Could this technology be used to create a "shadow" internet/network/messaging service where devices connect and communicate directly with each other. This way governments can't just block internet access or services during demonstrations.
OpenDrop: An Open Source AirDrop Implementation
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Re: OpenDrop: An Open Source AirDrop Implementation
#12Re: OpenDrop: An Open Source AirDrop Implementation
#13I wish we had something like AirDrop to work between android and iOS devices.
Knowing Apple, such an effort would likely be destroyed by an army of lawyers the moment you bring out an app that provides such features. The Apple ecosystem is very closed and Apple will fight tooth and nail to keep it that way. Removing vendor lock-in would, after all, allow users to try switching to another brand without an enormous amount of hassle.
Apple's open-source mDNS/DNS-SD implementation mDNSResponder underlies Android's NSD API, so I could one day see seamless interoperability over Wi-Fi Aware being a thing. I wouldn't bet on it happening, but given Windows (which ships with an mDNS/DNS-SD stack) and Android will be doing it before too long, I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple join the party.
Re: OpenDrop: An Open Source AirDrop Implementation
#14Could this technology be used to create a "shadow" internet/network/messaging service where devices connect and communicate directly with each other. This way governments can't just block internet access or services during demonstrations.
> this technology
XMPP over Zeroconf (https://xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0174.html) has already existed for many years and at least previously has been trivial to enable on Ubuntu (I haven't tried it recently).
Re: OpenDrop: An Open Source AirDrop Implementation
#15Could this technology be used to create a "shadow" internet/network/messaging service where devices connect and communicate directly with each other. This way governments can't just block internet access or services during demonstrations.
A government - or even just a sufficiently motivated individual - can trivially jam all phone, wifi, bluetooth etc communication.
Or they could just 'listen in' to record the signatures of all detected phones, so they can work out and identify who is in the crowd etc.
Military systems use frequency hopping etc and would be a more difficult target. But doubtless motivated governments could hamper their use in crowds too. Here's a fun comment I just found when I googled that: https://www.quora.com/Is-noise-jamming-an-AESA-radar-possibl...
Re: OpenDrop: An Open Source AirDrop Implementation
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
iMessage too. It's insane to me that this is still a problem.
I guess you mean something that is first party on both platforms? Otherwise SMS-like communication is obviously a solved issue (Signal/WhatsApp/Messenger et al). Does Android have something similar to iMessage?
>> Does Android have something similar to iMessage?
No. The parent to your comment means open iMessage between Android and iOS.
Re: OpenDrop: An Open Source AirDrop Implementation
#17This is great, especially considering that AirDrop is used for instance by Hong Kong protesters to bypass the great firewall [1]. [1] https://qz.com/1660460/hong-kong-protesters-use-airdrop-to-b...
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Re: OpenDrop: An Open Source AirDrop Implementation
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
I guess you mean something that is first party on both platforms? Otherwise SMS-like communication is obviously a solved issue (Signal/WhatsApp/Messenger et al). Does Android have something similar to iMessage?
>> Does Android have something similar to iMessage? No. The parent to your comment means open iMessage between Android and iOS.
That's obviously never going to happen. The best we can hope for is probably something Googely with support for iOS
Re: OpenDrop: An Open Source AirDrop Implementation
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
iMessage too. It's insane to me that this is still a problem.
I guess you mean something that is first party on both platforms? Otherwise SMS-like communication is obviously a solved issue (Signal/WhatsApp/Messenger et al). Does Android have something similar to iMessage?
> Does Android have something similar to iMessage?
Kind of-ish. The RCS support is rolling out slowly. Of course there is a big difference in that RCS is not end to end encrypted. Also, there is nothing stopping Apple from implementing RCS as well, but I doubt they will do.
Re: OpenDrop: An Open Source AirDrop Implementation
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
>> Does Android have something similar to iMessage? No. The parent to your comment means open iMessage between Android and iOS.
That's obviously never going to happen. The best we can hope for is probably something Googely with support for iOS
Which is not going to happen because Google has multiple competing messaging apps.