History Of Mobile Phones And Interesting Facts About Mobile Phones
Content
History Of Mobile Phones And Interesting Facts About Mobile Phones
Mobile Phone
Person to person, heart to heart, that is the base behind mobile phones. ³People want to talk to other people ± not a house, or an office, or a car. Given a choice, people will demand the freedom to communicate wherever they are, unfettered by the infamous copper wire. It is that freedom we sought to vividly demonstrate in 1973,´ said Martin Cooper, the first man to make a mobile call. It was his vision that today we enjoy reaching each other within no time and without any hurdle. The 1st call made publically enjoyed its 30th anniversary on 3rd April, 2003. Martin Cooper was Manager of Motorola¶s Communication Systems Division when the mobile came in public held in his hands. Now he is CEO & Co founder of ArrayComm Inc. The mobile set he used was as big as a brick and weighed about 30 ounces. The historic call was made to Cooper¶s rival AT&T¶s Bell Labs while walking in streets of New York City. After that the handset took 10 years time to reach the market and from there to people. Before that there were portable telephones but none was a wireless portable mobile. The 1st one used without the entangling copper wire was in Cooper demonstration. Before the launch of mobiles, there were two way radios known as µmobile rigs¶, installed in the cars for communication. They were good tools for communication but were not at all mobiles as they were not normally connected to the telephone network. Initially the mobiles were also installed in vehicles only. Their advanced versions were called µbag phones¶ with µcigarette lighter plug¶ so they can be carried anywhere and used as two way radios. Now with the progression in the mobile technology, today it is possible to reach anyone anywhere in the world not only through voice communication but also texting; SMS. Besides text messages, picture messages can be sent and received too; MMS. The technologies used now for mobiles are known as 0G i.e. zero generation, proceeding to 4G. With the ongoing innovative developments in mobiles, significantly interesting developments have been made, because it was unthinkable before that task like these can be accomplished through a tiny handset. Its functions and options have made it more than a mobile set and more of an operational gadget pack and an organizer. Like SMS and MMS, another common but interesting features now in mobiles is connectivity to internet and sending emails. Radio, MP3, songs and ringtones, taking pictures, making videos with the help of built in cameras featuring up to 5mega pixels is a common feature for almost all the handsets that are available at the market. Video call, connectivity through Bluetooth and Infrared, Push-To-Talk; PTT, extended memories, call logs, phone books, and on the top, ability to connect and share data with a computer. Some interesting facts include the possibility to unlock your car if you have forgotten the keys inside the car. You can actually take help from someone at home, conditional of having an additional security remote at home. You can stand at a distance of a foot from your car while the person at home presses the unlock button. In this amazing way your car will be unlocked and you can get your keys back.
Photo by wikimedia.org If at some point of time your mobile service provider is not giving network coverage and you need to call an emergency service, then no need to panic. Just dial 112 and you will be connected to the emergency service through any available network. For Nokia, dialing the code *3370# can upgrade your battery up to 50% using a built-in reserve battery. This is practicable in situations when your mobile has eaten up the battery and you have no means to charge it for an urgent call. Innovation is a nonstop process and we can¶t say to what extent it will change the workability of mobiles and what further tasks will we be able to accomplish with mobiles.
Who is founder of mobile phones a.k.a. cell phones?
I know the founder of telephone. but who is the founder of mobile phones a.k.a. cell phones.? The cell phone was invented by Bell Labs from about 1947 to 1967, but a controversy has arisen about this. See the discussion in the next two paragraphs. Also see the the About.Com artilce Selling the Cell Phone - History of Cellular Phones. According to an Associated Press Article in the April 12th issue of the San Francisco Chronicle, page D3 and an April 3, 2003 Chronicle Article, the Cell Phone was invented by Martin Cooper who at that time was a vice-president at Motorola. Both articles state that he made the first cell -phone call in 1973 on a street corner in New York using a base station at the top of a tall building in that city. He called an acquaintance at AT&T who at that time was a rival and perhaps said something like "we've done it". Motorola introduced its cell phone in 1983 after f ive generations, 15 years, and $ 90 million; but as mentioned above, the first commercial cell phone service was started by NTT in Japan on December 3, 1979.
This by no means the whole story, however. Cooper himself in the 10th paragraph of the April -3rd Chronical article states that "Bell Labs had invented this thing called cellular technology". What Martin Cooper apparently did was build a relatively small radio telephone which could be carried by a person. He did not develop the idea and the mechanism for automatically switching over when a phone went from one cell to another. The true inventor of the cell phone is the person or group who developed the concept of small cells and implemented the automatic switchover system, and this was Bell Labs. See th e In-Box posting in Phone+ Magazine Give Bell Labs Its Due.Necessity is the mother of invention. If, as explained in the About.Com article, theFCC had not limited the number of channels available for radio telephones to 23, Bell Labs would not have been un der intense pressure to develop the cellular concept. Anyone (especially someone from Bell Labs) who has more information on this point can contact me at blange(at sign)virtualpbx.com . Finally the explosion of cellular technology which we now see around us today was caused by the Microprocessor, i.e. a computer on a small single chip. This was primarily pioneered by Intel although Motorola and AMD have played significant roles. Source(s):
The Impact of The Internet
The impact of the Internet There has been a huge, worldwide explosion in the use of the Internet. It is already changing the way we work, shop, bank and also the way we live.
1. Why the Internet has grown
The PC is becoming commonplace in many homes and there is a general acceptance that this is a way forward. Analogue phone lines are being replaced by faster digital lines (ISDN). Even faster high-speed digital connections will soon be delivered to households, offering a whole day connection to the Net. Many countries around the world are developing in communication technology via satellite, wireless and cable to enhance worldwide Internet access. Access to the Internet and its services have already become available through the use of digital TVs and mobile phones. The use of the Internet by many business, organisations and the general public has led to a rapid increase in the number of sites. Clearly all these developments are going to change the way we work, live and experience life.
2. The Internet and the way we work
Information technology has had an impact on the way we work for quite some time, but the Internet has now added electronic mail (email), teleworking and video conferencing to the workplace.
Teleworking The ability to work from home by means of a PC or laptop and since some communications link are increasing, and there are a number of benefits to the employer:
Office running costs and overheads (rates, electricity, heating etc.) can be reduced, which in turn may reduce the need for office space. Travel-related problems may be reduced. It may tempt better staff to come and work for the company. However, employers need to be able to trust their staff and be prepared to have less direct control over them. Benefits for the employee include: You can work from the comfort of your own home. There is no time wasted travelling and no travel costs. It enables you to work around the needs of your family and/or children, giving you greater flexibility. It is more convenient - you can plan the working day to suit you, which could help reduce stress levels. Drawbacks include: There is less opportunity to meet up with people and share ideas therefore teamwork is more difficult. There may be more temptation to spend time on non-work-related activities.
