Exactly! When it said "works in Africa", my first thought was woah, so how does it work without cell coverage - satellite?, APRS?, etc. etc. Only to realize that it is probably just a rugged 3G-Wifi bridge.
Seriously, I even looked through specs and still not sure what it does!
Re:Meet the BRCK
by toomuchtodo on Monday December 02, 2013 @10:14PM
(#6838249)
As someone who has done integration with Iridium and Inmarsat for the NSF, I both love and hate this product. It looks like a ruggedized wifi hotspot, but their claim of "works anywhere" is disingenuous.
This is a hotspot that works anywhere in Africa: http://www.groundcontrol.com/MCD-4800_BGAN_Terminal.htm
> As someone who has done integration with Iridium and Inmarsat for the NSF
USAP vessels?
Re:Meet the BRCK
by toomuchtodo on Tuesday December 03, 2013 @11:29AM
(#6841235)
Very close :) Weather stations, same region.
Ah, neato. I spent a lot of time staring at the Inmarsat signal strength down there!
Iridium, neat. What was integrating it like?
Re:Meet the BRCK
by toomuchtodo on Tuesday December 03, 2013 @01:41AM
(#6838986)
Very straightforward. Iridium phones have a module you can use that exposes an RS232 interface; integration with either a microcontroller or a full blown computer is trivial.
Re:Meet the BRCK
by mcbutterbunz on Monday December 02, 2013 @07:31PM
(#6837676)
It reminds me of broadband deployment hitting one house in a zip code which makes it look like that whole zip code is covered.
If it works in Cape Town South Africa, it'll work anywhere.
I understand what they're trying to get at, but it annoys me to see them say "used in Africa" as if that were functionally equivalent to "used on the Moon." And I'm American! I have to think it'd sound even more tin-eared to someone from an African country.