Mario
Paniccia, director of Intel’s photonics lab in Santa Clara, CA, announced, “Our new integrated optical link makes that possible.”
Read the
article written in the MIT Technology Review website for this exciting development.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Fiber Optic Chips in Computers a Reality
The communications network has fiber optic sections and in
some cases fiber optic cable directly to the home or business. However, those
transmissions are converted to analog (copper or coax wire) signals to interact
with landline phones, televisions and computers. If these devices contained
fiber optic components, communications would transmit at the speed of light.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Nikola Tesla - Electronics Genius and Telephone Company Employee
People in our modern electronic world will recognize names like Westinghouse and Edison but few people, not involved with electronics, recognize the name Tesla. Nikola Tesla was not interested in fame but only in technology. He worked for the famous Westinghouse and Edison but has rarely been given his due credit for developing the use of alternating current that is common in today's world.
He began his career as an electrical engineer with a telephone company in Budapest in 1881. The copper-wired telephone system still in use today uses direct current for transmission. But a discussion of telecommunications would have to include Tesla's contribution to the electronic world. It wasn't long before he moved on to much bigger and better things.
The Tesla Memorial Society of New York has created a site all about Tesla and his contribution to society. I suppose it is never too late to become a household word.
I also suggest a look at Tesla Motors' all electric roadster.
This car is something to see; if you can spot one on the road! I saw one on the road in Clearwater, Florida. I considered following the driver to his destination, but then thought better of it as he might think I was a stalker. Fortunately, on a visit to the local 7-11, I found the car and driver, who had stopped for a coffee. He proudly demonstrated the removable roof and told me about its functions. He said there are only three on the road in the Tampa Bay area. Granted the car has a hefty price tag, over $100,000 US, but you have to admire the technology. He claimed they are working on a model that will be priced so that more people can afford it. I anxiously wait for that day.
He began his career as an electrical engineer with a telephone company in Budapest in 1881. The copper-wired telephone system still in use today uses direct current for transmission. But a discussion of telecommunications would have to include Tesla's contribution to the electronic world. It wasn't long before he moved on to much bigger and better things.
The Tesla Memorial Society of New York has created a site all about Tesla and his contribution to society. I suppose it is never too late to become a household word.
I also suggest a look at Tesla Motors' all electric roadster.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Computer Screen in a Contact Lens?
Totally hands-free computer screen in your eye?
Jelle De Smet and a team of researchers at Ghent University in Belgium built an LCD screen in a curved contact lens.
To do it, they had to come up with new kinds of "conductive polymers" – and mold them into "a very thin, spherically-curved substrate [surface] with active layers." The Ghent contact lens is a primitive prototype of what's to come.
At first thought this sounds pretty good but the more I think about it the more I wonder if this is a good idea. Technology think-tanks will always be attempting to develop new technologies; but at what expense to society?
A few weeks ago I was enjoying my Grand Slam at the local Denny's and I observed a couple of young women at the table in front of me. From the time they were seated to the time they got their food, they only looked up once from their smart phones to order lunch. And when the lunch was served, it seemed difficult for them to overt their eyes from the phones to eat. Finally I noted the women were now speaking to each other.
Distracted driving while texting is a nationwide issue at this time. Can you imagine how distracting streaming video to the eye would be? I can see it now; drivers bobbing & weaving all over the road and into the nearest tree while enjoying the latest Harry Potter flick. I suppose we are looking at the wrong problem. It's not the texting and talking causing the problem but our antiquated transportation system. I wonder if the new contact lens/computer screen can be programed to turn off when it gets near a car; or visa versa.
The negative impact on our society, is that many forms of electronic communication put too much distance in interpersonal relationships. Many would argue the technology is bring people together. In some ways that is true. But good ole fashioned face-to-face communication is becoming just that; old fashioned.
I know this might sound funny coming from someone who has been in Telecommunications all her life, but a line needs to be drawn between the use of electronic devices and direct communication.
I'll get off my soap box now...
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/this-screen-that-fits-on-your-eye-foretells-the-end-of-the-smartphone-era-2012-12#ixzz2F2C8UNli
Jelle De Smet and a team of researchers at Ghent University in Belgium built an LCD screen in a curved contact lens.
