Lets create the PineCom
Sorry if anyone has already written this, but at the moment I can't read through all these posts.

my first thoughts. I'll elaborate on case use at the bottom.

this device is not really necessary, UNLESS:

1. It was marketed more for large businesses to communicate with each other over the same network over specific wifi protocol. Immediately I think of churches, theaters, stages, conference halls, hotels, casinos, large corporate businesses with multiple areas that need lots of interdepartment comms, etc.
2. It was specifically marketed to work over wifi protocol, NOT channeled RF, which is important for churches, stages, conference halls, etc. I'll elaborate.
3. Has a WIRED AND WIRELESS (bluetooth?) headphone/headset with mic option. Very important, and would help with marketing toward stages.
4. Has front and back cameras.
5. Very low price, and I'll elaborate why on that as well.
6. Touchscreen with touch keyboard would be nice, perhaps with an app created that was similar to discord: "rooms" you can join, instead of "active calls you can make" and a text chat function within those rooms. This would be incredibly useful for stages and theaters.
7. Has a physical push-to-talk button (though optional between push-to-talk or always-on communication)
8. two physical programmable buttons beneath the PTT button. Or maybe three programmable buttons, and you can program one to be a PTT in whatever app you use, if you choose to.
9. LED light with an easy-to-access control. Dimmable too, if you can swing it.
10. Dimmable face.

I used to work in churches, stage production, etc. We tried to get on a communication device system where we could whisper to each other over a lav mic/in-ear headphone like the classic secret agent thing. The devices were over RF channels, and not wifi. They were extremely cumbersome to use because they would never stay on the correct channel, would lose touch with our antennae, and would interfere with our stage microphones and in-ear monitors for the stage act. Part of that is user error of course, but for the most part we had to work with the faults of the building we were in and the limitations of the equipment.

WHY THIS COULD HAVE SAVED OUR BUTTS MULTIPLE TIMES:
(Because I'm feeling narrative this morning)

It's 5 minutes until showtime. I feel my pocket vibrate and pull out my trusty little secret agent communicator. I look on the face and see a chat to us from our stage manager. "REMINDER: INTRODUCTION AT 8:15, SHOWTIME AT 8:30" Puzzled, I push my PTT button, and all who are in our STAGE TEAM chatroom hear my voice in their ears. "Where is the speaker?" A few seconds pass before a short response. "He's on his way back now." A few minutes go by before "one minute" comes from the manager. All is quiet as the lights dim and the show begins. The speaker walks onstage and gives his opening remarks, and in silence, the players enter the stage one by one. Lines are delivered flawlessly... Except from one who's voice falls on deaf ears. "Mand, check Rachael's mic pack." I can't respond by voice in the quiet, so I push my programmable button 1 which sends a green light to the chatroom, signaling my acknowledgment. between lines, she wafts herself offstage where I can diagnose the issue in private. Mic cable unplugged, and it's likely that this gaudy costume was to blame. I amend the problem and Rachael returns to the stage, just in time to deliver her crackshot retort, loud and clear. I pull out the communicator and write a quick note, informing the manager of the problem. She will talk to the costume designer after the show. Ryan's dry voice can be heard over the comm. "Already breaking things?" I push my programmable button 2, signaling a red light in chat.

Another stage tech enters backstage, his communicator out and LED light active. He is using his front-facing camera to show an equipment configuration to some techs in front-of house through the chatroom, and probably sending some pics of readouts. Probably diagnosing another technical issue quickly and efficiently, and the best part is that all these communicators are standard, have NO mothership antennae or other system to route through, were easy to set up and get assigned into chat groups once on the same wifi, and were way cheaper, more robust and had vastly more functions and features than pro transmitter/receiver setups for our modest budget.

fin

Thank you, thank you.

(EDIT: just to be clear on the physical buttons thing, for certain things like PTT or programmable buttons, I DO NOT always want to be fiddling with opening a touchscreen to do things. If the phone is clipped to my belt and someone needs a quick answer, pressing a physical button without needing to look or unclip it from my belt or even remove it from my pocket would be stellar. Same with programmable buttons on the side.)

But really, situations like that DO happen, and it is an incredible pain when your communication systems are not functioning or maybe nonexistent and you have to CALL each other... which is a huge problem. Maybe a huge operation which has the budget for a perfect system setup won't have that problem, but for smaller venues, churches, production teams, etc... this could be a cheap, quick and easy fix. Best part is, you can set up your own private wifis at a show and bring the routers with you as part of your stage setup if you chose so you don't have to worry about clientside wifi. Or if you're part of a team in a stationary building, you're using existing wifi networks. Hell, you can even get into your "group" from home wifi if you wanted for zoom-like meetings.

