Stepping into the 21st century has brought unprecedented technological advanced coupled with uncertainty. Cellular phones are getting smaller and are packing more and more features, but in the time of need, cell phones are required for just one thing: prompt communication.
When hurricane Sandy struck the New Jersey coastline in 2012, there was havoc. A city so densely packed with network coverage suddenly lost its connectivity. The loss and suffering that came with this was regrettable. Daniela Perdomo took this as an eye opener and came up with a plan for a gadget that could help people communicate in emergencies- thus the GoTenna was conceived.
This small baton like device is very unique and powerful. By creating a GoTenna network, you can connect your Smartphone to the device and send messages even out of network coverage. One-on-one messaging can be done as well as group messaging which allows greater chances of a rescue. Unlike Bluetooth which can only work in a 20 feet radius or a radio transmitter which is easily intercepted, GoTenna is a safe and reliable alternative. GoTenna communications security is guaranteed by the usage of RSA 1024 encryption to code messages.
It’s easy to see that the biggest market of GoTenna is going to be the adventure addicted crowd, forever entangled in the wilderness where there isn’t much network coverage assurance. Perdomo, the Co-Founder and CEO of GoTenna admits that the communication device is aimed to attract mountain climbers, trekkers, bikers, and any other daredevils going into the wild.
The NSA surveillance hype also greatly favors GoTenna as it can easily be used to circumvent tight government surveillance in dictatorships or emergencies. GoTenna messages never go online and are hence impossible to intercept without high-grade radio scanners. Its most interesting market is the large group of people who seriously anticipate the zombie apocalypse and are preparing for it!
GoTenna is the latest addition to the cellular family and seems to have a very promising future. The official GoTenna website has started taking orders and has priced two GoTenna devices at $150. So hurry up and book your GoTenna now!
Great idea, but read their own FAQ. As it sits right now, the goTenna has an effective range of just 20 feet! Personally, as a hiker and backpacker, to even consider spending $150.00 on the goTenna, it would have to have a range of at least 2 miles, bare minimum. For example, for $38.00 I can get a pair of walkie-talkies with not only an 18 mile range but also with a weather alert feature. Keep working guys, the idea of direct, encrypted bluetooth in the boonies is a great idea, but you must work on that range! – Paul
I think you misread the FAQs! The phone needs to be within 20 ft of the goTenna so that the devices can pair through bluetooth! Each goTenna can get a range of way over 20 ft!
So, what IS the range then? Can a person in Halifax, Nova Scotia connect to someone in Miami, Florida? If everyone had one of these, could we make an ad-hoc network that could replace the cellular providers (and their monthly bill)?
I’m afraid the article was very thin on technical details.