To do it, they had to come up with new kinds of "conductive polymers" – and mold them into "a very thin, spherically-curved substrate [surface] with active layers." The Ghent contact lens is a primitive prototype of what's to come.
At first thought this sounds pretty good but the more I think about it the more I wonder if this is a good idea. Technology think-tanks will always be attempting to develop new technologies; but at what expense to society?
A few weeks ago I was enjoying my Grand Slam at the local Denny's and I observed a couple of young women at the table in front of me. From the time they were seated to the time they got their food, they only looked up once from their smart phones to order lunch. And when the lunch was served, it seemed difficult for them to overt their eyes from the phones to eat. Finally I noted the women were now speaking to each other.
Distracted driving while texting is a nationwide issue at this time. Can you imagine how distracting streaming video to the eye would be? I can see it now; drivers bobbing & weaving all over the road and into the nearest tree while enjoying the latest Harry Potter flick. I suppose we are looking at the wrong problem. It's not the texting and talking causing the problem but our antiquated transportation system. I wonder if the new contact lens/computer screen can be programed to turn off when it gets near a car; or visa versa.
The negative impact on our society, is that many forms of electronic communication put too much distance in interpersonal relationships. Many would argue the technology is bring people together. In some ways that is true. But good ole fashioned face-to-face communication is becoming just that; old fashioned.
I know this might sound funny coming from someone who has been in Telecommunications all her life, but a line needs to be drawn between the use of electronic devices and direct communication.
I'll get off my soap box now...
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/this-screen-that-fits-on-your-eye-foretells-the-end-of-the-smartphone-era-2012-12#ixzz2F2C8UNli
Thursday, December 13, 2012
CenturyLink's 100 Gbps Backbone and Metro Upgrade
The ever advancing telecom network takes another leap forward at CenturyLink.
Pieter Poll, Senior Vice President of national and international network planning, engineering and construction for CenturyLink expects the carrier’s U.S. 100 Gbps wavelength service deployment, to be popular with large enterprise, government and wholesale customers. In addition, Poll said in an email to Telecompetitor, “We will use 100G waves for all our IP backbone growth going forward so even consumers benefit from our 100G introduction.”
The 100 Gbsp service uses, Coherent Optical Processors. Use of these processors involve a “fundamental change” in how data is sent over optical connections, Ciena Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Rick Dodd told Connected Planet. Instead of simply turning a light on and off as with traditional optical processing, coherent optical processing works “more like the wireless world—you can change the phase and amplitude,” Dodd said.
In comparison with the traditional approach, coherent optics can support higher bandwidth speeds, currently as high as 100 Gb/s, said Dodd. The technology also enables high-bandwidth communications to be supported over some types of fiber that would not otherwise support such high speeds, added Dodd.
Sources:
http://www.telecompetitor.com/centurylink-exec-details-100-gbps-backbone-and-metro-upgrade/
http://connectedplanetonline.com/IP-NGN/news/ciena-expands-use-of-coherent-optical-processing-0302/index.html
Pieter Poll, Senior Vice President of national and international network planning, engineering and construction for CenturyLink expects the carrier’s U.S. 100 Gbps wavelength service deployment, to be popular with large enterprise, government and wholesale customers. In addition, Poll said in an email to Telecompetitor, “We will use 100G waves for all our IP backbone growth going forward so even consumers benefit from our 100G introduction.”
The 100 Gbsp service uses, Coherent Optical Processors. Use of these processors involve a “fundamental change” in how data is sent over optical connections, Ciena Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Rick Dodd told Connected Planet. Instead of simply turning a light on and off as with traditional optical processing, coherent optical processing works “more like the wireless world—you can change the phase and amplitude,” Dodd said.
In comparison with the traditional approach, coherent optics can support higher bandwidth speeds, currently as high as 100 Gb/s, said Dodd. The technology also enables high-bandwidth communications to be supported over some types of fiber that would not otherwise support such high speeds, added Dodd.
Sources:
http://www.telecompetitor.com/centurylink-exec-details-100-gbps-backbone-and-metro-upgrade/
http://connectedplanetonline.com/IP-NGN/news/ciena-expands-use-of-coherent-optical-processing-0302/index.html
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