Broadband users all over the UK have a variety of boring looking modems/routers which they use to connect to the Internet. They are normally tucked away somewhere out of sight and we only look at them when we want to see if all the little lights are flashing as expected. However there is a new generation of ‘designer’ modems/routers on the horizon. London's Goldsmiths University and TalkTalk have been working on a new concept, ‘Routers of the Future’.
Goldsmiths and TalkTalk have been exploring what the Routers of the Future might look like and how they could take pride of place in our households. TalkTalk asked Goldsmiths to consider four factors: signal strength, home style, energy efficiency and, finally, pure enjoyment and the University came up with four unique and adventurous designs: The Route O’Clock, The Hybrid Router, The Energy Saving Router and The JellyFish!
The Route O’Clock is based on the vast about of data TalkTalk have about Internet usage and bandwidth. A twenty-four hour clock divided into half hourly segments. As a reaction to the broadband signal, a different traffic light colour indicates bandwidth strength at each interval. TalkTalk said, “In future, our customers could be able to choose the very best times to enjoy bandwidth-hungry activities like watching internet TV, or playing online games.”
The Hybrid Router is a side table. I tried very hard to think of a more dynamic way to write that statement but I couldn’t. Put simply they converted the router into a piece of furniture! Flashing lights, hidden behind frosted acrylic, signal the presence of the router embedded within the base of the table and add a subtle glow. Apparently it’s an ambient object, integrating classic lines into a modern living space.
The Energy Saving Router is the most practical of all of these futuristic designs. This intelligent router switches off automatically when not in use, saving both energy and money.
Do we need our routers switched on 24/7? In fact, we could save power during sleep, or when nobody’s home (unless you download Torrents all night long). TalkTalk said, “A great compromise is the 'always-on-when-you-need-it’ router. That way, we only consume energy when absolutely necessary.”
If you liked the Hybrid Router, you will love The Jellyfish. It is the craziest design and TalkTalk admit that there is no rationale behind it. It has been designed to become the centre of attention and I think you will agree that if you have one of those in your living room it will be talked about!!!
London's Goldsmiths University added, “The unit has the potential to carry eight Ethernet cables, becoming a centre-point of communal attention. Multiple users can plug into the device which is situated in the centre of the space, and share time together.”
If you want to see more pictures and find out more head over to http://futurerouters.com/ and why not comment about the routers below.
One thought on “TalkTalk and University of London Launch Routers of the Future”
My favourite has to be the Jelly fish router however I am not to sure about the Hybrid Router as the design of the ‘side table’ may not fit everyones style expectations.