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Nintendo DS Wireless in Freefall

Nicholas Roussos writes "Wired reports about four skydivers who decided to give the Nintendo DS wireless capabilities a try while they were freefalling. 'The four sky divers proved that an ad hoc network set up using the wireless functions of a Nintendo DS works perfectly at distances of nearly 400 feet while falling 120 miles an hour,' states the article."

38 of 202 comments (clear)

  1. Boring... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    were part of an experiment this month to discover the outer limits of the wireless capabilities of the DS
    Wow, amazing, so you mean that all that wind doesn't mess the signal up? But seriously, I think that if you got a few people with a couple of two-seater ultralights it might be slightly cooler. Well ok maybe not.

    I'll tell you what would be cool, ultralights with automatic paintball guns, heat seeking nerf missiles, and a HUD. Then have a dogfight, and when Mr. Farmer comes out of his house yelling at you for scaring the bejesus out of his livestock you make a second pass, *thunk* *thunk* *thunk* *thunk*

    Wait, what was this article about again?
    1. Re:Boring... by s20451 · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'll tell you what would be cool, ultralights with automatic paintball guns, heat seeking nerf missiles, and a HUD. Then have a dogfight

      I'd like to see the dude who tries to do an Immelman in an ultralight. Or his next of kin.

      --
      Toronto-area transit rider? Rate your ride.
    2. Re:Boring... by RM6f9 · · Score: 5, Funny

      There are such things as aerobatics-capable ultralights....
      (to avoid the temptation of flying with a paintball gun)
      Air-to-air paintball would all too often become inadvertent air-to-ground, and how much do we want to wager that Joe Farmer owns a 12 ga. double barrel that is most emphatically *not* firing paintballs?

      --
      Take the 90-Day Challenge! http://rwmurker.bodybyvi.com/
    3. Re:Boring... by magefile · · Score: 2, Funny

      That's what the Mojave is for!

    4. Re:Boring... by RM6f9 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Gives "painted desert tortoise" a bit of a different spin, hey? Thanks for the chuckle.

      --
      Take the 90-Day Challenge! http://rwmurker.bodybyvi.com/
    5. Re:Boring... by Zeos386sx-16 · · Score: 2, Funny

      You gotta watch out for that lead based paint!

  2. excitement! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    nintendo ds, cause falling 120miles/h towards the ground isent exciteing enough.

    1. Re:excitement! by Adrilla · · Score: 4, Funny

      Just don't forget to pause, so you can pull the chute.

      --

      "Plans are for fools! Oglethorpe, the plutonian (Aqua Teen Hunger Force)
    2. Re:excitement! by niteice · · Score: 2, Funny

      i need a mod "+5 shit, he's right..."

      --
      ROMANES EUNT DOMUS
  3. Please turn off your electronic equipment... by FuryG3 · · Score: 5, Funny

    So now when they kick you and your friends off the plane for using wifi while in flight, you'll be all good.

  4. Why should it not work? by imsabbel · · Score: 4, Funny

    I mean, there is no/little relative velocity, and radio waves are fast (plus there is no ether :D).

    As to the whole thing... I really dont know. Its cool, but it sounds like a real potential for darwin awards ("damn, ill get you. Just a nother round..." *splash*)

    --
    HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?
    1. Re:Why should it not work? by Newander · · Score: 2, Funny

      At those speeds, it really makes very little difference.

      --

      Jesus saves and takes half damage.

  5. Good to read..... by wpiman · · Score: 5, Funny

    It is good to read about some real world applications with todays technology. Usually these articles are so theoretical....

  6. An EM Signal at 120MPH? by ColdZero · · Score: 5, Funny

    At speeds like that, how could the speed of light even hope to keep up?

  7. SPLAT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Dude, I fragged you!
    No, dude. I fragged you first!
    No Way! I fragged you first.

    SPLAT!

  8. Cool. by JackAxe · · Score: 3, Funny

    I won't personally be trying this with my DS anytime soon. If I wanted to pee, besides in my pants while playing my DS, I'll just do it in the bathroom.

  9. Good thing they didn't use the PSP... by solowCX · · Score: 5, Funny

    They might have hit the ground before they booted up the game and loaded the level. ;)

    1. Re:Good thing they didn't use the PSP... by Aqua+OS+X · · Score: 3, Funny

      Nah, I'd be more concerned about having enough battery power to play the PSP wirelessly during a 60 second freefall.

      --
      "Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
  10. Re:worthless by Adrilla · · Score: 3, Funny

    You don't want those UMD's to come accidentally shooting out at that height.

    --

    "Plans are for fools! Oglethorpe, the plutonian (Aqua Teen Hunger Force)
  11. Re:This is really cool... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well if it does open automatically and you're not paying attention, I would image that while YOU might slow down, the Gameboy wouldn't (well unless it has a little parachute of its own, or you have a really good grip).

