The Pedal Powered Internet

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Lena M. Diethelm" <lena () numbershuffler com>
Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2002 12:07:39 -0800
To: dave () farber net, lena () numbershuffler com
Cc: lee () nerditude com
Subject: for IP-The Pedal Powered Internet


Dave,

Lee Felsenstein, MC of the Homebrew Computer Club and designer of the SOL-20
and Osborne 1, (full disclosure:  my SO), sits on the other side of a wall
of bookcases which separates my tax practice from his engineering shop,
where, in the past year, he invented, designed and continues to develop the
"Jhai Computer" mentioned in the NY Times Magazine article as one of the
Best Ideas of 2002. (See www.jhai.org <http://www.jhai.org/> ).

The backstory to this is fascinating. Once more connecting technology and
the Vietnam War, the two Lees, (Felsenstein & Lee Thorn, chair of the Jhai
Foundation), reconnected at the 30th Reunion of Project One (Felsenstein,
see Steven Levy's book, _Hackers_ re: Project One)
http://www.stanford.edu/group/mmdd/SiliconValley/Levy/Hackers.1984.book/Chap
ter8. 
<http://www.stanford.edu/group/mmdd/SiliconValley/Levy/Hackers.1984.book/Cha
pter8.html> html 
<http://www.stanford.edu/group/mmdd/SiliconValley/Levy/Hackers.1984.book/Cha
pter8.html> which was held concurrently with a reunion of Vietnam Vets
Against the War (Thorn).

Long fascinated with strengthening and rebuilding villages in industrial
society, Felsenstein, was immediately interested in connecting these Laotian
villages to the Internet.  Forget going "off the grid", these villages have
never even been on the grid. The system had to be low cost since the
villages and Jhai foundation had little money, waterproof due to high
humidity and Monsoon Season and low maintenance. Satellite connection was
quickly ruled out as too expensive. To keep costs low, the software involved
is all Open Source.

Truly a global effort, the people, the parts and the small amount of funding
so far come from all over the world. The pedal powered bicycles are
manufactured in India. To date, professional expertise has come from the US,
Germany, Australia, Laos and Sweden.

More help and funding are needed.


http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/15/magazine/15PEDA.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/15/magazine/15PEDA.html> html

 <http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/15/magazine/15PEDA.html> <snip>

With a level of ingenuity that would have impressed Robinson Crusoe, it
turns out. Thorn's group is cobbling together five inexpensive computers
with out-of-date microchips. To link these computers to the Internet,
they're using cheap wireless broadcasting stations -- much like the ones
that you can buy at Radio Shack for a few hundred dollars. A tower located
in a Laotian city will tap into the Net and the local phone system, then
blast the signal toward the villages nine miles away. A second tower will
catch that signal and route it wirelessly to each village, like a hub with
spokes. No expensive satellites or copper-wire phone lines needed. And as
for electricity? That pedal-power technology is straight out of ''Gilligan's
Island.'' 

<snip>





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Lena M. Diethelm, EA -The Numbershuffler-PO Box 60267-Palo Alto, CA 94306
vox: 650-322-8680 -fax: 650-322-2881- lena () numbershuffler com

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