Austin’s Big Gig

Posted by Julia Klaiber on March 23, 2010 |

A group of ambitious volunteers is committed to making Austin a pilot community for one of Google's planned gigabit network demonstrations. This network, which will be 1005 fiber optic, completely open and boast speeds up up to one billion bits per second, sounds impressive, but we're just as impressed with the grassroots effort behind this great site.

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Mobiles Reveal Behavioral Patterns

Posted by Rebecca Eggleston on August 20, 2009 |

This BBC article highlights how mobile phones are being used to gather new data on behavioral patterns. 

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research tracked the use of mobile phones to establish information on friendship networks.  By comparing the data with surveys of participants, the study showed a marked difference between what people reported and they’re actual behavior.

Although this study examined friend networks, the potential for broader research is being explored.

"City planners approached us because they wanted to know how people were using urban infrastructure, to know when the people left the rally, how many walked across the bridge and how many took the subway, how many biked or took the bus.

"We can give them some real insight with the idea of helping them build a better city that reflects people's actual behavior."

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