Banned Book Library in a Wi-Fi Smart Light Bulb

hungryhobbit

Really cool project! I can't wait until it's formalized enough that I can just buy a $20 light bulb, update it wirelessly somehow, and then have my own little "light bulb library" server.

ipkstef

oh this is awesome, i've always thought it could be cool to leave always connect hubs around town. ESP32's would be to awkward but a bunch of lightbulbs would blend right in! Reads like you had fun, keep up the hacking! P.S main -> mail I think?

copper-float

I think calling them "banned" is so disingenuous. There are actual banned books that are illegal to own in the United States. None of these "banned books" come anywhere close to meeting that criteria. Very cool project nonetheless!

netsharc

Years ago there was PirateBox: flash a small Wifi access point with a custom firmware that's a webserver that hosts a forum/filehost. Their website is dead, but here's a mod of the project; https://www.jasongriffey.net/librarybox/ Although, I dread to think what sort of files one would get when user uploads are allowed.

xdrosenheim

You people never disapoint... Putting a web server in a light bulb, I mean who the hell even thinks of that?!

samtheDamned

This project and especially one of the closing notes[1] reminds me of a more mature DIY project to make a mesh node using a simple solar lamp[2]. I love the creativity on display here and I especially appreciate all the links to the other blogs and sites that helped you along the way. 1: > I was talking with a friend about this idea and the storage limitation and he thought it would be cool to have these devices form a mesh network 2: https://meshtastic.org/docs/community/enclosures/rak/harbor-...

incompatible

Nice, but: "Since the device is a light bulb, it would be difficult to detect and likely to go unnoticed." I doubt it would be any harder to shut down than any other public-access WiFi device, just a bit of experimentation with turning off power / devices would find it.

zuzululu

I'm surprised there are banned books with 1st amendment exists in America? I'm curious as to what these are. I think its rather silly that books can be banned.

Malic

Has anyone heard of similar work done with smart light bulbs but for Meshtastic nodes?

rootsudo

I love this idea, thank you for posting it. It can be used for so many interesting projects.

Dwedit

Android loves to auto-disconnect you from any Wifi network that doesn't provide Internet. You need to go through a bunch of arcane settings to disable that feature.

N_Lens

“As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth’s final century, free flow of information is the only safeguard against tyranny. The once-chained people whose leaders at last lose their grip on information flow will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually constricting its grip on public discourse has begun its rapid slide into despotism. Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.” - Commissioner Pravin Lal, Datalinks Alpha Centauri pertinent as ever.

mystraline

In the USA, the books that are banned are for public schools. They talk about topics like (gasp) LGBTQ and sex things! Now where the USA censors routinely is financial censorship. If you can afford the thing thats fincially banned, the sure, its not banned. But if you cant afford it, youre screwed. And, if you work for a company, they can fire you for any/no reason, INCLUDING your speech off work. In the USA, its "freedom of speech" if youre independently wealthy. If not, hope you dont offend power.

wizardforhire

Why stop there? While meshtastic would require additional hardware, tor entry exit nodes would not. Nor would other mesh protocols… also as for hosting ideas… the text files? Def cad and related models… skies the limit with space the only limiting factor.

GreenSalem

Some books deserve to be banned. I would put Kevin MacDonald's antisemitic trilogy The Culture of Critique, the Turner Diaries ( which calls for mass extermination of non-white groups in the USA ) and Mein Kampf in the realm of books that should be shunned.

jijji

have you you checked out "esp32-s3" which costs $7.12 and has wifi and microsd installed on it [0]. Also esp32-cam is another board with similar specifications. [0] https://www.seeedstudio.com/XIAO-ESP32S3-p-5627.html

iberator

You should add guest-logbook as in 90" and 00" to it :) Or whole fucking BBS system :) THAT would be cool

Exoristos

Help me understand: What's the downside if American developers simply respected other nations' cultures and laws?

xp84

Such a satisfying read, really enjoyed this, especially since your skills are definitely beyond mine. The mesh network idea would be incredibly cool! And it's even better that it's for a good cause as well.