These days every single person in the world uses technology at least one time or another to communicate. Whether it's a phone call, text message or internet access.
As technology develops one step ahead, we are going to see a huge shake up in how people communicate. You may have heard of twitter which is basically a new concept communication tool, media coverage around the site has exploded simply because of the fact that it's a free and cool way to communicate with people.
I mean people are beginning to get fed up and so annoyed with mobile phones charging huge amounts to consumers, I mean you ring a freephone 0800 number and your mobile provider charges you a fortune. Well I do believe that in a while cell phone providers may well end up losing out.
Because the latest trend is that of IP telephony which basically offers free calls via the internet. Mobile Phone providers are getting very worried as to what the future has in store for them and we have already seen certain providers begin to block access to VoIP applications.
But with the current credit crisis and economic downturn in full swing it is only a matter of time until people get fed up and just switch to VoiP. IP telephony is still in its infant stage, not many people know about it yet but when they do it will catch on like wildfire. But I can guarantee that these companies will find a way of charging the public. There is no way that the governments of the planet would ever let the telecoms sector suffer.
In 1964, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) commissioned the first Doppler weather radar. The 3-cm Doppler was used to receive radio signals from storms, and was soon used in experimental "tornado tracking." Through these experiments, scientists realized the radar was not yet powerful enough to track all of the necessary data. In 1973, the NOAA upgraded to a 10-cm Doppler, observed by the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL). This first tornado's life cycle was captured both on film and in data, and revealed the circular pattern of a tornado's winds. This was the beginning of being able to send out severe weather reports faster.
Scientists sought to increase their knowledge of how storms like these formed. One particular storm in May of 1973 cut right through the heart of Union City, Oklahoma. Union City lies in the center of the infamous "Tornado Alley" region of the United States. With the data received by the scientists, they were able to start planning upgrades and improvements of the Doppler weather radar so it could be a more reliable asset to the government and the residents. The Doppler system maps weather radar by measuring the motion inside these very hostile storms. Over time, scientists discovered that tornadoes produce a unique signature; different from regular storms. And as time went on, they were able to recognize this pattern, which they later called the "tornadic vortex" signature.
Doppler weather radar improvements, including NEXRAD (Next Generation Radar), increased the warning time and the path prediction accuracy in storms with tornadic activity. Using NEXRAD, scientists nationwide are able to share data, giving a clearer picture of what to expect. In 2007, the National Weather Service picked up on tornadic cloud rotation and signature "hook-echo" patterns. Residents of Enterprise, Alabama were warned to take cover, and a full eighteen minutes later the tornado touched ground. Thanks to NEXRAD, the previous, typical five minute warning time to get to a safe place finally saw a dramatic increase.
Eighteen minutes is ample time to gather family and emergency supplies and take shelter. It was also enough time for some commuters to seek shelter in a sturdy building and get off the streets. It is the goal of all meteorologists to increase the lead time to 20 minutes, saving many more lives in the process. Doppler weather radar has come a long way. In the beginning, scientists hoped to save lives by getting the severe weather reports announced faster. Now, almost forty-five years since its birth, this one radar system is doing exactly that.