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Hong Kong protestors using Bridgefy's Bluetooth-based mesh network messaging app

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31–40 of 221 posts

Re: Hong Kong protestors using Bridgefy's Bluetooth-based mesh network messaging app

#31

If worst comes to worst, I hope there's satellite connectivity to HK. Or landlines not under Chinese jurisdiction. EDIT: To clarify, I'm concerned about what could happen if China cuts HK off from the Internet.

There is a decent amount of JP/SG connectivity, iirc.

Re: Hong Kong protestors using Bridgefy's Bluetooth-based mesh network messaging app

#32

I just tried the app via the US App Store and it requires you to verify through SMS before use. This means that it’s neither anonymous nor fit for use in a disaster zone. Good example of software that would be better if open source.

I had the same experience and was disappointed. But a good mesh app is inherently difficult to monetize! Combining mesh over some/several form(s) of 802.11, Signal protocol public key distribution "locally" via QR code, and Delay-Tolerant Networking (Cerf et al. 2007) would be the holy grail (and would have no reliance on SMS or phone number) and also could not be monetized. Which is a damn shame, because it's eminen…

Charging businesses to use it would be a path to monetization, hence WhatsApp's partnership with Twilio.

Re: Hong Kong protestors using Bridgefy's Bluetooth-based mesh network messaging app

#33
I find the idea interesting, but is there some kind of open-source alternative that would be available on F-Droid?

This would be extremely useful since you can share your F-Droid archive over bluetooth, and that would also allow the app to be distributed the same way.

One less way for the authorities to block the app from being acquired.

Re: Hong Kong protestors using Bridgefy's Bluetooth-based mesh network messaging app

#34
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used a simple mobile "burner" and was fine to authenticate. I bought bunch of $5 cards with cash in a small store and used this one in my dumb flip phone bought on a flea market few months ago. I am certain to a high degree that's pretty enough setup to stay under radar.

This burner phone and your "real" phone are going to be easy to correlate retroactively based on the towers they are both hitting

Hopefully OP uses a different cell network than the one Simple Mobile rides atop.

Re: Hong Kong protestors using Bridgefy's Bluetooth-based mesh network messaging app

#35
post #25

I just tried the app via the US App Store and it requires you to verify through SMS before use. This means that it’s neither anonymous nor fit for use in a disaster zone. Good example of software that would be better if open source.

How would it being open source solve the problem of addressing?

Addresses can be made non-identifying.

Re: Hong Kong protestors using Bridgefy's Bluetooth-based mesh network messaging app

#36
post #30

Does anyone have good technical resources on how mesh networks work? Who's the authority on the identity of a recipient? Do you exchange something out of band (for example a QR code) first? How do messages get routed? How do messages behave under constant network partitioning and healing? Does it use your GPS location for network topology purposes? etc etc

have a look at these:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B.A.T.M.A.N.

https://www.open-mesh.org/projects/open-mesh/wiki

https://kb.datto.com/hc/en-us/articles/360024059951-Legacy-O...

http://developer.servalproject.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=cont...

there is also an open mesh for routers if you have the hardware and propensity look at openWRT and find a mesh add on for it find out what routers you have available to flash it onto and then you will have a MESH node.

Re: Hong Kong protestors using Bridgefy's Bluetooth-based mesh network messaging app

#37

If worst comes to worst, I hope there's satellite connectivity to HK. Or landlines not under Chinese jurisdiction. EDIT: To clarify, I'm concerned about what could happen if China cuts HK off from the Internet.

Satellite phones are extremely easy to determine point of origin, give or take 20m. That's enough to dispatch police or worse, launch an airstrike.

Re: Hong Kong protestors using Bridgefy's Bluetooth-based mesh network messaging app

#38
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's encrypted and the only information it gives up, only when you do a system wide broadcast, is the broadcasters phone number. So the leaders use burner phones and the problem is solved. What's important compared to other apps is that the protesters self selected it. If the US government were to provide some funding the next step would to build higher powered repeaters that can be placed on top of tall buildings. C…

> the next step would to build higher powered repeaters that can be placed on top of tall buildings. Nice sentiment, but technically counterproductive for mesh networks. Wide coverage nodes create/suffer the “hidden transmitter problem”. Mesh performance degrades overall. Smaller footprint repeaters, and more of them, are a better solution.

> > the next step would to build higher powered repeaters that can be placed on top of tall buildings.

> Nice sentiment, but technically counterproductive for mesh networks. Wide coverage nodes create/suffer the “hidden transmitter problem”. Mesh performance degrades overall. Smaller footprint repeaters, and more of them, are a better solution.

Could you go into more detail on this/share any readings? As a ham radio operator I have learned this through experience but wonder if there are any papers on this idea.

Re: Hong Kong protestors using Bridgefy's Bluetooth-based mesh network messaging app

#39
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had the same experience and was disappointed. But a good mesh app is inherently difficult to monetize! Combining mesh over some/several form(s) of 802.11, Signal protocol public key distribution "locally" via QR code, and Delay-Tolerant Networking (Cerf et al. 2007) would be the holy grail (and would have no reliance on SMS or phone number) and also could not be monetized. Which is a damn shame, because it's eminen…

Charging businesses to use it would be a path to monetization, hence WhatsApp's partnership with Twilio.

Not a bad point, but what business prefers a mesh to a centralized messaging system?

Re: Hong Kong protestors using Bridgefy's Bluetooth-based mesh network messaging app

#40

I just tried the app via the US App Store and it requires you to verify through SMS before use. This means that it’s neither anonymous nor fit for use in a disaster zone. Good example of software that would be better if open source.

I used a simple mobile "burner" and was fine to authenticate. I bought bunch of $5 cards with cash in a small store and used this one in my dumb flip phone bought on a flea market few months ago. I am certain to a high degree that's pretty enough setup to stay under radar.

You can't get "burner" SIMs in Australia (where I am), I don't think.

They usually require a sign up before activation; I'd be interested to know of ones that are true "burner" SIMs that are sold here.

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