Beeper’s Potential: Redefining Messaging Dynamics
In a Promethean act, a company called Beeper has successfully reverse-engineered Apple iMessage, opening up the private protocol for the world.
What this could mean
While Android users are already enjoying “blue message bubbles”, the implications extend deeper: we might see a flood of apps sending iMessages in the near future. That’s significant for software products since the much-used SMS protocol is slow and unpredictable (we’ve found this to be the case with some of our clients). Might we see iMessaging-as-a-service? We can’t imagine Apple is a fan, though some have speculated fighting it could inadvertently block actual iPhones. Apple recently embraced the cross-platform RCS protocol, a stark departure from previous statements. The walled-garden days of Apple Messaging might be coming to an end.
Predictions
Some of you users of Twilio (often used to send text-messages from apps) have noticed new registration requirements - EIN numbers, business addresses, etc. One must conclude these bubbled down from regulation agencies fighting rampant SMS spam. If history repeats itself, it’s only a matter of time before we’re being iMessage-spammed to change our bank passwords on suspect links. That will mean more hoops to jump through for the rest of us, of course.
Drop us a line if you’d like to learn more about the possibility of sending iMessage alerts.
New Features & Demos
A sneak peak at programmatic iMessage
PyPush, designed to reverse-engineer iMessages has given us the iMessage functionality through the command line! This might be suitable for integration into various applications. As per its creator, the tool is capable of registering as a new device on an Apple ID, establishing encryption keys, and facilitating the sending and receiving of iMessages. Here are some messages we sent!
Festive Upgrade on Flowty.io
A festive spirit and a little bit of CSS earned Flowty much praise from its users.
Check out their holiday landing page here and be sure to wear boots!
What Caught Our Eye
- Google’s Latest AI Model: Gemini: If you haven’t used Bard in a while, Google just released a model called Gemini which is “their most powerful yet”.
- Firefox is in trouble:: The latest data pegs them at a 2.2% market share; if it slides below 2%, the US government may no longer support, accelerating the browser duopoly.
- Beware of Fake Browser Updates: The oldest scam in the book has a sneaky new makeover.
- Apple and Google confirm governments spy on users: It’s probably best to assume the government can snoop on data your data.
- Toll Fraud is a growing menace: We delve into some custom software approaches to help you stay protected and save thousands