MiFi Gets an API: A Wifi Hotspot In Your Pocket, With Apps
The product that used to be a personal wifi hotspot in your pocket will now become an API-enabled connectivity hub with apps.
The MiFi portable multi-person wireless router that we first wrote about in December and joined a chorus of positive reviews for in June now allows outside developers to write network-leveraging applications for the battery powered device.
Device manufacturer Novatel Wireless announced the availability of the Application Programming Interface today for both US and European models. (Press release at SlashGear.)
The company hopes that both business and consumer users, developers both novice and advanced, will build MiFi applications as part of the new developer program.
The device may not see an iPhone store's worth of apps, but software that's location, network and socially aware could enable some interesting small-group computing activities on the go. More traditional mobile internet solutions like one-person EVDO could quickly feel shockingly unsophisticated.
On the other hand, the MiFi's small group limitations and web-centric nature may make it a challenge for developers to really come up with a substantial number of exciting applications. None were showcased in the announcement of the API's availability.
A secure, collaborative, shared workspace with local access only by MiFi? That seems like the low hanging fruit. What else would you like to see running on a hotspot in your pocket?
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I want this released in the UK so I can be a walking wifi hub :D
Posted by: Darren Stuart
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July 27, 2009 9:34 AM
Yeah, would be cool! But, I don't expect it would be THAT much of a hit, considering the adoption of mobile broadband has been pretty good, I don't think many would see the need for this!
Posted by: Josh Chandler
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July 27, 2009 9:56 AM
"A secure, collaborative, shared workspace with local access only by MiFi? That seems like the low hanging fruit."
SO low hanging, in fact, that the MiFi already does it - it creates an (encryption-optional) WiFi network.
I don't quite understand what an API for this would be good for.
The clients for this will be smartphones, etc with wifi and web browsers, so this API will be for web apps, correct? What value is there in a temporary and local version of such an app? Access speed? Security?
I keep thinking of things such as sports tournaments, where scoreboards and schedules are immediately available to participants at the venue, but I don't see the value of having it running local rather than on a central web app.
I suppose if you have alot of media being swapped locally, it could be beneficial to have a web app on the LAN to handle that rather than having to have that traffic go upstream.
Nice!
Now just to create an OLSR client for this would allow for cheep DIY mesh networks with portable internet links allowing less traffic looking for a gateway through one tunnel!
I keep thinking of things such as sports tournaments, where scoreboards and schedules are immediately available to participants at the venue, but I don't see the value of having it running local rather than on a central web app.
That is an interesting idea, allowing developers to write programs for this, however it seems unlike the iphone in that there would not be enough demand for this product to make it worth the while for developers.
Hopefully some great apps will soon be released. I'll post news of any new apps at http://buymifi.com