Yes, you read that right. FireChat is a new app that lets users chat and share photos even without an Internet connection by using an iOS feature called Multipeer Connectivity Framework.
This Multipeer Connectivity Framework works the same way as Apple’s AirDrop that uses Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to send data from one device to another even though one of the devices isn’t connected to the Internet. Basically, as long as one device is connected, it can share its connection to other devices within its range. The receiver can then pass the previous connection unto another device within its own range, and so on – making communication possible between two devices without Internet or mobile signal.
This service could be used during concerts, outdoor events, or calamities when affected areas don’t have signals. A good example would be last year’s typhoon Yolanda that destroyed the cell sites in Tacloban, making rescue operations tougher. An app like FireChat could’ve entered the scene and provided communication between volunteers using their smartphones.
FireChat is one of the first to use this feature from Apple and requires iOS 7 to function since the MCF technology is unavailable until then. FireChat has a limit of 30 feet meaning users could only be 30 feet apart from each other in order to not break the meshed network.
We’re excited to see what this unappreciated new feature of Apple can do when it gets fully developed — maybe a wider range and stronger connection? As of now, it is exclusive to iOS users (sorry Androids) and is ready to be downloaded at the App store.
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cranium says:
People who criticise this are people who obviously knows nothing about innovation.This is a phase called “testing the waters”. I guess there are people whos hobby is to bash while being ignorant on how true business works. Looking forward for an Android version. :)
geybee says:
this is the best part.. mas nkaka-aliw ung comments keysa s mismong article, keep it up yugatech, mas dumadami readers ninyo dahil dito..
wew says:
d ibig sabihin na dahil sa kakaunti lng ang iOS users dahil sa mahal ang iOS devices dito sa pilipinas,d nato effective. who knows,baka dahil dito maraming bumili ng iOS device.pedeng dahil sa demand dito eh maisipan nilang gawing mas mura ang iOS devices.
Vladmir Putin says:
Whats with the negativity? This app may not be practical in its current state, but that’s not even what the article is about. It’s trying to showcase the concept of the technology, and the app, at best, is just a proof of concept of the technology. In order to innovate, you must first make baby steps towards innovation.
That being said, this app takes the first step towards further innovation and may open up new possibilities. Or not, but the least we can do is give it a chance to do that.
bugoy says:
Tama ka Jon. Hopefully Android, Windows, Symbian, RIM and other Operating Systems will develop similar App and will not have patent issue and “security risk” from Apple. I hope my lovely TitanTV and newly bought iPad Mini will communicate each other with FireChat App soon…hehehe. Anyway, thank you so much Sir for sharing your idea.
onat says:
Let’s put things into perspective. In the philippines android users outnumbered iOS users. In our office for example with 120 employees there are I thing only 5 iOS users. In this country it is still a luxury to own an iOS device. With this figure, it is difficult to achieve the granularity required for the links to work, i.e. 30 ft. 30 ft. is approx 2/3 the width of a standard basketball court. The article cites calamities as possible cases where the technology can be used. The volunteers will have to be 30 ft apart. Hardly an optimum distance if they want to cover a wider area. A little further apart, the link fails. Then there is the fact that not all of them are iOS users. Also, how many iOS users do you expect in concerts and ball games?
Android may have a hard time implementing similar tech as it may face patent issues with Apple. The only way that the potential of this technology will be realize is if Apple shares it with other companies.
Then there is the issue of security. I for one don’t always turn my bt or wifi on while in public due to security risk.
The idea of sharing your phone as a link for other people opens up a lot of loopholes that hackers might exploit.
I’m not against the technology. Just explaining the actual philippine. Well, iOS users out there, why don’t you actually try the technology! This will ultimately answer the question if this technology is really a hit or a miss. Then give a feedback of your actual experience. This will settle the issue…
onat says:
erratum: actual philippine scenario
excited says:
excited about this…. who knows when kapag dumating ang araw di mu na kailangan umasa sa mga service provider… kailangan pa to maimprove hanggang sa lumawak ang coverage nya… parang peer 2 peer pagkakaintindi ko d2…. this is brilliant…
Rockafella says:
@Onat @Justin di na nagevolve mga utak nyo hanggang ngayon unggoy parin kayo.
