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WiFi On Two Wheels

Posted by timothy on from the steve-mcqueen dept.

MeGaBiTe1 writes "Yury Gitman is not the average cyclist from Brooklyn. His goal is to bring more easily accessible free wireless hotspots to the masses. To do this, he has created what he calls the Magicbike, a bicycle equipped with a laptop, power supply and antenna. Gitman's bike has allowed people in NYC to browse the internet freely in local parks and gardens. 'I am like the ice cream man, but with no music and I deliver free wireless access and not ice cream'."

7 of 200 comments (clear)

  1. "I am like the ice cream man, only not..." by JessLeah · · Score: 5, Funny

    I wonder how long it will be before a cop pulls over his bike and tickets him for inappropriate and bizarre analogies...

    --
    Honey, I shrunk the Cygwin
  2. Past Review by modifried · · Score: 5, Informative

    Wireless Review did an article on the wheelbike back in February.

    http://www.wirelessreview.com/ar/wireless_magicbik e_wheel_deal/

  3. Sounds good.... by SavedLinuXgeeK · · Score: 5, Insightful

    in theory, but exposing your equipment to the elements, vibrations, and possible accidents, and even theft. Good lord its New York. I mean maybe in cars, like CB radio-style. But by bike, ehhh... I would be a lil afraid for my own property.

    --
    je suis parce que j'aime
    1. Re:Sounds good.... by minitrue · · Score: 5, Interesting

      It lacks common sense and practicallity... Not to be condescending, but this is too much hype for something like this.

      At first glance, you're right. The whole thing lacks practicality. That is, until you realize that someone riffed off of the MagicBike and found an innovative and economical way to deliver internet access to rural Cambodia by strapping wifi to a bike and riding through villages twice daily like the mailman.

      And all of a sudden, MagicBike seems like the work of a visionary. ;)

  4. Like an oscillating fan of internet access. . . by iustus · · Score: 5, Funny

    "He's coming around the park again~ Quick! hit
    the reload button while you have the chance!"

    -- Connected to Wi-fi bike boy --
    -- 11.00 mbits per second --
    -- signal stregnth low --

    *swoosh*

    --wireless internet conneciton unavailable--

    "damnit. . . "

    --
    Saying "Militia really just means National Gaurd" is like saying "Press really just means PBS"
  5. All this free WiFi stuff is great, but... by PapayaSF · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...how long before spammers just load their software onto laptops and start blasting out spam from the nearest hotspot? Are there any safeguards that will prevent this?

    --
    Q: What does the "B." in Benoit B. Mandelbrot stand for? A: Benoit B. Mandelbrot
  6. Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    On the one hand what he's doing is kind of cool and nice. Interesting to say the least... On the other hand walking around like he's a saint or he's bringing vittles to the starving masses makes him look like an imbecile... I mean for chrissakes, you're giving people limited wireless connectivity, in the random chance that you happen to be parked by a guy with a laptop...

    You want to be a hero or feel good about yourself? Be a volunteer firefighter. Restore PCs for senior citizen centers, donate to cancer research foundations, give a starving Afican or Chinese kid lunch money. Driving around giving out free wireless internet... *snickers*

    The very point of it is pointless. It's basically just a "Lookit me, I'm special-decial like Homestar Runner." I think the guy needs a hobby...maybe he should try being a kernel hacker, I hear that eats into your free time. ;)