What's the real problem with wireless on the Ben?

cenobyte at dragoncrypt.com cenobyte at dragoncrypt.com
Tue Sep 13 01:15:17 EDT 2011


 OK, so the way I figure it, Qi-hardware will be a symbol of hardware 
 freedom and only distribute free hardware, but it will WORK with other 
 hardware that may not be free like *sd, or a USB gadget that works with 
 free drivers but is not free hardware.



 On Tue, 13 Sep 2011 03:34:22 +0000, Wolfgang Spraul wrote:
>> Therefore is the real problem the fact that Qi-hardware cannot make
>> and distribute wifi products because of patents?
>
> No, most tech patents nowadays are trivial patents that only impact
> parasitic trolls and large corporations forming cartels.
> We are protected from trivial patents by being too poor :-)
> If we can identify any serious patented invention beyond trivial, we
> will remove it or engineer around it. Such as we do with MP3, MPEG4,
> H.264, etc. For the most part patent offices are failing us and the
> world to tell the difference between trivial/frivolous and actual
> inventions, so we have to do that ourselves.
>
> Bottom line: Qi hardware technology is patent-free until proven
> otherwise in a courtroom somewhere in our interesting world ;-)
>
> For Wi-Fi, it's not in the Ben NanoNote because it's too hard, too
> difficult. I am very happy that there is no Wi-Fi in the Ben, not
> because I don't like Wi-Fi, but because it's too hard.
>
>> are we supposed to disagree with 802.11x just like we choose not
>> to use non-Free software?
>
> I don't think so, nothing inherently 'bad' in 802.11x other than
> maybe high power consumption, and just in general a lot of legacy
> because the standard was so successful and augmented many times over
> the years. So implementing good 'Wi-Fi' support is very hard, much
> harder than that one innocent word 'Wi-Fi' may make you believe
> initially...
>
>> Is there a better protocol to use for wifi, a Libre one?
>
> I think 802.15.4 holds promise, but the range will not be able to
> match Wi-Fi range - only 5-10 m. Speed is also slower.
>
>> like MicroSD (which I believe we cannot even say- we have to say
>> 8:10 or something, right?)
>
> 'SD' = Secure Digital = trademark which is not licensed freely to
> the world. So yes, I am not using *SD because I have no rights to
> do so. Luckily I also have no need :-)
>
>> I wouldn't feel too wrong about plugging in my USB wireless g
>> adapter and using the Libre driver. Am I off base?
>
> Never feel wrong hacking and having fun ;-)
> Cheers,
> Wolfgang
>
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