The iRobot Corporation has decided to branch out from making cat chariots and break new ground. Famous for their automated vacuum cleaner, the Roomba, iRobot has recently requested permission to work on a line of automated lawn-mowers; however the company has encountered an unprecedented obstacle, astronomers. The proposed frequency required for the lawn-mowing robots to work would interfere with radio telescopes; while iRobot is currently discussing the issue with the National Radio Telescope Observatory neither seems to eager to cede. You know you’re living in the future when robots are fighting telescopes.

This piece of news also brings to light a vital business that often goes overlooked: spectrum management. As more and more devices and services depend on wireless communication, spectrum management becomes more difficult, and discussions similar to the current robot/telescope dilemma become increasingly frequent.