idea/findsky.md
edited
1# Findsky
2
3A concept for a [Find My](https://www.apple.com/icloud/find-my/) replacement built on the [ATProto](https://atproto.com). Please note, this is just a concept and may never come to exist. I am sure there are glaring security risks in the ideas I'm outlining below; if you have a comment, please make an issue or email me if you want to talk about it: [jordan@reger.co](mailto:jordan@reger.co).
4
5## Overview
6
7Findsky is made up of a very simple app - one that runs in the background, recording location data and sending it to the control server while also providing a view for other people's locations if they're shared with you - and a control server, primarily built on the AT Protocol to store the data. The primary benefit of building this on top of the AT Protocol is to make identity central and data distributed.
8
9## Future plans
10
11The future of Findsky, after a theoretical POC is made (and private data on the ATProto is realized), would look something like this:
12
13- You could share your location with your friends and family across the globe, regardless of device choice
14- Potential AirTag/other location devices integration?
15- Timed location sharing (e.g. sharing with a coworker for an hour so you can meet for lunch)
16
17## Research topics
18
19- Location service that works without Google Play Services (so it works on GrapheneOS)
20- Jetpack Compose and Material You (Expressive?)
21- Security on the AT Protocol
22- OpenStreetMap, specifically in an Android app
23
24## Implementation notes
25
26Some example NSIDs could be:
27- **network.findsky.location**: the actual latitude/longitude pair
28- **network.findsky.device.\***: a potential NSID for when devices are supported
29
30The UI would be fairly similar to Apple's Find My application, except instead of adding an iCloud email, you could enter someone's handle instead.