I was disappointed to hear the recent rumor that Apple has shelved plans to work on a sort of “walkie talkie” feature for iPhones. I had written a couple years ago about how the “Cajun army”was using the Zello app on their phones to help coordinate relief efforts after Hurricane Harvey.
It’s also interesting to see protesters in Hong Kong going “off grid” to avoid detection by the Chinese government.
As pro-democracy rallies rage in the territory, protestors are increasingly giving up on SMS, emails and China’s social media Swiss army knife WeChat in favor of peer-to-peer mesh networking apps like Bridgefy and FireChat.
With the government keeping a close eye on social networks — homegrown and elsewhere — in an attempt to stifle dissent, these off-the-grid messaging apps have proven to be a blessing in disguise. –Ravie Lakshmanan, thenextweb.com
The ability to disseminate information quickly has made relief and coordination efforts far more efficient than in years past. That’s the modern miracle of the smart phone. As I always say, moving information is changing the world far more than moving people or things. Moving people and things was the miracle of the 20thcentury. Moving information is the miracle of the 21st.
However, this magic only lasts as long as cell towers are functioning properly. Otherwise it’s back to hand delivering paper ala the Pony Express of the 1860’s.
It sounds like Apple was working on an effective work-around for downed cell towers or government eavesdropping that could have been amazing. Sure, walkie talkies have been around for decades but who carries one every day? And even if you have them at your house, who charges them every night? An iPhone that could effectively work as a walkie talkie on demand would be invaluable during times of crisis like hurricanes, earthquakes, or protesting a hostile government.
And at a more boring level, it would be nice for small kids who’ve inherited old iPhones with no cell service to still be able to communicate with their parents while at the mall or park. That alone would have many parents unwilling to ever leave iOS.
If this rumor is true, why would Apple deem this feature a dead end? We can all see the benefit. So what is the cost? In terms of battery, weight, or cost, something must’ve tilted the scales towards not proceeding.
As pro-democracy rallies rage in the territory, protestors are increasingly giving up on SMS, emails and China’s social media Swiss army knife WeChat in favor of peer-to-peer mesh networking apps like Bridgefy and FireChat.
With the government keeping a close eye on social networks — homegrown and elsewhere — in an attempt to stifle dissent, these off-the-grid messaging apps have proven to be a blessing in disguise. –Ravie Lakshmanan, thenextweb.com
The ability to disseminate information quickly has made relief and coordination efforts far more efficient than in years past. That’s the modern miracle of the smart phone. As I always say, moving information is changing the world far more than moving people or things. Moving people and things was the miracle of the 20thcentury. Moving information is the miracle of the 21st.
However, this magic only lasts as long as cell towers are functioning properly. Otherwise it’s back to hand delivering paper ala the Pony Express of the 1860’s.
It sounds like Apple was working on an effective work-around for downed cell towers or government eavesdropping that could have been amazing. Sure, walkie talkies have been around for decades but who carries one every day? And even if you have them at your house, who charges them every night? An iPhone that could effectively work as a walkie talkie on demand would be invaluable during times of crisis like hurricanes, earthquakes, or protesting a hostile government.
And at a more boring level, it would be nice for small kids who’ve inherited old iPhones with no cell service to still be able to communicate with their parents while at the mall or park. That alone would have many parents unwilling to ever leave iOS.
If this rumor is true, why would Apple deem this feature a dead end? We can all see the benefit. So what is the cost? In terms of battery, weight, or cost, something must’ve tilted the scales towards not proceeding.
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