Video conferencing Video conferencing means using computers to provide a video-link between two or more people. Instead of just talking to someone by telephone, you are able to see them as well.
Benefits include: Meetings can take place without leaving the office. Travel costs and the time taken to travel can be reduced significantly. Meetings can be called instantly worldwide with little notice. Delegates can still attend meetings even if they are physically unable to. Drawbacks include: May not be as productive as a discussion around a table. Confidential documents may need to be viewed and signed in person. There will always be times when you need to be able to meet face to face with another person.
3. How the Internet is changing our lifestyle Home shopping Home shopping options are many and varied and changing all the time. Most major supermarkets are now on-line, offering home delivery of goods and increasingly, the major high street stores are also competing for on-line trading. The Internet lends itself to shops selling goods which are easily portable, such as CDs and books.
The benefits of home shopping to the customer include: You can avoid long queues, save time and shop from the comfort of your own home. You do not have to travel into city centres or pay for car parking costs.
You can shop around for the best prices and shop abroad for cheaper goods. It can offer the customer a wider range of shopping, 24 hours a day all year round. People who are house-bound have the ability to shop and have goods delivered. The possible drawbacks of home shopping include: Security worries about payment by credit card over the Internet. You do not get to see the goods before purchase which may be defective. You may worry that the the goods will never arrive! There may be concerns over retailers collecting details about the buying habits of customers. Benefits to the company include: It opens the market to customers nationally and internationally. It enables smaller companies to compete with larger companies. There may be a possible reduction in staffing and/or shopping outlets, thereby reducing costs. You can offer 24 hour shopping at minimum cost.
Home banking Most major banks now offer online banking and some are offering only Internet banking. Without the overheads of running and staffing the high street branches they can offer higher rates of interest to customers.
Services offered include: You can pay your bills from the comfort of your home or the workplace. It is possible to transfer money immediately to high interest accounts. You can check balances and daily transactions on line anytime. It is possible to set up direct debits and order stationery on line. Benefits to the customer include: All services are from the comfort of your home or workplace, 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year. Higher interest rates are available to Internet bankers. It is easy to shop around on line for the best interest rates and switch funds automatically. Concerns include: Small branches are closing or having opening hours reduced. Reductions in staffing at the major banks. The move towards banking from your PC, digital TV or mobile phone will only increase these concerns. Some customers have worries about security because of possible credit card fraud.
4. Concerns about the Internet
The Internet and freedom of speech No-one owns the Internet so anybody can post anything on it. The Internet is a great source of information but it has also become the home of political propaganda, racism, pornography and other controversial or illegal material.
Apart from physically restricting access the only control is through some form of filtering software. Increasingly individuals and authorities are recommending some sort of control. Arguments for control To prevent illegal material being readily available, e.g. political propaganda, racism and pornography. To prevent young children accessing unsuitable material. To make the Web more efficient - at present there is too much useless information. To ensure copyright laws are maintained. Arguments against control The aim of the Internet is to be a free source of information. Unsuitable material is easily available in other ways. Control would cost money and users would have to pay. Control would be very difficult to enforce.
Internet crime New technology brings with it new crimes and as a result some governments are setting up special units to deal with Internet crime. Concerns surround:
the interception of credit card details and transactions online. hacking into personal, private files with criminal intent. fraudulent web sites taking credit card details from customers. the spreading of viruses thorugh the Internet.
Internet security A number of steps are being taken to reassure the general public that the Internet is safe:
Data is encoded before transmission using encryption techniques which scramble the data. The data is then decoded at the receiving end (decryption). The use of passwords and access level restrictions. The use of firewalls (servers that filter incoming messages to protect LANs from viruses and hacking). Tough penalties for offenders under the Computer Misuse Act.
5. The future
Increased speed of access combined with digital, satellite and wireless technologies will see Internet use and the resources on offer continue to expand. In the home digital TV offering Internet access will enable home viewers to shop, bank, play games and send email. At work digital phone lines will offer companies high-speed communication enabling business to be conducted quickly, efficiently and with reduced costs. Access to video conference links will become commonplace. Wireless technology (WAP) will support mobile phones offering hand-held Internet access. Pocketsized units will link email to weather, news, travel, entertainment listings and holiday information. As connection speeds improve, banking, shopping and video conferencing will take place on the move, in the car on the bus, train or plane.
On the road new systems will be able to pinpoint your car on an onboard computer which will provide access to road and traffic information. Car phones will link to the Internet allowing drivers to check their email.
The Internet has Helped the Indian Market Reach a Global Audience
chillibreeze writer ²Beryl Kun
India is a country with a rich blend of culture, people, and lifestyles that are an inherent part of its identity. For a long time, the general opinion about India was that of a poor, under developed third world country. Consequently the trade and transactions of the nation were quite limited in their reach and volumes. However the negative perceptions about the country have become a thing of the past. The power of the net has brought greater awareness of skills and resources, thus helping the various Indian markets reach a d iverse global audience. It has played a major role in opening up the untapped markets of the country and bestowed the benefits of globalization on the Indian people. Some ventures due to which the Internet has helped India become a global market force are as follows:-
The Freelance Business India has the largest pool of English speaking people who have the requisite expertise to undertake freelance jobs in varied industries of software, writing, designing and so on. The Internet has helped people across con tinents find the best fit for their job, in the skilled talent pool of the Indian people. There are various Indian sites and organizations that offer varied freelance services like proofreading, content development, coding and testing. There isn¶t a better example than this site itself that caters to providing the best content from the contribution of its Indian freelance writers and developers. The connectivity of the net and other supporting factors have encouraged the top US companies to outsource their work to India and many more companies are expected to follow suit.
Tourism and Travel Industry There are scores of tourist destinations in our country that have an abundance of natural beauty and hi storic significance. The Internet has proved to be a boon for the tourism industry as these days you can get all the relevant information of these hitherto unknown places. Numerous online sites offer all the requisite information about these exotic destinations within India- right from traveling to these places to hotel bookings and sight seeing. The net has transformed the face of the Indian tourism industry, by making India one of the top must -visit places in the world. International visitors now know tha t India has many places to satiate a visitor¶s interest, no matter what their budget.
