Sam Churchill
I'm a LAN enthusiastic and live downtown near Portland State University (11th & Market). I want to do live webcasts of weddings (a church is right across the street). I have an RG-1000 Access Point, a Sharp Tripad (a nifty little Windows CE machine) and a FreeGeek box with Mandrake. BTW, the Tripad works great but I'm selling it for $200 if anyone's interested (503.228.6459).
Here are some related links:
Daily Wireless is my SlashDot-like blog of Community LAN and other wireless news. It was created by the generous and talented Don Park. Daily Wireless summarizes the news archives of Community Lan around the world. It is full of sausy talk, viscious rumors and tantilizing tidbits.
The Community LAN Revolution - A 12 page (and counting) resource, spun off from an Article in Computer Bits (Jan, 01).
Proposal for North Portland Wireless Network This web presentation describes a proposed wireless system for North Portland. A rooftop antenna on University Park Community Center would provide wireless "last mile" service using the 5 Ghz band (prefered). I may submit the proposal (if it's viable) for a Mt. Hood Cable Grant. Is it workable? Please give me your opinions on this proposal. Thanks.
S Dot S Publishing is a publishing business I share with my mom (Dorothy), and sister (Sue).
My current homepage sucks. All my web pages on Teleport were erased by Earthlink when they moved servers. Earthlink is awful. I'm bailing.
The Oregon Telecommunications Atlas, researched Oregon Telecommunications infrastructure for the Oregon Economic Development Office. That prompted my interest in the "last mile". I think satellite providers in the 20/30 Ghz band could be the key to cost/effective broadband in rural areas. I'm crossing my fingers for Echostar 6. Too bad we can't get Boeing at The Government to re-direct some of that $100 Billion spent on spy satellites for a $20 two-way wrist telephone.
VoIP User, Community VoIP resource promoting activity in Internet Telephony in the UK
PgePark wireless lan proposal. Why not? Here's more on my web page
ChurchLan is a wireless LAN webcasting proposal for The Old Church. They offer a community space for performances and weddings. I live kitty-corner from them and their director seems open to the idea. This project might provide a good showcase and offer publicity for anyone who wants to get involved.
InteractiveSculpture. Constructing some sort of mobile, interactive sculpture for neighborhood celebrations intrigues me. A Calderesq sculpture might have movement and sound built with PVC pipe, small motors and other junk for $100 or so. It interacts with passersby. The idea here is to make people smile. A liberating, self-actualized theme, it would work on the sub-conscious with stylized simplicity and innocence.
I think it would be cool to webcast the Rose Parade. From a float. A laptop runing webcam software and linked with 144 Kbps Sprint or Voicestream 3G cellular as well as the PioneerSquare node could work. Here's more on Webcasting How about wiring an Oregonian or Tribune reporter with a Steve Mannish http://www.wearcam.org Track the reporter 24/7 during Rose Festival week.
Panasonic has a similar $1500 MPEG-4 camera. Their $350 camera records MPEG-4 on chips. Reporters carry audio recorders. This is better, smaller, all solid state (no tape) and records 2 hours of audio/video per 128Meg chip. NY Times reporters carry consumer camcorders. Print reporting can be more immediate and nuanced with on-scene video interviews. Broadcasters have a tiny news hole and don't want to take eyeballs away from expensive video advertising. They're SO 20th century. TabletPCs are connected. Broadcasters aren't. If RealVideo can put fans in the driver's seat at NASCAR.com then so can newspapers. Newspapers can shut broadcasters down. For good.
The Touch-Screen Community LAN Kiosk
PersonalTelco's Pioneer Square node in downtown Portland consists of a Sylistic 1000 running Linux & NoCat. A wired NIC connects upstream to a T1 feed. A wireless NIC (Orinoco Silver?) is connected to a 120 degree sector antenna. This antenna is mounted in an 8th floor window of the building that is on the north side of the Square. The antenna is tilted down towards the Square to provide coverage for that whole area, including Starbucks.
But the big "i" sculpture in the middle of Pioneer Square wants a touch-screen.
Elotouch has one with Linux support and infrared sensors. The touch frame needs no special physical surface. The laptop display can be located behind a waterproof plexiglass window. Only the external frame is exposed and it can be water-proof.
The laptop display might be placed directly behind the plexiglass window in the "i". The weather-proof frame sits outside using infrared sensors for touch interactivity. A motorcycle battery could provide 18 hours of operation and get charged at night.
Tablet PCs might work. They're driven by touch. A plug and play USB touch-frame would be cheap and easy. [http://www.viewsonic.com/products/viewpad1000.cfm Viewsonic's ViewPad 1000] is available now.
A $6,000 touch-screen kiosk providing free 802.11b access might be subsidized by advertising. If you make $500/month with interactive access to hotel/model reservations, tourist information, and even remote web cameras, it could pay for itself the first year. PersonalTelco profits by servicing the things (at $100/hr).
If each of the following organziations contributed $1000, we might do a one year test.
oregon.gov traveloregon.com tripcheck.com econ.state.or.us
pova.com pdxchamber.org portlandprogress.com rosefestival.org
Then I'd tie 'em together state-wide with Video Conferencing.
