Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/01/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Interesting observations, Brian....as to changing the world, however, I'd refer you to Tom Wolf's latest book - collection of pieces - for some thoughts about how none of these advances seem to really change the world, in the sense of making it a more civilized place. Interesting. B. D. Brian Reid wrote: > > Tell me what the next big bang is if anyone knows or if they are out > > there. > > "Looking for the next big bang" is my profession (I'm in communications > research) so I wish I had a simple packaged answer for you. > > My opinion is that the next big bang will result from solving the "last > mile" problem. By the year 2010 about 20% of the households in North > America will have 1 Gigabit optical communication links that connect > not to "the phone company" or "the cable company" but to metropolitan > switchpoints. This will enable low-cost or free gigabit communication > within a physical community, and will enable significant new > communication setups. > > Imagine, for example, that I'm having trouble managing a photograph > that I have on my computer. I know I need to dodge the shadows and > lessen the contrast there and there, but I keep messing it up. Somehow > I manage to get Tina Manley to agree to help me, and she locks her > computer to mine, edits my image while I watch, and then unlocks. > > Reliable always-on non-monopoly communication infrastructure is going > to change the world a lot. I believe it will end up being installed by > power and water utilities and not by phone or cable companies. > > For some random references, try these: > > http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2000/06/26/daily10.html > http://www.ispworld.com/bs/BS_102000b.htm > http://www.robotics-cabling.de/ (in English and German; click on > "Product" or "Produkt") > http://www.bruggtc.com/e/projects_lichtgeschwindig.htm > > Brian