Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android

beeper.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

511–520 of 902 posts

Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android

#512

Post by rezonant »

superduty wrote: post #489
bogwog wrote: post #296

This seems like it won't last, but it's AWESOME and I really hope you survive Apple's inevitable attempts to kill this. A universal chat application would be amazing, and will maybe help bring attention to the value of standards and interoperability (hopefully by governments/regulators).

What is currently not interoperable between the majors mobile OS makers?

Well messaging for one thing...

Some others:

- Find my device features including Bluetooth ping networking (airtags, Tile, Android's upcoming network)

- Airdrop/Nearby Share

- Bluetooth LE proximity pairing (at least I doubt this works when pairing cross ecosystem)

- Carplay/Android Auto

- Airplay/Google Cast

Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android

#514

Post by qwytw »

throwaway-blaze wrote: post #451
threeseed wrote: post #437

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are reverse engineering/interoperability exemptions to the DMCA so it may not be that simple. So would be curious if they have already sought legal advice which says they are in the clear.

they raised $16mm. I assure you they've talked with a lawyer or two.

If they actually just took a binary from OSX and stuck it into their app it probably wasn't the best lawyer

Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android

#515

Post by nozzlegear »

standardUser wrote: post #298
nozzlegear wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the ethics problem probably lies on the shoulders of the bullies, not on Apple.

If I were a profitable company and I knew I could end bullying resulting from my product without significantly harming my business, and I chose not too, would I be acting ethically?

Apple could also end bullying by giving their phones away for free so every kid in high school could use iMessage. Is it acting ethically if they don't do that? Exactly how much of Apple's products and services should be made available to everyone, and where/how do you draw the line?

To be clear, I don't have a dog in this race. I have an iPhone but barely use iMessages.

Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android

#516

Post by dylan604 »

chatmasta wrote: post #482
stefan_ wrote: post #335

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That seems like a problem. Emulating the protocol is okayish-to-gray but having the binary there will just be a straight DMCA. Wonder what the actual app is doing since this is just the PoC.

I don't think the finer legal points matter too much. If Apple wants to sue them, they'll sue them, regardless of legal merit. And I suspect Beeper is betting they can make their case from a more philosophical angle, such that it's irrelevant what grounds Apple cites when suing them. Beeper will fight it either way. I'm an Apple user who has no need for this app. But I really appreciate that Beeper has the balls to r…

>Beeper will fight it either way.

That sounds nice and all, but what happens when the first bill comes due from their legal team?

Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android

#517

Post by [deleted] »

chatmasta wrote: post #482
stefan_ wrote: post #335

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That seems like a problem. Emulating the protocol is okayish-to-gray but having the binary there will just be a straight DMCA. Wonder what the actual app is doing since this is just the PoC.

I don't think the finer legal points matter too much. If Apple wants to sue them, they'll sue them, regardless of legal merit. And I suspect Beeper is betting they can make their case from a more philosophical angle, such that it's irrelevant what grounds Apple cites when suing them. Beeper will fight it either way. I'm an Apple user who has no need for this app. But I really appreciate that Beeper has the balls to r…

[deleted]

Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android

#519

Post by sounds »

ttul wrote: post #408
lxgr wrote: post #367

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Even if they do the work to publish iMessage updates for the old iOS versions it just buys a little time before the new version gets reverse engineered There's probably a cliff in complexity. Once Apple starts requesting signed attestations from the secure enclave on the devices that have one, it's game over. They probably don't just yet, since still too many people use iMessage on first-party clients that don't ha…

If Apple does start enforcing signed attestations, they will say that it's to reduce abuse. I have no doubt (being in the anti-abuse world) that spammers and phishing gangs will immediately begin using Beeper to spam iMessage users because this allows them to avoid buying an iOS device. With end-to-end encryption, Apple may also decide to roll out privacy-protecting client-side spam and phishing detection, which woul…

The phone number registration https://blog.beeper.com/i/139416474/sending-and-receiving-me... will make it possible to enforce legal action against malicious and spammy messages.

Note that iPhones already receive SMS spam and fraud just like every other phone.

However, you are correct that the blue bubble is no longer a guarantee that the bad actor is using an iPhone.

Post reply on HN