He digs like a dog to learn his subject, particularly if the subject is narrow and peculiar, such as opto-electronic switches, P-N junctions or a hailstorm's effect on spread spectrum wireless video transmission.

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The NPR post notes that the technology discussed in the patent, called spread-spectrum radio, is the basis for a wide variety of modern radio technologies, including the Bluetooth wireless standard used for things like wireless keyboards and earphones.

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