Tech | April 07, 2008 | 63 comments

'The grid' may replace 'the internet'

Image
Simon_S
The internet could soon be made obsolete by a new "grid" system which is 10,000 times faster than broadband connections. Scientists in Switzerland have developed a lightning-fast replacement to the internet that would allow feature films and music catalogues to be downloaded within seconds, and the human brain to be downloaded into the world of a computer and forced to participate in gladiatorial games where your only chance of escape is with the help of a heroic security program.

(edit: I may have nicked that last bit about downloading brains from the synopsis to the movie 'Tron'. Zing!)
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63 comments // 'The grid' may replace 'the internet'

  • lifterbaron
    • +1
      lifterbaron  
    • Nope I think the grid thing is a slammin idea.. bring it and all tech along side it.. I was refering to some dumbasses somewhere along the way..

    • 3 years ago
  • Dmitri_Molotov
    • -1
      Dmitri_Molotov  
    • Lifterbaron, what exactly are you referring to? Are you saying that The Grid is going to enslave humanity? It's practically no different from the Internet other than it's speed.

    • 3 years ago
  • computergeek08
    • -1
      computergeek08  
    • This Grid that is supposed to be comin into force sounds a bit ahead of our time, even with all these technological advances that are happening, the increase in speed is just too optimistic!!!! how do they expect our computer systems to cope????? i aint got a problem wi the speed increase, i say go for it but how much will all this cost us, i hate to think about. the computer manufacturers wont b able to cope either, ther is no chance the current systems will, think about how many more computers they will have to build in asuch a short amount of, they will need more equipment than they already have which will result in the prices rocketing!!!!

    • 3 years ago
  • hack26
  • thedismembermentplan
  • jonbrooks
  • lifterbaron
    • 0
      lifterbaron  
    • Humans bore me so...

      Why is it that the repetitive sound of undereducated chit chat over powers that of the few that attempt to share interesting information.

      "The Swiss" aren't the ones who made this. It is a group of scientists from all over the world who sat down at one table and said, "lets make shit better.."

      Skynet, Doomsday, all of that is possible by the hands of the delightfully distracted population. Evil corporations are only possible because of its large number of "followers" and ignorant by-standers. Hilter could not have done what he did without the cooperation of his country and so on...

    • 3 years ago
  • Luckasa
    • 0
      Luckasa  
    • hahahha
      yeah.... I am pretty sure that is why they invented the GRID.
      so we could all get better at X-BOX *~*

      i wish i had video games.

      i'd get the grid... and go pro.

    • 3 years ago
  • Dmitri_Molotov
  • xxxCiscoKiDxxx
    • 0
      xxxCiscoKiDxxx  
    • "hmmm..

      i wonder how much this new 'grid' will cost us.
      we're already going through a national TV cable change, and we will most likely go through an internet change in the future.
      *sigh*
      what will the poor do?"
      -moneymike

      What will the poor do?

      Inherit the internet, of course :-P...

    • 3 years ago
  • xxxCiscoKiDxxx
    • 0
      xxxCiscoKiDxxx  
    • Jhydo...

      I don't know about you, but I've become MUCH too fascinated with the Universe and it's OH SO MANY Intricate workings... I'd rather live forever to see how it all ends... Spend a century or 2 floating into nothingness at thousands of MPH... Being a digital version of myself wouldn't be that bad, to that end, at least...

    • 3 years ago
  • mohitz
    • +1
      mohitz  
    • I think it's awesome to download music etc quickly. But, the sad fact is technology has advanded ions while our culture and humanity still is in the dark ages. If only we culd use the grid to give our humanity a peaceful, enlightened boost!

    • 3 years ago
  • vitamindevo
    • +1
      vitamindevo  
    • Yay , I seriously need faster internet, with all my myspaceing, Ive been takin back to the Dial Up age, i feel like the internet has been getting slower and slower. All those grandma's coming along on the cyber highway and uploading videos of their vacations to you tube.

    • 3 years ago
  • cheakywillie
    • 0
      cheakywillie  
    • the real question is on the backend....i mean the whole cloud computing aspect really sounds interesting ....to access huge data instantly sounds exciting

    • 3 years ago
  • deathstardroid34
  • eldamon
    • 0
      eldamon  
    • I wonder if they alloted for different brain speeds and through put? There's going to be a need to accommodate "dial-up" minds as well as.

    • 3 years ago
  • Luckasa
  • hack26
  • jamesphilb
    • 0
      jamesphilb  
    • Yeah I'm about as happy with this as I am with Hi-Def TV. Not at all. I don't want a newer better internet or TV for that matter. I already pay $60 for cable and internet. Always gotta have something newer and better so I can spend more.

    • 3 years ago
  • moneymike
    • 0
      moneymike  
    • hmmm..

      i wonder how much this new 'grid' will cost us.
      we're already going through a national TV cable change, and we will most likely go through an internet change in the future.
      *sigh*
      what will the poor do?

    • 3 years ago
  • CarolynGillis
  • BobtheEnforcer
  • KINGSTON916
  • Mobius2012
  • keeshii768
  • GDFERRIS
  • hisStoryFilms
  • Vierotchka
    • 0
      Vierotchka  
    • I live in Geneva, not all that far from CERN - hopefully I will be among the first private individuals able to connect to The Grid - and I don't find anything creepy about that name, no more creepy than The Web. As for hardware, it would seem that The Grid would make it obsolete too, as The Grid could host one's information and everything else we keep in our computers - only a screen and a keyboard would be necessary, along with a connection.

