Intel Encodes Data In Flickering LEDs (and Shows Off Other Bright Ideas) 65
darien writes "On the day before the Intel Developer Forum opens in San Francisco, Intel has been showing off some of its current research projects, including a system for encoding data in apparently steady light sources, a Kinect-based projected 'touch interface' that works on any surface and an ambitious signage concept that could revolutionise your weekly shop." My favorite thing about light-based networking is that it's the basis of a certain strain of (all too plausible, all too often) conspiracy theory. ("The modern LED 'eco-friendly' light bulb is also a two-way communications device." — easy to believe, since many of them can be. )
So, that would be... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Grandad Remembers (Score:5, Insightful)
It was demonstrated [rootsecure.net] on low speed modems, some of which directly tied the blinkenlights to the serial traffic(including, if memory serves, an embarassing case where some model of fancy 'encrypted' modem tied the blinkenlights to the serial traffic before the encryption stage...); but the author concluded that status indicator lights on higher speed stuff were(either in response to the possibility of attack, or just because humans can't distinguish between ultrafast blinking and 'on', which would make excessively fast blinks useless as indicators) not usefully coupled to the data channel for anything more than vague inference about traffic volume...