NASA’s Perseverance Rover a Bigger Breakthrough Than Expected
Beginning with the very first images, it was clear that NASA’s Perseverance rover excursion to Mars was a breakthrough. The video’s opening shot of the supersonic parachute, the dropping of the heat shield, the shot of the descent stage and the view of the rover itself, dangling beneath it were riveting. They were unprecedented.
Also unprecedented was the speed at...
What to Expect in Technology Policy from the Biden Administration
When the President of the United States elevates his science advisor to a cabinet-level position, you know that he’s paying attention to science and technology.The new head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Eric Lander, marks a significant departure from policy heads in the previous administration. For one thing, he’s being appointed at the very beginning of...
Why Social Networks Did the Right Thing in Silencing a President
On Jan. 6, 2021, a group of a few thousand protesters with an embedded group of domestic terrorists invaded the U.S. Capitol building while Congress was in session. They rampaged through the building, caused destruction to the Capitol itself and caused the evacuation of Congress. Some of the terrorists entered the offices of senators and representatives, stole papers, mail,...
Here’s What to Expect in Hopefully Post-Pandemic 2021
By the time you read this, the year 2020 will be behind us. But as you look around, you’ll realize that 2021 doesn’t look a lot different. You’ll still be socially distancing, most people, including you, will still be working from home and the industry will still be reeling from the Russian hack of nearly everyone. Nonetheless, there are changes...
2020: Bad Year Overall, but Good Things Happened in Tech
It’s tempting to label 2020 as the worst year ever, if only because of COVID-19, the Russian hack and a contentious political climate, but there were some bright spots in the gloom.The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 overshadowed nearly everything else. Business was disrupted, hundreds of thousands died, the economy was in shambles. The presidential campaign...
Using 5G in the Real World
A year ago, T-Mobile announced the first real nationwide 5G network that was realistically available in most of the U.S. This new network used the company’s 600MHz spectrum, which was also being used for some of its 4G LTE network. At the time, I found that it indeed worked and could provide fast communications, but not always faster than...