The rapid rate of growth for technology lately has been mystifying everyone, even those who are most excited for the arrival of new products and methods. Never before has it been possible to implement change so rapidly, with a number of different breakthroughs in language used to write programs and software, and a vast collection of smart and innovative young minds changing the landscape just as soon as it re-situates itself. It’s no exaggeration to say that things are advancing faster and more efficiently than ever before, and nowhere is this change as apparent as in the way that people are consuming media.
It used to be that only screaming and stressed out brokers had cell phones or pagers, not the entire populace, from your granddaughter to your great-aunt Mildred. Cell phones caught on at such a rapid pace that it seems as though almost everyone is currently carrying one. But for cell phone designers and tech-geeks alike, just having the capability to place a call from anywhere simply wasn’t enough. No, next it was about what a cell phone could do, adding features like video texting and essentially using the networks as forms of wireless internet for customers to be able to do anything from check email to read the gossip pages. The only limitation was that, initially, it was difficult to transfer larger chunks of data, eliminating a lot of live video options.
However, the invention and unveiling of the 4G network means that finally all of the smart phones will finally be able to live up to their full potential. With this new network, which is almost five times faster than the pre-existing technology, it is possible to transfer large amounts of date, including real-time video footage, from cell phone to cell phone (and to computers) without losing quality. This means using an iPhone to have a video conference chat with the office right before the flight takes off, or getting to watch the latest episode of your favorite television show in the cab on the way to the airport, even.
But the new network isn’t just a huge hit for cell phone users. After all, it is a lot more convenient to enjoy the internet on something designed for video and pictures, like a laptop or a desktop computer. And as more and more Americans have laptops for work and for leisure, it’s not an uncommon sight to witness people waiting for trains or stuck at the airport surfing the net. But another new technology, WiMax, has made it so that there’s no need to be near a Wi-Fi hot spot to get online. Just like turning a cell phone on automatically connects you to a network, this new service ensures that getting online anywhere, from a campsite to the middle of Times Square, is just as simple as turning on the computer.
So now, whether it’s for business, pleasure, or the last-minute entertainment of unruly children who are sick of waiting for their delayed flight to grandma’s house, it is possible to get online from practically any location, if you adopt the latest technology. While even a decade ago, this might have meant paying an arm and a leg, the falling prices of the latest advancements, from the fanciest cell phones to incredibly professional and high-tech computers, means that WiMax might be a lot closer to most regular people’s budgets than previously imagined.