Mark says:
meron na rin dinidevelop for android.. bridgefy..
dee says:
This is depriving the people the opportunity to interact to others personally. Onat is right, pede natin sila kausapin na lang face to face. Although the upsided is if two people have some secrets to talk about.. lol
Engers says:
Ang kitid ng kukote mo! Gamitin din ang isip paminsan. Sobrang slightly used na yan bro!
Easy E says:
Daming hindi nakakaintindi ng concept ng “mesh” network. Puro lang dada. Aw. This technology is so nice. Pero sana lang na automatic ang detection ng mesh at di na kailangan ng approval to join. Yung kung hindi ka gagamit ng chat feature ng app eh hayaan lang na magamit ang phone mo to establish a bigger mesh network. will try this.
Easy E says:
Kahit 30 ft ang layo nito, pwede sya ma-extend ng kahit ilang segments ng 30ft. Imagine may 5 tao na naka arrange sa line na tig 30ft ang layo. Imagine na ikaw ang nasa kabilang end at yung kausap mo ay nasa kabilang dulo. 150ft na yun layo. How much kung mas maraming tao ang kasali sa mesh? Mas malaki ang coverage. Yung iba kasi dada lang ng dada. pshhh
Reaping says:
The title is misleading :/
jakolkol says:
Useful ito para sa kapit bahay mo. Ur friends na nagaabang sayo sa labas. Or friends na nasa kabilang classroom. Etc. Puros reklamo alam ng iba diyan! Eh hindi ka naman gagastos kung gagamitin mo ang app na ‘to! Kun ayaw mo ng app na ‘to, jusy shut up! Hindi kayo pretty! Lols
Jerryboy says:
Sa iphone lang meron, pano naman yung ipad?
anonymity says:
it says “it is exclusive to iOS users”.. an iPad is an iOS device…
Marco says:
this will be useful in sending photos :)
Justin says:
What a STUPID app!
Onat got it right when he said “30 feet? ilang hakbang na lang puede mo na kausapin yung tao face to face.” Furthermore, do you honestly expect people to stay 30 feet apart so as not to break the network mesh and increase its coverage?!? Eh pano kung yung isang tao mo natatae na? Eh di putol ngayon ang network mo.
Haaay.. typical Apple thinking. Throws away practicability out the window basta lang ma-una.
wew says:
@tatanganio HAHAHAHA BENTA COMMENT MO MATCH DUN SA PANGALAN MO. pota may common sense kmi,ikaw wala.pag may natabunan ba at d nagrereply,deds na agad?HAHAHAHA bobo amfuta tanga lng magcoconclude nang ganun hahahahaha.
Heckler says:
Di mo rin ba naisip na sa work setting, bawal kang umalis sa workstation at halimbawa na walang signal yung cell or sira yung telephone at may kelangan kang sabihing importante sa ibang department or ibang workstation, pwede mong gamitin to?
At halmbawa, sobrang layo nung gusto mong sabihan, pero lahat kayo meron nito, that virtually makes you connected to everyone kahit gano pa siyang kalayo.
Yung unang sentence mo tanga lang eh.Malamang pag kayang lakarin papunta dun sa tao, di mo na gagamitin, pero pag malayo, edi connect ka muna sa isa, then connect ka niya don sa gusto mong kausapin.
GETS???
TANGA LANG EH
Heckler says:
eh ang problema kasi sa mga katulad niyo, puro angal, puro criticism, wala naman ibang suggestions. Of course hindi lahat ng problema niyo masasagot niyang app na yan. Ang point rin lang nung app is:hanggat gumagana, hangga’t kaya nung app, makaka provide siya ng connection pag walang signal or kung may malapit. kung wala, di na kaya ng app yon. pero for sure may matutulungan yung app.
Wag niyo kasing palabasin na walang silbi yung app. Ang gagaling niyo kasi masyado wala naman kayong suggestion na matino diba?
STFU nalang.
