From chestnuts roasting to bells a-jingling, it’s beginning to look a lot like the holiday season! And that means it’s time to start thinking about who’s getting what gift this year. If you’re already scratching your head about what to buy everyone on your list, fear not! Below, we present FPUAnet Communications’ curated list of practical, innovative, or just-plain-fun tech gifts for 2024.
From cutting-edge smart home devices to must-have accessories and quirky stocking stuffers, we’ve got even the pickiest gift recipients covered. Whether your loved ones are into gaming, fitness, productivity, or entertainment, there’s a tech gadget out there for everyone. And with FPUAnet Communications’ advanced fiber network, you can enjoy your gift with ease and lightning-fast speeds.
Smart Home Gadgets
We begin with some of our favorite smart home devices. With these smart home gadgets, connected to the power of FPUAnet Communications’ fiber, your loved ones’ homes will be more comfortable and efficient.
A smart speaker with a rotating screen, the Amazon Echo Show 10 is great for video calls, smart home control, and entertainment. The rotating screen moves to follow you around the room, making multitasking and conversation much easier.
Perfect for those looking to make their home smarter, the Google Nest Hub smart display offers voice controls, video calling, and even sleep tracking. It’s ideal for controlling smart home devices, checking the weather, or streaming videos.
The Philips Hue Ambiance Starter Kit helps transform any ordinary space into a well-lit wonder that’s sure to be the talk of the neighborhood. Its customizable, color-changing smart bulbs from Philips work well with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit.
Streaming Devices
Next, we highlight streaming sticks and similar devices. Perfect to add to non-smart TVs or to enhance options and apps for existing smart TVs, these streaming devices are worth a look.
Apple TV 4K is a streaming box that provides the sleek and sophisticated interface and features that Apple aficionados adore. This third generation from 2022 includes a Siri-Remote, which can be voice-controlled.
Compact but powerful, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max supports 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos audio for streaming all your favorite content.
Fitness and Wearable Tech
Of course, good tech doesn’t need to be confined to the couch at the end of a long day! The wearable tech below can help you track your steps, monitor key health metrics, and stay active throughout the day.
A great option for fitness enthusiasts, this sleek fitness tracker keeps tabs on your overall activity levels, heart rate, and sleep patterns. The new “Health Metrics” dashboard also gives deeper awareness into wellness trends.
Ideal for a subtler but stylish look, this health monitoring ring tracks sleep, heart rate, body temperature, and activity. The Oura Ring offers insights into recovery times and overall wellness, too.
For an all-inclusive smartwatch option, this entry in Apple’s wearable lineup features enhanced health tracking, including heart rate and sleep monitoring, along with a faster chip and improved battery life.
Audio On-the-Go
To stay connected to your favorite music apps or to block out (most of) the sounds of the outside world while out and about, check out these portable audio options.
Sony’s award-winning noise-canceling headphones provide superior sound quality and up to 30 hours of battery life. They’re perfect for commuting, traveling, or deep work sessions.
This portable Bluetooth speaker offers Bose’s signature deep bass and clear sound in a rugged, water-resistant design, perfect for outdoor use.
Gaming Gear
Gamers are always on the lookout for tech that gives them an edge against their opponents! Below are three gifts to help elevate their game and improve their online gaming experience.
A top-tier gaming headset with advanced noise cancellation, hi-fi audio, and dual wireless modes for PCs and consoles, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Headset is a splurge gift that’s sure to please.
A mechanical gaming keyboard that features Razer's new linear optical switches, RGB backlighting, and programmable macro support for peak performance in any game, the BlackWidow V4 is a stellar keyboard.
For PC gamers, Corsair’s gaming mouse is a true game changer, featuring extensive battery life (around 50 hours), eight programmable buttons, and a comfortable textured grip and ergonomic design for long sessions.
Quirky Gadgets and Useful Accessories
Our last set of gift ideas runs the gamut from practical stocking stuffers to eccentric but meaningful surprise gifts.
Combining the power of artificial intelligence (AI) with the ordinary wonder of nature, the Masdio Smart Flowerpot enhances your plant care routine while letting you uniquely engage with your houseplants through its 49 AI-animated expressions.
