Live data from Hacker News

Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

web.cs.ucla.edu

31–40 of 88 posts

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#31
Wi-Le is interesting. Does it mean you don’t have to connect to a wifi hotspot to do configuration?

The product I made uses BLE to connect between device and mobile for things such as connecting the device to a wifi router. Otherwise the device connects to wifi normally.

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've read chunks of the bluetooth spec and while I didn't wind up spending very long actually using it, the vibe I got was that of a committee composed of architecture astronauts who pumped out pages by the truckload and applications engineers who could never agree on anything. The standard is very heavy on abstract cruft and very light on constraining decisions, which is probably why 30 years later we still have pai…

Oh but the next version has fixed that, uses less energy and is going to be great, as per every Bluetooth press release every single year.

BLE actually fixed that and it uses less energy. I have used it both on desktops and on embedded devices, in C and in scripted languages, and it has been a pleasure.

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#33
post #22
post #18

What I’d love to see is my Mac be able to connect my Zoom or Teams meetings to my AirPods via my iPhone (on wifi) so that I can freely run to the kitchen without losing Bluetooth connection.

The Teams iOS app does audio hand-off really well in my experience. Have you tried that?

I haven't - but I want to use my desktop for the camera and viewing shared screen as much as possible, I just don't like missing something if I have to step away.

As it is my Airpods ALMOST reach to the kitchen, just as I open the fridge they disconnect.

And they don't reconnect until I'm very close (though I suspect this is because they decide to connect to my phone).

Now that I think about it I should just join the meetings twice ...

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#34
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the Xbox Series controllers are fully interoperable with the Xbox One, which they wouldn't be if they switched to some other technique.

Actually I think they switched to just bluetooth now, or at least the new ones can connect to my computer/phone just through bluetooth without an adapter (the old ones did require one though)

The third revision of the Xbox One (1708, doesn’t have the glossy plastic piece at the top where the Xbox button sits) added Bluetooth support. The consoles and the Xbox Wireless Adapter still use the “Xbox Wireless” (basically WiFi Direct), however.

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#35
post #18

What I’d love to see is my Mac be able to connect my Zoom or Teams meetings to my AirPods via my iPhone (on wifi) so that I can freely run to the kitchen without losing Bluetooth connection.

Tangential, but I am amazed by the Bluetooth range I get out of my AirPod pro and iPhone 12. What the hell are they doing? My laptop doesn’t even get to 1/4 of the range. I’ve walked into a vault (like a bank vault) with my phone outside of it, and the music never stopped. I’ve walked a good 20ft and everything was still smooth.

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#36
post #5

if only there were some good flows for attaching sound input / outputs & input devices over wifi there are some technical means. one could use usb-ip[1] to bridge peripherals, for example. but few rise to the status of "flows", good well paved paths. [1] http://usbip.sourceforge.net/

Is usbip finally usable?

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve heard multiple times that apparently a lot of proprietary Bluetooth stacks are filled to the brim with bugs. I’m not sure how complex the Bluetooth spec is but I wouldn’t be surprised if it were true. It’s also part of why I can’t stand the trend of remove the headphone jack from devices.

I've read chunks of the bluetooth spec and while I didn't wind up spending very long actually using it, the vibe I got was that of a committee composed of architecture astronauts who pumped out pages by the truckload and applications engineers who could never agree on anything. The standard is very heavy on abstract cruft and very light on constraining decisions, which is probably why 30 years later we still have pai…

The original design was utterly terrible. A low data rate frequency hopper with long packets. Which meant the RF performance was terrible and non state of the art. By design. I think they thought spec'ing low data rate frequency hopper meant automatically low cost, low power.

They messed up the low power part by spec'ing a complicated baseband that had everything but the kitchen sink. Basically duplicated the USB spec but then added authentication and encryption on top of it. Which is even more complicated because everything runs over a unreliable frequency hopping rf channel. Frequency hopping messes with a lot of things.

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#39
post #33
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Teams iOS app does audio hand-off really well in my experience. Have you tried that?

I haven't - but I want to use my desktop for the camera and viewing shared screen as much as possible, I just don't like missing something if I have to step away. As it is my Airpods ALMOST reach to the kitchen, just as I open the fridge they disconnect. And they don't reconnect until I'm very close (though I suspect this is because they decide to connect to my phone). Now that I think about it I should just join the…

Get a mini fridge for your office

Re: Wi-LE: Can WiFi replace Bluetooth? (2019) [pdf]

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's due to range and especially latency issues with Bluetooth. It's one reason competitive shooters were more popular on the 360 than the Ps3 with its Bluetooth gamepad.

There's been extensive study into the latency difference between 360 controllers and ps3 controllers. There is virtually none and it's definitely not noticeable with all the other latency sources in the signal chain. Edit: one public, easy to digest source https://www.reddit.com/r/RocketLeague/comments/8wvf9u/contro...

That's on a PC. I'm not saying console results aren't similar but they aren't necessarily the same.

Regardless, it was the common perception at the time and thus affected the behavior of players.

Post reply on HN