    • 3 years ago
  • CalPerr
  • VoyagerFilms
  • huntre
  • halestorm20
  • Jehansam
  • BurningBush
  • BurningBush
  • CCashman
  • Roger_Wilco
  • Qualles
    • 0
      Qualles  
    • Virus detected!: common cold...
      yhea, i don't want that to happen to my brain...
      or even worse...
      "you have been selected to win a free ipod. "
      i don't think anyone want's that re-drilled into their minds while on "the grid"

    • 3 years ago
  • Thargor19
  • marcozarco
  • MaRibElfalcon76
  • justinwillemsen
  • BenDorries
  • kaecvtionr
    • 0
      kaecvtionr  
    • The grid would definitely change society from what Simon_S said. However, it sounds kind of scary when he says the human brain could be downloaded. This would open even more dangerous things that can happen to people. Mind control? I don't like that idea; mind control. However, the article never said that you would be able to download the human brain.

      I like the grid. I think it could be a great new "internet".

      Change is inevitable [in technology, in this instance a new "internet"]- except from a vending machine.
      ~Robert C. Gallagher

    • 3 years ago
  • huntre
  • crshannon
  • ocanada
    • 0
      ocanada  
    • This certainly begs for net neutrality legislation, and for public funds to help develop this new information infrastructure just as the internet initialy did. This could indeed be a serious economic boon. Though its strange, this technology is faster than internet 2.0 which was already offering speeds of 30 gigabytes a second. or any concurrent web2.0 applications, CERN simply circumvented an entire generation of computing in one fell swoop. We weren't even prepared for internet 2.0 to be released into the general public our greatest research and academic institutions were barely capable of sustaining it, let alone of growing it to the size and speed proposed here. It's mind boggling to say the least. I had seen some of the web 2.0 experiments at Indiana University, or at least read about them and I was researching a new satelite internet service in my area promising three gigs a second as a minimum for next year. I couldn't even have imagined this.

      "Man's reach exceeds his grasp, Mans graps exceeds man's courage."

    • 3 years ago
  • thisisonelongname
    • 0
      thisisonelongname  
    • REBOOT!!!!
      Best show ever!

      But srsly, Im with Bob 100% here. The coming of a new internet brings with it may concerns. The internet as we know it is the freest place on earth. We can say what we want, when we want, and remain totally anonymous. We can share anything without having to pay, can pick and choose where to surf and what to see or read. If this new internet becomes government regulated, which i believe they will try to do, we might lose all the freedom we have on the internet. Imagine having to subscribe to a website just to visit it, just the way people pay to watch channels on their televisions. Having free speech be censored and paid for. This new "grid" could be one of the best things for us or the worst.

    • 3 years ago
  • devo64
    • 0
      devo64  
    • Image
    • The grid is scheduled to go online with the new particle accelerator built to probe the origin of the universe. The grid will be activated at the same time to capture the data it generates termed very ominously “red button” day.

      For better or for worse this will be a turning point in our societies technological sector, and if the original internet told us anything, it may be a turning point for all our cultures as well.

    • 3 years ago
  • BobtheEnforcer
    • 0
      BobtheEnforcer  
    • Be skeptical of this, as I'm thinking this is just the so called internet 2.0 AKA government regulated and censored internet. Everything has a price, even your privacy these days.

    • 3 years ago
  • jhydo
    • 0
      jhydo  
    • ...Reboot you say..?

      Hello, there is a reason why the human life is finite. Really, would you want to live forever? I for one would rather check out when my ticket-to-ride expires.
      No matter how long 1 lives there are mechanisms built into the universe that ensures that no 1 over stays their welcome.

    • 3 years ago
  • idealist
    • 0
      idealist  
    • ahh leave it to the swis to create a whole new level of creepy. i wonder if you will be able to access it with yet another switch of there red army knives that are so popular

    • 3 years ago
  • cibalin
    • 0
      cibalin  
    • They ask if there will be enough sustainable energy to keep it running..What if the thing starts to draw on its' own and can't be shut down...haha .oh..that's a movie that I saw..no way that sould happen...right?

    • 3 years ago
  • ultravphunter
  • jhydo
    • 0
      jhydo  
    • Can't We just pause a little to check where PROGRESS as it is called would take the human race. What will such an exponential leap in wireless circuitry connections bring to the human being?
      There is only that much information an average individual needs for optimum functionality.
      Or is this just a race to where we cease to exist as corporeal entities and just only in some server somewhere in cyber-oblivion...?

    • 3 years ago
  • jdchristianson
    • 0
      jdchristianson  
    • Image
    • Thats foreseeable, but we are continually expanding our technological horizons with no particular place to go. With all the resource in the world and technological power available, war is still happening. Utopian hopes vs. dystopian fears. Which is it?

      Check out my artwork >>>

    • 3 years ago
  • PatBoberg
    • 0
      PatBoberg  
    • Interesting... I wonder if this will end up like Johnny Mnemonic where you can download info to your brain and frag your brain... that would seriously rock.

    • 3 years ago
  • DonPatch
    • 0
      DonPatch  
    • The name is really creepy but that would be cool for faster internet.Its going to cost alot of money thou i dont think its going to be ready by the summer

    • 3 years ago
  • TheDecemberists
  • TDubs
    • 0
      TDubs  
    • Looks like the economy is getting a boost. Everyone has to buy a new computer! And yea Ben, the name gives me a chill but I do like the idea of less waiting. Even on the broadband connection I am on now I still have to wait..a little...and that's a little too much. The problem gets worse during peak hours and durig thos peak hours I definately can't play any online games! Booooo. Gooooooo Grid! Tron comes to mind. That's a little scary.

    • 3 years ago
  • seeker561
    • 0
      seeker561  
    • I wonder how much of the end user hardware currently in use will be able to support a 10 K increase in speed and the data it represents?

    • 3 years ago
  • BenDorries
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