3 ms·

I can agree with the device being too bulky. However, if it survives EMP and your smartphone obviously doesn't, it will win against any kind of paper you can ca

I can agree with the device being too bulky. However, if it survives EMP and your smartphone obviously doesn't, it will win against any kind of paper you can carry hands down. If it has offline openstreetmap, wikipedia and other literature - such as medical reference, geodesic data, books on how to prepare shelter, cook food in extreme conditions, craft materials, etc. then it is an extremely useful device. I still think it should be 5x as compact and support charging from a solar cell while staying watertight, but the premise is solid. p.s.: how to evaluate usefulness - imagine you're trapped in Azovsteel and have no internet but access to sunlight, supplies are slowly running out and you need to learn how to better treat water so it can be consumed, treat wounds and repair equipment - if you have a device prepared for this, it raises your chances of survival. p.p.s.: IRL, however, defenders and civilians in Azovsteel have ways to procure electricity which allows them to use Starlink so everyday smartphones work quite well.

dividedbyzero 4y ago
> if it survives EMP and your smartphone obviously doesn't Wouldn't it be much easier to shield a smartphone? Those are much more compact after all. You can buy foil-lined pouches that are intended for preventing mobile devices from connecting to the network that might work against an EMP as well – at least as well as the device from TFA, which from the picture appears to have a rather large gap where both halves connect.
FerretFred 4y ago
Maybe plug in a software-defined radio and antenna: possibly helpful for scanning frequencies for useful/helpful broadcasts.
- tablespoon 4y ago
  > Maybe plug in a software-defined radio and antenna: possibly helpful for scanning frequencies for useful/helpful broadcasts. That's actually the only decent use case I've heard for something like this. It still probably pretty low on the list of priorities, but it's not so obviously useless as the other ideas to justify it.

dividedbyzero 4y ago

> if it survives EMP and your smartphone obviously doesn't Wouldn't it be much easier to shield a smartphone? Those are much more compact after all. You can buy foil-lined pouches that are intended for preventing mobile devices from connecting to the network that might work against an EMP as well – at least as well as the device from TFA, which from the picture appears to have a rather large gap where both halves connect.

FerretFred 4y ago

Maybe plug in a software-defined radio and antenna: possibly helpful for scanning frequencies for useful/helpful broadcasts.

tablespoon 4y ago
> Maybe plug in a software-defined radio and antenna: possibly helpful for scanning frequencies for useful/helpful broadcasts. That's actually the only decent use case I've heard for something like this. It still probably pretty low on the list of priorities, but it's not so obviously useless as the other ideas to justify it.