, beyond maybe displaying their troves of mobile content on a screen larger than 10 inches. But that’s what televisions are for. And, with one of these five methods, you’ll be able to seamlessly throw music and movies from your little screen to your big screen.
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Going underground just got a little less scary; as of today, the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority is rolling out Wi-Fi and cell service to 30 stations across the city. More »
Companies like Cisco have tried lending Major League Baseball a hand in its quest to serve better internet connectivity to game attendees, but Bud Selig & Co. know that a little more has to be done if the proper results are to be achieved. Now, through its own MLB Advanced Media branch, the league is teaming up with Qualcomm Technologies (a subsidiary of the chip-maker) to launch a collaboration that’ll “survey, plan and optimize network connectivity for fans at supported MLB parks.” According to the terms of the partnership, Qualcomm engineers will provide a detailed plan and assessment on how to improve wireless access at baseball fields, and that’s taking into consideration 3G, 4G and, of course, WiFi. Here’s to hoping the MLB / Qualcomm alliance plays out well for the sake of those who enjoy an IRL version of America’s national pastime — because we all know how important it is to be able to quickly share that “I can see Rudy Giulani from where I’m sitting” tweet.
Filed under: Wireless, Internet
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Major League Baseball
Qualcomm has announced something that will make travellers everywhere very happy: a new radio chipset that can support every LTE network in the world. More »
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