With IIAB running on platform like raspberry pi you can carry a slice of internet content in your pocket in a safe way. No need for any external network connectivity as it acts as local hotspot using Wi-Fi. With open source educational content like full Wikipedia, TED videos, text books, medical reference material you have you own portable reference library which can be shared with a group of people for self learning. IIAB opens up access to free knowledge which can provide huge opportunities for remote communities for a very small set up cost.
Internet in a Box
101–110 of 146 posts
Re: Internet in a Box
#102To clarify, the "box" is any UNIX computer (very well suited for Raspberry PI devices, since the wifi can act as a hotspot), and the "internet" consists of all the best FOSS apps and open content that get served from localhost, see full list here: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/IIAB/FAQ#What_services_.28IIAB_app... The use case is to make apps/content/tools normally requiring internet accessed work offline (either on loca…
It could also be made with ultra cheap repurposed routers such as the old TP-Link TL-MR3020 or similar ones, whose hardware is really limited for doing anything serious but still can run older OpenWRT versions. All it needs is to activate a file sharing service and stick an USB drive to be shared with the usual protocols.
I mention it because I've found some at flea markets for 5 to 10 Euros.
Actually a possibly better solution would be to use a ESP32-like board (therefore no Linux or any other OS) to keep power consumption as low as possible, in order to supply it through solar power, de facto turning it into a self sustaining device in which passers by could download files or even upload their ones, including messages, photos etc. that would stay online say for some time before being deleted. I have no idea though if the ESP32 network stack implementation and resources would allow that.
Re: Internet in a Box
#103Who first coined "Internet in a box?" When I saw the title, I thought back fondly to 1994 when my dad came home with a package of software called "Internet in a box" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBox.
Re: Internet in a Box
#104Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you think a smart phone lasts 10 years in the hands of poor people, you are extremely optimistic. From what I can tell, even here in South Africa's townships they are using fairly new Samsung, Huawei etc smart phones (always with a broken screen - this happens without exception), albeit cheap ones. Even my gardener has a Samsung 10 something. Not entirely sure how he can afford it, but I suspect he borrowed a lot…
> Not entirely sure how he can afford it, but I suspect he borrowed a lot of money to afford it There's a gray/black market for second hand phones whose provenance is...questionable. As someone who involuntarily contributed a phone to this surprisingly international parallel supply chain, the sellers are probably not selling at Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price.
Hell, you don't even need theft to handle most of the supply problem. The MSRP of a 5 year old android phone is effectively $0.
Re: Internet in a Box
#105Who first coined "Internet in a box?" When I saw the title, I thought back fondly to 1994 when my dad came home with a package of software called "Internet in a box" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBox .
The naming reminds me of MailInABox: https://mailinabox.email/
Re: Internet in a Box
#106Who first coined "Internet in a box?" When I saw the title, I thought back fondly to 1994 when my dad came home with a package of software called "Internet in a box" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBox .
Perhaps S3E4 of [IT Crowd](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0487831/episodes?season=3)? from 2008.
Re: Internet in a Box
#107Who first coined "Internet in a box?" When I saw the title, I thought back fondly to 1994 when my dad came home with a package of software called "Internet in a box" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBox .
first ting I thought of was The IT Crowd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDbyYGrswtg
Re: Internet in a Box
#108Who first coined "Internet in a box?" When I saw the title, I thought back fondly to 1994 when my dad came home with a package of software called "Internet in a box" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBox .
Same here. I remember thinking it promised so much, but there were always problems with getting it to work. I managed to have someone walk me through how to get Trumpet Winsock to work with a university dialup a few months later and the rest was history.
Re: Internet in a Box
#109Web free
As free as the web blows
As free as the web grows
Web free to follow your heart
Web free
The wiki surrounds you
The porn still astounds you
Each time you look up a star
Re: Internet in a Box
#110The complaints about the name for a free product, created by a charity, that aims to help the deeply poor and remote because it "conflicts" with an inside joke from a cult BBC comedy that wrapped up 8 years ago are, at best, a bit silly.
I saw one complaint and a few jokes. The fact that the top comment is a complaint about a complaint is sillier. Why not reply to that single person?
There were several name complaints and several jokes and they formed the bulk of the initial comments. The complaint that triggered me to write this comment has been deleted since I made my comment and it looks like a couple of others have been deleted as well.