Daily Bits

Internet

Are You Always Connected?

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So how much do you spend your time using technology and the gadgets that you have? Before you even answer that, you might as well mentally list down the devices that you use on a daily basis.

Mobile phone? Check.
Laptop/Computer? Check.
Mp3 player? Check.
Tablet? Check. (Maybe.)

Did I miss anything else? I guess that the average person would have at least two of those four devices. Some may have devices that have multiple functions. Whatever the case may be, I am willing to bet that you will be able to relate to the statistics shown in the infographic that Online Schools has created. ((OnlineSchools)) Yup, it’s all about being connected, wired, or whatever you want to call it. [Read more…] about Are You Always Connected?

Geeks Without Frontiers Aims to Spread Low Cost Wi-Fi

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GEEKS
GEEKS
Most – if not all – of us have decent Internet connection at home. Sometimes, it is easy to take this for granted. This is especially true if you live in an advanced area, where Wi-Fi is available practically everywhere. In many parts of the world, however, having your own broadband connection is not as easy as 1, 2, 3. In fact, there are still countless areas where connecting to the Internet is a luxury. [Read more…] about Geeks Without Frontiers Aims to Spread Low Cost Wi-Fi

Foursquare Is 10,000,000 Strong and Counting!

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I still remember the days when I totally ignored Foursquare. After all, I didn’t (and don’t) want people to know where I am all the time. But there’s something about this platform that one just can’t ignore. With me, it was basically wanting to be the mayor of certain locations, lording it over my grand total of 3 friends. There is still that feeling of not wanting people to always know where I am, but I have to admit that I have fallen for Foursquare hook, line, and sinker. [Read more…] about Foursquare Is 10,000,000 Strong and Counting!

Things That Happen On Internet Every Sixty Seconds

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How much time do you spend on the Internet? How often do you send e-mails? How often do you tweet? How often do you post a status message on Facebook? How often do you conduct a search on Google?

The Internet has invaded the life of the average person so much so that you (in all likelihood) cannot go a day without logging in to one service or another. Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, WordPress, Blogger, or what-have-you – one thing is for sure: people are constantly doing something online.

Now I am pretty sure that your curious mind has wondered – at least once – just how much is going on online at any given moment. Well here’s the answer to your question – not exactly in same terms, perhaps, but close enough. An infographic by Shanghai Web Designers ((60 Seconds)) tells you what happens on the Internet every 60 seconds – or every minute.

60seconds
This happens every 60 seconds online - click to enlarge

So…did you know that every 60 seconds…

  • more than 694,445 searches are done on Google?
  • more than 6,600 photos are uploaded on Flickr?
  • more than 600 videos are uploaded on YouTube? This translates to more than 25 hours of viewing pleasure (or displeasure, as the case may be)
  • 695,000 statuses are updated on Facebook, 79,364 messages are posted on walls, and 510,040 comments are made?
  • more than 168,000,000 e-mails are sent? So who was that again who said that e-mail was dead???
  • 98,000 tweets are published on Twitter? I don’t know if this includes RTs and @replies, though.

Pretty impressive numbers, but I think the guys who made this infographic missed one vital stat: that every 60 seconds, an infographic (or two) is published. At least that’s what my Twitter stream and Facebook feed tells me. 😉

Wi-Fi Speeds to Possibly Double

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free_wifi_spot
Can you imagine life without Wi-Fi? I am pretty sure that for many of us, life was just fine without wireless connection as recent as five years ago. With the sudden deluge of Wi-Fi compatible devices, though, life without Wi-Fi (the Internet) could very well be unimaginable for a lot of people today.

Think about it – when you go to a restaurant or a coffee shop, what is one of the first things you consider? When you book a hotel for a vacation, what is on the top of your list? I am willing to bet that Wi-Fi somewhere in there.

So technology has given us so much convenience, but we could all use faster Wi-Fi, right? If the guys at Stanford are successful, we just might enjoy Wi-Fi at double the speed. They have developed a technology that will allow the use of a single Wi-Fi channel to receive and transmit signals simultaneously. The technology is called antenna cancellation, and basically, it deals with the self-interference that occurs when transmitting and receiving on a single channel. The result? Possibly full duplex communication.

The implications of this technology are huge, especially for wireless providers. Even better, the technology is not limited to Wi-Fi – all radio communications can benefit from it.

At the moment, the technology still needs some work, especially with regard to making it commercially viable. The researchers mention the need for antenna separation, but also say that there is no theoretical limit as to the applications of the technology.

As for us consumers, we just need to wait till they get it out in the market, and we just might enjoy much faster wireless connections in the near future.

Via NewsFactor

A Guide to the Open Internet: What You Need to Know About Net Neutrality

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You’ve probably been reading/hearing about net neutrality in the recent months. Left and right, people are talking about it – either trying to push for the concept or trying to take it down. What is net neutrality anyway, and why should you bother about it?

Simply put, net neutrality is a concept which places ALL web sites and services on the same level; that is, they ought to be treated as being the same by Internet service providers (ISPs) and mobile phone/cable/phone companies. You may think that this sounds logical, but telecommunications companies are leaning towards the other end of the spectrum. They think that web sites and services ought to be grouped into different categories so that they can apply various charging schemes. You getting my drift?

To make the whole concept easier to understand, some guys have created an excellent web site which explains the “open Internet” and what ISPs want to happen: The Open Internet.

Here’s a screen shot of what a free and open Internet brings.
open internet

Get the word out – share the web site and help keep the Internet free and open for all of us!