I was running this with my wife just now and she said nursing homes use things like that as well, so there are a lot of uses for them in diverse industry sectors. Hospitals, doctor offices, schools, IT companies, you name it. And if you don't design something like this, I probably will to be honest, if not just for myself and my own teams. People have mentioned cameras for scanning QR codes, etc. I think a lot of people who have said "It's not useful unless it has a modem" or "just make a phone" are most likely not in, nor have ever been, in an industry where walkie-talkies and quick back-and-forth comms over distance were useful. And in the case of a PineCom, you could do so much more than just voice.

I think this thing could be huge for teams, venues, etc where they could buy a bunch, have them tagged and handled, and when you show up to work you just grab yours from the box and you're ready to go for the day. When you leave for the day you plug it in so it's ready for tomorrow, or take it home depending on company rules. If you leave the company they just assign it to a new employee. For individuals or environments where that constant team distance communication is not really useful or necessary, it's probably useless, and that's fine, it's not for them.

Hope this helped.

PS I wouldn't be upset if you called it the MandPack. no reason though... just saying.
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Messages In This Thread
Lets create the PineCom - by Luke - 10-09-2020, 06:13 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 10-09-2020, 07:32 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by Dendrocalamus64 - 10-09-2020, 07:42 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by torbuntu - 10-09-2020, 08:11 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by nic-hartley - 10-09-2020, 10:48 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by CharlieGordon - 10-09-2020, 10:49 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by r10game - 03-15-2021, 11:37 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by barray - 10-10-2020, 01:57 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by patchedsoul - 10-10-2020, 02:10 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by tlengyel - 10-13-2020, 07:47 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by MartijnBraam - 10-10-2020, 03:24 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by pfeerick - 10-10-2020, 03:51 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by DolphinChips - 10-10-2020, 03:56 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by rocket2nfinity - 10-10-2020, 04:45 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by poVoq - 10-10-2020, 05:49 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by 33YN2 - 10-12-2020, 11:24 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by Societus - 10-10-2020, 07:33 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by manawyrm - 10-10-2020, 07:56 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by my3ke - 10-10-2020, 08:46 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by desca - 10-10-2020, 10:11 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bard - 10-10-2020, 10:29 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by konradybcio - 10-10-2020, 10:45 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by Avamander - 10-10-2020, 10:49 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by goapunk - 10-10-2020, 11:13 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by truculentsheep - 10-10-2020, 11:14 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by pagrus - 10-10-2020, 11:36 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by 33YN2 - 10-10-2020, 12:07 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by User 18618 - 10-10-2020, 12:51 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by lot378 - 10-10-2020, 01:02 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by GreyLinux - 10-10-2020, 01:12 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by nyxxenator - 10-10-2020, 01:44 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 10-10-2020, 04:25 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by nyxxenator - 10-12-2020, 09:27 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 10-12-2020, 09:49 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by nyxxenator - 10-13-2020, 07:30 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by baschdel - 10-10-2020, 04:39 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by pfeerick - 10-11-2020, 03:03 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by c0n57an71n - 10-11-2020, 05:08 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by Avamander - 10-11-2020, 05:10 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by c0n57an71n - 10-11-2020, 06:41 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by linmob - 10-11-2020, 07:11 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by rp3 - 10-11-2020, 07:53 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by tz7nmvtsgoiys34f - 10-11-2020, 10:19 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by vazark - 10-11-2020, 12:14 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by yunowho - 10-11-2020, 02:34 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by saturday31 - 10-11-2020, 02:44 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by saturday31 - 10-11-2020, 02:45 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by remyers - 10-12-2020, 02:53 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by a-wai - 10-12-2020, 06:28 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by x0r - 10-12-2020, 07:43 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by binarian - 10-12-2020, 08:30 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by x0r - 10-12-2020, 09:53 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by vituous - 10-12-2020, 04:13 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by _hg_ - 10-12-2020, 09:41 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by pfeerick - 10-12-2020, 11:37 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by eaglecup - 10-13-2020, 12:04 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by as400 - 10-13-2020, 01:31 AM
off-grid sbc? - by pljanson - 10-13-2020, 03:17 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by stmckee - 10-13-2020, 10:31 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by Sproutch - 10-13-2020, 11:10 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by _hg_ - 10-13-2020, 01:10 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 10-13-2020, 02:07 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bcnaz - 10-13-2020, 02:16 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by nas - 10-14-2020, 12:59 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 10-14-2020, 01:51 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by TuxThePenguin - 10-14-2020, 08:24 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by MotoFufu9k - 10-15-2020, 06:37 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by keg0death - 10-15-2020, 10:06 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by nas - 10-15-2020, 02:14 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KiteX3 - 10-15-2020, 03:32 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bruce - 10-15-2020, 04:36 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bookhydra - 10-15-2020, 06:47 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by talmage - 10-16-2020, 07:33 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by pinellama - 10-16-2020, 08:29 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by tllim - 10-17-2020, 01:09 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by lewellyn - 10-21-2020, 05:38 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by RTP - 10-16-2020, 09:20 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by Pelecanus - 10-16-2020, 12:18 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by kelbot - 10-16-2020, 05:51 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bcnaz - 10-17-2020, 08:33 