E-commerce transactions The net has proved to be the best method for buyers and sellers to transact their wares in a fast and convenient manner. Websites like Indiamart.c om and Baazee.com are a few examples of the online ventures that see outstanding volumes of e-commerce transactions. Real time selling and buying on baazee.com enables a person to sell everything from cars, books, stocks and virtually anything that comes t o mind. The net has made the whole world your very own market place. The profits from online trading are garnering a lot of appreciation as well as opening new markets for further trading within India. Several sites also maintain the databases of all the I ndian traders, manufacturers and sellers. These listings have boosted sales and created a wider market for the goods. Online fund transfer, an offshoot of the benefit of net penetration has ensured an inflow of money into the country from the expatriates. This has increased the valuable foreign exchange of the country, leading to greater prosperity and more wealth. Although e commerce has not made a major impact in the country as compared to others, slowly and surely, Indians are realizing the benefits of online trading.
Online art auctions Indian artists are among the most skilled in the world, creating exquisite artwork. Thanks to the power of the net, online auctions of their prized masterpieces has become a reality. To cite an example, a recent online ar t auction of
Indian artworks by Saffronartonline registered record sales of 100 crores. Most artists now display their art online helping buyers to view, understand and buy their choice of art from the comfort of their homes.
The Gifting Industry Homemade Indian products have a huge overseas market. Keeping this aspect in mind, many sites on the net have introduced several products and gift schemes to woo the buyers, thus creating many more jobs and opportunities in India. The sale of traditional Indian han dicrafts as well as the spices and apparel industry has had a tremendous boost in recent years due to the proliferation of the net. Today anyone across the globe can log on to the sites of the Indian vendors and take their pick from goods as varied as µsar ees¶ to freshly ground spices. These vendors also take the onus of securely delivering your selected gift to any place that you desire. This has in turn spawned another industry of delivery services in India that transport your gift to the right destinatio n. India has joined the Internet bandwagon a bit late in the day but the current statistics indicate that the penetration of the net has been significant. Before the advent of the net, there was very little information or awareness about the benefits of trading with India. No longer is the trade of the Indian goods restricted to only the buyers in and around the sub continent. All the aforesaid industries have experienced tremendous success and the Internet will only open up more avenues for other new and p rofitable online ventures. The net has helped Indian industries reach a wider audience, thus making the world sit up and take notice of its artisans and their artistry.
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those o f the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti -plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.
Out of 5 ³chilies´, our editorial team gave this article. .. Internet human behaviour
CNN¶s online news site recently posted a poll that asked, ³Are you tired of social networking?´ When I had checked their resu lts, it showed that 74% chose ³YES.´ Yet according to Inside Twitter by Alex Cheng, Mark Evans and Harshdeep Singh, after analyzing information disclosed on 11.5 million Twitters accounts, 72.5% of all users joined during the first five months of 2009. 85.3% o f all Twitter users post less than one update per day. Twitter is not the sole means of social networking of course, but this is one small example of conflicting reports regarding the Internet and human behavior. While not everyone is comfortable online, a s a world civilization we¶re adapting to the changes Internet technology is making in our lives. What might this mean for online marketing and user experience web design? Should social networking development cycles be investigating usability? Might they also be considering the impact of social media web sites on human behavior and society? The CNN poll was inspired by a piece they ran called Do You Suffer From Internet Fatigue?, which focused on a PEW study called The Mobile Difference. Pew found that only 7% of people use the Internet as their primary means of social communication . Yet, some of them feel guilty if they can¶t keep with all the various forms of the social Internet. According to John Horrigan, Pew Internet Project¶s associate director of research: ³The most high-tech group we labeled the ³digital collaborators.´ The digital collaborators are the ones with the most technology, doing the most with it and loving it the most, and really are about not just using technology to communicate with others but to cultiva te their creative lives.´ Horrigan discussed young people and their usage of cell phones for texting and Internet for social networking with sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. This is how they communicate and socialize, and when they have to go ³off the air,´ they apologize for not being there. Do we need a break? According to Horrigan, the answer is yes. ³I think it¶s fairly well known in the tech community that traffic for blogs and so -forth dives on the weekends, so I think people tend to use the weekends as a way to take a little bit of a breather.´ SciTech b log writer, John D. Sutter , who invites discussion on the topic of Internet fatigue (see resource below), shares that many are indeed fed up with information overload, or feel that ³online social networks are ruining our society.´ It¶s Google¶s fault One thing you can always count on with humans is that they will always find someone or something to blame for whatever they disli ke. The July/August 2009 issue of The Atlantic has a technology article called Get Smarter that presents the perspective that human beings are an evolving species and one of our natural triggers is ³How do we cope with this?´ The author, Jamais Cascio, explores wh ether the ³hive mind of the Internet´ can influence everything from personal growth, entertainment and communication to scientific discoveries,
because we now have a tool for visualization and simulation. We¶re adapting to the Internet by way of ³fluid intelligence,´ w hich is the ³ability to find meaning in confusion and to solve new problems, independent of acquired knowledge.´ By contrast, others such as Nicholas Carr who wrote Is Google Making Us Stupid? for the magazine presents a different view. He argues that our brains are being rewired and it¶s harder for us to relax due to information overload. Linda Stone, a technology thought leader, likens what we as web developers call ³hyperlinking´ to ³ continuous partial attention.´ ³To pay continuous partial attention is to pay partial attention ² CONTINUOUSLY. It is motivated by a desire to be a LIVE node on the network. Another way of saying this is that we want to connect and be connected. We want to effective ly scan for opportunity and optimize for the best opportunities, activities, and contacts, in any given moment. To be busy, to be connected, is to be alive, to be recognized, and to matter. We pay continuous partial attention in an effort NOT TO MISS ANYTH ING. It is an always-on, anywhere, anytime, anyplace behavior that involves an artificial sense of constant crisis. We are always in high alert when we pay continuous partial attention. This a rtificial sense of constant crisis is more typical of continuous partial attention than it is of multi-tasking.´ We¶ve spent a good deal of our energy creating usable web sites that make it easy for people to find where we put everything, but we focus far less on their physical and emotional experiences. We may take it for granted that site visitors will follow every link. Search engines follow hyperlinks. Persuasive site design calls for making links compelling, noticeable and worthy. When was the last time you thought, ³I want my customer to rest for a minute and gath er their thoughts before they purchase from my web site?