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GoTenna
can
relay
your
messages
when
there's
no cell
tower
signal
available
By
Claudia
Lugo -
Tech
Reporter
Tell Us
USA News
Network
DETROIT
- On of
the most
troubling
moments
in the
course
of a day
is
losing
connection
to a
cell
tower.
Regardless
if you
are
camping
in the
woods
biking
on a
country
road or
visiting
the
grandparents
at their
farm,
chances
are you
won’t
have
cellular
access,
and that
can be
crucial
if
you’re
ever in
a pinch.
GoTenna,
a
Brooklyn
company
has
developed
a way to
help
with
mesh
networking
technology
and
long-range
radio
waves.
The
company
has
launching
its
second
product,
GoTenna
Mesh,
exclusively
on
Kickstarter.
The
product
is a
smaller
variant
of the
original
GoTenna
— both
let you
send
messages
via an
app and
share
your
location
on
offline
maps
without
the need
for
cellular
service.
Both
devices
connect
to your
Android
or iOS
smartphone
via
Bluetooth
Low
Energy
and
communicate
with
each
other
via
radio
frequencies.
GoTenna
Mesh
searches
for
frequencies
in the
ultrahigh
frequency
(UHF)
spectrum,
whereas
the
original
GoTenna
uses
waves in
the very
high
frequency
(VHF)
spectrum.
The
GoTenna
is
pretty
stylish
and
well-designed
for
something
that's
supposed
to
endure
rugged
outdoor
environments.
Roughly
the size
of a
candy
bar, the
GoTenna's
aluminum
and
polycarbonate
exterior
is
water-
and
dust-resistant.
It
includes
a
retractable
antenna
that
turns
the
device
on and
off, as
well as
a nylon
strap
that
allows
you to
attach
it to a
backpack,
tent, or
jacket.
It's
certainly
slim
enough
to fit
in a
pocket,
too.
The app
will be
familiar
to
anyone
who's
ever
used an
iPhone—a
simple
messaging
interface
for
pairs or
entire
groups
of
GoTenna
users.
Owners
also
have
access
to free
offline
maps
that are
designed
with
familiar
functionality.
What
makes
the Mesh
unique
is
its way
to get
around
obstructions
via a
relay —
this
requires
another
GoTenna
user,
though.
If
point-to-point
messages
aren’t
sending,
Mesh
will
automatically
find the
nearest
GoTenna
device
to relay
your
message
to the
recipient.
The
person
who is
used as
a relay
will
never
see the
message,
and
won’t
even
know his
or
her GoTenna
was
used.
The
point
with
GoTenna
and Mesh
is
“people-powered
connectivity”
—
meaning
the more
people
use the
device,
the
better
it gets.
The
Good:
GoTenna
works
flawlessly
to send
messages
between
phones
when
you're
without
a cell
signal.
The
rugged
design
holds up
well to
the
elements.
The Bad:
Compared
to many
basic
two-way
radios,
the
price is
steep.
The
rechargeable
battery
means
you'll
need a
power
source
for
longer
excursions
or
emergency
situations.
The
Bottom
Line:
Like a
modern
walkie-talkie,
GoTenna
keeps
your
smartphone
in touch
with
friends
and
family
nearby
even
when
there's
no
wireless
coverage
-- but
everyone
needs
one of
the
gadgets,
and it
costs
some
serious
scratch.
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