←back to thread

770 points ananddtyagi | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.215s | source
Show context
moneywaters ◴[] No.44487086[source]
I’ve been toying with a concept inspired by Apple’s Find My network: Imagine a decentralized, delay-tolerant messaging system where messages hop device-to-device (e.g., via Bluetooth, UWB, Wi-Fi Direct), similar to how “Find My” relays location via nearby iPhones.

Now add a twist: • Senders pay a small fee to send a message. • Relaying devices earn a micro-payment (could be tokens, sats, etc.) for carrying the message one hop further. • End-to-end encrypted, fully decentralized, optionally anonymous.

Basically, a “postal network” built on people’s phones, without needing a traditional internet connection. Works best in areas with patchy or no internet, or under censorship.

Obvious challenges: • Latency and reliability (it’s not real-time). • Abuse/spam prevention. • Power consumption and user opt-in. • Viable incentive structures.

What do you think? Is this viable? Any real-world use cases where this might be actually useful — or is it just a neat academic toy?

replies(42): >>44487111 #>>44487126 #>>44487137 #>>44487162 #>>44487174 #>>44487219 #>>44487306 #>>44487401 #>>44487416 #>>44487875 #>>44487918 #>>44487994 #>>44488076 #>>44488351 #>>44488419 #>>44488612 #>>44488911 #>>44488986 #>>44489072 #>>44489735 #>>44489867 #>>44489897 #>>44489908 #>>44490304 #>>44490306 #>>44490405 #>>44490521 #>>44490567 #>>44490746 #>>44491021 #>>44491277 #>>44491800 #>>44491846 #>>44492206 #>>44492341 #>>44493200 #>>44493256 #>>44494750 #>>44494963 #>>44499945 #>>44515267 #>>44523816 #
jacobgkau ◴[] No.44487126[source]
> Works best in areas with patchy or no internet, or under censorship.

The biggest problem I immediately foresee is that this sounds backwards. It doesn't work best in areas with patchy or no internet, it works best in areas with lots of participating devices. It's most needed in areas with patchy or no internet, but those areas are likely to be the opposite of the areas with lots of participating devices.

replies(6): >>44487297 #>>44487298 #>>44487299 #>>44487423 #>>44487841 #>>44489407 #
Dr4kn ◴[] No.44487298[source]
If your country shuts off Internet access for demonstrations this would work great.
replies(6): >>44487588 #>>44488660 #>>44489055 #>>44493949 #>>44496444 #>>44501358 #
ijustlovemath ◴[] No.44489055[source]
Nation states can use the baseband radios to track/monitor you, so it's best to leave your phone at home. You can't disable or observe baseband from the higher level OS.
replies(1): >>44491322 #
1. immibis ◴[] No.44491322[source]
FWIW what people call "baseband" in the context of this particular security flaw is what everyone (including those people) call "cellular modem" in every other context.

On a Pinephone you can turn it off with a physical power switch.

If you really wanted to, on most other phones you could desolder it and throw it in the garbage. You'd need to already have custom firmware on the main CPU (or should I say "application processor" to fit in with the people who say "baseband processor") so it wouldn't crash or lock up when booting.

A little bit less destructive (in case you want to use your cellphone as a cellphone later) would be replacing the antenna with a dummy load.