7 votes

Tomorrow's wireless world will be fatter, faster, and creepier

13 comments

  1. [11]
    vord
    Link
    I know I'm gonna sound a bit of a Luddite... but couldn't we please just keep using wires? It's so much easier to contain the signal in a way that doesn't congest the entire electromagnetic...

    I know I'm gonna sound a bit of a Luddite... but couldn't we please just keep using wires? It's so much easier to contain the signal in a way that doesn't congest the entire electromagnetic spectrum in random signals.

    unable to run on batteries

    I would love to see how it would be remotely possible to enforce such a thing.

    3 votes
    1. stu2b50
      Link Parent
      Tbh that is somewhat ludditish now. Wires made sense in the world where people have desktop computers, where they sit down at a designated place to do their computing. There, wires are reliable...

      Tbh that is somewhat ludditish now. Wires made sense in the world where people have desktop computers, where they sit down at a designated place to do their computing. There, wires are reliable and hey, you’re going to have to be near this big tower anyway.

      But today, the primary computer most people have is their smartphone. Even people with computers have laptops. Towers are a small minority of computing devices. People use these smartphones, tablets, laptops anywhere and everywhere - on a couch, in one hand while making coffee, in bed, on a subway, etc.

      In this model, wires do not make sense, and I do not see it moving back to the sit near tower model anytime soon.

      11 votes
    2. [2]
      Octofox
      Link Parent
      I was like this before but I moved to wireless and I’m a fair bit happier now. Wires cause so much visual noise and make cleaning harder. My desk would end up dusty and gross because it’s too hard...

      I was like this before but I moved to wireless and I’m a fair bit happier now. Wires cause so much visual noise and make cleaning harder. My desk would end up dusty and gross because it’s too hard to wipe down. I still use Ethernet because wifi can’t match my internet speed. But for everything that works well wireless, that will be my first option.

      I live in a huge apartment building and there is almost no wireless congestion because the thick concrete layers between levels means I hardly even get phone signal let alone wifi from other floors. With higher frequency wifi bands coming in, the problem is even less since they can not travel through solid obstructions. Thankfully my apartment has Ethernet wired throughout it so I can place a second wifi router for full coverage.

      4 votes
      1. vord
        Link Parent
        I'm not even really opposed to short range wireless. It is incredibly useful. But as a replacement for medium/long haul backbone? Let's stick to wires if at all possible. Heck, we could make one...

        I'm not even really opposed to short range wireless. It is incredibly useful.

        But as a replacement for medium/long haul backbone? Let's stick to wires if at all possible.

        Heck, we could make one hell of a mesh network with existing 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5 Ghz if we transitioned all of our access points and devices to being mesh nodes and gateways.

        4 votes
    3. [6]
      mrbig
      Link Parent
      It would be pretty funny if my phone had an ethernet port.

      It would be pretty funny if my phone had an ethernet port.

      2 votes
      1. [5]
        Octofox
        Link Parent
        You actually can connect a USB C to A and then A to Ethernet port to your phone. Android even has its own icon that shows up when you do this. It’s even a somewhat logical thing to do if you are...

        You actually can connect a USB C to A and then A to Ethernet port to your phone. Android even has its own icon that shows up when you do this.

        It’s even a somewhat logical thing to do if you are using an iPad as a video editing device and want high speed nas access

        4 votes
        1. [3]
          mrbig
          Link Parent
          That makes sense. I might use something like that to circumvent crappy wifi for heavy downloads. Not that I have an actual need for it. Edit: As a video editor, I don't suppose there are many...

          That makes sense. I might use something like that to circumvent crappy wifi for heavy downloads. Not that I have an actual need for it.

          Edit: As a video editor, I don't suppose there are many people editing on a tablet that also requires high speed nas access. But it is certainly possible.

          1 vote
          1. [2]
            Octofox
            Link Parent
            This is actually something Apple is trying to push. The iPad Pro comes with the M1 chip now so it has the same power as the macbook and imac. They also put 10 gbit ethernet support on the usb-c...

            I don't suppose there are many people editing on a tablet

            This is actually something Apple is trying to push. The iPad Pro comes with the M1 chip now so it has the same power as the macbook and imac. They also put 10 gbit ethernet support on the usb-c port. You can plug your ipad in to a usb C hub and get an external monitor, mouse and keyboard working so it could actually be quite a workable setup for a casual video editor.

            Still not sure how many people actually do this yet.

            3 votes
            1. mrbig
              (edited )
              Link Parent
              Of course, but that's not really what I stated :P I actually stated So, slightly different!

              Of course, but that's not really what I stated :P

              I actually stated

              I don't suppose there are many people editing on a tablet that also requires high speed nas access.

              So, slightly different!

        2. frostycakes
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          It works! I'm somewhat disappointed that Android can't route IMS calling over Ethernet, since at the end of the day Wi-Fi calling should work with any network connection. Still nifty regardless....

          It works!

          I'm somewhat disappointed that Android can't route IMS calling over Ethernet, since at the end of the day Wi-Fi calling should work with any network connection. Still nifty regardless. Plus it looks like at least Android 11 natively supports Ethernet tethering with an adapter connected to the phone. Nice to see an old phone can be turned into a fixed wireless modem in a pinch too, without a router that requires USB tethering support.

          1 vote
    4. Micycle_the_Bichael
      Link Parent
      I agree with you. I have tried and hated basically every wireless option for just about everything I’ve tried. The only real exceptions being laptop and cell phone and even then I still regularly...

      I agree with you. I have tried and hated basically every wireless option for just about everything I’ve tried. The only real exceptions being laptop and cell phone and even then I still regularly find myself trying to buy a desktop but not being able to justify the cost and waste since I already have a laptop

      2 votes
  2. [2]
    nothis
    Link
    I only skimmed but: why creepier?

    I only skimmed but: why creepier?

    1. vord
      Link Parent
      5G for example can hone in your precise location to within inches. That's probably only the atart of where we're headed. When subdermal implants become a thing, it is now possible for anyone to...

      5G for example can hone in your precise location to within inches.

      That's probably only the atart of where we're headed. When subdermal implants become a thing, it is now possible for anyone to find you wherever you go.

      On it's own, not too bad. Until you consider the massive advertising spy network and the general internet hate machine at large.

      Do you want alt-right nutjobs to have access to your precise location? Yea, me neither.

      5 votes