Sigh.

FEWER computers means FEWER cables. Less is for qty of a single thing, like milk in a glass. Fewer is for qty of many things, like marbles in a jar.

Okay, enough of the trolling.

You are right on, though. Other than Cable TV (so far), everything in your house can go wireless for data.

I’m looking forward to Tesla’s wireless power. What happened to him anyway?
I’d be careful with cables in a plastic bag. Some older hardware can generate quite a bit of heat through the power cables.

Anyway, I was going to go on a rant about how you don’t need an iMac just to have a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, but that would just start an OS war and this thread is as packed as it gets.

I’ve just learned to pare-down everything in my office, and get rid of most things entirely. Since I don’t scan, print or use my webcam super often, they’re all tucked away. Easy to pull them out when I need.

I tried forcing myself to deny ever printing, bought a GPS unit instead of printing out mapquest/googlemaps, and I found that I have less and less real reasons to even own one at all anymore.

Since I’m a graphic designer, wireless mice still don’t cut it. I’ve been using the same Intellimouse since 1998. Wireless qwerty’s are great, but mine’s also the USB hub now, making things even more practical.

Now if I can only get rid of the computer, the office, all my bills, my job, and my office. Then ALL the clutter in my life is gone!

When purchasing an all-in-one printer (because you may need one - even if “printouts are the mother of all clutter”), first find separate products that you like and would be willing to purchase. Then use the combined dollar amount to shop for the all-in-one. You are certain to find one that easily exceeds the capabilities of the individual products.

Secondly, buying an iMac to eliminate the web cam cable would be like upgrading to the presidential suite for the complementary mint on your pillow.

Thirdly, cheap all-in-one printer/scanners print badly and scan badly. And if you’re trying to eliminate clutter but find yourself in need of a printer, you’ve more likely than not lost already. Printouts are the mother of all clutter.

Lastly, in the field of consumer products, power over ethernet is a myth.

re: Gerrit: I have a wireless mouse. I need to change the rechargeable batteries one or two times a year. This takes less than a minute. And it never catches me by surprise, because when the battery charge becomes very low, I get an unobtrusive notification well ahead of time. In my book, that’s no hassle at all, it’s even more convenient than those models that come with a base station where you put it when not in use, for wireless recharging. The secret? I have a _second_ set of batteries that are charged and near my desk.

But, yes, Bluetooth is not secure (then again, neither is your door lock) and it comsumes a little more power; good points.

And for secutiy reasons: The flats in my building are so tiny, equipped with walls that have cardboard-like qualities, I’m not trusting the air enough to take care of my bank accounts.

Don’t forget cable-ties! You can bundle your cables together and then cable-tie the bundles to screws or small hangers under your desk.

Going wireless doesn’t buy you too much as far as getting rid of cables because for each wireless device you have to have a (probably unique) battery charger or some type of cradle and its associated “wall-wart” plus you have to deal with the reduced reliability of wireless and battery issues (more complexity).

bob: sure you can. bluesniff, btscanner, and redfang are all tools that allows one to do this.

The difference between BT/WiFi security and the security of door locks is that most people are well aware of the dangers of lockpicks - it’s all over popular media. Everybody’s well aware that a door is a potential entry point, locked or no. Not everybody is aware that the same can be said for any sort of wireless device - at least, not judging by the seven or eight unsecured wireless access points I can see sitting right here at my desk without even trying.

Most individuals are not going to be targets of these sorts of attacks, but to dismiss them entirely as FUD is irresponsible. I would suspect that most people here have day jobs and are potentially going to be exposed to this sort of thing, and if they believe they’re perfectly safe at their company with promiscuous wireless devices, one need look no further than TJX to see what the dangers are.

That being said, it’s still a decent suggestion for individuals to declutter with wireless devices.

You cannot detect a Bluetooth device unless it’s in Discoverable mode. The only time this mode should be on is when you’re pairing the device. Problem solved.

And yes, wifi will go up to a mile…if all the conditions are right.

But guess what…I can pick the locks on your house door in about 10 seconds with a $50 lockpick set. It’s that easy (and I’m terrible at picking locks).

So does that mean our doors are too insecure?

No. Locks/security are for “keeping honest people honest”. It means don’t just give things away-make it unappealing for a thief.

Multiple layers of security are a start (using WPA, non-intuitive passwords on your machines, no password-less shares, etc).

Most of all, if you don’t *appear* to have something worth stealing, thieves won’t come after you.

The BT and WIFI security stuff is just fear-mongering, at the moment. But we do need to start paying attention to it.

no one is that interested in stealing ur porn over wifi or bluetooth.

33 feet to steal bluetooth data? Try up to a mile as of 2005: http://boingboing.net/2005/03/.....lueto.html

WiFi from a standard home access point can be received up to 125 miles away: http://www.wired.com/culture/l.....4/08/64440

It’s not exactly paranoid to think about the security of your electronic data, especially when most people are not aware that the signals are accessible from WAY farther than the spec listed on the box, with equipment that anyone can build or buy.

There has been anti WiFi paint (works with bluetooth too) developed specifically to combat these issues.

Wireless is convenient, and can be secured well enough to keep out all but the most determined attackers. Just be aware of the risks that came with the benefit of doing away with a cord.

bluetooth attacks:
http://www.gcn.com/print/24_20/36437-1.html

Wireless keyboard issues:
http://www.elecdesign.com/Arti...../9290.html