Molto interessante. Il 04/apr/2014 10:41 "Clauz" <cl...@ninux.org> ha scritto:
> Chat sopra mesh tra telefoni: > > > FireChat ignites new way to communicate on phones > > > http://news.yahoo.com/firechat-ignites-way-communicate-phones-160939070--finance.html > > SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A new mobile messaging application called FireChat > is empowering nearby smartphone users to stay in touch even when there's > no cellular service or Internet connection. > > In just two weeks since its release on the iPhone, FireChat already has > provided a flicker of hope for people pining for more effective, secure > and affordable ways to communicate. That's because the free messaging > app harnesses a technology called wireless mesh networking, which might > someday allow a myriad of devices to connect like links in a chain. > > The technique might someday be used to tie together thousands of devices > with built-in radios and make it possible to be online without having to > pay for the access. It could also enable online communications in remote > areas or disaster zones without Wi-Fi or cellular signals. Furthermore, > the conversations in these so-called "off-the-grid" networks can't be > easily hacked into by spies and mischief makers or shut down by > governments trying to stifle free speech. > > "We trying to create networks built by the people for the people," said > Micha Benoliel, CEO of Open Garden, maker of the FireChat app. > > Open Garden, a San Francisco startup with just 10 employees, is taking > another step toward its ambitious goal with Thursday's release of a > FireChat app for Android phones. > > FireChat could be an even hotter commodity on Android given the > demographic differences between that platform's user base and the > typical iPhone owner. The app already has been installed on more than 1 > million iOS devices. > > Many smartphones running on Google Inc.'s free Android software are > cheaper than Apple Inc.'s iPhone. That has made Android phones the > top-selling mobile devices in less affluent countries, including in > regions where Internet access is inadequate or expensive. > > Google is among the big Internet companies intrigued with mesh > networking's potential to bring more of the world online. > > Sundar Pichai, Google's executive in charge of Android, has touted mesh > networks as a way to connect wearable computers, such as the company's > Glass eyewear. Mesh networks also could be used to bring a wide variety > of everyday appliances online, helping to build an Internet of things > instead of just websites. > > FireChat's reach so far is limited. When connecting off the grid, iPhone > app users have only been able to send text and photos to other FireChat > users within a range of 30 to 100 feet. > > Later this year, Open Garden plans to upgrade FireChat's iPhone app so > off-the-grid users will be able to hopscotch through a daisy chain of > devices to extend the reach of a local network. If this works, a > FireChat user sitting in the right-field bleachers of a baseball game > would be able to text with a friend on the other side of the stadium if > enough other iPhone users in the ballpark also are on FireChat. > > This extended range will be available immediately on FireChat's Android > app because Open Garden released a mesh networking app for that > operating system nearly two years ago. > > FireChat's iPhone app piggybacks on an often overlooked feature called > the Multipeer Connectivity Framework that Apple Inc. included in its > latest mobile operating system, iOS 7, released last September. Apple > says more than 80 percent of people using its mobile devices rely on iOS 7. > > For now, Android phones and iPhones with the FireChat app won't be able > to engage in off-the-grid conversation. Open Garden, though, believes it > will eventually be able to make mesh networking work on phones running > on different operating systems. > > As the mesh networking software improved, Benoliel realized Open Garden > needed to come up with application to demonstrate what the technology > could do. In that practical sense, FireChat is similar to the word > processing and spreadsheet programs that Microsoft released decades ago > to help broaden the appeal of its Windows operating system for personal > computers, said Christophe Daligault, Open Garden's marketing chief. > > FireChat's development was driven by the popularity of other mobile > messaging apps such as Snapchat and WhatsApp that enabled smartphone > users to text and send pictures to their friends and family without > having to pay smartphone carriers. > > Like texts and photos sent on Snapchat, nothing transmitted through > FireChat is saved. All content evaporates once the app is closed. > FireChat also allows all its users to remain anonymous, another feature > that is becoming popular on a variety of mobile messaging apps, such as > Wickr and Rumr. > > There still aren't enough people using FireChat to ensure users will > find someone nearby to message. To pique people's interest in the app, > FireChat offers an "everyone" option that allows users to enter a > digital chat room with up to 80 other random users located in the same > country. This option requires a Wi-Fi or cellular connection. > > Dailigault concedes FireChat's chat room isn't as high-minded as mesh > networking. > > "We are finding a lot of people are using it when they are just looking > for something to do for a few minutes," Dailigault said. "Some of the > discussions there are turning out to be more interesting than anything > they can find on Facebook." > > _______________________________________________ > Wireless mailing list > Wireless@ml.ninux.org > http://ml.ninux.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >
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