The Ember Smart Mug 2 keeps your coffee or tea at the perfect temperature, which can be controlled through the Ember app. It’s ideal for fussier folks who like their drinks just right!
Help your loved ones keep track of their keys, bags, or other belongings with this compact Bluetooth tracker. It also syncs well with Samsung’s SmartThings app.
Anker’s 3-in-1 wireless charging station charges your phone, AirPods, and Apple Watch all in one convenient place with a sleek design that fits just about any space.
Perfect for writers, students, or those who love taking notes, the Rocketbook makes a thoughtful gift. This reusable notebook syncs with cloud services and lets you wipe it clean with a damp cloth.
Whether you’re shopping for someone who’s always on the cutting edge of tech or someone who loves practical, everyday gadgets—or even looking to indulge yourself—these gift ideas are sure to bring joy this holiday season. And for more tech suggestions this season or any time of the year, be sure to follow FPUAnet Communications’ social pages!
There’s a dizzying number of internet companies and options available to consumers across the country in the 2020s. Three of the most talked-about technologies are fiber-optic internet, 5G wireless internet, and Starlink satellite internet. Each of these promises’ internet users’ high speeds and reliability—but are they genuinely equal?
If you’re confused or unsure about your internet choices and are exhausted by the near-constant inundation of advertising and junk mail offers, we don’t blame you! To help you navigate the bewildering world of internet technologies, we break down the key differences between these three options and explain why fiber internet, such as FPUAnet Communications’ advanced fiber network, is the clear winner for most users.
Fiber Internet
We begin with fiber (short for “fiber-optic internet”)—and as you’ll quickly see, it’s simply the best option for high-speed internet today. Fiber uses light signals transmitted through tiny, ultra-thin strands of glass-like fibers to send data from servers to your home or business at nearly the speed of light!
Its physical cables are sturdy and flexible, typically installed underground to protect them. Thanks to its sophisticated materials, fiber is extremely reliable, offering a connection that’s not easily affected by weather or other interference that plagues other forms of internet.
Fiber internet is also the fastest available internet option on the market today. Critically, its speeds are symmetrical, providing spectacular speeds for downloading and uploading. Indeed, fiber’s download speeds can reach an astounding 10 Gbps or more!
Fiber can also handle massive amounts of bandwidth, supporting multiple users and devices without slowdowns, making it perfect for households with multiple users or smart devices. This unlimited bandwidth capacity and fiber’s amazingly low latency (around 1-2 milliseconds) make video conference calling, streaming TV and movies, online gaming, and watching and sharing videos a frustration-free experience!
5G Wireless Internet
Next, we turn to another internet option that promises high-speed internet in ads, billboards, and mailers: 5G wireless internet. 5G is a cellular technology—yes, like the technology used for cell phone calling. It utilizes high-frequency radio waves to deliver data to mobile phones, home routers, and other connected devices. 5G is “wireless,” meaning there’s no physical connection required between the user’s device and the network. Keep in mind, however, that some setups may still require a 5G router or home modem.
Though it’s typically faster than some old-school internet technologies like DSL, 5G generally offers speeds between less than 100 Mbps and around 300 Mbps (with some carriers claiming maximum download speeds of 1 Gbps). However, in most cases, 5G is not nearly as fast as fiber’s remarkable download speeds. And 5G’s upload speeds are a mere fraction of fiber’s excellent and truly symmetrical internet capabilities.
Even more annoying to customers, 5G’s speed can vary depending on network congestion from too many users at one time, distance from the tower, and environmental interference (like trees, walls, or buildings). That leaves many 5G wireless internet users subject to the whims of the weather, overuse by other customers, or the construction of a new building they cannot even see.
And 5G’s latency is far higher than fiber’s (approximately 20-30 milliseconds). Such high latency will make more intense online applications like gaming and video editing an aggravating chore for many users. Thus, for most customers, 5G just can’t match fiber’s stellar experience.
Starlink Satellite Internet
The last commonly considered internet option is Starlink, the brand name of a satellite internet service operated by SpaceX. It uses a group of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to “beam” internet signals back down to Earth. To capture and connect to the satellite’s internet, users need a satellite dish (called a Starlink terminal) installed at their location.
