Monday, October 21, 2013

Getting Onto The Internet Through Your Light Bulb

This crazy invention is another example of just how brilliant we are, as a species, when we're not busy destroying the planet like a bunch of morons, that is.  The idea of using the flicker frequency of light bulbs to transmit data is so out there that, at first, you can't help but think someone's pulling your leg.  It's actually been proven to work, though.  Wow!

As the article points out, there is the one big limitation: the device you want to connect to the Internet would have to be within sight of a data-transmitting bulb, as compared to current routers that transit through walls.  Still, I'd think that would be a small price to pay in order to get speeds ten times faster than what we see now.  And really, if all the lights in your house were acting as routers, then it probably wouldn't be much of an issue unless you like surfing in the dark, or want to head outside.  (It does bring to mind a whole new family of "How many ___________s does it take to change a light bulb?" joke possibilities, though.)

Amusingly, the light in our living room where I'm typing up this post flickered twice in the past several minutes, possibly signaling its approval of this invention.  Or maybe warning against it!

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