Yesterday, good news concerning Wi-Fi came from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

“The FCC approved an order that sets the stage for an incentive auction that can advance both licensed and unlicensed wireless broadband. The FCC has found a compromise that will allow it to auction large bands for licensed wireless services while still permitting innovations in unlicensed technologies in at least three channels in every community in the nation,” WifiForward said in a statement. “By ensuring that American consumers, businesses, schools, libraries, anchor institutions, and local governments will have access to these three unlicensed channels across the country, the FCC has laid the foundation for the investment and innovation needed to develop a new class of 600 MHz unlicensed technologies.

“WifiForward congratulates the FCC on this substantial achievement. But far more work remains to turn the promise of the 600 MHz band into a reality.

“The FCC announced that it would now issue a series of important rule-making notices to set the critical technical rules for unlicensed technologies. We strongly support the FCC’s efforts so far and look forward to working together to ensure a robust wireless economy supported by the most efficient and effective allocation of spectrum, one of our nation’s most valuable public resources.”

(photo credit: FutUndBeidl via photopin cc)

It’s becoming a Google world, and we’re just living in it. Take, for example, its new endeavor called Project Tango. According to its website, “Project Tango is an attempt to create a mobile device unlike like any other, a mobile device that shares our sense of space and movement, that understands and perceives the world the same way we do.”

Google asks you to imagine walking into a store and seeing exactly where everything you want to buy is located, or being helped to navigate a new place. Google says “the possibilities are vast.”

So, then, what kind of Project Tango possibilities exist for venues? The Event Manager Blog has some answers.

“For venues, this technology could also be a boon. Much more than a panoramic image, you’d be able to show a potential client a full virtual walkthrough of the space, including different table setups setups (classroom vs. rounds), stage configurations, centerpiece options, linens, and chair covers. This could be especially handy for more unique or unusual spaces and venues that might not translate well into pictures or videos,” Brandt Krueger wrote. “We all know those kinds of venues—that you almost have to see to believe before you can even visualize having your event there. Being able to quickly and easily make 3D walkthroughs might make the sell go a little easier, or at least get the potential client in the door to see for themselves.”

Check out the Event Manager Blog for more details about the technology, and watch the video below, which explains more about Project Tango and the goals and dreams of its designers.

Rival fans at San Siro Stadium in Milan were greeted with a unique vending experience that required them to send a bottle of Coca-Cola to an opposing fan:

More about the campaign via AdWeek.

There was a lot of news this past week. Here are some stories that caught our eyes.

Sonic Boom
—The Atlantic
“How digital technology is transforming our relationship with sound.”

The Royal Albert Hall’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
—Daily Mail
“Venue gets Sgt. Pepper-style collage of star acts…created by Beatles’ album artist Sir Peter Blake.”

Take Me Out to the Ballpark—All of Them
—Slate
“How to visit all 30 major-league stadiums in 30 days.”

New 49ers’ Stadium Seats Have Hooks
—NBC Bay Area
“Fans will see more than cup holders when they arrive at their Levi’s Stadium seats.”

Are Sundays Dying?
—Pacific Standard
“Probably. And no one, at least no Canadian, seems to care.”

(Image: The Atlantic/Jackie Lay)

If you want to feel happier, then you might want to see at least two theatre plays per year. That’s just one of the findings in a new study out of Britain titled “Quantifying and Valuing the Wellbeing Impacts of Culture and Sport.”

According the study, people who attend plays have a level of well-being valued at £83 (approximately $140) a month. The researchers from the London School of Economics based well-being measurements by increases in income.

“If people who attend theatre, other things equal, are happier, and people with higher incomes, other things equal, are happier, we can ask, ‘What increase in income is associated with the same higher level of happiness as attending the theatre?’ wrote Michael Rushton, director of arts administration programs at Indiana University in Bloomington, for ArtsJournal. ” “And that is where we get numbers like the £83 per month.”

Rushton, though, believes we should be cautious of studies like this, because it’s just one study focused on a certain group.

“It is a minority of people who attend the theatre, and they are, obviously, the people who like going out to a play,” Rushton wrote. “There is no evidence that people who are not attending the theatre would be made happier if they would begin attending—we don’t know that.”

Other activities—such as participating in sports, using libraries, and attending music performances—were also found to result in a high sense of well-being. Sounds like happiness, then, correlates with being around people as much as possible.

Do you feel happier seeing plays or participating in sports? Please let us know in the comments.

(photo credit: MSH* via photopin cc)