Re: Input devices (Was: [9fans] weird cursor motion)

Re: Input devices (Was: [9fans] weird cursor motion)

[presotto]

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The DoD bought iridium as a secret plot to assassinate world
leaders they don't like by accidentally dropping communications
satelites on them.

I just sat in on a meeting describing our wireless strategies
yesterday.  Looks like we might get bandwidth in the US (and
China) a little faster than the rest of the world, thanks to
the European/Japanese CDMA standards effort.  Nevertheless, there
should be a few megabits of bandwidth per cell everywhere in the not
too distant future and that's just the first step.  That has to be
split between all the users but if use is bursty that should
make Boyd's world pretty realizable.
Another current US fad seems to be to stick 802.11b in crowded places
to attract people to them and make them even more crowded.  If
the telco's and ISP's can come up with reasonable billing strategies
(or the telco's take over the ISP's, another trend here) then
you can switch to spotty high bandwidth whenever you stop moving,
especially if you can hand off your connection (using mobileIP
for example). Another plan (I think already in some other part of
the world) is to put 802.11 in trains, though I'ld hate
to think what that would do to unlicensed bands near the tracks.

The Palm VII was an attempt to go that way that didn't do very
well, mostly because they didn't fo far enough.  They tried to
control the channel and the result was a product less interesting
than a Palm V with an omnisky modem attached.  Also the bandwidth
just plain sucks.

On another, or perhaps the same, front, anyone have a nice cursive
writing recognition tool that they'ld like to donate to the world?
The handwriting recognition under Wince on the bitsy is so much
nicer than the Grafitti and sim keyboard that we're using in Plan 9
and Linux.  I'm infinitely jealous.  I wouldn't need shorthand if I
had that.  I've been trying to use the bitsy to do as much as
possible these last few days, but this morning my hand cramped up
and I went back to a laptop for a while.

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From: "Boyd Roberts" <boyd@planete.net>
To: <9fans@cse.psu.edu>
Subject: Re: Input devices (Was: [9fans] weird cursor motion)
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 15:41:14 +0200
Message-ID: <009b01c0ce56$90286690$e8b7c6d4@SOMA>

> To be sure, I think Palm have the right idea (I don't care that
> 3Com are in Boyd's bad books presently.

they have the wrong idea.  the solution is a network device with
an encrypted CDMA radio interface, data encrypted on a server
somewhere and a chunk of memory in the device.  it boots across
the radio link, caches data and programs and has a GSM style SIM.

so, the device is cheap and if you lose it you don't lose the data
'cos it's on a server.  call up your provider and get the SIM
killed and another one sent out and buy a new device.

the crypto secures the radio link and prevents the server/service
providor from seeing what you're data you're saving.

booting over the radio link would also allow the updates
and purchase of new applications.

now, this will involve ground based CDMA or sat based CDMA,
RF spectrum allocation, hardware, software and a company
like lucent to set it up.  no, you can't do it in your
garage.

sounds a bit like inferno, doesn't it?  it's totally doable.

i see the DoD have 'bought' iridium.

de vk2bhr

Re[2]: Input devices (Was: [9fans] weird cursor motion)

[matt]

Hello presotto,

Thursday, April 26, 2001, 3:24:00 PM, you wrote:


ppblc> Another current US fad seems to be to stick 802.11b in crowded places
ppblc> to attract people to them and make them even more crowded.

Is that the same as used in the Cybiko www.cybiko.com

RF communication features
Frequency: 902-928 MHz
Number of channels: 30 digital channels
Communication Rate: 19200 bps each channel
Transmission and Receiving Range: 150 ft. indoors, 300 ft. outdoors (environment dependent)
Max. online Cybiko units: 3000 (100 units on each of 30 channels)

My local rumour-mill suggests the UK version will go for a kilometer

these babys are just text based devices that can use a PC internet
gateway and exchange sms & email & play simple games

i want one though 8)


--
Best regards,
 matt                            mailto:matt@proweb.co.uk

Re: Re[2]: Input devices (Was: [9fans] weird cursor motion)

[Boyd Roberts]

> Transmission and Receiving Range: 150 ft. indoors, 300 ft. outdoors
(environment dependent)

yeah uhf communication can exhibit inverse 4th power properties
depending on the enviroment.

Re[4]: Input devices (Was: [9fans] weird cursor motion)

[matt]

Hello Boyd,

Friday, April 27, 2001, 12:22:06 AM, you wrote:

>> Transmission and Receiving Range: 150 ft. indoors, 300 ft. outdoors
BR> (environment dependent)

BR> yeah uhf communication can exhibit inverse 4th power properties
BR> depending on the enviroment.



luckily my front room is 300ft long so I'll get 300ft indoors and out!

--
Best regards,
 matt                            mailto:matt@proweb.co.uk

Re: Input devices (Was: [9fans] weird cursor motion)

[Dan Cross]

In article <20010426142403.19ED319A08@mail.cse.psu.edu> you write:
>The DoD bought iridium as a secret plot to assassinate world
>leaders they don't like by accidentally dropping communications
>satelites on them.

He he he.

> [...] Another plan (I think already in some other part of
>the world) is to put 802.11 in trains, though I'ld hate
>to think what that would do to unlicensed bands near the tracks.

I hear tales of the MTA putting microcells on NYC subway trains
and using spare track capacity to forward mobile data to above
ground repeaters.  This can only mean one thing, of course: More
New Yorkers yaking on their cell phones in public.

	- Dan C.

Re: Input devices (Was: [9fans] weird cursor motion)

[Boyd Roberts]

> I hear tales of the MTA putting microcells on NYC subway trains
> and using spare track capacity to forward mobile data to above
> ground repeaters.

some of the bigger RER stations in paris have GSM microcells,
but no the metro.  the TDMA's RFI, picked up by my MD player,
give away the location updates as you pass through or get off
at the stations.

eg: chatelet / les halles

the TGV rail lines are used to run fibre around the country.

Re: Input devices (Was: [9fans] weird cursor motion)

[Boyd Roberts]

> ... Boyd's world pretty realizable.

    The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man
    persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all
    progress depends on the unreasonable man.

        -- George Bernard Shaw