Apple's proprietary peer-to-peer Wi-Fi protocol, AWDL, offered high bandwidth and low latency, enabling features like AirDrop and AirPlay. However, its reliance on the 5 GHz band clashed with regulatory changes in the EU mandating standardized Wi-Fi Direct for peer-to-peer connections in that spectrum. This effectively forced Apple to abandon AWDL in the EU, impacting performance and user experience for local device interactions. While Apple has adopted Wi-Fi Direct for compliance, the article argues it's a less efficient solution, highlighting the trade-off between regulatory standardization and optimized technological performance.
Apple's imposed limitations hinder the Pebble smartwatch's functionality on iPhones. Features like interactive notifications, sending canned replies, and using the microphone for dictation or voice notes are blocked by Apple's restrictive APIs. While Pebble can display notifications, users can't interact with them directly from the watch, forcing them to pull out their iPhones. This limited integration significantly diminishes the Pebble's usability and convenience for iPhone users, compared to the Apple Watch which enjoys full access to iOS features. The author argues that these restrictions are intentionally imposed by Apple to stifle competition and promote their own smartwatch.
HN commenters largely agree with the author's premise that Apple intentionally crippled Pebble's functionality on iOS. Several users share anecdotes of frustrating limitations, like the inability to reply to messages or use location services effectively. Some point out that Apple's MFi program, while ostensibly about quality control, serves as a gatekeeping mechanism to stifle competition. Others discuss the inherent tension between a closed ecosystem like Apple's and open platforms, noting that Apple prioritizes its own products and services, even if it means a degraded experience for users of third-party devices. A few commenters suggest the limitations are technically unavoidable, but this view is largely dismissed by others who cite examples of better integration on Android. There's also cynicism about Apple's purported security and privacy concerns, with some suggesting these are merely pretexts for anti-competitive behavior.
This paper provides a comprehensive overview of percolation theory, focusing on its mathematical aspects. It explores bond and site percolation on lattices, examining key concepts like critical probability, the existence of infinite clusters, and critical exponents characterizing the behavior near the phase transition. The text delves into various methods used to study percolation, including duality, renormalization group techniques, and series expansions. It also discusses different percolation models beyond regular lattices, like continuum percolation and directed percolation, highlighting their unique features and applications. Finally, the paper connects percolation theory to other areas like random graphs, interacting particle systems, and the study of disordered media, showcasing its broad relevance in statistical physics and mathematics.
HN commenters discuss the applications of percolation theory, mentioning its relevance to forest fires, disease spread, and network resilience. Some highlight the beauty and elegance of the theory itself, while others note its accessibility despite being a relatively advanced topic. A few users share personal experiences using percolation theory in their work, including modeling concrete porosity and analyzing social networks. The concept of universality in percolation, where different systems exhibit similar behavior near the critical threshold, is also pointed out. One commenter links to an interactive percolation simulation, allowing others to experiment with the concepts discussed. Finally, the historical context and development of percolation theory are briefly touched upon.
The blog post "The Miserable State of Modems and Mobile Network Operators" laments the frustrating developer experience of integrating cellular modems into IoT projects. It criticizes the opaque and inconsistent AT command interfaces, the difficult debugging process due to limited visibility into modem operations, and the complex and often expensive cellular data plans offered by MNOs. The author highlights the lack of standardized, developer-friendly tools and documentation, which forces developers to wrestle with legacy technologies and proprietary solutions, ultimately slowing down IoT development and hindering innovation. They argue for a simplified and more accessible ecosystem that empowers developers to leverage cellular connectivity more effectively.
Hacker News commenters largely echoed the author's frustrations with cellular modem integration. Several shared anecdotes of flaky connectivity, opaque documentation, and vendor lock-in issues, particularly with Quectel and SIMCom modems. Some pointed to the lack of proper abstraction layers as a core problem, hindering software portability. The difficulty in obtaining certifications for cellular devices was also highlighted, with some suggesting this complexity benefits larger established players while stifling smaller innovators. A few commenters suggested exploring alternatives like the Nordic Semiconductor nRF91 series or using a Raspberry Pi with a USB cellular dongle for simpler prototyping, while others called for more open-source initiatives in the cellular modem space. Several also discussed the challenges with varying cellular carrier regulations and certification processes internationally. The general sentiment was one of agreement with the article's premise, with many expressing hope for improved developer experience in the future.
A new custom firmware for the PlayStation Portable, called PSP-CFW 6.61 PRO-C Infinity 2, allows the 20-year-old handheld console to connect to modern WPA2 Wi-Fi networks. Previously limited to the outdated WEP encryption, the PSP can now access most current Wi-Fi networks, opening up possibilities for online gaming and other internet-based features on original hardware. This update builds upon existing custom firmware, adding improved compatibility and stability while retaining previous functionality like ISO loading and plugin support.
Hacker News users generally expressed excitement about the WPA2 patch for the PSP, praising the developer for their dedication and skill in reverse-engineering the system. Several commenters reminisced about their experiences with the handheld console and discussed its unique place in gaming history. Some questioned the practical applications given the availability of faster internet on modern devices, while others pointed out the benefits for preservation and playing online games on original hardware. A few highlighted the technical challenges involved in the process, appreciating the developer's deep understanding of the PSP's architecture. The potential for further development, such as implementing WPA3 support, was also mentioned.
