Videoconferencing by the Numbers
Using today’s videoconferencing technology to link more than three or four remote sites can be prohibitively expensive. But physicists from Caltech have devised a method that enables people located at as many as 40 sites around the world to confer affordably. The new setup employs a network of servers, scattered across 27 countries, that brings people together from different sites in one “virtual room” on the Internet. This approach eliminates the expensive hardware at each site that conventional systems require; instead, it can use cheap commercial webcams and microphones. It should thus allow some users to join videoconferences who couldn’t afford to otherwise. A user simply downloads software written by the Caltech group and logs in to a Web site; each of the other attendees appears in a separate window on the user’s desktop. More than 5,000 scientists from 88 countries are already using the system, which a team led by Harvey Newman and Philippe Galvez originally developed as a means of communicating with colleagues. The researchers have recently started up a company, VRVS Global in Pasadena, CA, to commercialize the technology.
Other Prototypes:
Identity Antitheft
Digital Doorman
Heart Helper
Cell-Free Proteins
E-Paper Printer
Programmable WIndow
Curvy Security
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build
“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”
ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it
The narrative around cheating students doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.
Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives
The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.
Learning to code isn’t enough
Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.