Though its technology sounds impressive, even futuristic, its performance pales in comparison to fiber. Starlink generally only provides download speeds ranging from around 50 to 300 Mbps. And though Starlink promises to expand its satellites and improve its speeds and overall service in the future, Starlink’s satellite technology offers just a sliver of what fiber provides today.
And Starlink’s mediocre-at-best speeds occur only under ideal conditions! With weather issues (even rain or snow) and other atmospheric disturbances, Starlink’s internet speeds can drop considerably—or even leave frustrated customers without any internet connection at all. Upload speeds are even slower for Starlink users, and its bandwidth can’t touch fiber’s unlimited bandwidth capacity.
Starlink’s latency is higher than fiber’s, too (around 20-40 milliseconds), hindering performance for many users. The main advantage Starlink offers is that it can reach most rural areas, even those many miles away from any town or city. But as fiber keeps expanding into more and more rural areas, more customers can take advantage of fiber’s superior service without depending on satellite internet’s uneven reliability and slower speeds.
Why Fiber Internet Beats the Rest
Let’s briefly review and summarize why fiber internet is far and away your best choice for high-speed internet:
High Speeds: Fiber internet provides the fastest and most consistent speeds available, especially for upload-heavy activities like video conferencing, online gaming, or content creation.
Reliability: Fiber’s underground cables are durable, flexible, and not subject to interference from buildings, trees, and other obstacles. And fiber’s cutting-edge materials are unaffected by weather conditions like rain, snow, or heat, which can impact both 5G and Starlink.
Unlimited Bandwidth: Fiber can handle more devices from more users and heavier internet traffic simultaneously for streaming TV and movies, video calling, gaming, and other common online activities than 5G or Starlink. For households or offices with many users, fiber will handle the load without slowing down or stifling quality.
Low Latency: Fiber offers the lowest latency, which is crucial for real-time applications like gaming, video conferencing, and voice-over-internet calls. Neither 5G nor Starlink can match the ultra-low latency of fiber.
In short, fiber is the gold standard of reliable, high-speed internet. Should you have any questions or would like to learn more about how fiber can make you more productive and just make life online more pleasant for your family or business, feel free to reach out to the friendly, knowledgeable customer support and technical specialists at FPUAnet Communications by calling (772) 498-1697.
As we approach the mid-2020s, businesses face rapidly evolving technological trends that promise to reshape industries and redefine operational standards. To stay competitive and thrive in this dynamic environment, it's crucial for businesses to anticipate and adapt to upcoming changes.
To help small businesses keep up, we highlight below some essential tech tips to prepare your business for 2025. With these suggestions and the power, speed, and reliability of FPUAnet Communications’ advanced fiber network, your business will be more efficient and effective than ever.
1. Increase Cybersecurity
Our first tip is simply critical to every small business—step up your cybersecurity game. As cyber threats are on the rise and becoming more sophisticated, robust cybersecurity measures are imperative to protect your business data and infrastructure.
Regularly Update Software: Ensure all software and systems are up to date with the latest security patches. Outdated software can be a vulnerability for cyberattacks. And if you haven’t already, make sure you install anti-virus and anti-malware software on all your business’s devices, and keep them updated too.
Adopt Advanced Security Solutions: Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA), encryption, and intrusion detection systems (IDS) to safeguard sensitive information.
Educate Your Team: Conduct regular cybersecurity oversight and training sessions to educate employees about phishing, password management, and safe online practices.
2. Make the Move to Cloud Computing
Cloud computing continues to revolutionize how businesses manage data and applications. Most impressively, among its many benefits, cloud-based computing enhances teamwork and file sharing.
Migrate to the Cloud: Evaluate your current infrastructure and consider migrating to cloud-based solutions for better scalability and flexibility. Cloud services can enhance collaboration, data storage, and disaster recovery.
Adopt Hybrid Cloud Models: For added flexibility, explore hybrid cloud solutions that combine on-premises infrastructure with cloud services. This approach can optimize performance and cost-efficiency.
Ensure Cloud Security: Implement security measures specific to cloud environments, including access controls, data encryption, and regular audits. Regularly remind staff to keep up their own security and password protections on their business devices when accessing the cloud, as well.
