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As anyone who's used it knows, CB radio is very much unlike anything you can do with a smartphone[1][2], so I argue it should go in the second list at the end o

As anyone who's used it knows, CB radio is very much unlike anything you can do with a smartphone[1][2], so I argue it should go in the second list at the end of the article, where the author talks about things that can't be replaced by a smartphone. [1] notice how CB radios can still be bought at major retailers such as this one, one of the largest in my country https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/4wd-recovery/uhf-cb-vhf-radios https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/4wd-recovery/uhf-cb-vhf-ra... (the same can't be said of cassette recorders or answering machines or VHS camcorders) [2] there were many attempts to make smartphone apps where you can communicate with people that are physically around you. These never picked up steam and the two examples I remember are now defunct (I can't remember the names, I will update this post if I find them) EDIT: the apps in question were called Highlight app and Glancee app. Highlight: https://parislemon.com/post/18994363772/meeting-people-is-easy-remembering-them-is-hard https://parislemon.com/post/18994363772/meeting-people-is-ea... https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/08/highlight2x/ https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/08/highlight2x/ Glancee still has a website, but it no longer exists as a standalone app as they were acquired by Facebook many years ago: https://glancee.com/ https://glancee.com/

Hobadee 1y ago
Not quite CB but similar; as a Ham radio operator, I can do Ham radio on my phone. (EchoLink)
masternight 1y ago
I'm in the same country. Another big reason to use a CB over a phone is that it's illegal to touch a phone while driving. No such restriction applies to CB radios. The tech is very much alive and well.
gbraad 1y ago
For those that are unfamiliar. In short it is a push-to-talk broadcast, public channel, communication. CB stands for Citizen Band. In Europe, I remember the same frequency, 27 MHz being used for early RC cars. Not sure if EU truck drivers used this too, but it is available and caused runaway RC cars as it was unreliable to use that band. 40Mhz didn't have that issue, but perhaps it was not allowed for regular/unlicensed use...
- foresto 1y ago
  Related: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Radio_Service https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Radio_Service
  - rjsw 1y ago
    And PMR446 [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMR446 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMR446
- throw-qqqqq 1y ago
  > In Europe, I remember the same frequency, 27 MHz being used for early RC cars. Not sure if EU truck drivers used this too I know they used to at least. 20 years ago I worked vacations as a courier. My boss installed a 27MHz radio in my truck, because the local truckers would warn about police raids etc. on it.
epolanski 1y ago
> there were many attempts to make smartphone apps where you can communicate with people that are physically around you As someone who has worked in the area: safety was a nightmare, in the sense of "be a woman visible on a distance-based chat".
smackeyacky 1y ago
In theory you could make a Bluetooth 5 app that works like those Cardo motorcycle intercoms (2 to 20 riders on the same conversation over BLE I think). I should look into it.
firesteelrain 1y ago
CB radio being closely related to ham radio arguably could be replaced with the Echolink app on your iPhone. Or one of the SDRs like WebSDR or KiwiSDR (listening only)

Hobadee 1y ago

Not quite CB but similar; as a Ham radio operator, I can do Ham radio on my phone. (EchoLink)

masternight 1y ago

I'm in the same country. Another big reason to use a CB over a phone is that it's illegal to touch a phone while driving. No such restriction applies to CB radios. The tech is very much alive and well.

gbraad 1y ago

For those that are unfamiliar. In short it is a push-to-talk broadcast, public channel, communication. CB stands for Citizen Band. In Europe, I remember the same frequency, 27 MHz being used for early RC cars. Not sure if EU truck drivers used this too, but it is available and caused runaway RC cars as it was unreliable to use that band. 40Mhz didn't have that issue, but perhaps it was not allowed for regular/unlicensed use...

foresto 1y ago
Related: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Radio_Service https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Radio_Service
- rjsw 1y ago
  And PMR446 [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMR446 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMR446
throw-qqqqq 1y ago
> In Europe, I remember the same frequency, 27 MHz being used for early RC cars. Not sure if EU truck drivers used this too I know they used to at least. 20 years ago I worked vacations as a courier. My boss installed a 27MHz radio in my truck, because the local truckers would warn about police raids etc. on it.

epolanski 1y ago

> there were many attempts to make smartphone apps where you can communicate with people that are physically around you As someone who has worked in the area: safety was a nightmare, in the sense of "be a woman visible on a distance-based chat".

smackeyacky 1y ago

In theory you could make a Bluetooth 5 app that works like those Cardo motorcycle intercoms (2 to 20 riders on the same conversation over BLE I think). I should look into it.

firesteelrain 1y ago

CB radio being closely related to ham radio arguably could be replaced with the Echolink app on your iPhone. Or one of the SDRs like WebSDR or KiwiSDR (listening only)