´ Design for future The future came yesterday. Internet technology isn¶t going away. We¶ve adapted. We¶ll keep finding more ways to use it. It¶s estimated that 2 billion people will be on the Internet by 2010. That¶s next year. In a very short time, we¶ve made quantum leaps in how we think, share and interact with one another, both as individuals and as consumers. With social networking we share ourselves in ways we never dreamed of doing face to face. We don¶t have to leave t he house to purchase products. We can call or send a text message to someone from wherever we happen to be, rather than hunt for a telephone booth. The line between our personal and public information has nearly disappeared. Our values, beliefs and human b ehavior are changing as a result. In a white paper, A Road Map for the Post-Web 2.0 World Jerome Nadel, MS, CUA, CPE / Chief Experience Officer Human Factors International, Inc., writes: ³In the era of interactivity and user-created content, user experience is changing the very way we do business. There was a time in which digital technologies was just another asset of the enterprise, a tool used to execute strategy developed by management, and d elivered to customers. That model has been flipped on its head. As we zoom past Web 2.0 into the realm of Web 3.0, customers are using technology to drive products, marketing and strategy.´ Are we worn out with social media? Do we really suffer from Internet fatigu e? I think the answers depend on several factors, such as your age, where you live, personality, income, work life and personal values. To be sure, Internet marketers are having a blast an d can¶t quite figure out what all the fuss is about. And yet, in pri vate, some of them admit they¶re indeed worn out. I believe we¶re learning to cope with the technologies we¶re inventing and people still prefer simplicity. Google shot past t he other search engines because its interface was simple. The takeaways for us, r egarding usability and SEO, is that our value lies in our fascination with and understanding of Internet technology and usage. We know how to ³work it.´ Could we wreck a good thing? Sure. We can contr ibute to the chaos and as result, drive people away from wanting to interact with social networking web sites. Companies can continue to develop applications and tools that invade public privacy. We can support adults sites or consider how what we are doing affects huma n civilization in the long run. Or, I was just visualizing sitting on the beach with a frozen strawberry daiquiri on sunny day with a light breeze messing up my bangs, watching a school of dolphins off in the distance, breathing in coconut mango suntan lotion and letting the ocean waves lull me into total relaxation. My computer, video, camera and cell phone are nowhere to be seen. Opinions expressed in the article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Related Topics: Just Behave
Everymen looss internet
Dear Pablo: I know that it's better, from an environmental perspective, to shop online than driving to a store but what about other uses of the internet? What is the environmental impact of internet use? In past articles I have written about the environmental benefits of shopping online and the benefits of reading documents online versus printing them but let's face it, many of our uses of the internet don't actually replace other activities. One could argue, I guess, that Facebook replaces the need to drive to a friend's house, but for the most part it is just a novel new form of social interaction/entertainment and a massive productivity drain. So what is the impact of a lazy afternoon on 101 ways to waste time online? Several recent studies and articles have shown that a simple Google search can result in 1-10 grams of CO2 emissions. With over 200 million internet searches per day (2006) in the US alone, we are looking at up to 2000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per day. Last fall Google decided to work with Greenhouse Gas Services, a GE and AES joint venture, to capture and destroy landfill methane emissions from a North Carolina landfill. This reduction in greenhouse gas emissions helps to lessen net emissions and "offsets" some of Google's own "carbon footprint." Unfortunately the 2000 ton figure refers only to internet searches, but what about other uses for the internet? Most computers create 40-80 grams of greenhouse gas emissions per hour through their electricity use (depending on electricity source and computer type), so the aggregated greenhouse gas emissions just from computers is quite sizable, nevermind the servers and fiber optic lines. Sources say that the internet accounts for3 percent of US electricity consumption and 2 percent of global CO2 emissions. So, what can be done to reduce the environmental impact of the internet? Many of the companies involved in building and operating the data centers, the brains of the internet, have been working on improving data center efficiency for several years. Processors have increased in computing power, while decreasing in energy demand, and new ways have been developed to keep massive server farms cool. Server farms can be located near hydroelectric facilities or other sources of renewable energy and the can be built in the arctic circle to take advantage of natural cooling. On an individual level it is important to simply be aware that using the internet is not "carbon neutral" and don't leave your computer on when you aren't using it.
Ask Pablo is a weekly column that aims to answer your pressing eco-quandries. Want to ask Pablo a question? Simply email Pablo(at)treehugger(dot)com. Wondering why Pablo's qualified to answer? As the Vice President of Greenhouse Gas Management atClimateCHECK, he helps major corporations measure and manage their greenhouse gas emission Like so many others, this TreeHugger made the switch to Gmail a while back, and has never looked back. He immediately started making use of its massive storage capabilities, and stopped deleting anything but the most obviously pointless emails. His email inbox is rapidly approaching the 11,000 messages mark. Being the technologically-challenged individual that he is, it took him some time to realise that there might be consequences to these actions ± namely data retained means storage space used, and storage space used means energy consumed. The more tech savvy rea is der probably shaking her head right now, amazed at how it can take this long to realise such things, but the fact remains that many of us still see digital files as existing in some kind of limbo ± if they are not using up paper, or taking up storage space in our filing cabinets, what kind of impact can they have? As Lloyd pointed out in his post on the paperless home, moving from paper to digital storage is leading to major increases in energy consumption, and Google itself acknowledges it is "as much of an energy glutton as heavy industry". But just how much energy are we using up by not keeping our Gmail inboxes in order? This question lead to some interesting discussion among TreeHugger staff, with our resident computer-guru Mark Ontkush informing us that it is almost impossible to get accurate numbers. Apparently it used to be the accepted wisdom that 2MB of data required about a lb of coal to store annually, but this figure was based on a study from 1999 which has supposedly since disappeared from the internet (no mean feat, as Mark points out!). Whether this study was accurate at the time or not, the numbers stuck around in popular discourse. Apparently this was recalculated to somewhere between 10 and 20MB per lb of coal in 2003, but even those figures are likely to be way out of date by now. Whatever the exact energy use per unit of storage is, we do know that the internet uses somewhere around 3% of US electricity consumption ± a pretty sizeable figure. Mike also waded into the debate, pointing out that there are so many variables ± from how much data is stored for how long and where, to how often it is accessed, from where, on which machines. Add to that the question of what the grid mix is for the locations in question, and the fact that from one request to the next, things can be routed to different places or gotten from RAM or HDD, at different data centers. Ultimately is seems that the only thing we can say in the end is this - less data equals less power by some amount. Mike concluded by suggesting that the real question is opportunity cost: how much effort would we put into reducing emails, and would that effort be better used elsewhere? We¶d love to hear our readers thoughts on this ± meanwhile this author will be at least trying to get his inbox down under the 10,000 messages mark, though he¶s going to try not to delete the discussion thread that started all this.