3. Enhance Remote Work Capabilities
Though it was once a small minority of the workforce, which ballooned during the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has greatly increased in America and around the world. Indeed, the trend toward remote work isn’t going away anytime soon. Thus, it’s important for small businesses to optimize remote work infrastructure and make it as efficient and productive as possible.
Adopt Collaboration Tools: Invest in collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams, Slack, or Zoom to facilitate communication, file sharing, and project management among remote teams.
Ensure Network Security: Implement secure remote access solutions, such as virtual private networks (VPNs) and secure Wi-Fi networks, to protect remote work environments.
Support Work-Life Balance: Provide resources and support for remote employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance, which can improve productivity and job satisfaction. Also, consider ways to foster team building and social interaction among remote workgroups to replace the lack of “water cooler” camaraderie typical at a brick-and-mortar office.
4. Focus on Data Analytics
Small businesses thrive—or wilt—on their margins. Thus, with uncertainty in the marketplace and world events, data-driven decision-making will be more critical than ever. Data analytics can help small businesses forecast trends and stay on top of their bottom dollar too.
Invest in Advanced Analytics Tools: Use tools and platforms that offer predictive analytics and real-time insights. These tools can help you make informed decisions based on current trends and future projections.
Develop a Data Strategy: Create a comprehensive data strategy that includes data collection, storage, and analysis. Ensure data quality and integrity to support accurate decision-making.
Leverage Big Data: Utilize big data technologies to analyze large volumes of information from diverse sources. This can uncover valuable insights into customer behavior, market trends, and operational efficiencies.
5. Explore Emerging Technologies
No matter how successful a business has been over a given year or two, most small business owners will tell you never to rest on your laurels! Innovation and new ideas—and, of course, new technologies—are critical to keeping up with the competition and growing any business. Stay ahead of the curve by keeping an eye on emerging technologies and similar trends that could impact your business and industry.
Implement AI Tools: Begin integrating AI-driven tools for data analysis, customer service, and marketing. For instance, chatbots can handle routine customer inquiries, freeing up human resources for more complex tasks.
Blockchain: Explore how blockchain technology can improve transparency, security, and efficiency in transactions and data management.
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): Investigate how AR and VR can enhance customer experiences, training programs, and product demonstrations. When properly developed and implemented, AR and VR can truly separate your marketing from the competition.
Preparing your business for 2025 involves understanding and leveraging advanced technologies, enhancing cybersecurity, and fostering a culture of innovation. By utilizing these tips, you can position your business for success in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
And for more ways FPUAnet Communications’ high-speed fiber internet can help keep your business ahead of the pack, follow our social pages!
Consumers today face an abundance of choices for high-speed internet. And since you're already paying for a data plan with your cell phone service provider, you may also wonder if you should use that company for your internet service.
In this article, we explain what cellular internet is and why fiber is far and away the better choice for most consumers.
Your neighbors at FPUAnet Communications are proud to have the fastest and most reliable internet you can get. And we're especially thrilled that our internet speeds can keep up with major metropolitan areas around the country, helping our communities compete in the global economy.
With all the high-speed internet options available today, it's not surprising that customers need clarification when choosing an internet provider.
And it's not only the technology that's complicated—even the names of different internet-related products and services can be so similar and complicate things further!
So what is cellular or wireless/5G internet? Let's start with what cellular or wireless internet is not. First, wireless internet is not the same thing as Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi disperses internet signal throughout a home or office so that all your devices—smart TVs, laptops, tablets, cell phones, smart speakers, etc.—can be connected to the internet without a wired connection.
Thus, just like other kinds of internet (cable, satellite, or fiber), cellular or wireless internet enters the home or business and is distributed by Wi-Fi through the Wi-Fi router or related technology. Most customers will still use Wi-Fi and a router unless they plan to hardwire every connection to every device, which is highly uncommon.
Cellular or wireless internet, also known as 4G or 5G internet, is delivered by cell phone towers. Instead of being delivered by a hardwired connection like coaxial cable or fiber, cellular or wireless internet is transmitted “through the air.”
