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[telecom] Smartphone? Presto! 2-Way Radio

Smartphone? Presto! 2-Way Radio

By DAVID POGUE September 5, 2012

Cave drawings, smoke signals, letters, Pony Express, telegrams, phone calls, text messages. From the dawn of civilization, man has experimented with different modes of communication, each with pros and cons. Smoke signals, for example, contribute to far fewer car accidents than text messages. Text messages, on the other hand, leave much less soot.

You might think that we've exhausted every variation on electronic communication - text, audio, video - but you'd be wrong. A new one is quietly winning over millions of gadget fans. They're free apps with names like Voxer, HeyTell and Zello, and they really do mess with the rules of the game.

Nobody's settled on a good name for this communications category. But if we call them voice-texting apps, or walkie-talkie apps, you'll get the idea.

They work on iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches, Android phones and Windows phones. You open the app, tap someone's name, hold down the big Talk button and speak. A second after you start talking - yes, even before you're finished - your voice bursts to life, extremely clearly, on your friend's phone, wherever it may be in the world.

Your buddy can respond to you by pressing his own Talk button, and the conversation is under way.

Now, before you roll your eyes - "These youngsters today! Why do they need so many different ways to talk!?" - consider all the ways these apps improve on existing modes of chat.

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Reply to
Monty Solomon
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As seen last week in the NY Times:

Astounding. Yet another amazing new digital technology. Who would have ever even thought it possible? A box that magically transmits your voice using radio waves, and then, through a system of networked repeaters, it can be heard on another box at a distant location. This is absolutely the most amazing new thing I have seen in decades.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the news media, which does an excellent job of keeping us informed about all this new technology.

Just think how hard the previous generations had it. For example, prior to 1972 there were no Bic lighters. I am old enough to remember those times - sitting around freezing in the dark, eating uncooked food. We really have come a long way.

Jim Bennett ================================================== Speaking from a secure undisclosed location.

Reply to
Jim Bennett

Don't be too hard on them: the paper is going to be printed anyway, and they'd be fools not to try to fill it with their messages instead of letting some other company hype a different product.

To the tweenagers who are the primary market for smartphones, it /is/ a new technology. It's all relative.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Horne

Bill Horne wrote: :On 9/14/2012 7:01 AM, Jim Bennett wrote: :> As seen last week in the NY Times: :>>

:>> They work on iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches, Android phones and Windows :>> phones. You open the app, tap someone's name, hold down the big Talk :>> button and speak. A second after you start talking - yes, even before :>> you're finished - your voice bursts to life, extremely clearly, on :>> your friend's phone, wherever it may be in the world. :>>

:>> Your buddy can respond to you by pressing his own Talk button, and :>> the conversation is under way. :>> :>

:> Astounding. Yet another amazing new digital technology. Who would have :> ever even thought it possible? A box that magically transmits your :> voice using radio waves, and then, through a system of networked :> repeaters, it can be heard on another box at a distant location. This :> is absolutely the most amazing new thing I have seen in decades. :>

:> We owe a debt of gratitude to the news media, which does an excellent :> job of keeping us informed about all this new technology. :>

:> Just think how hard the previous generations had it. For example, prior :> to 1972 there were no Bic lighters. I am old enough to remember those :> times - sitting around freezing in the dark, eating uncooked food. We :> really have come a long way.

:Don't be too hard on them: the paper is going to be printed anyway, and :they'd be fools not to try to fill it with their messages instead of :letting some other company hype a different product.

:To the tweenagers who are the primary market for smartphones, it /is/ a :new technology. It's all relative.

Median age of a smartphone buyer is about forty.

Reply to
David Scheidt

Buyer or user? Source?

Reply to
Mike Ryan

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