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Emerging Technologies. 27 February 2007. Agenda. Recap Digital divide and accessibility Lecture Discussion Leaders. Next Week:. Tuesday: recap the quarter Thursday: short (~2 min!) overview of your podcast topic
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Emerging Technologies 27 February 2007
Agenda • Recap • Digital divide and accessibility • Lecture • Discussion Leaders
Next Week: • Tuesday: recap the quarter • Thursday: short (~2 min!) overview of your podcast topic • Please send me an e-mail (subject line: COM 300 Podcast) by next Monday with a short “title” for your podcast. We’ll be giving awards.
Recap • Access is only part of the Digital Divide story • Although most of the DD story is outside our borders, it’s not just outside • Look at these data from Pew: • Broadband @ Home: • Rural: 24% adults • Suburban/Urban: 39% adults
Emerging Technologies • Nature of bits puts pressure on many sectors of society • Sometimes the pressure is referred to as “convergence” • The latest sector is telephony
POTS • Mature technology • Dedicated voice network • End-to-end guaranteed bandwidth • Exception: disasters • Reasonably good security • Meets 9-1-1 regulatory requirements
What is VoIP? • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a way to first digitize voice and then encapsulate it into packets before transmitting over a (non-voice) packet-switched IP network. • It is sometimes called “internet telephony”
Differences (1/2) • Packet-switching versus circuit-switching • “Internet” technology allows several calls to use the same bit of bandwidth, because the bandwidth is not dedicated • This is possible because our voice is “digitized” and then that file is broken into small packets (bundles of bits)
Differences (2/2) • Power requirements • POTS corded phone works when the power goes out. (Cordless does not! Neither does VoIP.) • Telephone line is multi-use infrastructure • Some people use it for broadband (DSL) • Security systems, DVRs (Tivo, RePlay) “phone home” on it • 9-1-1
Locked to Computer? • No! Businesses already using • No! Homeowners already using • Computer-to-phone: Skype and (soon?) Microsoft/MCI • “Portable” VoIP phones use wi-fi networks • Vonage now has the “key-chain” phone • Who provides “hot-spots” in coffee shops, airports, etc? Mostly telephone companies (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint etc.)
PC World, Feb 2006: • My People is an Internet phone service that features wake-up calls and voice dialing • EQO is a mobile-phone app with a hard-to-pronounce name (it's "echo"--not "E Q O") that lets you place and receive Skype calls • Chili is a wireless gadget from ZinkKat that is designed to let teenagers make VOIP calls, listen to music stored on a PC, and hear text-to-speech versions of RSS feeds
Feb 2007: • VoIP Service for Cell Phones • Savings is on international calls • Cordless Phones to Get VoIP • Manufacturers of cordless digital telephones plan to add IP capability to home communication and entertainment devices. • Vonage to become Vonage Wireless? • Deal with Earthlink to resell wifi
VoIP: The New Phone • Subscribers, 2003: 150,000 • Subscribers, 2004: 1.2 million • Subscribers, 2005: 4.2 million • Subscribers 3rd qtr 2006: 8.2 million • End of year forecast, 9.7 million or 8.7 percent US households • Subscribers by 2010: 34% US HH
Discussion • Part 1: 15 minutes • Read the blogs of your peer group • Comment on each person’s post • Jot down questions of interest • Part 2: • Group and discuss • Where do you have consensus, disagreement? • Part 3: • General discussion (see next slide!)
Possible Questions: • Despite of all the cool features and great rates of VoIP, what are the factors that may prevent people from NOT going to VoIP in the household? • Do you think the impacts of VoIP on society are positive or negative? And why? • How will VoIP change the landscape in how we communicate throughout the world? • What about those caught in the digital divide – will they be left behind?
Discussion Leaders • Group 5 • Articles may be “popular” instead of scholarly, given the nature of the topic!
Blogging Exercise: • Go to Vonage and Speakeasy.net • See if service is available at your current address • Determine the cost of service • Keep your current number (why?) • Make sure equipment costs are included • How easy was this exercise? What are your thoughts about these services? What would entice you to “buy”?