Aussie Research Company Brings Wi-Fi To TV Antenna 74
joshgnosis writes "The CSIRO has unveiled new technology that could bring internet to people in rural or remote parts of Australia using their existing TV antennas. Analog TV signal is set to be switched off in 2013 but this technology could see the spectrum used to deliver internet straight into people's homes through their TV antenna. Gartner expert Robin Simpson told ZDNet Australia that this would make it much easier for companies to get new customers. 'What appeals to me about it is that it re-uses existing infrastructure, all of the competing wireless technologies tend to use high frequencies and therefore require new base stations, new spectrum and new receiving antenna infrastructure as well,' he said. 'The fact that they're re-using the analog TV stuff gives them a much easier market entry strategy.'"
My old ATI AIW did this (Score:4, Interesting)
I never saw it in action, but an old PCI ATI all-in-wonder had a driver for networking via tv antenna. I think it might have been one-way, but I can't remember. The manual said it something along the lines of the TV stations being able to send out software or files at specified times. It was sometime in the late 90's I believe.
Of course I never did see it in action.
Re:I wonder.. (Score:3, Interesting)
I would think that while you could easily receive the signal, transmitting back to the tower would be a problem since TV antennas were designed to be receive only.
My father designed TV transmission antennas for RCA (for instance, the one that was on the World Trade Center). He told me that, during construction, they tested the transmission antennas, by using them as receivers. My I visited the construction plant with him, there were a bunch of the sections of the World Trace Center array lying around. We went up on the test platform and he showed me that they had a line of sight to the spot in the distance where the test transmitter was located.
Cool stuff.
Re:upload vs. download? (Score:5, Interesting)
swirls their toilet flushes backwards.
Contrary to The Simpsons, Australian toilets don't swirl, the standard type I believe is called a "non-siphoning washdown", which basically means that the velocity head at the start of the s-trap during a flush is greater than the elevation between the bowl level to the peak of the s-trap. Usually this means the toilet has a slightly higher cistern than American varieties and the s-bend is lower and around double the diameter. The upshot is that this kind of toilet uses less water, since it relies on kinetic energy, not volume which also suits the Australian climate. Also that fecal matter is removed almost as soon as the button is hit is comforting for some. The drawback is that older designs of washdown are slightly unreliable compared to American style siphon toilets, since if the flush's velocity is lost due to a badly shaped bowl or an obstruction, there will be no way of building the hydraulic head needed to complete the siphon in the S-bend and empty the bowl.
Toilets are so deeply entwined in social norms and so rarely discussed that they become one of the most unexpected parts of traveling the world. Australia and America's common traits such as common language are reflected by the seated (not squatting) position and the fact that fecal matter falls directly into water. The contrary mindsets are evinced by the Australian direct approach of a sudden wave of not quite enough water to instantly clean away most but not all, compared to the American steady but wasteful surge which bobbles the shit halfway to the rim, before finally sucking it away completely when it can take no more.