Magicbikes

December 17, 2003 9:22 AM

The coolest thing I've heard of all year: Magicbikes (NYT registration required) "Mr. Gitman, an artist who is teaching a class at the Parsons School of Design in collaboration with Eyebeam, a media arts organization, intended the stunt to be a demonstration of his Magicbikes - ordinary bicycles rigged with networking gear that transforms them into wireless Internet access points, using the wireless fidelity, or Wi-Fi, technology now built into many laptops. "
posted by lilboo (6 comments total)

I'm sorry, but the phrase "wireless fidelity" just bothers me. Plus, Wi-Fi is a certification, not a technology. Grouchy. But the bike thing is cool.
posted by hades at 9:51 AM on December 17, 2003

One day we will look back on WiFi homebrew tricks with nostalgia like we look back on the BBS days because broadband wireless will eventually be everywhere. It's coming on our lifetimes, if not the next 10 to 20 years or sooner.
posted by stbalbach at 9:57 AM on December 17, 2003

Two things...

- Will MetaFilter ever evolve past "grouchy" comments like that from hades? My encouragement to all of you, unless you have something to add to the conversation besides some grumblings and a "but this is cool" don't add anything at all. It's boring.

- I'd like to see someone take this idea further and power the WiFi with the peddling from the bikers themselves.
posted by jasenlee at 12:32 PM on December 17, 2003

It'd be a wonderful toy to have, but there's one problem: Expensive bikes are generally impractical 'cause they're basically thief bait.
posted by freakystyley at 8:46 PM on December 17, 2003

Keep pedaling, I'm sending a large file!
posted by skallas at 7:56 AM on December 18, 2003

Add a GPS receiver, and your expensive thief-bait bike can automatically post the coördinates of its chop shop to your blog.

Oh, and some earlier 802.11-on-bikes activity.
posted by hattifattener at 1:09 AM on December 19, 2003