In the US we’re ahead of the curve on a few things on the technology front, and if we’re not then we simply buy the best that’s out there. When it comes to connection speeds, you can’t help but look around and see we’re terribly far behind. Case in point, there’s a research firm in Europe working on broadband technology that could deliver up to 12.5 Gb/s connection speeds.

For those with a little less technical know-how. Imagine being able to download a HD movie, that’s full length, in a single second. Hell, even images can take 2-3 seconds to download. With the speeds this firm is researching, the broadband market could change forever.

The technology is called, millimetre (mm)-wave’ or microwave photonics which along with broadband connections could have a slew of different applications. IPHOBAC is the organization behind the research, and combines the academic minds along with the commercial sector. The technology utilizes the high end of the radio spectrum (30 to 300 gigahertz), and for the most part has gone largely untapped until now.

The applications that this technology could affect include, astronomy, space system technology, home entertainment broadcasting, home networking, and so on.

[via: ScienceDaily]

If you’d like to help out in your own way, you can take the IPHOBAC survey. The data is collected and used for research purposes within the project.

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As our economic problems continue, we should continue to look around and discover ways to improve our situation. If I had political power, my first order of business would be to stop frivolous lawsuits. It seems like you can log onto a news site, or flip open a newspaper without seeing someone being sued over patent infringement, or a copyright issue.

It seems like the encompassing effect of patents is growing, and any general outline is enough to sue someone over. Of course, protecting your IP is important, but just where is that line between justified and frivolous?

The latest lawsuit comes by way of Worlds.com. They are suing the MMO game publisher NCSoft for their use of 3D virtual worlds. Worlds.com claims that they are in possession of a patent, dating back to the 90’s that, “enables thousands of simultaneous users in a 3D virtual space”. Doesn’t get more general than that does it?

As of now Worlds.com is only going after NCSoft. According to this article, this could just be the beginning. Be weary all you virtual world travelers out there.

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I think if Google Voice is implemented correctly, could shape the way phones are used in our lives. Imagine the power of the voicemail, only being able to link it to the internet. It might not sound that great at first, but just imagine some of the possibilities.

Google Voice is only available as a preview through Grand Central, a site that Google acquired a couple of years ago. Here’s a list of the main features that Google Voice will implement:

“You can get transcripts of your voicemail (see the video below) and archive and search all of the SMS text messages you send and receive. You can also use the service to make low-priced international calls and easily access Goog-411 directory assistance.”

If Google adds email functionality to your transcripts, or allows people to embed them to a site then Google Voice could take off. I can see prank emails, where you hide the transcript code and scare a friend with a ‘Screamer’. The possibilities could be limitless. Let’s just hope Google provides these features.

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Ghostbusters, one of the all time classics in my book was released back in 1984. In the movie, Egon had a line that probably rings true more in this day and age than when the movie first came out; ‘print is dead’.

You can give Egon some kind of Nostradamus award, because it’s looking like he was right. It seems like stories of printed publications shutting down, or primarily going online are becoming more rampant. If you follow the link above you’ll see that EGM, a reputable gaming magazine that was going on 20 years was instantly shut down.

Rolling Stone, a magazine icon had to switch formats and page size to be able to fit onto newsstands. If you pick up a newspaper at a gas station, you’ll see smaller and smaller editions being printed. Even books are in trouble, as the popularity of the Amazon Kindle rises a bit. Now, there’s an iPhone app that brings you the power of the Kindle for free.

Don’t get me wrong, I love technology but sometimes it can be depressing. I’ve downloaded a couple of books onto my Kindle app, and it just doesn’t do it for me. There’s something about reading text on a screen, and just pressing a finger on the screen to turn the page that feels off. I think the day is still awhile off, but there will come a time there will no longer be print. It will be good for then environment, but what about the soul?

How have you viewed print media lately? Do you feel any sort of nostalgia for it, or do you say ‘bring on tech’ and don’t care?

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