  12. Gotta Get that High Score by StarWreck · · Score: 5, Funny

    Jimmy! PULL THE STRING!!
    *waves hand* Just a second man
    For the love of god! Deploy your parachute!
    I just gotta get the high score, I'm almost there. *SPLAT*

    --
    ... and in the DRM, bind them.
  13. Uhhh... by Sheepdot · · Score: 2, Funny

    Reminds me of a bash.org IRC quote:

    Zanthis(ALE): AFK, tornado

    Has a whole other meaning in this context.

  14. Now, I can sleep by ip_freely_2000 · · Score: 3, Funny

    "The four sky divers proved that an ad hoc network set up using the wireless functions of a Nintendo DS works perfectly at distances of nearly 400 feet while falling 120 miles an hour"

    I'm glad they proved it, it was really keeping me up at night.

  15. One Lines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Hopefully this encourages people to toss their X-boxen out the window.

    Wonder if they were going to simulate tetris...falling out of the sky and all.

    Does this somehow change the definition of "dropped packets?"

    If someone skydove with airsnort to packet-sniff, does that count as a flying pig?

    That's what I call hardware acceleration!

    1. Re:One Lines by jbarket · · Score: 2, Funny

      Since when does Carrot Top try out new material on Slashdot?

      --

      -----
      jonathan barket
  16. stylus by muel · · Score: 2, Funny

    The Nintendo DS is already a hassle to control with two hands while on the ground - how the heck did these guys keep their styluses steady mid-descent?

  17. Re:Einstein would be pleased by kfg · · Score: 2, Funny

    Damn, there goes that "I'm sorry officer, but the kids in the back seat were driving me nuts with that video game thingy, so I just put it to the floor," excuse for that speeding ticket.

    KFG

  18. OH CRAP, I DROPPED IT!! by AvantLegion · · Score: 2, Funny
    Oh how cute, we put a mini-parachute on it too! Whew!

  19. Yeah... by l00sr · · Score: 5, Funny

    I get pretty bored skydiving too.

  20. Physics/Math test by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    1) If Bob is in the baggage car of a train traveling north at 90MPH and Margaret is standing still 10 cars north of Bob, each car being approximately 40 feet long, home much time would pass before Bob crashes into Margaret? Show your work.

    2) If I put two chickens in a bag and give you the bag, how many chickens do you have?

    3) If radio waves from a Nintendo DS travel at roughly 186,000 miles per second, how fast would two parallel trains moving in the same direction have to travel before the conductor in each train could no longer receive signals from the other conductor's Nintendo DS?

    4) If you were in a car travelling at the speed of light and you flashed your high-beams, would anything happen? Assume you're on the New Jersey Turnpike.

    1. Re:Physics/Math test by earthbound+kid · · Score: 2, Funny
      2) If I put two chickens in a bag and give you the bag, how many chickens do you have?

      None -- you only gave me the bag, they're still your chickens.


      See, I knew the *AA people read Slashdot!!
  21. Re:So? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    4. ??????

  22. Philosophical question... by Pinkoir · · Score: 3, Funny

    Do you really have a network when all nodes got just got dropped?

    Hur hur hur...

    -Pinkoir

  23. Solexo-diving... by Dark+Coder · · Score: 3, Funny

    If four skydivers were in space (exo-solar-diving) free-falling from Jupiter toward the Sun with an intent to drop into Earth after a few braking maneuvers (what a rush! Oh wait, you'd barely feel the solar wind, uh?).

    So, once again if four sport-extremists were sol-exo-diving, would that 20 K-mile/per second put a dent in your line-of-sight RF communication channel?

    Yes...barely I leave you to do the math.

    (plus, then, no one can hear you scream in space)

  24. We're all missing the important question... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yeah yeah...but can you successfully port Linux to it at that altitude?

  25. Last Words by 955301 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Skydiver 1: Is it working?

    Skydiver 2: What?

    Skydiver 3: He said, IS IT WORKING?

    Skydiver 4: Mine is up!

    Skydiver 1: Okay, so is mine now.

    Skydiver 2: What?

    Skydiver 3: HE SAID, HIS IS WORKING NOW!

    Skydiver 2: OKAY THANKS!

    Skydiver 4: Start the game already.

    Skydiver 2: What?

    Skydiver 1: Okay Cool, I can see everybody!

    Skydiver 3: .... I feel like I forgot something... my charger .... or ....

    WHUMP!!

    --
    You are checking your backups, aren't you?
  26. Obligatory Futurama reference by ari_j · · Score: 3, Funny

    Of course [it can't]! That's why scientists increased the speed of light in 2208.

  27. Mixed bag by rinkjustice · · Score: 2, Funny

    The good news was the four skydivers proved that an ad hoc wireless network using the Nintendo DS works perfectly at distances of 400 feet while falling 120 miles an hour...

    The bad news is neither the Nintendo DS or the four skydivers bounce very well.

    Meh. Batting .500 ain't bad.