Firewood posted:The old Radio Shack flyer items that are now on smart phones: http://www.deathandtaxesmag.co...-on-your-smartphone/
Assuming you have cell service. If the network bogs down (think 9-11 level of hysteria), your cell phone won't receive much as an AM FM (FM edited out after Rob's correction below was noted) radio without it, right? (or have they added true AM/FM receivers into phones now that don't need to be via your data stream or some app to get the radio feed?)
Same for the scanner, etc. I know there are scanner aps out there, but that only helps you if there is cell service, right? I don't think multi-band RF receivers (aside from cell bands to operate the phone, of course) are now being built into cell phones, right?
How do you do a round-robin type discussion with multiple friends (like CB) with a cell phone, especially if you are somewhere there is no cell coverage?
Note, depending on demographics, places with contents similar to what RS sells/sold can be successful. In the Silicon Valley area of California, there is a store (Fry's) that caries nearly everything you can consider for home/consumer electronics, and also hobby stuff like the parts aisles of RS used to be. The key is (i believe) that they are in a demographic area with a very high concentration of technical people to buy all this stuff. I don't know if that chain exists too far away from Silicon Valley. It seems they have something like 34 stores, half in CA, with a scattering of a few in other states.
-Dave
