h a l f b a k e r yCogito, ergo sumthin'
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When's the last time you were
- sitting in a train, passing through a low network area and
bored?
- in a seminar, looking for a quiet way to debate the topic
- at the mall/in a cafe, sipping on your drink with nothing to
do?
- needed a groupchat in a room full of strangers but
required
location exclusivity?
- were trying to conduct an experiment in a room with
random people? (probably never, lol)
Enter proximat, a location-based chatroom. One can create
a
chatroom and define a join radius, make it excludable by
password (if required), and allows for entry through a
tethered
wireless connection that permits only data transfer through
the
chatroom.
Wi-Fi Direct
https://www.wi-fi.o...-wi-fi/wi-fi-direct WFD Info [vedarshi, Dec 06 2018]
Yik Yak
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yik_Yak The link I forgot to add yesterday [notexactly, Dec 08 2018]
Plain Plane Conferencing
Plain_20Plane_20Conferencing somewhat related [theircompetitor, Dec 08 2018]
Sat-Nav Wiki
Sat-Nav_20Wiki a not unrelated idea. [Skewed, Dec 08 2018]
[link]
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Prior art (defunct): Yik Yak [link] |
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// sitting in a train, passing through a low network area
and
bored? // |
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Probably won't get GPS signals either. GPS isn't great just
indoors, even, depending on the roofing material and
floors
above you. Even when it works, it might not be precise
enough for some users' desire (though I guess password-
protecting it could help in such scenarios). Therefore,
how do you
propose to have this app locate its users? |
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Using WiFi direct is a workaround for this specific issues. There
exist apps like SuperBeam for iOS and Android that are able to
transfer files and information between phones even if they do not
have a network connection. WiFi Direct has a certain limited
range, though- typically a cellphone's WiFi signals stretch around
60 metres; I believe that should easily cover some coaches. |
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If network is an absolute issue, Bluetooth connectivity may work
(I'm not aware of the nuances with Bluetooth, though). Bluetooth
4.0 has a range of about 200 feet which is roughly 61 metres,
about the same as WiFi direct; and is also increasingly being
adopted across mobile phones in 2018. |
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The idea is the host device's broadcasted wireless signal
'manually' solves the location issue when there's no network
available. If the GPS locates the device then the app defaults to
using GPS. |
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I guess that'll work. Or even a Wi-Fi ad-hoc network.
Anyway, doesn't Wi-Fi Direct rely on Bluetooth to establish
the
connection? So generally, if you can use one, the other is
probably also usable (as long as everyone's phone supports
it). |
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Wi-Fi Direct works separate from a device's bluetooth, one is
able to connect to both at the same time. (linked) |
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// Wi-Fi Direct negotiates the link with a Wi-Fi Protected Setup system
that assigns each device a limited wireless access point. The "pairing" or
Wi-Fi Direct devices can be set up to require the proximity of a near
field communication, a Bluetooth signal, or a button press on one or all
of the devices. // |
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I guess I was misremembering "can establish the connection using
Bluetooth" as "must establish the connection using Bluetooth". Also, that
paragraph made me think of another question, which is whether more
than two devices can connect to each other simultaneously, and then
implicitly answered it with the words "all of the devices". Also, the
previous paragraph, which I'm not going to quote because it would be too
much typing, explicitly says Wi-Fi Direct supports more than two devices. |
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Is the "join radius" fixed to the location at
which the chat room was initially created or does it move
with the creators phone (or other device). |
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Or both (choosing which being optional at setup). |
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And what happens when someone already joined moves out of
the join radius (or the location moves if it's a mobile radius). |
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The join radius is settable by the user, I like the idea of it
being optional though. However, the option to set a fixed
location would only be possible with GPS and network
availability (if they don't exist, the app defaults to WiFi
Direct which creates a join-radius manually) |
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The chat-room's functional as long as any member is within
the radius specified. This issue arises only with the GPS
option, since the wireless hotspot option takes care of this
automatically. |
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My only further suggestion is to have an option to have a
chatroom persist after everyone has left, so that it could be
used for location-based general information purposes. I
guess a wiki page would be more useful than a chat room for
that, though. That could be another feature of this app, or a
separate app. |
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There's a whole sub-genre of gothic waiting to be written, set in
chatrooms persisting after everyone has left. It could also
feature what happens in mirrors when there's no-one looking. |
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//It could also feature what happens in mirrors when there's
no-one looking.// |
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All the mimes on the other side of the glass have swift tea
break, I thought everyone knew that? |
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A thought: A persistent location-based chatroom could be
used to get to know people who commute to/from/past the
same place at different times of day or on different days. |
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//A persistent location-based chatroom// |
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It's called a notice board. |
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hmm.. actually you've given me an idea there (it's probably
baked though) [linky]. |
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