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OpenDrop: An open Apple AirDrop implementation written in Python

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Re: OpenDrop: An open Apple AirDrop implementation written in Python

#31

Post by emsy »

samwillis wrote: post #20

I believe AirDrop is a a great example of how Apples vertical integration and full ownership of software and hardware really thrives. It may not offer interoperability with other platforms, but that’s because other platforms don’t have the control needed to implement the same level of integration of hardware and software needed. Without the direct low level control of the radio hardware they would not have been able…

Airdrop is a good example that a easy to use but unreliable technology will beat a hard to use but reliable solution. Airdrop sucks, but even my mom can use it.

Re: OpenDrop: An open Apple AirDrop implementation written in Python

#32

Post by grishka »

quyleanh wrote: post #27

Is there any Airdrop alternative for Android - Android and Android - Windows devices in the same network?

For Android-Android, there's Google's nearby share. It's built into GSF so every single Android phone out there has it out of the box.

I reverse engineered enough of its protocol to be able to transfer a file from my phone to my computer over LAN. I really need to do a writeup on this stuff, and also finish my macOS app to be actually usable.

Re: OpenDrop: An open Apple AirDrop implementation written in Python

#33

Post by bellyfullofbac »

matthewfcarlson wrote: post #15

Make me want to setup a raspberry pi in a public place and just see what sort of things people send to it.

This was a thing: https://piratebox.cc/start : open WiFi network that's not connected to the Internet, but it had a forum software. I even bought a simple router and got it installed, but I sadly never set it up in public. A friend who was involved with a local hangout got interested in the idea of an "Internet" where you had to physically go to the location to access the content, although I don't think he set it up there either.

Re: OpenDrop: An open Apple AirDrop implementation written in Python

#34

Post by notreallyserio »

tgv wrote: post #26
mrfusion wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A major failure point for me is devices simply not showing up as available.

I’ve got an MBP that doesn’t show up, and never has, but it sees the rest. Any other macbook or iphone I’ve tried AirDrop with just works, but not my MBP.

I've had trouble with airdrop from phone to mbp when the mbp was on VPN. I don't know how airdrop works but I'm guessing the fact the VPN takes over DNS (and blocks requests to all other nameservers) has something to do with it.

Who knows though. Apple's engineers love writing software that doesn't produce useful logs.

Re: OpenDrop: An open Apple AirDrop implementation written in Python

#36

Post by bellyfullofbac »

patentatt wrote: post #28
matthewfcarlson wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or the reverse of that where it sends a random meme to anyone walking by.

Oh no, a thousand marketers just had the idea of automatically airdropping advertisements to passers-by. You could even structure it as a lottery-esque type of thing, only giving out good coupons or discounts to random individuals at random intervals, prompting people to loiter and wait for theirs.

Hah, make it give out cryptocoins, and take the idea of peasants waiting for royalty to make it rain money to the 21st century, where it all happens digitally/using a smartphone.

Did kings and emperors even do that in the old times?

Re: OpenDrop: An open Apple AirDrop implementation written in Python

#38

Post by unixhero »

supreme_berry wrote: post #17
jbverschoor wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also my experience.. Super unreliable. It works, as long as you don't touch your phone/laptop, and don't have any network hickups. Still, it's the only thing that works

When I was traveling from Sharm El Sheikh through Sinai to Israel in the bus I’ve transferred 40GB of photos and videos to my friends on iPhone 6S. Imagine this on Android 5 years ago - they (Google) only managed to copy AirDrop with same functionality (wifi + bluetooh) only in 2020 with Nearby Share.

Why not just use a cable and copy the files? Oh wait you can't do that on an iPhone. You don't have the freedom to.

Re: OpenDrop: An open Apple AirDrop implementation written in Python

#39

Post by mrtksn »

unixhero wrote: post #38
supreme_berry wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was traveling from Sharm El Sheikh through Sinai to Israel in the bus I’ve transferred 40GB of photos and videos to my friends on iPhone 6S. Imagine this on Android 5 years ago - they (Google) only managed to copy AirDrop with same functionality (wifi + bluetooh) only in 2020 with Nearby Share.

Why not just use a cable and copy the files? Oh wait you can't do that on an iPhone. You don't have the freedom to.

Of course you can use a cable, but they are unreliable. They tend to break, corrode, get dirty, disappear, have incomparable ends(one side USB-A, the other one micro USB, lightning - whatever) that one of the devices don't accept.

They are also bulky and the transfer speeds are slow. Airdrop can transfer gigabytes of data in minutes, which is only possible with the latest wired interfaces that only the newest devices have and not all support file transfers.

iPhones tend to last 3-5 years or even more and iPhones from different generations can transfer each other files through AirDrop. Not everyone has the money to update their phone each year and many who can update think it's wasteful to do so that they can use the latest wired file transfer method.

Re: OpenDrop: An open Apple AirDrop implementation written in Python

#40

Post by teawrecks »

vinnymac wrote: post #22

I would be interested in an overview and comparison of all the available options to solve this kind of problem. Here is a list of some services I’ve used successfully in the past. SnapDrop - Site: https://snapdrop.net/ - Source: https://github.com/RobinLinus/snapdrop ShareDrop - Site: https://www.sharedrop.io/ - Source: https://github.com/szimek/sharedrop FilePizza - Site: https://file.pizza/ - Source: https://github…

Doesn't look like any of those are airdrop compatible.
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