renard_roux
@renard_roux@beehaw.org
- Comment on 10 to 100 Times Faster than a Starlink Antenna, and Cheaper Than Fiber: Taara Unveils a Laser Internet That Could Shatter the Status Quo 13 hours ago:
Asked cgpt to compare lasers to microwave for data transmission; take with a grain of salt, but seems transfer rate especially isn’t comparable.
🔄 Comparison: Laser vs Microwave Data Transmission
📋 Comparison Table
Feature Laser Transmission (e.g., Taara) Microwave Transmission Medium Free-space optical (light, like a fiber-optic cable without fiber) Radio/microwave frequencies (GHz range) Wavelength ~780–1600 nm (near-infrared) ~1–100 GHz Typical Data Rate 10–100 Gbps (Taara targets ~20 Gbps and higher) 100 Mbps – 1 Gbps (modern line-of-sight microwave) Max Practical Range ~10–20 km, highly sensitive to weather ~30–50 km, more tolerant of weather Line-of-Sight Requirement Yes, with tight beam alignment needed Yes, but more forgiving alignment Weather Sensitivity High — fog, rain, dust degrade performance Moderate — heavy rain can attenuate signal Latency Low Low Power Usage Lower power for same data rate Slightly higher power use Security High — narrow beam, hard to intercept Moderate — wider beam, easier to jam or intercept Deployment Harder — requires precision mounting and stability Easier — flexible mounting, ruggedized equipment Cost Higher upfront (optical gear, alignment systems) Lower per-unit, mature market Use Cases High-throughput backhaul (rural, terrain-constrained areas) Medium-throughput links, often as telco backbone
📌 Key Insights
- Bandwidth: Lasers have a much higher data capacity, similar to fiber optics. Microwave is far more limited in throughput.
- Range: Microwave wins in raw distance, particularly in less-than-ideal weather. Lasers struggle with any visibility obstruction.
- Stability: Lasers require precision alignment and environmental stability (wind, vibration can disrupt link). Microwaves are more forgiving.
- Security: Lasers are harder to intercept due to their tight beams. Microwaves, being broader, are more vulnerable to eavesdropping and interference.
🧠 When to Use What
Use Laser Links (e.g., Taara) when:
- You need fiber-like throughput without laying fiber
- The link is short to medium range (under 20 km)
- You can ensure clear line-of-sight and good weather conditions
- You prioritize security and low interference
Use Microwave Transmission when:
- You need a reliable, moderate-speed link over 30–50 km
- Operating in all weather conditions is a must
- You want easier setup with more flexibility in alignment
- Budget constraints are tighter
- Comment on 10 to 100 Times Faster than a Starlink Antenna, and Cheaper Than Fiber: Taara Unveils a Laser Internet That Could Shatter the Status Quo 13 hours ago:
The bandwidth of IPoAC is considerably lower, though.
- Comment on Byond game engine suffers a weeks-long DDoS attack, apparently because a wanna-be Bond villain is trying to force it to go open source: 'Attacks on Byond servers are a symptom of your obstinance' 13 hours ago:
“Drats! My evil schemes are thwarted yet again by reason and sensible suggestions! When will this citric tyranny end?!?! Curse you, Lime! !!!”
Mr. Hacker falls to his knees, releasing a primal scream towards the heavens, torrential rain soaking his purple tuxedo, turning brackish as it mixes with his salty tears of rage.
- Comment on Byond game engine suffers a weeks-long DDoS attack, apparently because a wanna-be Bond villain is trying to force it to go open source: 'Attacks on Byond servers are a symptom of your obstinance' 14 hours ago:
“MUAHAHAHAHA!!!” — Hacker, probably
- Comment on Nintendo warns that it can brick Switch consoles if it detects hacking, piracy 2 weeks ago:
I fucking love the thought of paying Big Corporate in ‘exposure’ 😂
Also my basic experience — nobody lost anything (Linux ISOs, obviously), because the alternative was not me buying something.
- Comment on Petition: Bring the Affinity Suite to Linux - #AffinityOnLinux 5 weeks ago:
Also, guessing their standard is pretty low if Gimp does the job — at least from a professional standard. There’s not much of a comparison.
- Comment on Petition: Bring the Affinity Suite to Linux - #AffinityOnLinux 5 weeks ago:
Seconded.
- Comment on EU Civil society organisations file DSA complaint against Meta for toxic feeds 1 month ago:
Well that’s nice. Hopefully they have some teeth, so we don’t have to go through another one of Zuck’s crocodile-tears-fuelled hearings, followed by absolutely fuck-all change 🙄
- Comment on Trump administration retreats in fight against Russian cyber threats 2 months ago:
Slightly unrelated — was watching a Danish military analyst’s commentary on the farcical white house shit-show the other day, and he had this really great line (I’ll paraphrase): “The interesting thing with [Chump] isn’t what he’s going to do next, it’s what he’ll do when it fails” 😂
Video link for those interested (quite good, and in English).
- Comment on Trump administration retreats in fight against Russian cyber threats 2 months ago:
Someone mentioned that to me, but said the story had been attempted scrubbed from the web — anyone have a link?
- Comment on Is This How Reddit Ends? 3 months ago:
It’s only a matter of time before 6 Flags is just 1000 AIs on rollercoasters.
