3 ms·

This is huge imo. It is exactly a web interface that can use bluetooth. One of the major problems with the BLE protocol is that there is really no standard clie

by s_m_t 7y ago

This is huge imo. It is exactly a web interface that can use bluetooth. One of the major problems with the BLE protocol is that there is really no standard client for a user to interact with devices. To access on the computer you'd need to download a program, on mobile you would need an app... just to have a meaningful user interface to a BLE device. Its like if you needed to download a new web browser for every website you visit, absolutely ridiculous.

xxs 7y ago
> To access on the computer you'd need to download a program, on mobile you would need an app You say it like it's a bad thing. >Its like if you needed to download a new web browser for every website you visit, absolutely ridiculous. I really do hope websites do not try and enumerate Bluetooth on their right own. I know I'd never enable access to Bluetooth to a browser.
- lapinot 7y ago
  > You say it like it's a bad thing. Actually the web is an OS: it has api for gui, for persistent data, for networking, for all kind of periphericals (gpu, gps, bluetooth) ... The problem you're raising (which i agree with) is that we already have an OS and we'd like to use that one.
- clinta 7y ago
  Looking at the current chrome documentation it does not appear that web BLE offers the ability to enumerate. The browser pops up a dialog allowing the user to grant access to a specific device. I think this is actually superior to the security offered by mobile apps on android, which can enumerate bluetooth devices as soon as they have bluetooth permission.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
reportgunner 7y ago
> To access on the computer you'd need to download a program, on mobile you would need an app Are you suggesting that I don't need to download anything to view a website ? I beg to differ. If you check the article, namely the photo of the phone you can see there's a browser opened from localhost, so something must have been downloaded on the phone.
- nexuist 7y ago
  You only need to download one browser with the proper support to support a million BLE devices. As opposed to downloading 1 app per vendor/product, each of which has its own attack surface and special way of doing things that may or may not support your specific hardware implementation.
swiley 7y ago
> One of the major problems with the BLE protocol is that there is really no standard client for a user to interact with devices. Yeah there is, it’s called screen.

by s_m_t 7y ago

xxs 7y ago

> To access on the computer you'd need to download a program, on mobile you would need an app You say it like it's a bad thing. >Its like if you needed to download a new web browser for every website you visit, absolutely ridiculous. I really do hope websites do not try and enumerate Bluetooth on their right own. I know I'd never enable access to Bluetooth to a browser.

lapinot 7y ago
> You say it like it's a bad thing. Actually the web is an OS: it has api for gui, for persistent data, for networking, for all kind of periphericals (gpu, gps, bluetooth) ... The problem you're raising (which i agree with) is that we already have an OS and we'd like to use that one.
clinta 7y ago
Looking at the current chrome documentation it does not appear that web BLE offers the ability to enumerate. The browser pops up a dialog allowing the user to grant access to a specific device. I think this is actually superior to the security offered by mobile apps on android, which can enumerate bluetooth devices as soon as they have bluetooth permission.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

reportgunner 7y ago

> To access on the computer you'd need to download a program, on mobile you would need an app Are you suggesting that I don't need to download anything to view a website ? I beg to differ. If you check the article, namely the photo of the phone you can see there's a browser opened from localhost, so something must have been downloaded on the phone.

nexuist 7y ago
You only need to download one browser with the proper support to support a million BLE devices. As opposed to downloading 1 app per vendor/product, each of which has its own attack surface and special way of doing things that may or may not support your specific hardware implementation.

swiley 7y ago

> One of the major problems with the BLE protocol is that there is really no standard client for a user to interact with devices. Yeah there is, it’s called screen.