Network Address Translation (NAT) presents significant challenges for battery-powered IoT devices aiming for low power consumption. Because devices behind NAT can't be directly addressed from the outside, they must maintain persistent outbound connections to receive data, negating the power-saving benefits of sleep modes. Techniques like keep-alive messages or frequent polling to maintain these connections consume significant energy. This post advocates for solutions that bypass NAT, such as IPv6 with its vast address space enabling globally routable unique addresses for each device, or by employing intermediaries like a message broker positioned outside the NAT. These approaches allow devices to initiate communication only when necessary, drastically reducing power consumption and extending battery life.
Several commenters on Hacker News discussed the challenges of NAT traversal for low-power devices, agreeing with the article's premise. Some suggested solutions like using a TURN server or a lightweight VPN, while others pointed out the benefits of IPv6 in eliminating the need for NAT entirely. One commenter highlighted the trade-offs between power consumption and complexity when implementing these workarounds, and another mentioned the difficulty of managing NAT keepalives with devices that sleep frequently. The issue of scaling these solutions for a large number of devices was also raised. Several users shared personal anecdotes of struggling with similar NAT issues. One commenter proposed a simpler approach involving a central server that all devices could communicate with, bypassing direct peer-to-peer communication and thus avoiding NAT complications altogether.
The article explores using a 9eSIM SIM card to enable eSIM functionality on devices with only physical SIM slots. The 9eSIM card acts as a bridge, allowing users to provision and switch between multiple eSIM profiles on their device through a companion app, effectively turning a physical SIM slot into an eSIM-capable one. The author details their experience setting up and using the 9eSIM with both Android and Linux, highlighting the benefits of managing multiple eSIM profiles without needing a physically dual-SIM device. While the process isn't entirely seamless, particularly on Linux, the 9eSIM offers a practical workaround for using eSIMs on older or incompatible hardware.
Hacker News users discussed the practicality and security implications of using a 9eSIM to bridge the gap between eSIM-only services and devices with physical SIM slots. Some expressed concerns about the security of adding another layer into the communication chain, questioning the trustworthiness of the 9eSIM provider and the potential for vulnerabilities. Others were skeptical of the use case, pointing out that most devices support either physical SIM or eSIM, not both simultaneously, making the 9eSIM's functionality somewhat niche. The lack of open-source firmware for the 9eSIM also drew criticism, highlighting the difficulty in independently verifying its security. A few commenters saw potential in specific situations, such as using the 9eSIM as a backup or for managing multiple eSIM profiles on a single physical SIM device. Overall, the sentiment was cautiously curious, with many acknowledging the cleverness of the solution but remaining hesitant about its real-world security and usefulness.
Summary of Comments ( 49 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43505022
HN commenters largely agree that the EU's regulatory decisions regarding Wi-Fi channels have hampered Apple's AWDL protocol, negatively impacting performance for features like AirDrop and AirPlay. Some point out that Android's nearby share functionality suffers similar issues, further illustrating the broader problem of regulatory limitations stifling local device communication. A few highlight the irony of the EU pushing for interoperability while simultaneously creating barriers with these regulations. Others suggest technical workarounds Apple could explore, while acknowledging the difficulty of navigating these regulations. Several express frustration with the EU's approach, viewing it as hindering innovation and user experience.
The Hacker News post titled "Cross-Platform P2P Wi-Fi: How the EU Killed AWDL" generated a significant discussion with numerous comments exploring the nuances of Apple's AWDL protocol, its regulatory challenges within the EU, and potential alternatives.
Several commenters discussed the technical aspects of AWDL, noting its reliance on the 5 GHz band and the subsequent congestion issues this creates. Some suggested that Apple's decision to utilize this band, while offering benefits for speed and latency, ultimately contributed to its incompatibility with EU regulations regarding channel availability and dynamic frequency selection (DFS). A recurring theme was the perceived lack of flexibility within AWDL to adapt to varying regulatory environments, contrasting it with other peer-to-peer protocols.
The discussion delved into the regulatory landscape within the EU, with some commenters pointing to the complexities and stringent requirements surrounding 5 GHz spectrum usage. The argument was made that these regulations, while designed to prevent interference, might have inadvertently stifled innovation in peer-to-peer technologies like AWDL. Some users shared their experiences of using AWDL-dependent features, like AirDrop and AirPlay, within the EU, highlighting inconsistencies and limitations in functionality.
Alternative technologies and approaches were also explored, with some commenters suggesting that Bluetooth, or other mesh networking protocols, might offer viable solutions for local peer-to-peer communication. The potential for WebRTC, a browser-based real-time communication framework, was also mentioned as a possible cross-platform alternative.
A significant portion of the discussion centered around the perceived motivations behind Apple's decisions regarding AWDL. Some commenters speculated about the strategic implications of a proprietary protocol and the potential benefits for Apple's ecosystem. Others questioned whether technical limitations or regulatory hurdles were the primary drivers behind AWDL's challenges in the EU. There was some disagreement about whether Apple intentionally disregarded EU regulations or simply underestimated the complexities of implementing AWDL in a globally consistent manner.
Several commenters highlighted the broader implications for cross-platform interoperability and the challenges faced by developers seeking to create seamless experiences across different devices and operating systems. The discussion touched upon the tension between innovation and regulation, and the need for a balance that fosters technological advancement while ensuring adherence to established standards and spectrum management practices. The comments generally expressed disappointment at the perceived lack of a readily available, robust, and cross-platform alternative to AWDL, particularly for local peer-to-peer applications.