Researchers have recently developed a new type of wallpaper, designed block WiFi signals from entering or leaving your home.
Security experts often warn of the dangers of unsecured (or poorly secured) home WiFi networks – not only because they’re an open door for would-be freeloaders, but also because they’re likely to allow anyone with the inclination to have a sniff through your locally shared files. To counter this risk, researchers at the Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble (INP) have teamed up with the Centre Technique du Papier come up with a WiFi-blocking wallpaper, designed to help ensure that WiFi signals don’t leave your home.
How does this WiFi blocking wallpaper work?
The wallpaper uses a special coating and pattern of conductive silver ink, which apparently does a pretty good job of blocking electromagnetic waves at the particular (microwave) frequencies used by WiFi. Because it’s designed only to block these particular frequencies, signals for your radio, TV and mobile phones shouldn’t be affected at all.
The wallpaper might also prove attractive to people who are worried about microwave radiation in general (although to date there’s little evidence to show that this is a health risk)
Patterns and availability
For now, it looks like the wallpaper will only come in one particular pattern, although there’s nothing to stop people from putting another layer of decoration on top. The WiFi-proof wallpaper is being manufactured by Finnish company Ahlstrom, and should go on sale in 2013.
Source: Springwise.
