NBN and Nokia have been testing 20 Gbps speeds on the live FTTP network. The tests "used three generations of passive optical network (PON) technologies – GPON, XGS PON and 25GS PON, with speeds of 8 Gbps (symmetric) on XGS PON and 20 Gbps (symmetric) on 25GS PON", which is good news, unless you're in the ACT, where NBN has decided to downgrade the amount of "gigabit-capable premises" from 57% to 50%. NBN's CEO said that "when we've looked at the cost of building out in the ACT, unfortunately there are premises elsewhere in the country that are more cost effective for us to build to", hinting to the ACT government that a co-funding arrangement like in VIC (where VIC gives NBN a few hundred million dollars to pork barrel) is "available" to the ACT too.
Are you like me, wondering what the hell Google co-founder Sergey Brin, the 8th richest person in the world, is doing with his unfathomable fortune after exiting the day to day running of Google? Well, old mate is really into airships and the USA's FAA has given LTA Research (a company Brin founded in 2015) an airworthiness certificate for its 124-metre long Pathfinder 1. They have permission to test the "largest aircraft since the ill-fated Hindenburg" within "the boundaries of Moffett Field and neighbouring Palo Alto airport's airspaces" at an altitude of up to 460m, so not very high. Unlike the Hindenburg, Pathfinder 1 uses "non-flammable helium instead of explosive hydrogen as a lifting gas". Sounds like an excellent project for a reclusive billionaire.
Did you know that Netflix has a bunch of "open source content"? It's professional video content that is available on Netflix to watch, but also available do download in various formats under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License. The files include the raw video off the camera, various HDR formats, different frame rates, bit rates, resolutions and encoding formats. Netflix says they make this available with the hope it will "encourage more experimentation, learning, and discovery that will benefit the whole industry".
A contraption I made with a few Raspberry Pis and 4G modems that goes in a backpack and constantly logs the signal strength, latency and bandwidth of each of the three 4G networks that were new at the time. (I took this photo!)
📻 Boy From School - Hot Chip
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