Pringle-Can Wi-fi Emergency Networks

I posted the original idea on slashdot.org in response to a wi-fi "hands across america" project... creating a small wireless.

Let me see if I can re-write this a bit better: (re-written from original post)

Living and working in a devastated area (say, after a hurricane) is bad enough, but compound the fact that emergency and relief efforts are hampered by lack of power, computing, and communication services.

WireLess Internet connections (Wi-fi) are good, but only provide access to a limited area around the "HotSpot", and still need an "uplink". Using VoIP (Voice of IP), you can even make a telephone call from a laptop.

Pringles cans (and coffee cans, and other stuff) have been made into "Yag" style antennaes to provide Wi-Fi connections in a sort of "directional" antenna.. so you could connect to your "Hotspot" from down the street or in the park (ata specific location).. or a wireless connection to your buddy's house.

Now, I am proposing a device that has a "local" hotspot for emergency personnel, as well as one or more "directional" antennaes to point to *OTHER* emergency hotspot devices.. you then build a relay system to a local center point that has a satellite link, or relay until you can get to a functional internet connection.

Now the Device might have a router built in to only allow certain emergency traffic, and - if your building a small router, you might as well put a phone jack on it and set up emergency VoIP.

Power with a battery/solarcells/carlighter and you have an on the spot civil-defense networking system.