Mobile Phone
Person to person, heart to heart, that is the base behind mobile phones. ³People want to talk to other people ± not a house, or an office, or a car. Given a choice, people will demand the freedom to communicate wherever they are, unfettered by the infamous copper wire. It is that freedom we sought to vividly demonstrate in 1973,´ said Martin Cooper, the first man to make a mobile call. It was his vision that today we enjoy reaching each other within no time and without any hurdle. The 1st call made publically enjoyed its 30th anniversary on 3rd April, 2003. Martin Cooper was Manager of Motorola¶s Communication Systems Division when the mobile came in public held in his hands. Now he is CEO & Co founder of ArrayComm Inc. The mobile set he used was as big as a brick and weighed about 30 ounces. The historic call was made to Cooper¶s rival AT&T¶s Bell Labs while walking in streets of New York City. After that the handset took 10 years time to reach the market and from there to people. Before that there were portable telephones but none was a wireless portable mobile. The 1st one used without the entangling copper wire was in Cooper demonstration. Before the launch of mobiles, there were two way radios known as µmobile rigs¶, installed in the cars for communication. They were good tools for communication but were not at all mobiles as they were not normally connected to the telephone network. Initially the mobiles were also installed in vehicles only. Their advanced versions were called µbag phones¶ with µcigarette lighter plug¶ so they can be carried anywhere and used as two way radios. Now with the progression in the mobile technology, today it is possible to reach anyone anywhere in the world not only through voice communication but also texting; SMS. Besides text messages, picture messages can be sent and received too; MMS. The technologies used now for mobiles are known as 0G i.e. zero generation, proceeding to 4G. With the ongoing innovative developments in mobiles, significantly interesting developments have been made, because it was unthinkable before that task like these can be accomplished through a tiny handset. Its functions and options have made it more than a mobile set and more of an operational gadget pack and an organizer. Like SMS and MMS, another common but interesting features now in mobiles is connectivity to internet and sending emails. Radio, MP3, songs and ringtones, taking pictures, making videos with the help of built in cameras featuring up to 5mega pixels is a common feature for almost all the handsets that are available at the market. Video call, connectivity through Bluetooth and Infrared, Push-To-Talk; PTT, extended memories, call logs, phone books, and on the top, ability to connect and share data with a computer. Some interesting facts include the possibility to unlock your car if you have forgotten the keys inside the car. You can actually take help from someone at home, conditional of having an additional security remote at home. You can stand at a distance of a foot from your car while the person at home presses the unlock button. In this amazing way your car will be unlocked and you can get your keys back.
Photo by wikimedia.org If at some point of time your mobile service provider is not giving network coverage and you need to call an emergency service, then no need to panic. Just dial 112 and you will be connected to the emergency service through any available network. For Nokia, dialing the code *3370# can upgrade your battery up to 50% using a built-in reserve battery. This is practicable in situations when your mobile has eaten up the battery and you have no means to charge it for an urgent call. Innovation is a nonstop process and we can¶t say to what extent it will change the workability of mobiles and what further tasks will we be able to accomplish with mobiles.
Who is founder of mobile phones a.k.a. cell phones?
I know the founder of telephone. but who is the founder of mobile phones a.k.a. cell phones.? The cell phone was invented by Bell Labs from about 1947 to 1967, but a controversy has arisen about this. See the discussion in the next two paragraphs. Also see the the About.Com artilce Selling the Cell Phone - History of Cellular Phones. According to an Associated Press Article in the April 12th issue of the San Francisco Chronicle, page D3 and an April 3, 2003 Chronicle Article, the Cell Phone was invented by Martin Cooper who at that time was a vice-president at Motorola. Both articles state that he made the first cell -phone call in 1973 on a street corner in New York using a base station at the top of a tall building in that city. He called an acquaintance at AT&T who at that time was a rival and perhaps said something like "we've done it". Motorola introduced its cell phone in 1983 after f ive generations, 15 years, and $ 90 million; but as mentioned above, the first commercial cell phone service was started by NTT in Japan on December 3, 1979.
This by no means the whole story, however. Cooper himself in the 10th paragraph of the April -3rd Chronical article states that "Bell Labs had invented this thing called cellular technology". What Martin Cooper apparently did was build a relatively small radio telephone which could be carried by a person. He did not develop the idea and the mechanism for automatically switching over when a phone went from one cell to another. The true inventor of the cell phone is the person or group who developed the concept of small cells and implemented the automatic switchover system, and this was Bell Labs. See th e In-Box posting in Phone+ Magazine Give Bell Labs Its Due.Necessity is the mother of invention. If, as explained in the About.Com article, theFCC had not limited the number of channels available for radio telephones to 23, Bell Labs would not have been un der intense pressure to develop the cellular concept. Anyone (especially someone from Bell Labs) who has more information on this point can contact me at blange(at sign)virtualpbx.com . Finally the explosion of cellular technology which we now see around us today was caused by the Microprocessor, i.e. a computer on a small single chip. This was primarily pioneered by Intel although Motorola and AMD have played significant roles. Source(s):
The Impact of The Internet
The impact of the Internet There has been a huge, worldwide explosion in the use of the Internet. It is already changing the way we work, shop, bank and also the way we live.
1. Why the Internet has grown
The PC is becoming commonplace in many homes and there is a general acceptance that this is a way forward. Analogue phone lines are being replaced by faster digital lines (ISDN). Even faster high-speed digital connections will soon be delivered to households, offering a whole day connection to the Net. Many countries around the world are developing in communication technology via satellite, wireless and cable to enhance worldwide Internet access. Access to the Internet and its services have already become available through the use of digital TVs and mobile phones. The use of the Internet by many business, organisations and the general public has led to a rapid increase in the number of sites. Clearly all these developments are going to change the way we work, live and experience life.
2. The Internet and the way we work
Information technology has had an impact on the way we work for quite some time, but the Internet has now added electronic mail (email), teleworking and video conferencing to the workplace.
Teleworking The ability to work from home by means of a PC or laptop and since some communications link are increasing, and there are a number of benefits to the employer:
Office running costs and overheads (rates, electricity, heating etc.) can be reduced, which in turn may reduce the need for office space. Travel-related problems may be reduced. It may tempt better staff to come and work for the company. However, employers need to be able to trust their staff and be prepared to have less direct control over them. Benefits for the employee include: You can work from the comfort of your own home. There is no time wasted travelling and no travel costs. It enables you to work around the needs of your family and/or children, giving you greater flexibility. It is more convenient - you can plan the working day to suit you, which could help reduce stress levels. Drawbacks include: There is less opportunity to meet up with people and share ideas therefore teamwork is more difficult. There may be more temptation to spend time on non-work-related activities.
