***Cisco on global info flow***
Want to know how many all these bits and bytes are adding up to? Well, Cisco CTO Padmasree Warrior reckons all the data moved over networks, or the “global flow of information” has grown from a whopping five exabytes of data per month in 2007 to a shockingly ginormous 21 exabytes a month this year. Think that’s bad? By 2013 that number is expected to grow to 56 exabytes a month; or the equivalent of moving from 1.4 billion DVDS to 12.8 billion DVDs over the network in just six years.
All in all, according to Warrior, consumer Internet traffic has grown from 38 exabytes in 2007 to 180 exabytes this year, and is expected to grow to 486 exabytes by 2013.
What’s mainly responsible for this explosion? Your videos of LOLCatz. That’s right, Warrior said video will consume 91 percent of the bandwidth over the next year. This isn’t just down to YouTube videos though. Immersive applications and other synchronous and interactive activities like Cisco’s own video conferencing, are also driving traffic demands.
***Facebook mobile users more active***
Facebook addiction and social not-working is much worse if you’re a mobile junkie, according to a Facebook exec speaking at CTIA on Thursday.
Apparently 100 million of Facebook’s 400 million users are active mobile users, who are even more actively social than their desktop-only using counterparts, by 2.5 times. This, according to the exec, is because they stay connected wherever they may be.
But if you thought mobile social networking was all about posting pictures of your lunch and Kerouc like status updates from the road, you’d only be partially correct. Indeed, the whole phenomenon is a huge driver of traffic for mobile content.
***AT&T showcases satellite phone***
More specs on AT&T’s Genus satellite/cellular phone emerged from CTIA Thursday.
The Genus sports Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.5 and works on AT&T’s spotty 3G network. Luckily for owners though, when there’s no 3G coverage – something not uncommon for AT&T victims, er, users – the phone seamlessly flips over to satellite service.
And worried that you won’t look too cool with a massive antenna sticking out of your pocket? Well, don’t be, because the Genus looks just like a normal cell.
***James Cameron wants more 3D***
3D is coming to a mobile near you soon, according to Avatar maker James Cameron, speaking at CTIA this week. “Think about putting this stuff into your apps, because it’s coming. It’s coming faster than even we thought,” he said.
“We were the proselytizers, the evangelists, for this…I think we’re going to see stereo[scopic 3D] ubiquity in five years… think it will percolate to handhelds and laptop devices — this is where the big breakthrough is going to be in the next few years,” he added.
But despite Cameron’s prediction 3D would pop out at us from every conceivable LCD surface soon, he did admit that 3D cameras were still not widely enough available to kick the trend off right away.
“Everyone wants to do sports in 3D, but there aren’t the thousands of cameras and trained crews [needed].”
***The power of mobile broadband***
Mobile broadband is a powerful, life changing technology according to Robert Mesirow, vice president and show director for CTIA.
Speaking at the show this week, Mesirow noted mobile broadband had emerged as a “key theme” and had the potential to “shape societies, improve lives and transform industries on a global scale.
“Wireless is the answer to so many important issues we face today. Innovations in energy, healthcare, education and transportation are all on display this week,” he gushed proudly.
***Eye controlled headphones touted at CTIA 2010***
Some pretty nifty gadgets were on show this year at CTIA, with one of the coolest undoubtedly being headphones which could be controlled by a user’s eye movements.
On display at the NTT Docomo booth, the innovative headphones can apparently detect eye movement using electrodes. The human eyeball has electric potential positive at the cones, and negative electric potential at the retina. Therefore, when a user’s eyes are looking forward, both eyes carry a neutral charge.
But when the wearer looks left, the left side of the eye carries a positive charge whilst the right side is negative. Vice Versa when the wearer of the headphones looks right.
These electrical signals are then captured by an electrode called an electroculogram (EOG), which allows the user to control the device. According to NTT Docomo, moving your eyes quickly from right to left is like pushing play or pause. Two quick shifts to the right is advance track forward, and shifting your eyes around in a circle will adjust the volume.
