It's been a long journey: #tincan
But we have arrived.
TinCan is now available for download in the Google Play store. It is free.
If you are not yet familiar, TinCan is a one-to-many text messaging app that doesn't use the internet or cellular service. Instead, messages hop from phone to phone over WiFi tethering. TinCan is normally a very inefficient messaging platform. However, it should work well in populated areas such as a festival, conference, or similar gathering. As TinCan doesn't use the internet or cellular service, it could be useful where these services are lost, as in a natural distaster, or blocked, as in a protest. The TinCan project started as an idea in this post.
Thank you to everyone that helped make a ridiculous idea into a reality. In particular:
steve for making our kickstarter video,
JakobVirgil (yes you) for getting the ball rolling,
insomniasexx for saving the project and getting us here,
and to KVH, who volunteered a rare skillset and a lot of time.
Also, thank you to everyone that supported and promoted the Kickstarter.
Here is a general FAQ:
How do I exchange messages with other TinCan users? To the outside observer Tin-Can looks like a wifi-hotspot with the ssid TinCan_(randomID). When one TinCan finds another TinCan, they automatically exchange those messages they do not have in common.
How does TinCan identify users? TinCan doesn't identify users for delivery. Each message has a sender, and if you subscribe to that sender, the message will display if it hops onto your phone.
How are messages connected to the sender? TinCan messages contain the username, a timestamp, and the message itself. You username is followed by a unique ID. For example mk_844da is my username. You can reset and overwrite your username at any time.
How will messages appear on my TinCan? Messages are public, and you can read messages going through your phone, making the experience akin to Twitter or IRC. You can either view all messages passing through your phone, or only those from users you subscribe to.
How long are messages stored on my phone? Currently messages have a lifetime of 90 days.
How many characters can a TinCan message be? 220 characters.
What is the range of TinCan? 100 ft. is a good estimate, but it will depend on the phone. I just successfully tested it at 120 ft. and ran out of hallway.
What devices is TinCan compatible with? TinCan should work on phones with Android version 4.0 or higher. Let us know if it doesn't. As TinCan is a bit unconventional, every new device is a potential wildcard. On some phones, you may need to turn on WiFi before booting TinCan. We don't have immediate plans for iOS, and we aren't sure if it will be allowed. We are going to start with Android, and see what comes.
We plan that there will be updates to improve functionality, and/or to address bugs. You can contact me or insomniasexx here, or send feedback to tincanapp@gmail.com.
Awesome. Let me know how it goes. I think I will be starting a post with a list of TC usernames so people can add theirs, and maybe their general location if they like. People could save the post for reference. Maybe we can add TinCan exchanges too, if people want to meet up and get some messages moving about.
I would so do this! But I live in the country, seldom leave the house, and don't have an Android. A question though, can messages be exchanged/updated from passing cars?
Keibler, I'd like to recommend that you make the Restore The Fourth community aware of the Tin-Can app. It's one way to ensure that the powers that be aren't seeing your info and it could come in handy at future protests etc. Also, hope you are doing well!
Just wondering why you guys made this free? It seems like a breakthrough idea, and I think someone else is probably going to steal it and monetize it. Congratulations on getting it completed. My comment is not mean't to be negative, just trying to work through all the angles.
And it begins. :) Ok. insomniasexx and I will pass all this along. As noted, some phones will only boot if WiFi is turned on first. Please try this. I think so. It's bound to be a bumpy start though. Although we got it working on a number of phones and tablets, it is clear that each new phone could present issues. This isn't a functional space that is well preserved between phones. We will be updating for sure.Edit: Off-Topic of this comment, there is far to much potential for this application...
Sounds like a master/slave issue (my favorite psuedo-sexual issue of them all!) but it's weird that you are getting the messages at all. Follow mk's steps. Basically, if you can get her to be your slave it might fix the issue. :D
Ok. Check it insomniasexx. If you have the time, turn off both TC apps. Restart the wifi on each, then turn on yours first, then hers.
maybe theadvancedapes can test it with you when you are 100 ft apart someone on UT campus or in the downtown area. I only have a stupid phone or I'd volunteer.
Interesting. If you can post a screenshot, that would be great. We are currently working on HTC One issues for the next update. What Android version do you have? Does your Wifi turn on? Most HTC One's we found simply won't boot successfully. If you really want to be a big help, if you could open TC and send your log (logcat) to us at tincanapp@gmail.com, it would be awesome. I used the free app Log Viewer. Which is very straight forward. NBD if you can't. At any rate, an update will be released soon. We were hoping for today, but one issue remains unresolved as I write this.
Congratulations! This could change a lot. I wonder if I'm the first European user to install it? Anyway, when I open the app, I get a notification stuck in my notification bar, telling me I am tethering wifi, and touching the notification makes me go to my Settings app where I can turn it off. I can't seem to get rid of the notification, is this normal? I'd love to let it run in the background. Galaxy Nexus, 4.2.1.
Not currently, as the battery drain will be pretty harsh. Perhaps in an update we could make an background option that looked infrequently. EDIT: Now I see what you mean. Yes, that will persist.Maybe I was wrong in assuming this would be something you'd just run in the background, I thought that was part of it.