CourseCast of the Week

Episode 0066, 09/13/2008

Title/Description: Google Spreads Internet and Data, Open Source Smart Phones, News Briefs

Welcome to Course Technology's CourseCast of the week, Episode 66, recorded September 13th, 2008. This is Ken Baldauf bringing you this week's technology news and information. This CourseCast is brought to you by Course Technology. Check out www.cengage.com/coursetechnology for innovative textbooks and creative electronic learning solutions.

Story 1 - Google Spreads Internet and Data to the Far Reaches of the World

Google is partnering with cable TV magnate, John Malone, and HSBC, the world's largest banking group, to bring high speed Internet to 3 Billion people in Africa and other emerging markets. The project, named O3b, for other 3 billion, will begin by launching 16 satellites to bring Internet access to places where cables are unable to penetrate. This first stage of the $750 million investment is expected to reduce the cost of bandwidth in these regions by 95 percent.

In related news, Google has filed for a patent on a "water-based data center." The patent describes a floating platform that houses stacked containers filled with servers, storage systems, and networking gear, that is powered and cooled by sea water. The idea would be to float data nearer to the locations that access it for faster data access speeds. So, for example, European data might float off the coasts of Italy, and the UK, while North American data, floats off the coast of California and North Carolina. Data would be accessed over undersea cables.

Sources: Google backs project to connect 3bn to net [FT.com], Google’s Search Goes Out to Sea [NYTimes]

Story 2 - Open Source Smart Phones

The media is cranking out an increasing amount of stories on open source smart phones as the first Google Android-based phone is about to hit the Market. A huge event to celebrate the release of the first Google phone is rumored to be planned in New York City, for September 23. The phone, designed and manufactured by HTC for the T-Mobile network, will have a full query keyboard, and a large touchscreen with haptic feedback - in other words, the device vibrates under the users touch to provide different types of feedback.

In related news, nine more electronics and Internet companies have joined the Symbian Foundation, bringing the total number of companies backing the technology to 40. The Symbian Foundation will compete directly with Google's Android platform as an alternative open-source mobile development platform. With 40 companies signed on, Symbian now has more industry backing than Google. This intense competition is bound to propel handheld software development into hyperdrive in coming months and years, benefiting both users and developers.

Sources: T-Mobile to offer Android smartphone soon: sources [Reuters] Sharp, Opera, others sign up for Symbian Foundation [Reuters]

And that brings us to News Briefs.

  • The abundant use of cell phones by college students has allowed the University of Kentucky to disconnect old fashioned phone lines in student dormitories, saving the university $840,000, and providing reduced housing rates for students. [nky.com]
  • New York City police are now able to accept photos and videos submitted from the handsets of individuals calling for help on their 911 emergency line. The new technology will provide law enforcement with the ability to access timely evidence and provide advice while help is en route. [Reuters]
  • UC Berkeley researchers conducted their first test of a city bus that is guided by magnets. The bus steered itself down the street, pulling up to curbs to pick up passengers, with the driver controlling acceleration and braking. The new technology is expected to save time and fuel, allowing the bus system to function more like a train system. Check out the video at MercuryNews.com. [MercuryNews.com]
  • A study has found that it take on average 64 seconds to recover your train of thought after being interrupted by e-mail. This means that a person who checks email every five minutes wastes 8-1/2 hours per week. [Sidney Morning Herald]
  • Apple has rolled out a new line of thinner more powerful iPods, along with an upgrade to iTunes, and patches for the iPhone, [ars technica]
  • Microsoft has rolled out an upgrade for the Zune digital music player that has more storage and additional software features including the ability to download music over a wi-fi connection. [Ars Technica]
  • Plastic Logic introduced a new document and e-book reader that is sure to give the Kindle a run for its money. The device is more compact, and lighter than the Kindle, and uses a flexible plastic that is more durable than the Kindle, and includes a touch-screen interface. Watch the demo on video at plasticlogic.com. [TGDaily]
  • Amazon has rolled out a new video-on-demand service that provides access to 40,000 movies and TV shows that stream over the Internet to your Web browser window. The service is expected to compete strongly with online video giant hulu.com. [Computerworld]
  • Also in online television news, Apple and NBC appear to have worked out their differences over variable pricing, and NBC television shows are once again available on iTunes [Reuters]
  • Windows Vista users who downloaded the recent iTunes update are advised to uninstall it, and download the more recent version that fixes problems causing some to experience the dreaded blue screen of death. [Computerworld]
  • The Association of Professional Flight Attendants is petitioning the airlines to install content filtering software on the wireless Internet services being offered on flights in order to prevent passengers from accessing inappropriate Web content. [Los Angeles Times]
  • The U.S. Senate's antitrust panel is querying the top mobile phone companies wanting to know why the price of text messages has doubled over the past three years. It is believed that the companies are making a killing off of text messages that are twice as numerous and twice as expensive as they were three years ago. [Reuters]
  • The U.S. government is about to be educated on the complex issues surrounding cloud computing, as it deliberates over privacy and security issues surrounding the mass storage of personal and sensitive data and documents on Internet servers and the government's role in regulating it. [Computerworld]

That's it for this week's CourseCast. Links to this week's stories and many more news and information resources are provided at the CourseCast Web site at coursecasts.course.com. E-mail us with your suggestions for the show at course.coursecasts@cengage.com. Until next time, have a great week and be sure to take advantage of the Power -- of Technology!