Google TiSP: Difference between revisions
Further information: Google's hoaxes |
m the service isn't a hoax until they say so |
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The service was first announced by Google on April 1, 2007. |
The service was first announced by Google on April 1, 2007. |
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Google TiSP was a fictitious free [[broadband]] service supposedly released by Google. |
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{{see|Google's hoaxes}} |
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==Features== |
==Features== |
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Google TiSP, according to Google co-president [[Larry Page]], is a service designed to exploit the fact that there are "many different modalities for getting information to you". <ref name="goog">[http://www.google.com/tisp/press.html Google announces free in-home wireless broadand service] Retrieved 01-04-2007, 14:17</ref> The service is positioned as a way to bridge the "last hundred yards" problems experienced by many data carriers when they attempt to connect users to their local networks; Google's development of TiSP is designed to overcome the "last hundred smelly yards" by taking advantage of the existing municipal [[sewage]] system to connect users to Google's network. |
Google TiSP, according to Google co-president [[Larry Page]], is a service designed to exploit the fact that there are "many different modalities for getting information to you". <ref name="goog">[http://www.google.com/tisp/press.html Google announces free in-home wireless broadand service] Retrieved 01-04-2007, 14:17</ref> The service is positioned as a way to bridge the "last hundred yards" problems experienced by many data carriers when they attempt to connect users to their local networks; Google's development of TiSP is designed to overcome the "last hundred smelly yards" by taking advantage of the existing municipal [[sewage]] system to connect users to Google's network. |
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Revision as of 14:45, 1 April 2007
Google Toilet Internet Service Provider, commonly abbreviated to Google TiSP, is a new service offered by Google that provides high-speed wireless broadband Internet access via a fiber-optic network deployed through the municipal sewage system. [1] The service is readily available to users who sign up via the Google website, who upon doing so receive a free installation kit containing the components necessary to connect to the service.
The service was first announced by Google on April 1, 2007.
Features
Google TiSP, according to Google co-president Larry Page, is a service designed to exploit the fact that there are "many different modalities for getting information to you". [1] The service is positioned as a way to bridge the "last hundred yards" problems experienced by many data carriers when they attempt to connect users to their local networks; Google's development of TiSP is designed to overcome the "last hundred smelly yards" by taking advantage of the existing municipal sewage system to connect users to Google's network.
Google claims that the service offers much higher bandwidth levels than basic DSL, and that the service's integration with the Google Toolbar allows the service to offer analysis of the user's dietary habits and genetic predispositions, along with tips for healthier living. According to Google, the service is able to be marketed for free as a result of the use of discreet DNA sequencing of users' personal bodily outputs, allowing the company to display ads that are targeted to specific groups of users based on their culinary preferences, current health status and likelihood of developing a medical condition. The FAQ states that Google's privacy policy applies to all information gathered by the TiSP service.
The service is also integrated with the Google Checkout service; users who have their TiSP connections professionally installed will be able to have their first ten purchases via Google Checkout delivered straight to their toilet through the sewage system.
Service plans
Three levels of service are offered by Google TiSP:
- Trickle: the most basic level of service. It offers a maximum download speed of 8 Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 2 Mbps. This level of service is available for free.
- The #2: an intermediate level of service. It offers a maximum download speed of 16 Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 4 Mbps. This level of service is available for a monthly fee of $9.95.
- Royal Flush: the most advanced level of service. It offers a maximum download speed of 32 Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 8 Mbps. This level of service is available for a monthly fee of $24.95.
The FAQ notes that users with low-flow toilets may experience lower speeds than normal.
Requirements
At present, a computer running Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista is required; Macintosh and Linux support is currently unavailable. Other requirements include:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0+ or Mozilla Firefox 1.5+
- Google Toolbar
- Round-front or elongated toilet providing a minimum of 1.0 gallons during flush
The site specifically recommends against the use of automatic toilet bowl cleaners alongside the TiSP service.
Installation
Due to Google's partnership with a majority of metropolitan water companies, the service is widely available in most urban and suburban areas of the U.S. and Canada. However, the company recommends that users verify their local water company's support before registering for the service.
The installation kit delivered to new users contains a spindle of specially weighted fiber-optic cable, a TiSP wireless router, an installation CD and a setup guide.
GFlush
According to the installation instructions, Google's patented GFlush technology allows the user to install the cabling needed to connect to the TiSP network by simply dropping a weighted fiber-optic cable connector into any toilet within the user's home and flushing the toilet after doing so. The site states that the GFlush system allows the weighted end of the cable to unroll into the sewage system, eventually reaching a TiSP Access Node. A successful deployment will result in the majority of the cable entering the system, with a short length remaining that is used to connect to the wireless router supplied with the installation kit. The router, according to the instructions, is specially designed to act as a counterweight for the cable, preventing the centripetal force present within the average toilet flush from causing the cable to detach.
Configuration
Once the cable is deployed and plugged into the router, the user must then install the Google Toolbar and the TiSP configuration software from the supplied installation CD, which configures the user's machine to allow it to use the TiSP network. At the other end, Google employees known as Plumbing Hardware Dispatchers will remove the weighted end of the user's fiber-optic cable from the sewage system and manually connect it to the TiSP Access Node. The instructions state that connection time generally takes approximately one hour. Users who opt for professional installation will have a cable delivered to their toilet by a team of installation nanobots, with installation times of as little as fifteen minutes cited.
Support services
Users experiencing difficulties with Google TiSP are encouraged to make use of a Google Groups discussion forum where they can exchange information with other TiSP users.
References
- ^ a b Google announces free in-home wireless broadand service Retrieved 01-04-2007, 14:17
External links
