Hardware Idea for free SPV wireless internet at home etc.

[Guest fraser]

OK, here's an idea for any of you tech companies out there. If you use it, a free one for myself would be appreciated... :wink: Anyway, here it is:

When you have the phone hooked up to the cradle, you get free internet on it. This is useful if you use the net a lot at home, but by tieing the phone down to a desk defeats the point. You can already get a serial cable to hook the phone up to a PC, so...

Why not create a device to go into the multi-purpose connector on the phone that consisted of a cheap AM/FM serial transceiver drawing power from the phone, transmitting the serial connection over the air. Then, a similar device would plug into the serial port of the PC. You would then have a portable ActiveSync connection, at a fraction of the cost of a WiFi/Bluetooth device that doesn't exist anyway.

Only possible downside would be if the connection was degraded due to a weak signal, because the phone might not like having an unreliable signal. Buffering might help, or just ensure it has enough power to meet the stated range.

[Guest Mr_Protozoa]

Yeh, I was thinking about something similar a while ago.

It would be really usefull - i could check my email in the kitchen instead of having to go all the way upstairs.

Maybe just a really long serial cable would do!

[Guest fraser]

If no one takes it up, a long serial cable will be getting bought by me as well. There is a thread in software about a tool someone wrote that checks your mail automatically every two minutes when you have an ActiveSync connection. Combined with this, e-mail becomes a lot more functional.

[Guest Mr_Protozoa]

can you get 35m of serial cable?

Or will I have to be creative with a network cable and screwdriver / soldering iron?

[Guest fraser]

Probably. Serial cables can be run for very long distances. The only site I could find (in 5 minutes of looking) was this American site, who have 10, 15, 25, 50 and 100 feet extension cables.

[Guest rolywalter]

What about doing this via Infra red? Any infra red repeaters out there? You could fibre-optic cable up your house, perhaps...?! I confess I don't actually have the phone yet, but I'm already doing my research! I've heard you can sync over IR, can you use the passthrough on IR too? Dunno...

[Guest fraser]

Needs line of sight, and the phone has to point at the IR repeater.

[Guest batute]

Serial cables can be run 1000ft, provided you use current loop as opposed to the regular RS232 interface. Heck an RS232 to current loop converter is available from most manufacturers. I work with servers and those dumb terminals can be located remotely from the servers using those converters.

A radio link is a good idea possibly connects via serial or USB if bandwidth permits.

[Guest budda]

FM transmission is illegal, at least in the UK, Switerland and somewhere else in Eurpoe - so i doubt we'd be able to get it.

Saying that though - I found a perfect gadget (or two) just now on eBay from PDA Addons show. It lets you transmit audio from either a PC via USB or anything with an audio jack onit (PDA, mp3 player, iPod) over FM waves 88-89 ! I'm sure this is illegal still... :roll: but i ain't saying anything 8)

The WiFi idea would be great though!!

[Guest fraser]

Argh!! Why does everyone always mention this in threads I'm involved in!?! :wink:

The FM devices that transmit audio over the consumer FM range, 88 MHz to 105 MHz are illegal in the UK.

This device would not be. It wouldn't use the above frequency range, and would not interfere with normal radio. There are several FM bands you can use without requiring a transmission license. The majority of wireless landline phones, and I believe WiFi, use Frequency Modulation (FM) to carry the data.

[Guest blewer]

Or just use bluetooth. Buy an E200 :lol:

[Guest sabio_proeliat]

We're talking about REAL range not 10m.

[Guest sabio_proeliat]

We're talking about REAL range not 10m

:wink:

[Guest sabio_proeliat]

We're talking about REAL range not 10m.

[Guest fraser]

Bluetooth probably is the way ahead. 10m is not much, but a couple of repeaters placed in the right places would give most of my flat coverage.

On the other hand, the E200 joystick is broken (no diagonal movement possible), so I'll need to wait until a better one comes out with BT & SP2003.

[Guest blewer]

I agree bluetooth is the best for now. Who knows in the future we might see alot more than 10m coverage.

Let's all hope :lol:

[Guest sabio_proeliat]

I'll put my money on the wi-fi standard

[Guest fraser]

I've seen reports of getting WiFi over 50 miles, so it's not beyond the realm of impossibility!

[Guest mattscholey]

I thought I read something on coolsmartphone about a Wifi device coming out for smartphone, which will plug in through the SD card slot, and well... allow you to access the net over Wi-fi on your phone.

Matt

[Guest nytehawk2002]

SanDisk makes a WI-Fi SD Card. It is only supported in a few devices. It requires an SDIO slot. I'm not sure if the slot in the SPV is SDIO capable.

Side Note: In the US it is not illegal to broadcast FM on a low frequency channels. We have a whole market of devices that allow you to interface them with your car Stereo on channels like 80.5 in that range. And the most annoying is now people are driving around with advertisement vehicles that will jam your FM signal and play their commercial over your radio if you're within 10' of the "jammer" vehicle on the road. Almost like bluejacking for FM radio. Annoying.

[Guest Joff]

Bluetooth is certainly the way to go.

There is also an alternative called ZigBee.

It offers lower data rates (250kb/s max.) but is better suited for low power. Range is expected to be 30m in a home environment. 250kb/s should be enough for decent browsing :wink:

But I still think BT is a better option when it eventually hits low £ marks :wink:

[Guest]

:exclaim: hey i just wanted to let u guys know that u cayn buy bluetooth dongles for ur pc which give u 30m for £14.04.if u would like more info send me a pm. 8)

[Guest Pondrew]

:exclaim: hey i just wanted  to let u guys know that u cayn buy bluetooth dongles for ur pc which give u 30m for £14.04.if u would like more info send me  a pm.  8)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's great. Shame Smartphones bluetooth range only extends to 10 metres, huh. :D

[Guest Confused Stu]

Good point Pondrew, but when my shiny C500 replaced my battered and re-spayed Canary I had a dilemma: Whether to buy the bluetooth adapter with 10m range for £20, or to buy the adapter with "150m" range for £40? :roll:

In the end, I went for the £40 one. Why? Not because I thought the extra range would work, but because it was a slinky card that went into the side of the laptop showing only a cool, flashing blue light and pull out, fold up aeriel rather than a boring dongle! :twisted:

What's the point in having the coolest phones in the world doing the coolest things if the accesories look bad? 8)

[Guest]

:exclaim:

That's great. Shame Smartphones bluetooth range only extends to 10 metres, huh. 

it doesn't matter what thr phones range is the dongle will pick it up in a 30M diametre