Say hello to a new free messaging app called FireChat, a mobile messaging application that allows smartphone users to communicate with each other even in the lack of a proper Internet connection or a cellular service. It became available for iPhones around two weeks ago and so far, it is considered a strike of genius, as it not only uses an interesting technology – wireless mesh networking – but it also has a tremendous important range of future applications. Basically the free FireChat app allows users to stay in touch even in those remote areas where Wi – Fi connection is scarce or broken, enabling online communication without even having to pay for access. We are talking about areas damaged by natural catastrophes, war zones, remote places on the planet where free communication is censored and controlled or about people who need to stay in touch in a more secure, effective and affordable way.
The makers of the free FireChat app are envisioning the rise of a new era, with wireless mesh networking being capable of connecting a handful of devices between each other using built – in radios, and we are talking about thousands of devices being tied together with no fuss, no cellular service and no mandatory Internet connection. The next best thing coming from this daring and visionary start-up is the making of the free FireChat app compatible with Android – powered devices. While statistics show around a million IOS users already embracing the FireChat, Google is also very interested in bringing the mesh networking technology to its own customers, in its never-ending effort of making everybody in the world come online. And given the differences between Apple users’ demographics and Android users’ demographics, chances are that the latter to be more than happy with this new free FireChat app.
While the technology is still far from being what it is supposed to be so far, as there are still a lot of limitations to it, the free FireChat app doesn’t save any content that was delivered from one user to another, while it preserves the user’s anonymity. However, there is hope that the new tech will ease communications in the future and even save some lives.