Anti-WiFi Wallpaper Available Next Year

hypnosec writes with good news for folks who want to live in a Faraday cage. From the article: "A new type of wallpaper, which has been developed by scientists from the Institut Polytechnique Grenoble INP and the Centre Technique du Papier, will go on sale in 2013 after a Finnish firm Ahlstrom acquired the license. What looks like a bog-standard wallpaper roll actually contains silver particles that allows it to filter out up to three different frequencies simultaneously. It is not the first time that such a technology has surfaced. Back in 2004, BAE Systems was tasked by Ofcom to come up with a similar solution based on what was then called a stealth wallpaper. It used copper instead of silver and blocked Wi-Fi signals while letting GSM, 4G and emergency calls through. Back then, though, a square meter cost £500, whereas the Wi-Fi wallpaper devised by the French researchers should be priced reasonably, with costs matching those of a 'classic,' mid-range wallpaper according to M. Lemaître-Auger, from Grenoble INP."

Comments

it probably could be done also with paint

[mapkinase]

Americans do not use wallpaper much.

Re:it probably could be done also with paint

[Anonymous Coward]

Hope the paint is expensive... poor people in the hood generally run open WiFi!! :D

Re:it probably could be done also with paint

[BasilBrush]

To be fair, the chances of an emergency requiring radio or cellphone on BART are far higher than in a movie theatre. And there are plenty more non-emergency but reasonable needs for communication whilst travelling.

For sure it's not many years since no one had any cellphones anyway, so it's far from disaster if people lose it for a while. But I think it's an over-reaction to take the service down because of a protest. Protests are an intrinsic part of being in a democracy and shouldn't be thought of as something to be suppressed.

The significant difference between the two is that when a movie ticket is bought, there is an implicit contract that you're not going to disturb other patrons by using cellphones. If you're unwilling to forgo them, then you shouldn't be buying a ticket.

But you don't reasonably forgo the expectation to use a cellphone when you travel on BART. Now it's part of the facilities it shouldn't be taken away without good reason. And I don't think a protest in the area is a good reason.

Re:could this decrease interference in high-rises?

[Hatta]

That's kind of the entire point.

Re:no greater evil than wallpaper

[azalin]

If it's properly applied (like using wallpaper glue and primer instead of say paper glue) just put on some remover (or even water) and the whole line pulls right of. A six year old with a ladder could probably do it. If you apply the wrong glue though, have fun.

Re:could this decrease interference in high-rises?

[couchslug]

"Goodbye tin foil hat; hello stylish wallpaper hat."

Hello band-pass filter wallpaper hat!

Now I can SORT the voices in my head.