- Comment on 4 months ago:
… wasn’t OpenAI not also …
Uhm. No? Or yes? Maybe? 🤔😅
- Comment on TikTok Users Gleefully Embrace Even More Chinese App To Spite US TikTok Ban 4 months ago:
“… reports Chinese state propaganda branch, through western media …” 🙄
- Comment on I love my smart TV (From Mastodon) - Repost 4 months ago:
We have a Samsung “smart” TV, hooked up to an AppleTV box. The TV’s original remote is in a drawer somewhere, forever unused.
I have the apps that I need, the tiny Siri Remote turns on the TV and handles volume, and, apart from the aggressively, insanely, mind-blowingly horrible on-screen “keyboard” / text input (we don’t have Apple phones we can use to mitigate this, sadly. Also, what the fucking fuck, Apple?!) we’re happy. For now. I trust Apple to make the experience incrementally worse as a fact of life.
Not perfect, but leagues better than dealing with Samsung’s interface.
- Comment on I love my smart TV (From Mastodon) - Repost 4 months ago:
either
Is there any indication that they won’t implement this shit at some point?
Also, should we be trying to come up with the most insane “features” in this vein that we can imagine (knowing full well that some corporation will come up with them eventually), and then patent them to protect humanity from them?
Is there any organization that collects patents just to block them (in the consumer’s favor)? A kind of white-hat patent troll? And, if not, should we create one?
- Comment on I love my smart TV (From Mastodon) - Repost 4 months ago:
I spy a research rabbit hole in my near future … 🐰
- Comment on Period tracking app refuses to disclose data to American authorities 6 months ago:
That requires that you trust the app vendor not to have some sort of back door, no?
- Comment on Google turns to nuclear to power AI data centres 7 months ago:
I think that would release an awful lot of carbon 😓
- Comment on Apple appears to mislead UK Regulator over deceptive default browser user interface - Open Web Advocacy 8 months ago:
I mean, fuck Apple, but …
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
Hanlon’s Razoe (Wikipedia)
Still, though — fuck Apple.
- Comment on My little macgyver meshtastic node ^^ 8 months ago:
Never heard of Meshtastic before, quite the rabbit hole, and sounds super awesome!
Had a look at your other thread (not a member there so seems I can’t comment, or maybe it’s just my client), and trying to understand what you guys are using these for.
Official site says “Hiking safety GPS”, something to that effect, but all this talk of “local topics” has me confused. What’s your use-case?
- Comment on Disney wants a wrongful death lawsuit thrown out because the plaintiff had Disney+ 9 months ago:
- Most of the world uses Google.
- Everyone must accept Google EULA to use.
- Google adds arbitration rule to EULA.
- Google adds “EULA covers all Google subsidiaries and partners” to EULA.
- Google sells “partnerships” to every company that can afford it.
- Profit.
Partner killed by a faulty Ford truck? Never signed a Ford EULA? No worries, Ford is a Google Partner™! See you in arbitration, bitch! 😂
- Comment on Evidence That Our Names Physically Change Our Faces Over Time (Anton Petrov, YouTube) 9 months ago:
No, no! You see, the specific combination of sounds that we use to identify and address a given person shapes that persons body, especially their facial features!
How else would you explain how every person over 50 named Henry looks exactly the same‽ Or why people over 50 named Charles and Charlie look so similar?
I’m 44, and have a friend who is 43, and has the exact same name, and everyone we know always comments on how they’re 100% certain we will look like twins in 7 years.
It’s just science. Get your head out of the sand!
Hell, I wouldn’t be there least amount surprised if everyone over 50 named Gretchen not only look identical, but are also the exact same height. I guess that’s an idea for their next study. I can’t wait to be proven right.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to read how my day tomorrow — and, incidentally, that of the other 1/12 (roughly) of the planet born with the same zodiac sign — is going to turn out.
- Comment on [deleted] 10 months ago:
That’s actually pretty good. And then they’re open to getting sued when caught.
I guess it could be done on an instance basis, although I’m not sure how happy fediverse users will be if their instance has an official policy of open-sourcing (or maybe it’s public-domaining?) all their content by default.
- Comment on Why are US states, school districts banning smartphones in schools? 10 months ago:
Thank [some deity] for video chats, those little bastards couldn’t spell to save their lives 😅
- Comment on Microsoft CEO of AI: Online content is 'freeware' for models • The Register 10 months ago:
Isn’t that a bit too much like beating a dead horse?
- Comment on Microsoft CEO of AI: Online content is 'freeware' for models • The Register 10 months ago:
Lifetime jail + lifetime jail for X generations of offspring, depending on severity?
- Comment on Microsoft CEO of AI: Online content is 'freeware' for models • The Register 10 months ago:
Games?
- Comment on YouTube is dedicated to making itself worse; destroys SponsorBlock with ad injection changes 11 months ago:
That seems like a good idea.
- Comment on YouTube is dedicated to making itself worse; destroys SponsorBlock with ad injection changes 11 months ago:
You missed an S in end vitrification.
And I completely agree, Cory seems to be good at coining terms and making them stick 👍
- Comment on Oral-B bricking Alexa toothbrush is cautionary tale against buzzy tech 11 months ago:
A winning strategy 👌