2006 18
FON Liberator
Published by MartinVarsavsky.net in Fon with No Comments
Today I decided to rename our project known as the FON Downloader as the FON Liberator as the key idea of this new device, which we hope to launch around October, is not so much that it allows you to download/upload as you can do that from your laptop as that it frees up your laptop from the hassles of downloading/uploading.
For those of you who don´t know the FON Liberator will be a Fon Social Router with a surprising feature and that is that you will be able to plug your external hard drive, iPod, pen drive or any USB storage media to the FON Liberator and download/upload pictures, video, music or any content you own to and from it WITHOUT using your laptop. In this way you can take your laptop with you when you are downloading/uploading and also liberate your laptop from hard drive and ram consumpton. Downloading/Uploading is a real pain and the Liberator frees you from enduring the slow performance in your laptop. A warning here, the FON Liberator should not be used to download/upload illegal content.
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No Comments
David Oliver on July 18, 2006 ·
So what is the difference between a Liberator and the regular Social Router, just software and/or a USB port?
What would be interesting to me is if by plugging my external hard drive into the Fon router it allowed me to access my external hard drive while I am somewhere else e.g. I could access files from my external hard drive, or choose to download a file to my external hard drive rather then my local PC, while travelling.
hombrelobo on July 18, 2006 ·
“the FON Liberator should not be used to download/upload illegal content” …. Martin, as you know, in some countries there is simply no illegal downloading, it is legal to download anything as far as you do not resell it or make a profit out of it. I think that remark is unnecesary, the same that you do not say that the router (sorry, I really cannot call it “liberator”) shouldn’t be used to hit anyone in the head …..
Martín Varsavsky on July 19, 2006 ·
Hombrelobo,
What we mean is illegal in general wherever it´s illegal
If it´s not illegal then it´s not illegal
We believe it is better to warn users to make sure whatever they do with our hardware is legal in their country.
Regards,
Victor on July 19, 2006 ·
The main difference between regular social router and liberator router is the usb port, that allows us to deploy nice software services, for example the downloader or the internet hard disk.
hombrelobo on July 19, 2006 ·
Fair comment. But then, you don’t mention that the router might be illegal in most countries because you are sharing an internet connection that you are not suppose to share ….
I feel there is too much pressure from the old industries in all of us, we even believe them sometimes when they lie ….
Martín Varsavsky on July 20, 2006 ·
Hombrelobo,
We are making deals with telecom operators and showing them that FON increases their ARPU and reduces their churn.
Regards,
hombrelobo on July 20, 2006 ·
Don’t get me wrong, Martín, I like FON, I got your router a few days ago. But you warn people about something that it might be illegal in some countries. And you don’t warn about something that, today, is illegal in ALL countries. As I said, I can live with it, I got your router, and I will install it during the weekend, but let’s not do say just because the big OLD industry is scaring us. Let’s not play their game. Damn, and I have to stop commenting so much in your forums, and use mine more ….. everybody, go to http://eyeOS.info … 🙂
bubu on July 24, 2006 ·
Hello,
I have one simply question :
Which is the significance of FON?
Charbax on July 27, 2006 ·
Can the Fon Liberator be used as BitTorrent and eMule clients? manageable over a browser at for example http://IP-adress with username/password?
I think it would be great if it can store also on shared writable folders on the local network, so for example it would download automatically through the Fon Liberator to some VOD Set-top-box which has harddrives or the local computer.
Can a usb-hub be used to have more than one external harddrive plugged to it? Are NTFS formatted harddrives supported?
How about managing RSS feeds so that Video-blogs and Audio podcasts are automatically downloaded to the specified local storage.
Then also using it as a server using SMB or otherwise to remotely stream video content or other files, as long as the upload bandwidth for example is at least 1mbit/s then one could access ones Terrabyte video collection by streaming from wherever in the world remotely.
Albert (FON) on July 27, 2006 ·
It’ll will have a bittorrent client installed by default, and a web interface to manage it. You will be able to plug autopowered USB hubs and NTFS drives as well.
The code will be released as open source, so expect custom modifications and add-ons. We’ll encourage users to develop cool hacks for the device!
