PlayaNET Kiosks
  • Application
    We envision these kiosks to serve as an informational resource. This will show off PlayaNET's wireless backbone, since only a limited group will know about such a network (like you!). Such an application is quite geeky, our goal is for a low-key approach. Just tiny cute little kiosks. Our model is similar to those 1970s terminals found at public libraries.

    This will all be web-based, a MySQL/similar DB will be used in the backend, along with Perl or PHP (of course using Apache on FreeBSD). SlashCode will also be used.

  • Features
    • Event Listing - Event Listings - Capable of being sorted by name, location, "catagory" (if thats possilble), also links for events happening now, next hour, this evening, etc. This listing will be available for changes by their respective owners.

    • Camp Listings - Register/search for your theme camp/group. Fields: name, nickname, features, location, etc. Locate long lost friends.

    • Classifieds - eBay for the playa, need I say more? Of course, money transactions will be banned. Theme camps could beg for power cords, swap booze for water, whatever. No need for personal ad's, Costco Soulmate Outlet already provides this excellent service.

    • Messaging - Burning Bell provides this service in the form of paper. We will however have real time chat services available (in the form of web-based IRC).

    • BMIR - Information heard on BMIR will also be mirrored. A random PSA mp3 will be played

  • To be graphical or not, that is the question
    To make such a site lynx-compliant (aka text mode), would allow us to use any of hardware solutions below. However, certain utilties would best be suited for a graphical enviroment. For example, when one registers their theme camp, they'd click on a image map to save their camping location on a event map.

  • Workstations
    • Dumb Terminal - Indeed the cheapest solution, VT100-compatible terminals would require a serial-port server. This solution would be sought after if a truck-load of similar terminals could be found.

    • X Terminal -

    • Thin Client - Indeed Larry "Mr. Oracle" Ellison's idea of modern Network Terminals hasn't made a big smashing hit. I blame the fact of using Win NT as a server, err.. "terminal server". However, IBM (probably in a move to keep the product family alive) has released code to connect their "Network Computer" series to Linux. Their Network Station Forum details a sucessful experience in setting up NSM for Linux (ironicly unziping in NT, then NFS'ing the partition in Linux.)

      The IBM 8361-110 Network Computer (PowerPC 403/110Mhz, 1MB S3 Video, Type II PCMCIA slot <I wonder if a Wavelan/Aironet pc card driver exists for ppc-linux?> blackbox) is available from HiTechCafe (PLEASE don't /. the url, HiTechCafe has over 1k units in stock, but I haven't ordered any, thus the project has none at this time. Furthermore this surplus place is already popular enough, let's not lose this chance.) at $125/each (including keyboard, mouse and "desk stand"). This is extremely economical, considering I could use these back at home and work, unlike some of the other (older and less sexy) hardware options.

      Linux Netstation mini-HowTo

    • Personal Computer - Currently this solution is most likely to be sought after, one of our favorite surplus shops Computer Geeks has a stock of pre-configured HP Vectra Desktop's. These systems are ready to go: p166Mhz, 16MB, 850MB HD, 1MB Video, and floppy. We'll be adding on additional RAM along with a 10BaseT NIC.

      A good cookbook on Building Linux Kiosks.