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 10-18-2020, 08:39 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bcnaz - 10-19-2020, 02:16 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 10-19-2020, 04:13 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by DrYak - 10-21-2020, 04:38 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bcnaz - 10-21-2020, 04:29 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 10-21-2020, 05:05 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by NGOcustomer - 10-23-2020, 08:40 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by pljanson - 10-25-2020, 04:32 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by NGOcustomer - 10-27-2020, 04:05 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 10-25-2020, 05:26 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by ghostpatch - 10-25-2020, 09:32 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bcnaz - 10-26-2020, 03:29 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by ghostpatch - 10-26-2020, 10:18 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by diodelass - 10-26-2020, 11:41 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 10-27-2020, 12:17 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 10-27-2020, 05:49 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by X2Q1 - 10-27-2020, 09:25 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by James Good - 10-28-2020, 12:51 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bcnaz - 10-29-2020, 12:29 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by aussetg - 10-29-2020, 10:29 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by BronzeBeard - 10-29-2020, 05:38 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bcnaz - 10-29-2020, 06:14 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by roel - 10-30-2020, 09:49 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by kuleszdl - 11-01-2020, 05:31 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 11-01-2020, 08:27 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by DarrowAtreides - 11-10-2020, 11:40 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by zer0sig - 11-11-2020, 10:31 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bcnaz - 11-11-2020, 02:16 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by zer0sig - 11-14-2020, 03:51 AM
PineCon as Desktop - by kosfi - 11-18-2020, 01:33 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by DrYak - 11-25-2020, 02:04 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by Abishek_Muthian - 11-28-2020, 08:28 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bcnaz - 12-05-2020, 11:13 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by tllim - 12-08-2020, 12:50 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by n0p0n3 - 12-05-2020, 08:32 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by EternityForest - 12-19-2020, 06:35 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 12-19-2020, 06:49 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by EternityForest - 12-19-2020, 11:34 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 12-20-2020, 11:05 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by barray - 12-20-2020, 05:40 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by EternityForest - 12-20-2020, 07:34 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 12-20-2020, 08:35 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by ab1jx - 12-20-2020, 08:57 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 12-20-2020, 09:16 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by Arwen - 12-21-2020, 11:24 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by tllim - 12-23-2020, 10:05 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by Zack - 01-16-2021, 11:46 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 01-16-2021, 12:46 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KNERD - 01-16-2021, 02:00 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 01-16-2021, 03:40 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KNERD - 01-17-2021, 10:48 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 01-17-2021, 11:17 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KNERD - 01-18-2021, 11:59 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by ljones - 01-17-2021, 11:10 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 01-17-2021, 11:27 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 01-18-2021, 04:32 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KNERD - 01-18-2021, 10:02 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 01-18-2021, 11:03 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by nas - 01-19-2021, 03:40 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by EspeciallyDirect - 01-20-2021, 11:41 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by diodelass - 01-21-2021, 07:43 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by the01player - 02-01-2021, 08:36 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by zer0sig - 02-08-2021, 11:04 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by novhack - 02-08-2021, 02:16 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 02-08-2021, 04:17 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bookhydra - 02-13-2021, 03:09 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by barray - 02-13-2021, 06:08 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by zer0sig - 02-21-2021, 09:50 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by Braillynn - 02-19-2021, 04:06 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 02-19-2021, 06:24 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by Arwen - 02-21-2021, 10:02 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by zer0sig - 03-08-2021, 11:24 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by notpod - 02-22-2021, 05:52 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by globaltree - 02-28-2021, 05:22 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bookhydra - 03-04-2021, 11:36 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by rimko - 03-07-2021, 01:54 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by diodelass - 04-05-2021, 11:13 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 04-05-2021, 01:04 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by mattswest - 04-05-2021, 09:56 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by zer0sig - 04-06-2021, 09:18 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 04-06-2021, 04:11 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by diodelass - 04-11-2021, 02:40 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by KC9UDX - 04-11-2021, 11:54 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by xalius - 04-14-2021, 05:50 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by israel - 04-14-2021, 09:54 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by spaetz - 05-01-2021, 11:33 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by mandavel - 05-11-2021, 08:32 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by _kiwi - 06-17-2021, 05:09 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bcnaz - 07-26-2021, 01:34 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by swiley - 08-17-2021, 10:24 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by bcnaz - 08-16-2021, 07:52 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by zer0sig - 08-24-2021, 10:59 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by ideograph - 08-26-2021, 09:41 AM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by krisradio - 10-15-2021, 03:59 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by tllim - 10-15-2021, 10:59 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by krisradio - 10-15-2021, 11:49 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by krisradio - 10-16-2021, 08:48 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by tllim - 10-17-2021, 07:40 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by JuniperFury - 10-18-2021, 06:46 PM
RE: Lets create the PineCom - by 3np - 11-30-2021, 04:10 AM

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