Let us zoom back to the January 2020 issue of the Viodi View and a reference to an academic study (PDF) on the positive impact of air filtration on students’ test scores. In short, the author examined a real-world situation where air filtration was added to schools because of a methane leak. As it turns out, the filters cleaned the air of common pollutants. The author’s conclusion is that air filtration would be a low-cost way to improve student achievement. One has to wonder what sort of positive outcomes we will see in 2021 and beyond, given the emphasis in 2020 on cleaning indoor air,
Opportunity Fund or Off Track? A ViodiTV Conversation with NTCA’s Mike Romano about RDOF
Speaking of unintended consequences, as pointed out in the previous issue of the Viodi View, inaccurate broadband mapping data appears to be directing funding intended for rural areas to urban, Silicon Valley parcels. NTCA’s Mike Romano discussed this and other concerns about the RDOF Phase 1 process and what the FCC might do in the long-term. As Romano says, “The real losers here are the consumers who don’t get served.”
Water Damage Prevention, Detection, and More #CES2020
Millard Minton explains how his CES2020 award-winning invention prevents and mitigates water damage by turning off the supply to the house. Through a pressurization mechanism, the WaterSwitch turns on the supply when it senses demand. This same system also allows them to detect and understand where there might be a leak. Additionally, this clever gizmo includes a water filtration system and the user can choose what level of filtering they want.
Unplugged on the Carefree Highway in a Lightyear One
Up to 11,000 miles per year of driving from just sunlight is what Lightyear promises with its teardrop-shaped, five-passenger car, the Lightyear One. With five square meters of solar panels integrated into the roof and hood, Lightyear estimates the Lightyear One will receive up to 50 miles of charge from a day of sunshine. With its extreme efficiency and energy harvesting capability, one will not need a light foot in a Lightyear vehicle to drive carefree down the highway.
A Great American Mobility Success Story – Part 1
Next Thursday, January 7th is the first panel of the virtual SmartDrivingCar Summit, which will be weekly on Thursdays at 12 noon EST for the next semester. Viodi caught up with Princeton Professor Kornhauser, the brains behind the summit and one of the Godfathers of autonomous transportation. In this multi-part interview, Kornhauser talks about his humble beginnings and unlikely academic progression.
Some Tweets and Short Thoughts
- Commenting on Boston Dynamics dancing robots, @TransitLeap tweets “Sidewalk robots delivering pizza are to these as WWI biplanes to space shuttles. Next-decade sidewalk service vehicles will carry a far bigger impact than ride-hailing and scooters. Snow, trash, monitor, surveil, parking tickets, emergency, police, and oh yeah, e-commerce…”
- Great interview by Techstination’s Fred Fishkin with Source Digital and how, by involving the people who are early in the production chain and are sourcing the goods/media, they may have cracked the code of being able to integrate e-commerce into video programs.
- @DougDawson_CCG “If the FCC approves everybody who has won, as is, I’m predicting as much as 50% of the RDOF funding will end up being a total waste when we look backward in 6 years from the due date for completing networks.”
The Korner – Real-Life Touch Up #CES2020
It’s not clear what first drew the Viodi camera to the Opte booth, but it must have had something to do with the fact that it was a chance to meet the inventor of a high-tech solution to an everyday challenge. Soon, the inventor was applying his invention to remove age spots from this reporter’s face.
It is this sort of serendipitous encounter that may the biggest loss with the upcoming virtual CES2021. Stories like this one only happen because of face-to-face contact in the real-world. Still, there will be many other positive aspects of a virtual CES2021, such as sleeping in one’s bed at night.
Stay tuned to Viodi’s Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook presence over the next week as we publish some of the remaining ViodiTV stories from CES2020.
