# Information Interface



## a_majoor (26 Jul 2005)

The MAV thread in equipment got me thinking about the need to pass information between soldiers, receive information from headquarters and remote devices like the MAV and in general, the idea of sending and processing information across the military.

Right now we have the TCCCS system, which has about the worst user interface ever (although it is based on SCO Unix software, which makes it strong and relatively crashproof), and has fairly limited distribution due to the massive expense. Here is an alternative system which would allow the passage of information in Voice (using Voice over IP or VoIP technology), text and graphics. Even if the final product is twice or three times as expensive as promised, it would still be affordable and available in useful quantities.

http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/05/08/issue/editor.asp?p=0



> *From the Editor: The Hundred-Dollar Laptop*
> By Jason Pontin August 2005
> 
> In May, at the Wall Street Journal's D3 conference outside San Diego (an event attended by technology princes like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs), I saw the elements of a computer that, if it were built, would wonderfully improve the fortunes of poor children.
> ...



The internet infrastructure in a military version of this machine would be raised and maintained by the Signals branch, using portable equipment in CP vans and Command vehicles (i.e. the OC's vehicle and rover would contain these devices), as well as special Signals vehicles (including UAV relays or even satellite systems) to create wider networks using wireless routers and protable servers, as well as long range radio links to "trunk" network information across long distances. (The laptop devices would work fairly well as "Rad B" and "Rad D" on their own). High bandwidth applications such as video transmission would have to be tightly controlled so it doesn't overwhelm the network, and the network itself needs to be highly redundant to ensure reliability and "graceful failure" in the event of battle damage or other adverse events.


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## a_majoor (4 Aug 2005)

http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/05/09/issue/forward_radio.0.asp



> Hardware: Radio Communications
> By Erika Jonietz September 2005
> 
> 
> ...


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