The Live Remote Van Concept
I fear that group owners will centralcast broadcast television, shutting down local broadcast news operations. They killed local radio. My solution is a webvan. It would produce live local 2-way audio and video productions distributed via broadband. Schools could produce a virtual field trip, governments could have emergency communications and news media could go anywhere. With live videoconferencing. Oregon has a 2-way video conferencing network - in place - in virtually every high school building. Why not use it?
A remote (live) news vehicle for news media like the Oregonian would be cheaper than broadcast vans because MPEG-4 doesn't require dedicated satellite transponders. Cellular networks could be used in a pinch. And it's 2-way. A remote van might cost under $50,000 and generate a profit, year one:
A. Hybrid Vehicle: These battery/gas vehicles are really generators on wheels.
[1] Hybrid Cars [2] How Hybrids Work [3] Hybrid Ford SUV [4] Hybrid Toyota [5] Electrifying Times [6] Satellite-equipped HumVee [7] Imperial Cruiser van
B. Network Cameras: These plug into the van's router and supply live wide shots from a telescoping mast on the roof of the van/SUV.
[1] D-Link WiFi network camera [2] Axis Network Camera [3] StarDot Netcam [4] Panasonic Network Camera [5] X-10's Interactive camera system costs less than $300. A wireless laptop could be your host. [6] True Look interactive webcameras feature time lapse, 360 panoramas and wireless options. [7] Videobotics has more options [8] HD Long Range Optics can track the space shuttle at 100 miles.
C. Mobile MPEG-4 Cameras/Encoders: Firewire camcorder plugs into laptop running MPEG-4 encoder. It's linked via 802.11a/g/b to the van. The van uplinks using a $5,000 mobile satellite dish.
[1] Apple's MPEG-4 QuickTime 6 [2] QuickTime 6 server (runs on Linux and other platforms) [3] Sun's MPEG-4 support [4] Real Producer with MPEG-4 [5] Real's MPEG-4 mobile server [6] Envivo's live MPEG-4 encoder works with: [7] Real's MPEG-4 server
D. Two-way mobile satellite dish: This uplinks at least 64Kbps but ideally 1.5Mbps for broadcast-quality MPEG-4 remotes. The feed goes to a streaming video server for state-wide/national distribution.
Portable 2-way dishes: [1] LandSea's TT-3080A Mobile Messenger [2] Motosat [3] Swe-dish
Potential satellite providers:
[1] Tachyon [2] OnSat [3] Wild Blue [4] SpaceWay Over 100 Native American reservations use solar-powered OnSat for internet access. A solar-powered OnSat system that uses 802.11b for the last mile and supports 50 users may cost $50,000 plus $10/mo for ISP connectivity. That's the equivalent of $1000 overhead per user plus $10/mo and doesn't include administration costs. It would be difficult to price less than $50/month and still be self-sustaining.
E. Voice over IP telephony/videoconferencing:
VOIP cordless phones using 802.11b: [1] Symbol's NetVision Data Phone with 802.11b, TCP/IP, H.323 and POP3 (the phone can also receive e-mail), all implemented in hardware ($699) [2] Spectralink's full-featured, direct sequence spread spectrum, IP wireless telephone
Handhelds using 802.11b with software for text/video conferencing [1] Yahoo Messenger [2] Microsoft PocketPC [3] Telesym PocketPC VoIP [4] XP video conferencing
With Octave Improv, a single command, such as "call emergency team", can be used to reach an entire list of people by phone. The system automatically tries all of the phone numbers and leaves a voice message on an answering machine or sends an immediate text message via email, page, SMS, or instant messaging system, such as AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and ICQ.
IBM is demonstrating a tiny computer code-named Meta Pad
It could serve as a laptop, desktop or handheld when snapped into different modules. It could be the basis for everything, the belt-clipped wearcam, the OpenAP repeaters, the laptops and the VoIP telephones. The van could include 24 or them, 8 laptops, 8 wearcams, 4 OpenAP repeaters and 4 spares.
3D collaboration in a simulation world would be enabled by wearcam display technologies like Microvision that can project Java 3D or other 3D Java renderers like Shout3D and Anfy3D into the eye. Web3D and 3D Authoring Tools can enhance MPEG-4, providing new revenue streams and entertainment venues for sports teams. Intel's cameras can capture a soccor team in real-time, transforming players into game figures and emersing viewers in the action.
Ultimately, JXTA, a set of open, generalized peer-to-peer protocols, will allow any connected device (cell phone, to PDA, PC to server) on the network to communicate and collaborate. Inexpensive, hand-held canners and sensors using Intel's X-Scale might connect to1 Terabyte network storage in the van and connect to the National TeraGrid. A WebMap provides one-click access to RFID (radio frequency ID) tags and real-time data tracking such as used in The Neptune Project. Demo 2002 previewed many real-time products that might be applied by Oregon counties, the State of Oregon, or Federal Government resources. Robot Kits might pay for themselves the first week by saving costs of security personel.
