[Sendaz]

Structures will also play havoc with signal.

I have been in a number of spots in London where the metalworks have messed with GPS and even cell phone usage requiring you to move out of the area to get a decent signal.

[Kincaid]

I was at a Pride Parade recently. The streets were chockful of people, there was music and stuff everywhere, yet my phone worked perfectly fine in the middle of the bustle, even if my friend had to shout his directions into it in order for me to find where he was.

You weren't using AR though 

It does seem strange that a standard commlink ceases to work in the rain or in an advertising blitz; presumably the advertisers are trying to reach people on their commlinks.

[Crunch]

It's not so much "ceases to work" as, "becomes so choked with spam or staticky that it's functioning below the level at which the bonuses occur."

[Unahim]

It's not so much "ceases to work" as, "becomes so choked with spam or staticky that it's functioning below the level at which the bonuses occur."

For a wireless grenade, that's pretty much ceasing to work :p And all it needs to receive is 1 tiny message, just a tiny string of binary code saying "Go." The implications of not even that much being possible are quite severe, if you ask me. You'd be better off using a 2013 cellphone to deliver the command :p

[Crunch]

Sure, I was talking about the standard comlink in the comment above mine.

[Michael Chandra]

If it just needs go as message, anyone could make them explode. So alas, it's a bit more complicated.

[Unahim]

If it just needs go as message, anyone could make them explode. So alas, it's a bit more complicated.

Not if the message includes a device-specific passcode. And anyone -can- make them explode, if they hack them, which counts as breaking through the passcode protection, so... legit.

[Elektrycerze3]

Not if the message includes a device-specific passcode. And anyone -can- make them explode, if they hack them, which counts as breaking through the passcode protection, so... legit.

That does count as something complicated. I suppose grenades require quite a bit of caution, so every grenade would require multiple passcodes and specific signals to explode, not just a -go-. So it might cease to work in such a situation, for safety reasons at the very least.

[Unahim]

Even if the passcode is a 24 digit number, it'd still be a simple thing to send. We're talking about communication over the future's super-internet, after all. The safety on wireless grenades is mostly keeping them turned off until you're about to throw.

[Crunch]

Even if the passcode is a 24 digit number, it'd still be a simple thing to send. We're talking about communication over the future's super-internet, after all. The safety on wireless grenades is mostly keeping them turned off until you're about to throw.

I suspect the implication is that there's a handshake process rather than a simple passcode.

[rumanchu]

I was at a Pride Parade recently. The streets were chockful of people, there was music and stuff everywhere, yet my phone worked perfectly fine in the middle of the bustle, even if my friend had to shout his directions into it in order for me to find where he was.

On the other hand, the mobile networks around the area of the Boston bombing were overloaded by people trying to make calls in the aftermath and a great number of calls were unable to go through. 

The biggest problem that I see with the idea that "having a ton of stuff broadcasting in an area makes devices not work properly" is that the whole concept of having a ubiquitous wireless Matrix hinges upon the conceit that every device is wireless and acts as a repeaters.  (Though I suppose that the argument could be made that a device that is actively broadcasting would be unavailable to act as a repeater for other traffic or something along those lines.)  It also makes me wonder what sort of awesome gear is doing all of the spamming in those areas, since they would (presumably) be subject to noise penalties as well.  :shrug:

[Unahim]

One thing I don't get about the Matrix is that you're seemingly incapable of having a wireless network between devices without those Devices being linked up to the Matrix.

[Crunch]

If you state it as - Network routers, like comlinks, in 2075 are designed to default to a matrix connection - it becomes less hard to get. Basically comlinks are consider routing and matrix connection to be the same activity.

Just my two cents.

[Elektrycerze3]

One thing I don't get about the Matrix is that you're seemingly incapable of having a wireless network between devices without those Devices being linked up to the Matrix.

I guess that's the whole point: new Matrix protocols and stuff just don't let devices communicate without them. Like, all the frequencies are used or something. Everything is controlled by the new Matrix.

[Unahim]

So if we're in a place without Matrix coverage, it would become possible?