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Message no. 1
From: "Paolo Falco, Explorer" <Falco@****.IT>
Subject: [stuff] submission: The Phiberspace catalogue
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 20:39:23 +0100
THE PHIBER-SPACE CATALOGUE
Paolo Falco (FALCO@****.IT)

The datacord and the plug are some of the most essential and
overlooked pieces of hardware for the rigger and the decker. Wether
connecting your rig to your car, your nervous system to your deck,
your C2 to the system or your eyes to your gun, the datacord plays the
essential role, next to the datajack and the DataPlug, i.e. the thing
you slap into your datajack. But not all datacords and all plugs are
the same. Prove you can choose with the PhiberSpace Catalogue!!!

-----------
ChangePlugs
-----------
ChangePlugs are the answer for all you guys who have trouble finding
the correct socket for your plug. With the introduction of the new
Gibson ICS baseneck datajacks, in fact, many systems are adapting to
the new Gibson plugs instead of the old Fuchi ones. This, of course,
without even thinking of east-european Svetlana plugs or the African
Mombatta ones, not to mention the several local variations. Change
plugs tith the ChangePlugs, an all-encolsing, easy-to-carry
one-fits-all!

Conceal 15
Rating 3
Weight 0.1
Avail. 4/2hrs
Cost 20Y
Street Ind. 1

(>) Yeah, a lot of people seem to forget that "invisible" jacks (those
installed on the base of the skull or behind the ear, have different
plugs. I know it's much better not to throw your cover away by
revealing you have a datajack, but life could get really miserable if
you lost the ChangePlug!!!
(>) Pino

-----------------
Cordless DataPlug
-----------------
The Cordless DataPlug is a two-piece gadget composed by two standard
datajack plugs, one of which is slightly bigger than usual. It
functions as a standard piberoptic wire, but only at ranges of less
than 5 metres. Additionally, it cannot be used for decking purposes,
since the static interference ruins the performance of decks. The
Cordless Plug works by converting data into radio waves, and then
re-converting it again.

Conceal 7*
Rating 1
Weight 0.2**
Avail. 2/2hrs
Cost 5000 Y
Street Ind. 3

*= Conceilability is to notice the smaller plug when linked to head.
The whole packet by itself is small as a pack of cigarettes. **=
Weight is the bigger unit. The smaller plug is negligible.

Cordless Plugs work as normal when used with smartguns and in other
ways, but add +1 to all control tests for each meter beyond the first
2 when used for rigging and +4 to all tests when used for decking.

(>) A good gadget... One good use is for all people without a
smartlink, so they can finally use their guns linked to the datajack
without having them dangle around on pieces of string. It is also
useful because the smaller cranial plug is quite invisible once you
wear a hat or wig. Another good use is for riggers, since they can
finally control their cars even if not being inside. I have seen some
scuzzhead rigger driving a 20-ton behemoth on a busy highway by pure
cybernetic link while sitting on its fragging ROOF! Quite a sight.
Only, be careful, these babies DO lose data, and they are NOT as fast
as the standard phiberoptic link... SO, watch out...
(>) Bloster

----------
DataSwitch
----------
The Dataswitch is a small box with 3 or 6 dataplugs on one side and
one on the other. By simply flipping a switch you can safely access
any of the 3 or 6 external links active, without any fear of damaging
feedback to your neural system.

Conceal 15 13
Rating 3 6
Weight 0.2 0.3
Avail. 2/2hrs 2/4hrs
Cost 100Y 200Y
Street Ind. 1 1


(>) When linked with the cordless dataplug, it all makes sense, eh?
You put one cordless dataplug in yer head, then attach to your belt
one of these dataswitches, and you can easily control up to 6 thingies
without having any cord dangling around you... Just watch out, because
cordless dataplugs tend to interfere with one another, so it's safer
if you install only one... Me and a friend of mine had a race with TWO
cars each by using cordless dataplugs and dataswitches. We kept
controlling each of them alternatively, flipping to each of them while
keeping in range for the cordlesses. It was, like, rad!
(>) Rigger Happy

(>) What rigger happy is omitting to say is that while having that
race, he and his friend managed to crash one car each, run over six
raccoons, two aged women and a baby in a pram, and that Rigger Happy
finally lost by abandon when his last car crashed into the ice rink of
a shopping mall after a long race into the Fuchi Arcology's second
floor in Atlanta. The cordless dataplugs definitely DO interfere with
one another!
(>) Snoop

----------------------
Oingo-BoingoT DataCord
----------------------
The Oingo-BoingoT Datacord vaguely resembles a couple of linked
dataplugs one of which has a spiral-like attachment to it. When the
two plugs are pulled apart, the datacord extends up to 3 metres, and
is held by a blockable coil. When the cord is pulled and suddently
released, the datacord retracts in the spiral compartment with a
pulling force of about 3 Kgs.

Conceal -
Rating 3(Kgs)
Weight 0.3
Avail. 2/6hrs
Cost 70Y
Street Ind. 0.5


(>)This can be a helluva use, just be carful. One friend of mine once
had a Predator II attached to one Oingo-Boingo, and he retracted it,
while losing the grip (he had trouble with incoming fire), so the
Predator went *wissssp* and retracted against his skull with a pulling
force of 3Kgs. Now all of the Physically inclined of you should know
that 3Kgs./force for 1.5 Metres generate quite an impact when applied
to a heavy object. He went *Gleep* and we had to carry him home. Still
unsatisfied with this performace, he decided to put the cord the other
way round: that is to put the coil on the gun and the free plug in the
datajack. He pulled, retracted and the datajack went *Fizz*. 3 kgs can
generate quite a strain on a delicate piece of electronic equipment
when pulled sideways! This proves morons are never disappointed!
(>) Bloster

-----------------
Encoded Dataplugs
-----------------
The encoded dataplug can be attached permanently to a piece of
hardware and encoded to make impossible for anyone without the four or
eight-letter password to access the link.

Conceal - -
Rating 1 2
Weight - -
Avail. 2/4hrs 2/8hrs
Cost 100Y 200Y
Street Ind. 0.5 0.75

(>) Gee, four letter! What are we, radio shack?
(>) Skrappa

(>) Hey, wait, it's not as useless as it seems. You drop that remote
control rig, and you can be sure that for some time nobody can use it.
You don't care about long-term, buddy. You just want to make sure that
for three or four minutes nobody else touches your drones... And,
after all, these cords can be replaced in about half an hour, so...
(>) Bloster

---------------------
Fluorescent Datacords
---------------------
Now available in day-glo colors and holographic pattersns, they liven
up your connections. Why go around with dull black cords when you can
have a bright fluo one?

Conceal -1*
Rating -
Weight -
Avail. 2/2hrs
Cost 20Y
Street Ind. 1

*= Any weapon with a fluorescent datacord attached and in use is at -1
conceilability, ditto for decks (IF they have a Conceilability
rating), or Rigs.

(>) Coz a black one is less visible at night!
(>) Bloster

(>) Yeah, but STYLE, an you spell STYLE?
(>) Kitsch

**** NOTES ****
These gadgets appeared originally in a post to the SHadowRN list last
year. They somewhat recieved negative feedback, so feel free to
scream "UNFAIR" :)
I just _HAD_ to do it. The OINGO-BOINGO DATACORD is one of my
favorite inventions!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Paolo Falco | "All things foul and dangerous, the Lord God made
(explorer) | them all" (Monty Python, "All things Dull and Ugly")
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A sub-ensemble is called self-referencing if it contains
at least a self-referencing sub-ensemble:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/2717

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