The theme of a couple of the articles in this issue of the Viodi View is the integration of human and machine. In both cases, if the machines’ directions are off by just a fraction, it could lead to a bad outcome. A 25-minute conversation with Google’s Gemini inspired the first article. Unfortunately, Gemini did not provide references for what it wrote, so it did not get a promotion from intern to author.
Thanks to the Broadband Forum, my employer, for supporting this newsletter. The content, views, and opinions expressed herein are not those of the Broadband Forum.
Generative AI as an Extreme Compression Method
Are text files the future of image and, potentially, video compression? Using text prompts to generate images is well known. What about using generative AI in the reverse direction to create a text file prompt for a given image? Using this technique could result in more than 100:1 improvement in file size from hundreds of kilobytes to kilobytes. It is clear from the limited test results that off-the-shelf generative AI products could achieve this sort of compression improvement. The fundamental stumbling block at this point is the accuracy of the recreated image.
Extending Wi-Fi to Hard-to-Reach Places #CES2025
Wi-Fi HaLow is a potential game-changer for broadband service providers needing to extend their signals to hard-to-reach places. It’s a long-range Wi-Fi technology based on the IEEE 801.11ah standard. Example applications range from single-family residences with massive yards to homeowner associations with sensor needs to commercial and industrial buildings to the unique IoT needs of sprawling farms. This video and article explores this unlicensed wireless technology as well as compares it to other wireless IoT technologies.
Some Chirps and Short Thoughts
- Rest in Peace, Dr. Hildreth (Hal) Walker, Jr. (PDF). His 2019 talk is a must-watch. Although the story of LURE (Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment) is about technology, his words about his experience as an African American engineer in the 1960s are a must-watch. Another must-watch is his recommendation of the Green Book to get a taste of his experience from 50+ years ago. Later in the conversation, he discusses the moon hoax conspiracy.
- Speaking of the moon, by the next issue. of the Viodi View, the moon may see its first data center. Granted, it is only 8 Tbytes, but it is just the start in creating a resilient back-up by Lonestar Data Holdings, Inc.
- With 200,000 rides per week, Waymo continues its growth (admittedly, it is still a small portion of the total rides given) in their markets. Still, according to this article, at least one person has spent $14,000 on rides.
- Could ATSC 3.0 contribute to a more resilient Positioning, Navigation, and Timing system? Their press release recommends that the FCC requires broadcast stations to implement ATSC 3.0. CTA warns against this approach if it means a mandate to embed this technology into all consumer electronic devices.
- What is a user-centric approach to broadband? Manuel Paul, Squad Leader of Deutsches Telekom and Broadband Forum president, provides insight into this fundamental question in this clip from his presentation on the Broadband Forum’s newest work area, Service Requirements.
The Virtual Seeing Eye Dog – Autonomous Tech for Humans
.Lumen has developed a groundbreaking device that could revolutionize the lives of visually impaired people: a virtual seeing-eye dog. The device, worn as a headset, uses technology found in self-driving vehicles (think Nvidia GPU) to guide users around obstacles and to their destinations, both indoors and outdoors.
The company was founded by Cornel Amariei, who comes from a family with several members who have disabilities. Amariei’s personal experience with the challenges faced by people with disabilities motivated him to start .Lumen and create assistive technologies.
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