New Android app with peer-to-peer offline sharing for OER

[Mike Dawson]

Hi everyone,

Ustad Mobile has recently developed a new open source Android app to simplify offline access to open educational resources. The app uses a combination of bluetooth and WiFi Direct to enable offline content sharing directly between devices (even when there is no wireless access point).

A short video showing the app is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPRwfk6lmlQ

Google Play download here:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.toughra.ustadmobile

Source code (and direct APK release files) on GitHub:

https://www.github.com/UstadMobile/UstadMobile

News article:

https://www.thenational.ae/business/generation-start-up-ustad-mobile-helps-those-living-remotely-access-digital-learning-1.944740

We are looking for testers, content and translators. We already have Khan Academy, African Storybooks, Storyweaver, and PHET (amongst others) in the library.

Many thanks,

-Mike

[John Gilmore]

The UstadMobile app claims to be AGPL licensed, but this page says
it can only be used "free of charge" by individuals and organizations
with less than 500 users:

https://www.ustadmobile.com/lms/services/

Such a restriction is incompatible with the AGPL license.

I looked for documentation on the wireless protocol or even on how to
run the application, and didn't find anything. For example, is the
protocol compatible with Apple's 10-year-old AirDrop protocol, which has
been reverse-engineered? If not, why not?

It looks from outside like the app needs to be customized for every
different collection of data that people might want to share offline.
Why would anybody build an app like that, as opposed to a general
purpose offline file sharing app? It would be like having a web browser
that can only connect you to one website...

John