Screenshot: goTenna
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As Perdomo told me, a smartphone's bluetooth sends the message to the goTenna external hard drive (equipped with a BluetoothLE data interface), which converts it into an RS signal through a 2-watt radio. The smartphone on the other end then converts the RS signal back into a bluetooth signal, so the message can be read."Using either an Android or IOS app, you enter a message, and direct it to an individual or group," said Perdomo. "Everyone's username is associated with a number. We recommend phone numbers so that users can find each other through their contact lists, but if you want to be anonymous, we can generate a random string for you so that it's encrypted."Some see it as an engine for Bitcoin transactions, while another person said they would like to build a "totally private Grindr" on the goTenna platform.
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"When you're outdoors hiking in the middle of nowhere or skiing, this enables you to communicate with others you've been separated from," Perdomo said. "Cell towers can become overtaxed at music festivals, so this becomes a solution. It's also good for traveling with other people abroad, especially when you want to communicate or coordinate with travel mates without paying roaming fees."Perdomo also said that goTenna should not just be seen as off-grid communication, but a tool for those who want to go off-grid."Because it's completely decentralized, end-to-end encrypted, with messages that self-destruct upon reading and anonymous ID, well, the possibilities for private communication are endless," she said. "We've had activists of all kinds reach out to us for access to goTenna.""There is also it's potential in emergency preparation, what I affectionately call the A-to-Z market—apocalypse to zombies," Perdomo said. "And finally, people who may want to build on goTenna as a platform, via our development kits and SDK, to figure out other uses for our tech."People have already asked goTenna for access to development kits for a wide variety of ventures. Some imagine using it for wireless door locks, while others want to deploy it for LARPing (live action role playing games). Still others see it as an engine for Bitcoin transactions, while another person said they would like to build a "totally private Grindr" on the goTenna platform.
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