It's like a modern day walkie-talkie. I can see this being useful for companies that frequently need to communicate on the go, where using a phone is too much of a hassle (e.g. garbage service/bulk removal companies).
@rrhoover Exactly -- this fits really well for any field service function. I'm curious how much it actually eliminates the hassle of using a phone, as you use your phone to manage which group you're communicating with. Also curious if the the fact that the conversation isn't for-your-ears-only is problematic - do they make an ear bud version? Excited to see the product out in the wild to find out.
@rrhoover I think @UseMagnet is going after this space with lower fidelity. Will be curious to see whether there's more of a use case with the wearable communication via verbal or via gesture / lights / vibration.
This seems more applicable to trade-craft (construction, manual tasks, cooking) as opposed to consumer use (hunting, playing sports, etc.), where something like Magnet is better.
Still I love all the single-purpose communication devices that are springing up.
@rrhoover It looks like this still suffers from the same connectivity limitations as the phone. Pairs via bluetooth and uses phone's connection.
"Onyx pairs with the OnBeep app on your Android or iOS device via Bluetooth, which connects to our a state-of-the-art communications platform. Messages are delivered through our servers in realtime regardless of the carrier you're using, allowing you to keep in touch anywhere you have cellular data or access to wi-fi."
A small clip-on device that lets you chat with others.Onyx clips onto your shirt or your bag and lets you talk to and hear other people carrying the device with the push of a big button in the middle of the hard plastic gizmo. The voices of others in your chat group come through a speaker on Onyx or headphones you plug in. There’s a volume-control bar and a muting switch, too. On the device’s mobile app for iOS and Android, you can see the location of others in your group, check if they’re muted, and switch groups
Product Hunt
Slack
Lobe