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Wi-Fislands
Islands or oases of free wi-fi in a land of blocked networks. | |
Augmented reality technology gives us the ability to virtually
alter
or environment in real-time. Also, free wi-fi is often sparse and
difficult to find.
I want a pair of goggles that detect sources of free unprotected
wi-fi and triangulate their locations. Then, when I flip a switch,
the
goggles could superimpose the image of a desert or
wasteland
around me. Free wi-fi areas would show up as lush tropical
oases,
so as I journey through the dunes of the city, I can travel to
these
clear pools of wireless connection to quench my thirst for
information. Stronger and faster signals would of course be
larger
and more filled with life. Optionally, the view could simulate
open ocean
around me, with islands representing free wi-fi and a single
palm tree on each island, its height corresponding to the
strength of the signal.
Wifi Detector
http://www.thinkgee...ts/electronic/89d1/
[available in t-shirt form] [DIYMatt, Jul 27 2010]
Wifi Radar Sidebar App
http://www.softlist...fi_radar-image.html
So take this, and then send the results to a pair of glasses with cool graphics? [DIYMatt, Jul 27 2010]
http://www.layar.com/
[DenholmRicshaw, Jul 28 2010]
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Annotation:
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I like it, as a test case for augmented reality. The
range problem might be soluble with an antenna (WiFi's
range
isn't only a property of the signal, after all), or it could be
done with a stored map. |
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For
extra posthuman coolth, instead of pre-computing it, the
stored map could be generated/updated as the user
explored the environment. |
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Come to think of it, I think it *has* to be done with a
stored map. If you "see" WiFi from a long distance away,
you need both direction (feasible) and *range* (hard). |
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I like the idea of the visuals. It should actually be easy to do. Mapping networks is baked; I had an application on my laptop that would create a top down map of the area within about 200 yards of me. And there's the product I linked. |
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You all raise good points. Perhaps, before an area is
"explored", it could be covered in a heavy obscuring fog. |
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As I said, on my laptop it was able to identify the wifi of every neighbor within a .099 nautical mile radius. |
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Layar would be a way to do this. |
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