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RICE UNIVERSITY TESTS 1 TB RADIO WiFi

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Guglielmo Marconi would be proud. The pioneer of commercial radio would certainly approve the use of his discovery to transmit the word’s first non-laser wireless data system transmitting at 1 terabit per second (1 TB/S). This is 20,000 times the speed of the fastest current 4G LTE WiFi networks, and about 20 times the speed of the fastest wired business data services. At 1 TB/S, a signal could stream 200,000 HD movies at the same time.

The need for massive increases in data speed is obvious. A study conducted by Cisco Systems a few months ago found that mobile internet traffic grew by 74% globally in 2015, and smart phone use increased by 43%. For the year, video was 55% of all mobile data traffic.

The growing demand for data led the National Science Foundation to spend more than $60 million over the last five years in radio spectrum research. On Tuesday, the NSF gave a substantial grant to Rice University for testing of a pulsed radio data transfer method.

The researchers at Rice University, Edward Knightly and Aydin Babakhani, plan to depart from the carrier-wave modulation techniques that have been standard in radio communication for over a hundred years. Babakhani says that a pulsed wave system is probably the only non-laser WiFi platform that can perform at rates of in the range of 1 TB/S per channel.

Knightly said, “Instead of having signals that bounce off walls and are highly scattered throughout the environment, we (will)… only have line of sight. The benefit is (we)… blast all the bandwidth and all the information directly to a device with laser-sharp focus, and no one else will be able to intercept that signal because any receiver… offline… won’t detect it. So we’re focusing like a laser but we’re using radio. The challenge is to steer that beam to the right place at the right time, and to follow users as they move.”

We don’t know when 1 TB radio WiFi will be available to us. Several technical hurdles remain. If the Rice research team can overcome them quickly, we may see a consumer version within three years. When it does, we’ll report it here.

(For the best in internet service, talk to us. We can help.)

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STUPIDITY & TECHNOLOGY

Is information technology making us stupid? As we rely more and more on mobile phones, tablets, and video streaming devices, are we thinking less? Are we less aware of our surroundings?

If we can believe a poll commissioned by WGBH Boston, stupidity may indeed be advancing as technology advances. The poll, with 622 adults participating, was conducted in late March. Nearly half- 49%- of those surveyed said that technological development fosters stupidity; 46% said it makes us smarter. Only 51% of Americans said the benefits outweigh the risks.

Younger respondents were more likely to link technological advance with stupidity. Millennials and Generation X (53% of each) were more likely than their elders to link technology with stupidity. Just 38% of those born before 1946 did so. Dr. Lee M Meringoff heads the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted the WGBH poll. Meringoff said, “If you think young people are all in for technological revolution, think again. This national survey shows surprising differences among generations and their appreciation for innovation.”

Nearly three Americans out of four said technology improves education. A narrow majority (54%) said it makes us more productive. However, 71% said it makes us less human. And 54% said it undermines relationships with friends and family.

Our own view is that technology doesn’t have to make us stupid. Certainly it can tempt us to mire ourselves in trivia. We can waste our time on porn, cat videos, and interactive games. Social media can encourage vanity, and we all know people who text while driving or walking. Some people seem to be wholly unaware that a world exists outside of their electronic devices.

Our parents and our grandparents warned us about TV and radio, citing most of the same concerns, but most of us managed to lead normal and productive lives anyway. If we are wise, we will use information technology to inform ourselves and enhance our productivity. We don’t have to be oblivious to our surroundings. Our machines don’t have to rule us.

(To get the most out of information technology, you need a reliable internet connection. Is yours adequate? If it isn’t, talk to us. We can help.)