Like other posters, I read the whole thing and couldn't think of a reason for this device. I have experienced the many people cell issue but I am old enough to remember a time before cell phones at concerts.
This seems very much like a solution in search of a problem.
> This seems very much like a solution in search of a problem.
My friends and I independently came up with this exact idea at the most recent regional burn event, specifically to better coordinate meeting back up after wandering, and then discovered this device, so it's very much a real problem in need of solving.
Concerts are usually pretty easy to find your friends after splitting up. They are usually at the bar, restrooms, or a handful of viewing spots or seats. Big raves, music festies, burns, and other large gatherings are spread over a much wider area.
I get what you're saying, however, after attending Austin City limits Music Festival, where at any given time there can he 70K or more people in attendance, trying to find my wife, who was watching a different band at a different stage then me, can be a struggle to meet back up. (Especially after the band is finished and people start shuffling to the next stage for another band.)
It's also very confusing for a person who isn't very direction savvy. For this reason alone, I'm definitely going to look into these compasses.
Think of it as "Find My" but without having to rely on random people's iPhones to detect your tracker. There are pros & cons to each. In general, I think it boils down to this:
1. Find My networks are great when you're trying to find a thing
2. Totem-style GPS-based devices are great when you're trying to find a person who might be able to react to a ping
The problem I think Totem has is that the use case is pretty limited and the cost per unit is probably pretty high. It's basically the inverse product of Yondr[1], which also has a pretty high cost for what it does. As a parent of three, and also as a dad who regularly travels with tween/teen soccer teams, have an easy way to interactively track kids would be very helpful sometimes. I see Totem as a highly feature-reduced Garmin InReach but with a much more intuitive UX for the singular use case it serves.
kortex|1 year ago
My friends and I independently came up with this exact idea at the most recent regional burn event, specifically to better coordinate meeting back up after wandering, and then discovered this device, so it's very much a real problem in need of solving.
Concerts are usually pretty easy to find your friends after splitting up. They are usually at the bar, restrooms, or a handful of viewing spots or seats. Big raves, music festies, burns, and other large gatherings are spread over a much wider area.
bloomingeek|1 year ago
It's also very confusing for a person who isn't very direction savvy. For this reason alone, I'm definitely going to look into these compasses.
eitally|1 year ago
1. Find My networks are great when you're trying to find a thing 2. Totem-style GPS-based devices are great when you're trying to find a person who might be able to react to a ping
The problem I think Totem has is that the use case is pretty limited and the cost per unit is probably pretty high. It's basically the inverse product of Yondr[1], which also has a pretty high cost for what it does. As a parent of three, and also as a dad who regularly travels with tween/teen soccer teams, have an easy way to interactively track kids would be very helpful sometimes. I see Totem as a highly feature-reduced Garmin InReach but with a much more intuitive UX for the singular use case it serves.
[1] https://www.overyondr.com/phone-free-schools
NathanielBaking|1 year ago