Video conferencing Video conferencing means using computers to provide a video-link between two or more people. Instead of just talking to someone by telephone, you are able to see them as well.
Benefits include: Meetings can take place without leaving the office. Travel costs and the time taken to travel can be reduced significantly. Meetings can be called instantly worldwide with little notice. Delegates can still attend meetings even if they are physically unable to. Drawbacks include: May not be as productive as a discussion around a table. Confidential documents may need to be viewed and signed in person. There will always be times when you need to be able to meet face to face with another person.
3. How the Internet is changing our lifestyle Home shopping Home shopping options are many and varied and changing all the time. Most major supermarkets are now on-line, offering home delivery of goods and increasingly, the major high street stores are also competing for on-line trading. The Internet lends itself to shops selling goods which are easily portable, such as CDs and books.
The benefits of home shopping to the customer include: You can avoid long queues, save time and shop from the comfort of your own home. You do not have to travel into city centres or pay for car parking costs.
You can shop around for the best prices and shop abroad for cheaper goods. It can offer the customer a wider range of shopping, 24 hours a day all year round. People who are house-bound have the ability to shop and have goods delivered. The possible drawbacks of home shopping include: Security worries about payment by credit card over the Internet. You do not get to see the goods before purchase which may be defective. You may worry that the the goods will never arrive! There may be concerns over retailers collecting details about the buying habits of customers. Benefits to the company include: It opens the market to customers nationally and internationally. It enables smaller companies to compete with larger companies. There may be a possible reduction in staffing and/or shopping outlets, thereby reducing costs. You can offer 24 hour shopping at minimum cost.
Home banking Most major banks now offer online banking and some are offering only Internet banking. Without the overheads of running and staffing the high street branches they can offer higher rates of interest to customers.
Services offered include: You can pay your bills from the comfort of your home or the workplace. It is possible to transfer money immediately to high interest accounts. You can check balances and daily transactions on line anytime. It is possible to set up direct debits and order stationery on line. Benefits to the customer include: All services are from the comfort of your home or workplace, 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year. Higher interest rates are available to Internet bankers. It is easy to shop around on line for the best interest rates and switch funds automatically. Concerns include: Small branches are closing or having opening hours reduced. Reductions in staffing at the major banks. The move towards banking from your PC, digital TV or mobile phone will only increase these concerns. Some customers have worries about security because of possible credit card fraud.
4. Concerns about the Internet
The Internet and freedom of speech No-one owns the Internet so anybody can post anything on it. The Internet is a great source of information but it has also become the home of political propaganda, racism, pornography and other controversial or illegal material.
Apart from physically restricting access the only control is through some form of filtering software. Increasingly individuals and authorities are recommending some sort of control. Arguments for control To prevent illegal material being readily available, e.g. political propaganda, racism and pornography. To prevent young children accessing unsuitable material. To make the Web more efficient - at present there is too much useless information. To ensure copyright laws are maintained. Arguments against control The aim of the Internet is to be a free source of information. Unsuitable material is easily available in other ways. Control would cost money and users would have to pay. Control would be very difficult to enforce.
Internet crime New technology brings with it new crimes and as a result some governments are setting up special units to deal with Internet crime. Concerns surround:
the interception of credit card details and transactions online. hacking into personal, private files with criminal intent. fraudulent web sites taking credit card details from customers. the spreading of viruses thorugh the Internet.
Internet security A number of steps are being taken to reassure the general public that the Internet is safe:
Data is encoded before transmission using encryption techniques which scramble the data. The data is then decoded at the receiving end (decryption). The use of passwords and access level restrictions. The use of firewalls (servers that filter incoming messages to protect LANs from viruses and hacking). Tough penalties for offenders under the Computer Misuse Act.
5. The future
Increased speed of access combined with digital, satellite and wireless technologies will see Internet use and the resources on offer continue to expand. In the home digital TV offering Internet access will enable home viewers to shop, bank, play games and send email. At work digital phone lines will offer companies high-speed communication enabling business to be conducted quickly, efficiently and with reduced costs. Access to video conference links will become commonplace. Wireless technology (WAP) will support mobile phones offering hand-held Internet access. Pocketsized units will link email to weather, news, travel, entertainment listings and holiday information. As connection speeds improve, banking, shopping and video conferencing will take place on the move, in the car on the bus, train or plane.
On the road new systems will be able to pinpoint your car on an onboard computer which will provide access to road and traffic information. Car phones will link to the Internet allowing drivers to check their email.
The Internet has Helped the Indian Market Reach a Global Audience
chillibreeze writer ²Beryl Kun
India is a country with a rich blend of culture, people, and lifestyles that are an inherent part of its identity. For a long time, the general opinion about India was that of a poor, under developed third world country. Consequently the trade and transactions of the nation were quite limited in their reach and volumes. However the negative perceptions about the country have become a thing of the past. The power of the net has brought greater awareness of skills and resources, thus helping the various Indian markets reach a d iverse global audience. It has played a major role in opening up the untapped markets of the country and bestowed the benefits of globalization on the Indian people. Some ventures due to which the Internet has helped India become a global market force are as follows:-
The Freelance Business India has the largest pool of English speaking people who have the requisite expertise to undertake freelance jobs in varied industries of software, writing, designing and so on. The Internet has helped people across con tinents find the best fit for their job, in the skilled talent pool of the Indian people. There are various Indian sites and organizations that offer varied freelance services like proofreading, content development, coding and testing. There isn¶t a better example than this site itself that caters to providing the best content from the contribution of its Indian freelance writers and developers. The connectivity of the net and other supporting factors have encouraged the top US companies to outsource their work to India and many more companies are expected to follow suit.
Tourism and Travel Industry There are scores of tourist destinations in our country that have an abundance of natural beauty and hi storic significance. The Internet has proved to be a boon for the tourism industry as these days you can get all the relevant information of these hitherto unknown places. Numerous online sites offer all the requisite information about these exotic destinations within India- right from traveling to these places to hotel bookings and sight seeing. The net has transformed the face of the Indian tourism industry, by making India one of the top must -visit places in the world. International visitors now know tha t India has many places to satiate a visitor¶s interest, no matter what their budget.
