wraggster
January 26th, 2009, 20:03
http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/images/4/2009/01/thumb160x_wifipaint.jpg
Living in an apartment building, I can spot about twenty active Wi-Fi networks at a time. And the worst part is that they can all see me, too.
While we've had RF-blocking paint to cellphone signals for some time, manufacturers have been thwarted when attempting to stop higher frequencies, like we have on home networks.
Now a team of researchers from the University of Tokyo has developed an aluminium-iron oxide that blocks radio frequencies up to four times beyond existing anti-RF technologies. The paint puts out a magnetic field that resonates at the same frequency as the electromagnetic wave (in this case, a radio frequency) you're looking to block.
The good news is that the material shouldn't be expensive to produce. Right now it's estimated to run $14 per kilogram. Assuming our math is correct, if the average gallon of paint runs 2 pounds, then a can of Wi-Fi blocking paint would be $50 to manufacture. That's not super cheap, but neither is the lifetime of blackmail after your neighbor deciphers your network password and threatens to show the world your earnest, self-shot modeling portfolio.
http://i.gizmodo.com/5139315/new-paint-could-block-wi+fi-from-nosey-neighbors
Living in an apartment building, I can spot about twenty active Wi-Fi networks at a time. And the worst part is that they can all see me, too.
While we've had RF-blocking paint to cellphone signals for some time, manufacturers have been thwarted when attempting to stop higher frequencies, like we have on home networks.
Now a team of researchers from the University of Tokyo has developed an aluminium-iron oxide that blocks radio frequencies up to four times beyond existing anti-RF technologies. The paint puts out a magnetic field that resonates at the same frequency as the electromagnetic wave (in this case, a radio frequency) you're looking to block.
The good news is that the material shouldn't be expensive to produce. Right now it's estimated to run $14 per kilogram. Assuming our math is correct, if the average gallon of paint runs 2 pounds, then a can of Wi-Fi blocking paint would be $50 to manufacture. That's not super cheap, but neither is the lifetime of blackmail after your neighbor deciphers your network password and threatens to show the world your earnest, self-shot modeling portfolio.
http://i.gizmodo.com/5139315/new-paint-could-block-wi+fi-from-nosey-neighbors