While it can often deliver decent speeds, wireless or 5G internet is notorious for service interruptions due to obstructions from other structures. And because cellular/wireless or 5G internet is totally dependent on the number of cell phone towers dispersing signal—and even more crucially, the distance a customer is from a cell phone tower—their speeds and quality of the connection can greatly vary.
What is Fiber Internet?
Fiber internet's advanced materials and technology make it the fastest and most reliable form of internet on the market today. Short for “fiber optic” internet, fiber utilizes fiber optic cable, which consists of hundreds of densely packed strands of glass inside the cord.
The fiber optic cable connects directly to your home or business before being dispersed to your devices. Pulses of light transmit internet data along these glass hairs at near light speed!
Due to fiber's impressive components and infrastructure, it has a vastly greater capacity to handle and transmit all the online data that you use daily—from social media, documents, and emails to music, gaming, and television.
Fiber also has higher upload speeds, which is used when your device sends information back to the server (or other internet users). Higher upload speeds are essential for stable and clear video calls and conferences.
Only fiber can power a household full of devices at once without causing slowdowns on any of them—making it the #1 choice for modern households.
So, What's the Difference Between Fiber Internet and Cellular/Wireless (5G) Internet?
The connection-type is the first key distinction between fiber and cellular/wireless internet.
Importantly, fiber is “hardwired.” Its internet signal enters your premises through physical wiring, not cellular or wireless 5G signal sent through the air.
This distinction means that obstructions like trees and other buildings can't stop fiber's excellent speeds from delivering internet to your home or business. Fiber internet also has far greater bandwidth capacity than cellular/wireless internet because its materials can carry much more information than wireless signal can.
There are other significant disadvantages to cellular/wireless/5G internet service.
Remember that cellular service prioritizes its originally intended purpose—providing mobile phone service. That one function takes up most of cellular's capacity to transmit data. Thus, cellular internet services lack the power to consistently provide the data you need to enjoy the online activities you love, like streaming movies and TV, video calling and conferences, online gaming and so much more.
But it gets even worse. To deal with the ever-growing demand for data, cellular companies reduce the speed and quality of their internet service to prevent internet users from gobbling up too much of their data capacity.
That's why cellular companies enforce data caps on their internet services, which significantly limit or even outright prevent you from doing the online activities you've come to enjoy.
They also employ “throttling,” another annoying practice that slows down bandwidth—and your entire internet performance.
While some companies only do this after you've reached a certain pre-determined amount of data usage each month, others throttle your broadband anytime and for any reason. For countless customers, these restrictions are extremely frustrating.
On the other hand, fiber internet never has data caps or bandwidth throttling because its superior technology doesn't get overwhelmed like cellular/wireless internet. Fiber's high bandwidth capacity and fast upload (as well as download) speeds can handle just about everything online without data caps, throttling, or other intentional slowdowns.
Fiber's Superior Security
But fiber's advantages over cellular/wireless internet extend well beyond fiber's superior speed and reliability (as essential as they are). Better data security is another reason to choose fiber.
Because cellular/wireless internet requires a signal to transmit “over the air,” it is susceptible to being intercepted.
Wireless internet is especially prone to a particular cybercrime known as a DDoS Attack—short for “Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attack.” DDoS attacks overwhelm servers and slow down traffic, even jeopardizing sensitive data. And DDoS attacks are unfortunately on the rise.
Fiber, on the other hand, is hardwired straight to your walls—its internet flies through fiber optic cable without needing to disperse signal through the air. Thus, fiber's advanced technology provides a layer of protection and security from hackers, scammers, and other criminals that cellular or wireless internet simply cannot.
From faster speeds to more reliable signals, a more secure connection, and greater capacity to carry out more online activities from multiple devices simultaneously, fiber internet stands ahead of cellular/wireless 5G internet.
For more information on fiber internet and why it's your best choice for high-speed internet, feel free to reach out to the knowledgeable support team at FPUAnet Communications. We’re local and here to serve you!
Thanks to its exceptional speed, reliability, and capacity to handle applications with high data demands, fiber internet has become increasingly popular in America. It powers our work and our play, elevating our video conferencing, streaming, and gaming experiences. Indeed, as of late 2023, fiber internet has simply exploded, with more than 50% of all U.S. households now connected to fiber! And demand for this essential technology is only growing across the country.