E-commerce transactions The net has proved to be the best method for buyers and sellers to transact their wares in a fast and convenient manner. Websites like Indiamart.c om and Baazee.com are a few examples of the online ventures that see outstanding volumes of e-commerce transactions. Real time selling and buying on baazee.com enables a person to sell everything from cars, books, stocks and virtually anything that comes t o mind. The net has made the whole world your very own market place. The profits from online trading are garnering a lot of appreciation as well as opening new markets for further trading within India. Several sites also maintain the databases of all the I ndian traders, manufacturers and sellers. These listings have boosted sales and created a wider market for the goods. Online fund transfer, an offshoot of the benefit of net penetration has ensured an inflow of money into the country from the expatriates. This has increased the valuable foreign exchange of the country, leading to greater prosperity and more wealth. Although e commerce has not made a major impact in the country as compared to others, slowly and surely, Indians are realizing the benefits of online trading.
Online art auctions Indian artists are among the most skilled in the world, creating exquisite artwork. Thanks to the power of the net, online auctions of their prized masterpieces has become a reality. To cite an example, a recent online ar t auction of
Indian artworks by Saffronartonline registered record sales of 100 crores. Most artists now display their art online helping buyers to view, understand and buy their choice of art from the comfort of their homes.
The Gifting Industry Homemade Indian products have a huge overseas market. Keeping this aspect in mind, many sites on the net have introduced several products and gift schemes to woo the buyers, thus creating many more jobs and opportunities in India. The sale of traditional Indian han dicrafts as well as the spices and apparel industry has had a tremendous boost in recent years due to the proliferation of the net. Today anyone across the globe can log on to the sites of the Indian vendors and take their pick from goods as varied as µsar ees¶ to freshly ground spices. These vendors also take the onus of securely delivering your selected gift to any place that you desire. This has in turn spawned another industry of delivery services in India that transport your gift to the right destinatio n. India has joined the Internet bandwagon a bit late in the day but the current statistics indicate that the penetration of the net has been significant. Before the advent of the net, there was very little information or awareness about the benefits of trading with India. No longer is the trade of the Indian goods restricted to only the buyers in and around the sub continent. All the aforesaid industries have experienced tremendous success and the Internet will only open up more avenues for other new and p rofitable online ventures. The net has helped Indian industries reach a wider audience, thus making the world sit up and take notice of its artisans and their artistry.
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those o f the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti -plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.
Out of 5 ³chilies´, our editorial team gave this article. .. Internet human behaviour
CNN¶s online news site recently posted a poll that asked, ³Are you tired of social networking?´ When I had checked their resu lts, it showed that 74% chose ³YES.´ Yet according to Inside Twitter by Alex Cheng, Mark Evans and Harshdeep Singh, after analyzing information disclosed on 11.5 million Twitters accounts, 72.5% of all users joined during the first five months of 2009. 85.3% o f all Twitter users post less than one update per day. Twitter is not the sole means of social networking of course, but this is one small example of conflicting reports regarding the Internet and human behavior. While not everyone is comfortable online, a s a world civilization we¶re adapting to the changes Internet technology is making in our lives. What might this mean for online marketing and user experience web design? Should social networking development cycles be investigating usability? Might they also be considering the impact of social media web sites on human behavior and society? The CNN poll was inspired by a piece they ran called Do You Suffer From Internet Fatigue?, which focused on a PEW study called The Mobile Difference. Pew found that only 7% of people use the Internet as their primary means of social communication . Yet, some of them feel guilty if they can¶t keep with all the various forms of the social Internet. According to John Horrigan, Pew Internet Project¶s associate director of research: ³The most high-tech group we labeled the ³digital collaborators.´ The digital collaborators are the ones with the most technology, doing the most with it and loving it the most, and really are about not just using technology to communicate with others but to cultiva te their creative lives.´ Horrigan discussed young people and their usage of cell phones for texting and Internet for social networking with sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. This is how they communicate and socialize, and when they have to go ³off the air,´ they apologize for not being there. Do we need a break? According to Horrigan, the answer is yes. ³I think it¶s fairly well known in the tech community that traffic for blogs and so -forth dives on the weekends, so I think people tend to use the weekends as a way to take a little bit of a breather.´ SciTech b log writer, John D. Sutter , who invites discussion on the topic of Internet fatigue (see resource below), shares that many are indeed fed up with information overload, or feel that ³online social networks are ruining our society.´ It¶s Google¶s fault One thing you can always count on with humans is that they will always find someone or something to blame for whatever they disli ke. The July/August 2009 issue of The Atlantic has a technology article called Get Smarter that presents the perspective that human beings are an evolving species and one of our natural triggers is ³How do we cope with this?´ The author, Jamais Cascio, explores wh ether the ³hive mind of the Internet´ can influence everything from personal growth, entertainment and communication to scientific discoveries,
because we now have a tool for visualization and simulation. We¶re adapting to the Internet by way of ³fluid intelligence,´ w hich is the ³ability to find meaning in confusion and to solve new problems, independent of acquired knowledge.´ By contrast, others such as Nicholas Carr who wrote Is Google Making Us Stupid? for the magazine presents a different view. He argues that our brains are being rewired and it¶s harder for us to relax due to information overload. Linda Stone, a technology thought leader, likens what we as web developers call ³hyperlinking´ to ³ continuous partial attention.´ ³To pay continuous partial attention is to pay partial attention ² CONTINUOUSLY. It is motivated by a desire to be a LIVE node on the network. Another way of saying this is that we want to connect and be connected. We want to effective ly scan for opportunity and optimize for the best opportunities, activities, and contacts, in any given moment. To be busy, to be connected, is to be alive, to be recognized, and to matter. We pay continuous partial attention in an effort NOT TO MISS ANYTH ING. It is an always-on, anywhere, anytime, anyplace behavior that involves an artificial sense of constant crisis. We are always in high alert when we pay continuous partial attention. This a rtificial sense of constant crisis is more typical of continuous partial attention than it is of multi-tasking.´ We¶ve spent a good deal of our energy creating usable web sites that make it easy for people to find where we put everything, but we focus far less on their physical and emotional experiences. We may take it for granted that site visitors will follow every link. Search engines follow hyperlinks. Persuasive site design calls for making links compelling, noticeable and worthy. When was the last time you thought, ³I want my customer to rest for a minute and gath er their thoughts before they purchase from my web site?