Wow! That’s Fast! April 1, 2007
Posted by Steve in : Technology , add a commentIBM last week at the 2007 Optical Fiber Conference showed off a prototype of a tiny optical chipset capable of moving data at 160 Gbps, making it possible to download a high-def movie in one second. The optical transceiver streams data over light pulses sent through plastic tubes. It’s eight times faster than existing optical technology, where data travels over electrons through copper wire at rates of 2.5 Gbytes to 5 Gbytes per second.
As the technology matures, it could find its way into the home, although that is probably 4-5 years off. A high-definition movie arriving over cable could be processed and stored in a second, using a set-top box with the optical transceiver; it takes at least 30 minutes with the fastest connections today. The technology could pave the way for devices that almost instantly transmit a digital X-ray to a doctor’s hand-held screen, a seismic analysis to an oil engineer’s workstation or movies around home networks.
Check it out at InformationWeek
VHS: Say It Ain’t So November 30, 2006
Posted by Steve in : Movies, Technology , add a comment
VHS, long the format of choice for home entertainment, is now all but forgotten, and most retailers are not stocking VHS tapes in the lucrative Christmas selling season. The format had been expected to survive until January, but high-def formats and next-generation videogame consoles hastened its final decline. I spent much of my hard-earned money in the late 80’s and 90’s renting VHS tapes — so I shed a tear at this news. The more interesting point in this news is the velocity fo technological change. While the VHS format lasted for 25 years — it is unclear how long the DVD will last….Wal-Mart, who accounts for a staggering 40% of all DVD’s sold in America, is betting on movie downloads over the internet and is investing heavily to ensure it is a major player. Who thinks we will be playing taps for DVD’s in the next 5 years? (more…)