IQ amp. talk about yours bro…
tatanganio says:
Tama si justin ndi reliable to sa mga emergency lalo pag natabunan ka ng concrete tpos akalain nila deds kana kasi di ka nag reply un pala walang signal. dami tlga nag cocomment na walang utak sa website na to. dapat cguro magsasagot ka muna ng iq test tpos pag below 120 score mo bawal magcomment para iwas bobo comments
Justin says:
Haaayy… di nauubos talaga ang ka-tangahan sa mundo. Sa lahat ng mga nag-reply sa comment ko, PAKI BASA NGA ULI NG COMMENT KO. Palibhasa kayo, banat lang ng banat, di naman nakaka-intindi.
My whole point was, the network mesh this app is supposed to provide is VERY VOLATILE. Na-iintindihan ko po yung konsepto nya. Kaso, sana-intindihin nyo ang proacticability nya. Yes, it can be used for rescue operations. Yes, it can be used for semi long-distance communication. Kaya lang, like I said, meron lang 1 or 2 na gumalaw/umalis dun sa mesh ninyo, patay na ang network. Tapos, I’m sure yung 30 feet na yon, line of sight pa. Lagyan mo ng pader sa gitna, hati na ang coverage nya sigurado. So where is the usefulness in that?
Esep esep muna mga bro. Yung iba kasi dyan, nakita lang nam-babash yung isa… sakay naman. Yun lang kasi ang kaya ng IQ.
Heckler says:
Tanga mo naman JusIbig sabihin ng article, pwede mag connect ang maraming tao sa isa’t isa basta 30 feet apart ang dalawang user. So for example, nasa room ako, then ikaw 30 feet katabi ko, connect tayo. Then connect ka kay abuzalzal tungkol sa bezel naman, 30 feet apart rin. ibig sabihin non, connected rin ako kay abuzalzal kahit 60 feet apart kami kasi connected siya sayo.
TANGAAAAAAAAA
wew says:
BOBO.MAS STUPID KA.sa rescue operations pede to,especially dun sa mga tumutulong lng sa mga rescuers talaga;ibig sabihn wala silang 2way radio para makipagcommunicate sa mga kasama nila.isipin mo kung bawat report nila eh kailangan pa nilang lumapit,pagkatapos nun eh babalik uli sila sa area nila,ilang oras mauubos nila?edi andami nang tuluyang namatay sa ilalim ng gumuhong gusali dahil mas humahaba ung oras ng paghahanap nila.
bugoy says:
You are the one who is very stupid. The Multipeer Connectivity Framework can also send DATA not just voice or text over internet protocol with this development Apple pave the way to another way of transferring or sharing DATA wirelessly. Did you get it moron? Halimbawa may lindol at nanduon ka sa ilalim ng building mga 25ft under the wreckage, buti nalang dala mo Apple phone mo at naririnig ka ng mga rescuer, kung wala pa itong tinatawag na “Multipeer Connectivity Framework” hindi ka nila matatagpuan, mamamatay kang buhay sa ilalin ng gusali, gets mo? Kung wala ka namang smartphone (Apple) segurado hindi mailigtas and that’s good, I mean that’s sad.
asdf says:
@justin- I don’t usually participate in this kind of discussions but I think you’re the one who’s stupid. Haven’t you read what the author said about the usefulness of this app? It could be very useful in scenarios where Internet connectivity is absent. Who knows, this app could save someone’s life.
I do agree about the possibilities with this app. However, hindi lahat ng tao naka-iOS. I hope they can develop the same with android and other mobile platforms.
onat says:
30 feet? ilang hakbang na lang puede mo na kausapin yung tao face to face.
TacticalNinja says:
30 yung minimum na peer to peer. Kung may naka iOs sa pagitan ninyo pwede umabot ng 60 feet to since pinapadaan nila sa kung sini man connected.
Engot says:
If you know where the person is then yes magusap kayo ng harapan. Nagsite na nga ng example like concert or even during basketball or soccer games na maraming tao.
Ang kitid lang talaga ng kayang iprocess ng utak mo.
JIm says:
ok tong app na to at least meron kaysa naman wala.
snowden says:
30 feet?
Ex-Alodian Knight says:
Well, Fandroids, we better hope the next Android version has something similar.
tarugo02 says:
There is ipMsg already existing in Android. And oh, here is one. Noticed that the UI is still so Gingerbread so luma na, mga 3 years ago.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blong.bluetoothchat
dvancleef says:
Android has had the WifiP2pManager API since API version 14 (Android 4.0).