´ Design for future The future came yesterday. Internet technology isn¶t going away. We¶ve adapted. We¶ll keep finding more ways to use it. It¶s estimated that 2 billion people will be on the Internet by 2010. That¶s next year. In a very short time, we¶ve made quantum leaps in how we think, share and interact with one another, both as individuals and as consumers. With social networking we share ourselves in ways we never dreamed of doing face to face. We don¶t have to leave t he house to purchase products. We can call or send a text message to someone from wherever we happen to be, rather than hunt for a telephone booth. The line between our personal and public information has nearly disappeared. Our values, beliefs and human b ehavior are changing as a result. In a white paper, A Road Map for the Post-Web 2.0 World Jerome Nadel, MS, CUA, CPE / Chief Experience Officer Human Factors International, Inc., writes: ³In the era of interactivity and user-created content, user experience is changing the very way we do business. There was a time in which digital technologies was just another asset of the enterprise, a tool used to execute strategy developed by management, and d elivered to customers. That model has been flipped on its head. As we zoom past Web 2.0 into the realm of Web 3.0, customers are using technology to drive products, marketing and strategy.´ Are we worn out with social media? Do we really suffer from Internet fatigu e? I think the answers depend on several factors, such as your age, where you live, personality, income, work life and personal values. To be sure, Internet marketers are having a blast an d can¶t quite figure out what all the fuss is about. And yet, in pri vate, some of them admit they¶re indeed worn out. I believe we¶re learning to cope with the technologies we¶re inventing and people still prefer simplicity. Google shot past t he other search engines because its interface was simple. The takeaways for us, r egarding usability and SEO, is that our value lies in our fascination with and understanding of Internet technology and usage. We know how to ³work it.´ Could we wreck a good thing? Sure. We can contr ibute to the chaos and as result, drive people away from wanting to interact with social networking web sites. Companies can continue to develop applications and tools that invade public privacy. We can support adults sites or consider how what we are doing affects huma n civilization in the long run. Or, I was just visualizing sitting on the beach with a frozen strawberry daiquiri on sunny day with a light breeze messing up my bangs, watching a school of dolphins off in the distance, breathing in coconut mango suntan lotion and letting the ocean waves lull me into total relaxation. My computer, video, camera and cell phone are nowhere to be seen. Opinions expressed in the article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Related Topics: Just Behave
Everymen looss internet
Dear Pablo: I know that it's better, from an environmental perspective, to shop online than driving to a store but what about other uses of the internet? What is the environmental impact of internet use? In past articles I have written about the environmental benefits of shopping online and the benefits of reading documents online versus printing them but let's face it, many of our uses of the internet don't actually replace other activities. One could argue, I guess, that Facebook replaces the need to drive to a friend's house, but for the most part it is just a novel new form of social interaction/entertainment and a massive productivity drain. So what is the impact of a lazy afternoon on 101 ways to waste time online? Several recent studies and articles have shown that a simple Google search can result in 1-10 grams of CO2 emissions. With over 200 million internet searches per day (2006) in the US alone, we are looking at up to 2000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per day. Last fall Google decided to work with Greenhouse Gas Services, a GE and AES joint venture, to capture and destroy landfill methane emissions from a North Carolina landfill. This reduction in greenhouse gas emissions helps to lessen net emissions and "offsets" some of Google's own "carbon footprint." Unfortunately the 2000 ton figure refers only to internet searches, but what about other uses for the internet? Most computers create 40-80 grams of greenhouse gas emissions per hour through their electricity use (depending on electricity source and computer type), so the aggregated greenhouse gas emissions just from computers is quite sizable, nevermind the servers and fiber optic lines. Sources say that the internet accounts for3 percent of US electricity consumption and 2 percent of global CO2 emissions. So, what can be done to reduce the environmental impact of the internet? Many of the companies involved in building and operating the data centers, the brains of the internet, have been working on improving data center efficiency for several years. Processors have increased in computing power, while decreasing in energy demand, and new ways have been developed to keep massive server farms cool. Server farms can be located near hydroelectric facilities or other sources of renewable energy and the can be built in the arctic circle to take advantage of natural cooling. On an individual level it is important to simply be aware that using the internet is not "carbon neutral" and don't leave your computer on when you aren't using it.
Ask Pablo is a weekly column that aims to answer your pressing eco-quandries. Want to ask Pablo a question? Simply email Pablo(at)treehugger(dot)com. Wondering why Pablo's qualified to answer? As the Vice President of Greenhouse Gas Management atClimateCHECK, he helps major corporations measure and manage their greenhouse gas emission Like so many others, this TreeHugger made the switch to Gmail a while back, and has never looked back. He immediately started making use of its massive storage capabilities, and stopped deleting anything but the most obviously pointless emails. His email inbox is rapidly approaching the 11,000 messages mark. Being the technologically-challenged individual that he is, it took him some time to realise that there might be consequences to these actions ± namely data retained means storage space used, and storage space used means energy consumed. The more tech savvy rea is der probably shaking her head right now, amazed at how it can take this long to realise such things, but the fact remains that many of us still see digital files as existing in some kind of limbo ± if they are not using up paper, or taking up storage space in our filing cabinets, what kind of impact can they have? As Lloyd pointed out in his post on the paperless home, moving from paper to digital storage is leading to major increases in energy consumption, and Google itself acknowledges it is "as much of an energy glutton as heavy industry". But just how much energy are we using up by not keeping our Gmail inboxes in order? This question lead to some interesting discussion among TreeHugger staff, with our resident computer-guru Mark Ontkush informing us that it is almost impossible to get accurate numbers. Apparently it used to be the accepted wisdom that 2MB of data required about a lb of coal to store annually, but this figure was based on a study from 1999 which has supposedly since disappeared from the internet (no mean feat, as Mark points out!). Whether this study was accurate at the time or not, the numbers stuck around in popular discourse. Apparently this was recalculated to somewhere between 10 and 20MB per lb of coal in 2003, but even those figures are likely to be way out of date by now. Whatever the exact energy use per unit of storage is, we do know that the internet uses somewhere around 3% of US electricity consumption ± a pretty sizeable figure. Mike also waded into the debate, pointing out that there are so many variables ± from how much data is stored for how long and where, to how often it is accessed, from where, on which machines. Add to that the question of what the grid mix is for the locations in question, and the fact that from one request to the next, things can be routed to different places or gotten from RAM or HDD, at different data centers. Ultimately is seems that the only thing we can say in the end is this - less data equals less power by some amount. Mike concluded by suggesting that the real question is opportunity cost: how much effort would we put into reducing emails, and would that effort be better used elsewhere? We¶d love to hear our readers thoughts on this ± meanwhile this author will be at least trying to get his inbox down under the 10,000 messages mark, though he¶s going to try not to delete the discussion thread that started all this.
