Wireless Internet by Flicking Lights On and Off

[Marcus Yam]

As long as they don't install the clapper.

Wireless Internet by Flicking Lights On and Off : Read more

 

[jhansonxi]

Interesting but nothing new. IrLAN has been around for a while and it was proven a long time ago that the LEDs on modems can be used to monitor communications remotely.

 

[Demonslay335]

I think this is a brilliant idea, but it may have some adverse effects. For example, even though the lights are flashing faster than the eye can perceive, I wonder if it would still have effects on a person's eye since it is a flashing light still, just like LCD monitors still have effects on people because of this.

Also, I would still find the security to be bad in terms of reliability. "Heya John, how's it go... oh no, I just covered your modem with a folder and you lost all of that data you were just uploading, too bad!" And you could probably confuse or scramble someone's data by flashing a flash light across the room... I do realize there's an equivalence of all of that with WiFi though, with jammers and all, but it would be much less genius to have a laser pointer on you, lol.

 

[TheWhiteRose000]

when I saw saint cloud I was like.
YES!!!
Then I saw Minnesota and went.
Aww!!!

 

[mavroxur]

[citation][nom]Demonslay335[/nom]I think this is a brilliant idea, but it may have some adverse effects. For example, even though the lights are flashing faster than the eye can perceive, I wonder if it would still have effects on a person's eye since it is a flashing light still, just like LCD monitors still have effects on people because of this.[/citation]



The rate at which the LED's change state is MUCH faster than an LCD's refresh rate. For a data rate of 3Mbps you're talking probably closer to a 5MHz switching rate to take into account error correction code and protocol losses. That is much faster than humans can perceive.

 

[alextheawesome]

[citation][nom]TheWhiteRose000[/nom]when I saw saint cloud I was like.YES!!!Then I saw Minnesota and went.Aww!!![/citation]
I said YES!! to both. Teehee.

 

[nevertell]

How can you secure such a network ? Does it use WPA ?

 

[Hellbound]

""Earlier this year we learned""
It is Jan 1st you know...

 

[Marcus Yam]

[citation][nom]Hellbound[/nom]""Earlier this year we learned""It is Jan 1st you know...[/citation]
Whoops! (I wrote this one in 2010.)

 

[iamtheking123]

To me this seems like a classic engineering waste of time: mild cool-factor but there's already solutions available that are better in every way.

 

[ProDigit10]

the bandwidth could get bigger, when using tri or quad color leds.
Nothing can get inbetween the direct path of transmitter and receiver, without seriously slowing down the transfer, and unless you're physically shielded, its pretty easy to tap off the connection from another laptop,as signals could be received many feet away, perhaps even half a mile away from the source.

On the laptop/netbook/intelligent phone or whatever receiving device, something like a .25mW led should be sufficient to transmit back to the source, if you're sitting relatively close under the light.

The good thing is there won't be any harmful radiation floating around.

 

[bogcotton]

[citation][nom]Demonslay335[/nom]I think this is a brilliant idea, but it may have some adverse effects. For example, even though the lights are flashing faster than the eye can perceive, I wonder if it would still have effects on a person's eye since it is a flashing light still, just like LCD monitors still have effects on people because of this.Also, I would still find the security to be bad in terms of reliability. "Heya John, how's it go... oh no, I just covered your modem with a folder and you lost all of that data you were just uploading, too bad!" And you could probably confuse or scramble someone's data by flashing a flash light across the room... I do realize there's an equivalence of all of that with WiFi though, with jammers and all, but it would be much less genius to have a laser pointer on you, lol.[/citation]

Fluorescent lights flicker at about 120 Hz, so if that is the kind of lighting these are replacing, it would be an improvement on that basis.

 

[harth13]

i guess the speed of light isn't that fast after all...

 

[cmartin011]

We should go with full spectrum light lasers! Like the aliens

 

[chickenhoagie]

[citation][nom]harth13[/nom]i guess the speed of light isn't that fast after all...[/citation]
not the speed that counts. just the bandwidth

 

[sandmanwn]

Sounds incredibly expensive, completely wasteful, a maintenance nightmare to have a modem on every desk, and painfully slow.

Let me guess... It was a government contract.

 

[lukeiamyourfather]

Anyone who can see the lights could eavesdrop, seems like kind of a bad idea. Not like wireless is that much different I guess.

 

[razor512]

Turn that dang flash light off, I was right in the middle of downloading porn.

 

[Guest]

http://www.gadgetzz.com had a similar one

 

[Guest]

"less prone to interference"

Really? Wouldn't putting anything non-transparent between the modem and the lights defeat the system completely?

 

[JamesSneed]

You know a wired network would be more secure and faster. A short rang wireless network that doesnt pass through walls and is slow as crap. Im not seeing the light here.

 

[zodiacfml]

light is used for all our Internet.

[citation][nom]harth13[/nom]i guess the speed of light isn't that fast after all...[/citation]

 

[dEAne]

"lighting method is more secure and less prone to interference" - another good idea, a super WIFI and now this. But this one is much greener - I wish the technology will come where don't use too much energy.

 

[braneman]

I don't see how its less prone to interference, just setting something on top of the receiver would cut connection.

 

[marraco]

[citation][nom]Demonslay335[/nom]I think this is a brilliant idea[/citation]LOL. That is a shining commentary.[citation][nom]Demonslay335[/nom]For example, even though the lights are flashing faster than the eye can perceive, I wonder if it would still have effects on a person's eye since it is a flashing light still, just like LCD monitors still have effects on people because of this.[/citation]I take noticce that incandescent lights already flash 50/60 times each second.