The modifications for the RSS question are quite simple to do, but our main goal now is to finish the development and keep its usage as simple as possible.
alain guillou on July 28, 2006 ·
Dear Martin,
FON is a fantastic idea. I am a little struggling with tech troubles and or understanding to put it on my system (I got your broadband router)
I propose you to help slowing down climate issue in sponsoring this project : http://www.guillou.com/velo/velpress.htm
http://www.guillou.com/velo/vc1m.htm
As an international photographer, I intend to cover other continents after Europe
Each Foneros could be the ambassador of a message for Earth all around the world to bring population aware of an urgency human being must consider. The climate situation is much worse than any other war humanity ever faced in its history : no one can predict the exponential side of the evolution speed of climate issue. FON can do so anouncing to all FONEROS worldwide that they can save about 100.000 euros in 15 year by simply for all those who can do it bicycling 20 km to go to they work everyday instead of burning their money in their cars… this may be a bigining to reduce gaz in the atmosphere. FON idea will grow fast and will certainly have soon that power to help convincing population worldwide. Your partners already have it.Please get in touch +33614839318 and again compliment for your wonderfull idea Alain http://www.guillou.com
Hivemind on August 31, 2006 ·
But it already exist routers with such features.
Iam from germany and especially there is the “fritz box” more and more common, hardwarebasics like usb are integrated and its already exist firmware with torrent client and other stuff. You get the newest free or charge when you buy a dsl-connection.
So why FON?
Martin Varsavsky on August 31, 2006 ·
Hivemind,
We have not study what u can do in Germany with the Fritzbox in detail. Can u send us links that explains it?
Regards,
Hivemind on September 5, 2006 ·
I wrote something four days before but no post / answer?
Regards
Suresh on September 7, 2006 ·
I think it would be great if FON-Liberator included small hardware like Video Hard Disk Enclosure ($29.00)
http://contents.fifthunit.com/html/products.5th/sku.782.html
we can use the torrent downloaded content in regular TV
I would be excellent if I can log in to fon liberator route web page from out side net work and access my downloaded content from any computer and schedule my torrent file downloads.
These feature would not cost much , as this hardware looks cheap and managing router from external network feature is already available with Netgear router.
Kevin R on November 7, 2006 ·
So what happens to those of us that have already ordered (and received) the Fonero for 5 USD / EUR ? I would love to upgrade to the liberator, but would prefer some sort of special upgrade offer (or free upgrade of course 🙂 )
Kevin
Martin Varsavsky on November 8, 2006 ·
The Liberator will be sold as a separate product and it should cost around 60 euros.
Nippo on November 28, 2006 ·
When can we have this liberator ?
AustinTX on December 5, 2006 ·
Design the Liberator to look on the attached USB storage device for new firmware files upon bootup. This will make upgrades much easier, as well as more reliable.
tiberiofonero on February 3, 2007 ·
Liberator is delayed to august of 2007 it is true?
Martin Varsavsky on February 5, 2007 ·
Yes Tiberio, and its now called the Fonera 2.0. Sorry for the delay
Bre on February 24, 2007 ·
Will the Liberator / Fonera 2.0 also have regular wired slots for devices that don’t have WiFi connection?
And is FON already launched in Belgium ?
Martín Varsavsky on February 25, 2007 ·
Bre,
The Fonera 2.0 will have 2 ethernet connections not one like now. It will also have a USB port. And Fon is in many countries without offices. We don´t have an office in Belgium but we have many foneros and you can buy the fonera from Belgium.
drummerdude on August 21, 2007 ·
martin, is there any update on when fonera 2.0 will be released?
Martin Varsavsky on October 1, 2007 ·
We are working on this project. It´s delayed because of an announcement that we will make next week….
Andrew on October 26, 2007 ·
Is there an estimate, when it will arrive?
mlk on November 18, 2007 ·
Are you planning to release it this year?
John on November 19, 2007 ·
I was told by a Fon associate that it will not be released until about mid 2008. The delay is due to the integration of Fon and BT.
chirag on October 10, 2008 ·
Well,
Is the world ready for a Fon with USB finally?
drummerdude on October 10, 2008 ·
A beta version is for sale in France, Germany, and Spain.
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Mike on July 18, 2006 ·
Been there, done that…a WRTSL54GS and CTorrent are all you need (apart from OpenWRT of course). Check out this thread:
http://www.macsat.com/macsat/content/view/34/37/
Besides, the Fonera shown around as the replacement for the WRT54Gx series doesn’t seem to have any means to add external storage to it, are you going to develop a new hardware platform?