To highlight the need for more communities to experience the many benefits of fiber internet technology, FPUAnet Communications is proud to observe the annual celebration of “Gimme Fiber Internet Day” on November 4. Below, we discuss in greater depth this unofficial but globally recognized holiday, which highlights the transformative impact that fiber-optic technology has on our digital lives, while raising awareness of the need to connect more isolated and underrepresented communities to this amazing technology.
Gimme Fiber Day Highlights Scientific Achievement
Since its inception in 2013, Gimme Fiber Day has been celebrated on November 4 for a fundamental reason: it’s the birthdate of one of the twentieth century’s most consequential and prominent physicists, Sir Charles Kuen Kao. Though he’s not exactly a household name, Dr. Kao helped change the course of internet history with his groundbreaking research into fiber optic applications—enough so to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 “for services to fiber optic communications.”
A native of Shanghai, China, but a holder of U.S. and British citizenship, Dr. Kao was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009 “for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication.” To put it in simpler terms, Dr. Kao was rightly honored for helping the scientific community understand and develop how fiber can deliver the fastest and most reliable internet straight to your home. Thus, November 4 is an especially fitting day to give a shoutout to fiber internet technology!
Fiber Internet’s Many Benefits
Beyond just recognizing scientific achievements, Gimme Fiber Day also offers an annual opportunity to recognize the substantial benefits of fiber-optic internet to our daily lives. Below are just four of the many reasons why fiber-optic internet is a game changer:
Lightning-Fast Internet Speeds: Fiber-optic connections offer significantly faster speeds compared to traditional copper cables used in DSL or cable internet. With download and upload speeds that can reach gigabit levels, fiber internet supports high-definition video streaming, online gaming, and large file transfers with ease.
Greater Bandwidth: Fiber networks can handle much larger amounts of data at any given moment compared to old-school internet systems like cable. This high bandwidth capability ensures that multiple users can stream TV and movies, conduct video conference calling, upload and download videos, and browse the web simultaneously without significant slowdowns.
High Reliability: Fiber internet is less susceptible to interference and signal degradation compared to other types of broadband, like cable or DSL. Fiber’s tiny, glass-like “hairs” are more flexible and much harder to break or shred than copper-based components. This means more consistent and reliable service, even during peak usage times or adverse weather conditions.
Future-Proof Technology: Fiber technology is considered “future-proof” because it has the potential to support even higher speeds as technology advances. This scalability makes fiber a long-term investment in maintaining cutting-edge internet performance.
Promoting Fiber’s Expansion
Additionally, Gimme Fiber Day is an excellent time to celebrate the advancements in fiber internet technology and recognize its significance to our economy and way of life. But even more significantly, Gimme Fiber Day is a particularly keen time to advocate for the expansion of fiber-optic networks across America. Here are three specific ways to make your voice heard this Gimme Fiber Day:
Spread the Word Among Your Peers: Use your social media accounts to share information about the benefits of fiber internet, both to individual users and the community as a whole. You might post about how it has improved your online experiences or provide tips for those interested in upgrading their internet service.
Support Local Initiatives: Many communities are working to expand access to fiber internet. Support local government initiatives or advocacy groups working to bring fiber broadband to underserved or more isolated areas. This could involve attending meetings, participating in community campaigns, or contacting local officials.
Contact Members of Congress: Just about every year, there are new proposals to expand broadband access across America, as well as to help provide financial support for more financially strapped families to help pay for their internet, including at the federal level. Take the time to learn about these proposals and reach out to your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators to tell them to support efforts to expand critical fiber internet access far and wide.
Gimme Fiber Day is a superb occasion to embrace and celebrate the advancements that are shaping the future of digital connectivity. By highlighting the benefits of fiber internet, from its blazing-fast speeds to its reliability and future-proof scalability, this day encourages us to appreciate and advocate for better internet connectivity for everyone.
To learn more about fiber internet in our area, check out FPUAnet Communications’ website and social pages. Our friendly and knowledgeable team members are here to answer your questions about the fiber difference.
