Linux Patches Updated For Light-Based Networking With pureLiFi Driver

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux Patches Updated For Light-Based Networking With pureLiFi Driver

Li-Fi that uses LED lighting for wireless communication between devices is a step closer to reality on Linux systems with leading commercial start-up pureLiFi continuing to move closer to upstreaming the driver supporting their hardware that supports this technology...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-pureLiFi-Li-Fi-Driver-V12

[loganj]

35mbps at 1-2 m? isn't that a bit too low

[timofonic]

What is this useful for? It seems cool, but I don't see the pragmatic applications...

[Guest]

What is this useful for? It seems cool, but I don't see the pragmatic applications...

I guess it's only useful for situations where they can't use a wired connection for some reason, and can't use typical WiFi due to interference. Atleast it's faster than Bluetooth?

IMO the technology probably needs to mature some more before we'll see actual useful widespread applications.

[wizard69]

What is this useful for? It seems cool, but I don't see the pragmatic applications...

You will be able to drive people sensitive to it crazy with flicker! OK; I don't know if the flicker is there but I had huge trouble with CRT based monitors back in the day. In fact it was so bad I took another career path instead of programming as I couldn't imagine spending a life time sitting in front of one of those monitors.

[WorBlux]

What is this useful for? It seems cool, but I don't see the pragmatic applications...

Spooks are going to love it. Spy a signal from miles away in a complex urban environment with conventional optics technology? Yes please they say.

[torsionbar28]

What is this useful for? It seems cool, but I don't see the pragmatic applications...

Yep, seems like a solution in search of a problem. We already have solid wireless networking, and even in high congestion environments it performs better than this Lifi stuff does. Not to mention that Lifi requires expensive custom lighting to make it work. This will never ever catch on. We'll be reading an article here in three years about the kernel maintainers deprecating support for it as nobody uses it.

This is at best a niche product that only makes sense in RF-restricted environments, on aircraft, for example.

[Terrablit]

At its current level, it's probably more suitable for IoT. Which is already insecure af, so it can't get any worse.

I can also see this shit being embedded in TVs for streaming movies broadcasting to phones so you can do all that weird shit no one actually cares about, like BD Live.

[hotaru]

sounds like this is just trying (and failing) to be what 802.11ad (WiGig) already is.

[Alex/AT]

Would be killer thing for i.e. hospitals where radio interference is undesired.