Back in 2006, there was a fatal shooting in Montreal that made the news. It happened at Dawson College, which was one minute away on foot from another called Marianopolis College.
Since the
two colleges were very close, and
separated by a small forest,
the
police closed down the entrances of both, and of course, it was panic everywhere. Incidentally, parents
and friends
were hearing the news all
over the city and
beyond, and the cellular
networks serving our area were literally swarmed by thousands
of calls and
messages. That was the very first
time we experienced a communication cut-off
in a crisis because of the network's
overuse.
My example is not the best one in terms of catastrophes,
but when you think of forever feared names
like Sandy, Katrina, Ike and Arthur (sorry for people named those...), and of the hundreds
of thousands of people desperately trying to get in touch
with someone, anyone, and they
couldn't because either
the networks
were way overused, or cellular towers
were literally flying in the winds, then you know what situations I am
referring to.
We're, as you know, extremely dependent on our smartphones today, so much so that if they stop working we find ourselves utterly
lost and vulnerable. What are we supposed to do when
we're let down by cellular
towers!? Well, Daniela and Jorge Perdomo, a sister-brother team
built a start-up in Brooklyn,
N.Y. resolute on finding an answer
to just that question. Together they launched a remote-control-sized
device called the goTenna
(see picture). What does it do?
Simply put, it uses long-range radio signals to send and receive encrypted
text messages without passing through
cellular networks!
There's no power around, no
cellular network and no WiFi. Whether you find yourself in the midst of a natural
(or otherwise) catastrophe, or on the less
gloomy side, you simply went
on a hike with some friends or to a concert,
and
you have no reception
to be able to communicate with someone else, as
long as two people have the
goTenna with them, they can keep
in touch using radio signals! Ingenious
isn't it? The device
is battery-powered; it can last
30 hours
of use, or 18 months
in standby. At an altitude of 10 meters, it has a range of
about 2 kilometers, and at
150 meters, around 40 kilometers. It connects to both iOS- and Android- operated
devices through Bluetooth,
and is small enough to fit in a purse, a
backpack or a suitcase.
Although it's currently being reviewed by the U.S.
telecom regulator (the FCC), it's already possible to pre-order
it on the
goTenna website (with the all-too-likeable motto: "No Service? - No
Problem!") for $149 US per pair!
Interesting right? What are your thoughts? Full story here: GoTenna lets smartphones
send texts without cell
service, WiFi - Technology & Science -
CBC News
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