engadget.com — Sixteen-year-old Alexander Kendrick has created a device that allows texting and other data transfer from almost 1000 feet underground. The tech could allow rapid emergency communication with the surface and opens the potential for scientific measurements without the need to continually visit (and disturb) the cave environment.
Feb 1, 2010 View in Crawl 4
Closed AccountFeb 2, 2010
I've worked in mines, and they used one way texting to get messages from the surface to the miners.The only problem was you had to run a line from the surface to within about 200 feet of where the miners are in order to send a signal.We were 2 1/2 miles underground, so this wouldn't have worked, but I can definitely see the uses.
letterqFeb 2, 2010
He's probably using a frequency in the 160 to 190kHz range (1750 meter band), which is reserved for experimental radio services. These VLF waves are perfect for earth-penetrating transmissions, and do not require a license (not even an amateur radio license) to transmit. Transmissions in this band will not interfere with FAA or any other official radio service.<a class="user" href="http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/vlf.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/vlf.html</a>
suricouFeb 2, 2010
Also, with so many cables broken, the phone network might be down.A potentially more useful idea might be a long-range mobile cell mounted on a helicopter that you could use to sweep over the disaster area, picking up every phone and dialing it in search of any survivors trapped with the phone in their pocket.
cooltd825Feb 2, 2010
you do realize we hate the Jonas Brothers, right?they're only popular with 12 year old girls.
cooltd825Feb 2, 2010
Nazis are German, not British
Closed AccountFeb 5, 2010
Well.. if you're sick of it we'll all stop using it. How can you "price" a protocol? And what's superior about IM or Email? Both of which piss me off on a daily basis, email is antiquated, unsecured, and fairly unreliable, and talk about expensive? Email server, spam filters, virus filters, routers, DNS servers, storage, backup, compatibility, client software, bandwidth, network administrators, black lists, etc just so I can get dozens of "OMG FORWARD THIS BLAH BLAH" emails, and Viagra ads. I STILL can't email a hires PDF to a customer without waiting 3 days for a Delivery failed notice because of file size, etc... IM is worthless too, there's about a dozen "IM" networks that aren't compatible with each other, and file transfer is notoriously unreliable because of bloated firewalls etc. Can't wait for Google Wave to replace them all.
duzeyFeb 8, 2010
2 HOURS to calibrate!? "APPY"?? Sorry kid, you fail.
orchardnorthMay 4, 2010
A handy gadget, can't say I'm ever 1.000 ft underground though. <a class="user" href="http://www.orchardnorth.co.uk" rel="nofollow">http://www.orchardnorth.co.uk</a>