goTenna is a 50 mile radio extender for your Bluetooth communications

When I was little, things like cell phones were still in the realm of science fiction, but the desire to be able to communicate with our friends was already present - which made Walkie-Talkies one of the most desirable items we could hope for on Christmas. That's precisely the feeling this goTenna brought back in me.

Sure, today we carry powerful smartphones, but for many things, all that power is only possible as long as you're connected to the cell network. If you're in a remote area you'll suddenly be cut out from the world, and you won't be able to even send a message with your current location. Some apps have tried to escape from cell dependency creating their own mesh WiFi networks - like FireChat - but those still have a ver limited range. Hence...

This goTenna is a small transceiver that allows you to send messages to your friends even without cell, or WiFi coverage. You connect to it via Bluetooth, and it relays your messages using radio, allowing you reach people over 50 miles away (under ideal conditions). Even in non-ideal conditions you should safely be ablte to get a couple of miles, which is far more than you'd get using your smartphone alone.

I find the concept to be really interesting, particularly if you spend most of your times outdoors and remote locations. In fact, I can't really believe no one had thought of this before.

Right now, a pair of goTennas is available at 50% discount, $149.99 for a pair.