Recyling Radio Waste
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.11.06
Here's one for the tinfoil hat brigade- Ambient Micro LLC of Hawaii is developing systems to "recycle radio waste"- energy from a myriad of sources- cell phones, wifi, etc. "From communications towers to kitchen microwaves, from sunshine to hot sidewalks, energy radiates all around us. But much of it is wasted, like unfinished meals tossed out at a restaurant." If you harvest it, you could use it to power, um, cell phones and wifi. Right now it is tough- says Ambient Micro President Scott Weeker: "Ambient energy is free, clean, natural energy. The bad news is that the amount of energy from these sources is still fairly small. It's not yet practicable to power an electric car or even a laptop. The good news is that the amount of power needed for new devices is dropping rapidly." The Air Force likes the idea and just funded research-"Using such technology in the not-too-distant future, military combat patrols and police SWAT teams could send bumblebee-size or even housefly-size drones into a bunker or house (or those pesky eco-terrorists) for reconnaissance." ::Star Bulletin via usually reliable ::Clean Break
the military already has this technology. using very small flying robots they can receive live video and audio feeds and even deliver small payloads, such as potassium, that can be injected into targets causing a heart attack. what is really scary is that these robots can fly in through very tiny openings, and run indefinitely as long as there is a near by electromagnetic feild.
"Ambient energy is free, clean, natural energy."
I understand the free part, even the clean part. But what's natural about emissions from a microwave tower or wifi network?
Maybe if the guy lives under power lines ;)