The NoCat Wireless Access Point/Night Light

cascadefx writes "O'Reilly's Hacks page has a really great article about a wireless access point that was on display at the recent Emerging Technology Conference. The folks at NoCat.net rigged up a Siemens Speedstream series access point with a low power ultraviolet light to create a wireless lightbulb. Just screw it in place and combine powerline ethernet with a wireless network... and a light, to create a wireless lightbulb. Ubiquitous networking, here we come."

Comments

Not a wireless lightbulb at all...

[sleadlay]

It's an accesspoint that's hardwired into a lamp base alongside a fluorescent (not UV) lamp bulb.

Receives electricity plus ethernet data from the existing lighting circuit.

Nothing new here... carry on.

No UV, solving nonexistant problem, fire hazard

[SuperBanana]

low power ultraviolet light

I just read the article quickly- there's absolutely nothing about a UV light.

That is a regular FL bulb, and though the slashdot story seems to suggest/imply it, the light itself is not being used in any way/shape/form for data transmission/reception. This is simply "toss a small AP inside a tupperware bowl and add a FL light." Wow, what brilliance(pardon the pun.)

I see this as solving a problem that doesn't exist- it takes an electrician all of 15 minutes to add a plug off an existing junction box if you want the AP up high by your lights, and with 802.11g, you can cover an entire cafe from practically any wall socket in the place.

Continuing with the "truly a stupid idea" bit, FL tube bulbs like that get VERY hot(almost as hot as a regular bulb). Cooping one up in a tupperware bowl is a damn fine way to start a fire, or at least kill both components- probably the AP first; if it's electronics don't give out, the transformer's thermal fuse will(that's if it has one- many cheap transformers don't, and will happily melt down, short when the insultation melts, and start a fire.) The UL would die laughing at anyone who even tried to submit it for testing...

Re:Wireless lightbulb?

[bill_mcgonigle]

Watch out - you might get sued for stealing power.

Some people run lots of wire in their backyards and induce a current from the high tension wire's field to provide 'supplemental' power to their houses.

The power company says it's stealing, on the basis that they're only creating a magnetic field, not providing you with current, so when you harvest the current, you're creating a loss for them.

While that may be true, some point out that they're allowed to induce a current in you, your kids, and your dog but you're not allowed to induce a current in anything you own, a seemingly skewed state of affairs.