Would it be possible for people to become wifi hotspots?

This makes me think one thing: EWWWWWWW!

Read the rules for Shadowrun.

In a nutshell, most people’s electronics are linked to their commlink (a combination cellphone, PDA, portable,entertainment center, and wallet), and that includes their cyberware. While that allows your doctor to run diagnostics on your cybereye without an office visit, it also allows an unscrupulous hacker to take control of your cyberarm and strangle you (or, if you have a cybergun in there, blow your brains out). Needless to say, having a good Firewall is pretty important!

I thought I saw on AOTS that there was some device that you could walk around with that would amplify the signal.

@jerv I’m not talking about being a cyborg. I mean, you just can use devices that require Internet anywhere. Maybe devices that use your body can be made, but it wouldn’t involve moving muscles. Like, a contact lens that you put over your eye you can just take out if it gets hacked. Obviously there would have to be regulations on devices that can be built.

I don’t know why you’d need to implant such a thing. You could just carry it in your pocket which would have all the same benefits plus the benefit of not requiring surgery to install and replace. (And presumably, at the rate technology moves, you’d want to replace it often.)

In fact, there already exist small wireless chips that broadcast a wifi connection (and connect over cellular) and there already exist kinetic chargers. You really just have to put them together in your pocket.

@lapilofu you wouldn’t have to charge it since it gets power from your muscles. I guess replacements would be an issue though.

Also, what would the roles of commrtcial ISPs be? I don’t think they can be trusted with human bodies.

@Mtl_zack In SR, all commlinks, implanted or handheld, are also routers. The Matrix v2.0 is a mesh network,unlike v1.0 which involved centralized servers, much like our current Internet. And most cyberware (basically everything except certain weapons) is powered by a combination of kinetic generators and body heat.

@Mtl_zack Yeah, but my question is what would be the advantage of having it implanted instead of in your pocket?

@lapilofu I guess you have a point. Maybe there could be something like USB ports for your body…

@jerv is this shadowrun a comic book or a tv show or a movie? I’m really into scifi and I love watching tv shows. I’m also just getting into comics.

@lapilofu be careful where you put those usb port connections. ;)

@Mtl_zack Roleplaying game. They just released their 20th anniversary edition a few months ago. Read the SR4 timeline and see if you like the world they describe.

There wold be no need to plug anything in. Your body already is a pretty good antenna for VHF. That’s why you can open your car’s door locks at a greater distance when you put the key fob to your head.

Rather than implanting, you can wear the hotspot like a watch. Arm motion, heat, and light would keep it charged. It would only transmit during the upload and download cycles to conserve battery. With the addition of a polarized antenna, you could have one direction that would allow a signal to be beamed where you point.

Sure, just make a hat with a booster on it.

Wouldn’t it make more sense to implant the hotspot chip into the laptop? I have a mobile broadband “dongle” for my laptop, for when there’s no wifi hotspot, and I often think it would be better if it was built in to the computer, instead of having to plug it into a USB port.

If you implant the chip into your body, where do you put the usb plug? (I’m suddenly reminded of the blue people from Avatar, with the connector in their hair braid).

@Mtl_zack Reminds me of the techheads in the last episode of Dollhouse.

I was reminded of this and this. The xkcd made me lol