connect via Bluetooth
With that limited range, cannot they just lift their heads and talk with each other directly?
My take is that a group of connected users creates a network that is as large as the group, as long as every member of the group stays in range of at least one other member. So instead of point-to-point, you might relay through my phone, to some other guy, and finally to your target.
Basically, the idea is to create an ad-hoc network among willing participants.
That said, I'm not sure why Bluetooth is better for this than WiFi, other than the fact that an app probably doesn't have the rights to modify the device's WiFi settings, so a new communications protocol was created for Bluetooth.
>> With that limited range, cannot they just lift their heads and talk with each other directly?
a) probably, but that would be audible and you’d be easy to identify
b) multiple people yelling at each other would lower the signal to noise ratio
c) you could extend the reach via multiple message hops
d) designed for use where people density is high. I believe hong kong would satisfy that constraint. :-)
With that limited range, cannot they just lift their heads and talk with each other directly?
Have you seen the size of this protest ?
As to the technology, it basically turns each phone into a micro ‘well tower’ as long as one of the phones can reach the next, you have comm. through all the phones
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/516571/build-your-own-internet-with-mobile-mesh-networking/