[extropy-chat] Hype or tripe?

[Eugen Leitl]

On Wed, Jul 20, 2005 at 09:52:37AM -0700, Adrian Tymes wrote:

> Hype.  Yes, data can be transmitted along the body - but that only
> extends to the limits of the body.  For long downloads (for information

It's a feature, not a bug! You can actually limit the scope of your datasphere
to direct touch. Unlike RFID, electrostatic coupling can't be picked up
by a phased array antenna from a distance.

Personal authentication (SesameTouch(tm)), personal card exchange, etc.

> you do not already have somewhere on your body), one would have to have
> one's body plugged in to something connected to the network - with
> limits on physical mobility comparable to a short leash.  While there
> are some BDSM fetishists who would enthusiastically embrace that, the
> majority of the public would prefer other solutions.
> 
> There are other, far more practical solutions to eliminating the wait
> for downloads.

The smartphone increasingly crystallizes as the personal communicator.
The wearable is dead, long live the wearable. Bluetooth headsets are already
widespread, and video headsets have been sighted as prototypes.

If you happen to have a Series 60 Nokia, and know Python, you should
check out http://www.postneo.com/postwiki/moin.cgi/PythonForSeries60

Here's some code to read BlueTooth GPS from a Nokia smart phone in 
Python (indentation broken):

import socket

class BTReader:

def connect(self):
self.sock=socket.socket(socket.AF_BT,socket.SOCK_STREAM)
address,services=socket.bt_discover()
print "Discovered: %s, %s"%(address,services)
target=(address,services.values()[0])
print "Connecting to "+str(target)
self.sock.connect(target)

def readposition(self):
try:
while 1:
buffer=""
ch=self.sock.recv(1)
while(ch!='$'):
ch=self.sock.recv(1)
while 1:
if (ch=='\r'):
break
buffer+=ch
ch=self.sock.recv(1)
if (buffer[0:6]=="$GPGGA"):
(GPGGA,hhmmssss,l1ddmmmmmm,l1,l2dddmmmmmm,l2,q,xx,pp,ab,M,cd,M,xx,nnnn)=buffer.split(",")
return (l1+l1ddmmmmmm, l2+l2dddmmmmmm)
except Error:
return None

def close(self):
self.sock.close()

bt=BTReader()
bt.connect()
print bt.readposition()
print bt.readposition()
print bt.readposition()
bt.close()

-- 
Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a>
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ICBM: 48.07100, 11.36820            http://www.leitl.org
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