Mesh Network?

[conso]

I know pandora will get bluetooth, but thought it could be a great feature, if the pandi could do wireless-mesh-networking, just like the olpc. Together with the bonjour-protocol in pidgin or any other IM-client, this would give the pandora an additional social component. We would even have network-multiplayer without the need of an access point.

Would mesh-networking be possible with the wlan-chipset of pandora?

 

[Tobriand]

I've a suspicion the biggest problem is Pandora density around the globe. There's a chance that maybe there'll be one, possibly two other people nearby (within, say, 30 miles) with one, but the chances of you knowing them are slim, and the chances of being close enough for your Pandora to reach them even slimmer.

For instance... I know there are at least two people with GP32s in Croydon aside from myself. I've never seen them. Similar,y I don't think I've ever seen anyone else with a GP2x.

I'd love to start seeing Pandoras around the place, but it probably won't happen unless it somehow manages to catch the public's imagination as much as it has ours. Sad as I am to say it, I doubt that would happen unless they added in mobile phone cababilities to it, but we'll see.

 

[conso]

that's where mesh-networking + bonjour comes in.

If their would be dedicated mesh-networking for pandora (and maybe devices based on the beagle-board), you would see they are nearby (maybe a filter for bonjour could be implemented, so you would have a special group in your im-window).
As you see, their is a pandora/beagle-board user nearby, you could start to chat and meet for a quick game.

Btw: we should have our own jabber-server with mucs for certain citys to build up local communitys.

 

[icurafu]

lol. There is also the OLPC. So maybe you might even come in to range with one, one day.

 

[Chip]

I know pandora will get bluetooth, but thought it could be a great feature, if the pandi could do wireless-mesh-networking, just like the olpc. Together with the bonjour-protocol in pidgin or any other IM-client, this would give the pandora an additional social component. We would even have network-multiplayer without the need of an access point.

Would mesh-networking be possible with the wlan-chipset of pandora?

Ad-hoc networking. Done deal.

 

[conso]

Do you say it's a done deal for the pandora?

I guess it would only work to build up a "smart mob" if activated by default and certain pre-configuration would be done, so other pandora users are shown by default. Maybe some people would deactivate it anyway, but still... making it default would make sense.

 

[Chip]

Do you say it's a done deal for the pandora?

There is no reason to think that the wifi drivers won't support ad-hoc connections, so yes. The chances of two Pandora owners randomly wandering within wifi distance of each other is pretty slim. In the even that you and your friends all buy Pandoras, you can connect to each other wirelessly in ad-hoc mode and do everything mentioned by the original poster. True mesh networking is neither practical or desirable for the Pandora, as your chances of being in range of an open wifi acess point are exponentially greater of being within range of two or more other Pandoras.

 

[Tobriand]

Also, I believe one of the early statements back in February (or possibly even last year) was that WiFi is likely to be one of the power hogs in Pandora; I wouldn't be too surprised if leaving it on all the time resulted in a halving of battery life (seeing as most battery life predictions have been, I suspect, assuming you're basically using the OMAP3 features + sound + screen).

Ok, maybe a little pessimistic. But the fact remains, leaving it on by default would almost invariably reduce battery life, and probably by a very significant amount. Personally, I envisage WiFi turned off unless I tell it to be on, for precisely that reason.

 

[Creature XL]

In general it might be almost impossible to be within wifi-range with anotehr Pandora user.
But what if oyu are going to university? If oyu work in a big office complex? waiting at the train station of a bigger city? For situations like that it could be useful.

edit: if you are on a train ride, the chances might be there to find someone to play with

 

[Tobriand]

Well, firstly, you'd both have to be looking at the same time, which means as mentioned, sacrificing battery life for little to no possible gains. Second, there are 10 million people in London. Maybe 500 of those will buy Pandoras. I'd say the chances are pretty slim of those people meeting eachother.

The only real way it's likely to happen is if you manage to convince your friends or coworkers to get one. Then maybe, just maybe, there would be a chance.

As you can tell, I'm skeptical about meeting many - if any - other Pandora owners. Though I'm more hopeful than for other machines; I've met a couple of people who have at least heard about it this time before I've told them, so once there have been a few more batches, the chances should be higher than previous machines (2x, GP32). Maybe something to think about when Craig turns up on the board in six months' time to announce they've sold their half-millionth unit, against all expectations. You never know. It might happen!

 

[zaoin]

Perhaps Craigx can make discounts for local groups.

Anyway the Zodiac could do bluetooth gaming and nobody has done that. The same for Inkstorm, the Wireless-based chat & shared whiteboard.