Just as dams on the Columbia feed the power grid, northwest server farms at Intel, nCube, HP and others could feed broadband to the Planetary Computing Grid. My vision of a Cool Town is simple; everyone gets an iPaq and communications is free.
I've recently become aware of a packet ham radio technique that can track you "live" on the web. It's called the Automatic Position Reporting System or ApRs. Here's an introduction courtesy of Doug Ferrell and John Bartley. Wiki to follow.
I'm basically a writer and web designer focused on content issues. I'm one of these people who likes to embed Video Game Midis in web pages (don't you just that).
Broadband can multicast to tens (or hundreds) of thousands of digital cable boxes and internet appliances. Faster, cheaper, better. Here's how:
Neighborhood nodes might use 5 Ghz to deliver "the first mile". The 802.16 Metropolitan Wireless LAN standard is optimized for the "first mile" while 802.11a is optimized for use inside the home or office.
Five Gig LANs include Enterasys RoamAbout2 which combines 2.4 and 5 GHz Access Points, Intermec's MobileLAN 2106, Intel 54 Mbps access points or Avaya Wireless Access Point-3 ($1,295) which supports a 802.1X port authentication.
CityNet Fiber goes the last mile and links those neighborhood nodes -- through the sewer system.
Cisco's 12404, 10Gbps router integrates Ethernet with voice and video. Their 10720 router ($43,300) is expensive but delivers multiple, simultaneous IP services and has a self-healing mechanism for automatic fiber cut repair using SONET fiber rings.
IBM's WebSphere Translation Server delivers Web pages, e-mail messages and chat conversations in multiple languages, in real time and is teaming with Akamai to deliver streaming video.
EnReach says, "IP based broadband is the most cost-effective and fastest way to launch combined video and data services to the home." Their rack-mount IP VOD system supports 20 simultaneous streams and can deliver IP-based video to apartment buildings using switched Ethernet to bring broadband access to each home.
Five major studios will deliver VOD to computer users(Sony, Warner Bros., Universal, Paramount, and MGM). Disney and Fox, may also have their own VOD service in the works. Streaming content available from satellite includes iBeam and Net-36.
Polycom and RadVision offer teleconferencing with Voice and Video over IP. Apartment buildings and condominiums might profit from distance learning rooms. With Netmeeting on a laptop and Wireless LAN or 3G cellular connectivity, mobile, adhoc teleconferences might be practical.
Nokia's MediaTerminal settop box ($350) or Philips MHP platform can receive (and record) video on demand.
The Pace set-top box works with cable or "wireless cable" while nCUBE provides VCR controls for the client using servers in the network. One nCube server can stream RealVideo 8 content to as many as 200,000 customers simultaneously.
Microsoft's PocketPC can receive Wireless LANs and live television with streaming Media Player. Handhelds can also record video programs for later playback. Mobiletainment is enabled with Intel Client Architecture.
I figure in 2-3 years, handheld players (with goggles) may be cheaper than a 25" television. And two-way. Are you ready?
I think the solution to ubiquitious broadband may be to buy a UhfTelevision channel! Channels 50-69 go up for auction this June. Here's how to buy a UhfTelevision channel for 2-way internet access.
Here are some of my related web sites
The Subduction Zone - I think oceanography is interesting and I trek down to Astoria every summer and see what's up with Alvin.
University Park Community Center - I make web pages (and proposals) at University Park.
- These web sites might not work; I'm relocating them
Bluetooth Article - Here's a short article I did on BlueTooth. I talked with Nigel Ballard of Cerulic, located in SE Portland. They are major providers of both 802.11b and Bluetooth in public places such as airports and hotel lobbies.
The Oregon Telecommunicatins Atlas - A comprehensive survey of telecommunications infrastructure in the state.
Sam's Webcam Cookbook - The honest truth is I don't know what I'm talking about. It reads nice, though, and got some recognition. You might note I don't have any webcams working. Couldn't figure out how to do it.
Portland Supercomputer Conference '99 - Nobody EVER visits this site but I think it's cool. Maybe it's the Polka music.
Robots in Portland - Robots are cool. I want to put one inside Mt St. Helens. Controlled by Wireless LAN, of course.
Sam's Digital Television Report - It's The End for local broadcasters. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Hi Sam-
This is the first I've ever edited anyone else's web page. I am apprehensive.
I am visiting Portland for a few days - Oct 31 to Nov 2. I have a long time interest in a wireless cooperative for my neighborhood. See:
http://stlouis.missouri.org/forestparksoutheast/whatsnew/coop01.htm
I read about PTP in Rod Flickenger's Building Wireless Community Networks.Unfortunately I did not find about last night'smeeting until this morning.
I'd like to visit with you while here. I do not have a wirelsss unit with me or even a cell phone. I will be checking eMail once in a while: bob@babione.com
Or you could leave a message at the Hilton: 226.1611 room 2104
Today, Friday, I am off to Powell's and other points of interest and Saturday afternoon I will probably go with my family to the beaches. Saturday morning breakfast might be a good time. I am an early person. (plus I'm still kind of on Central time.)
Hope we can make contact.
Best regards, Bob