FireChat

One of the commonly discussed benefits of ham radio is that it works without the support of someone else's infrastructure. FireChat promises "off-the-grid" communications using your Android or iOS mobile phone. In a tweet, they say:

"It works using Bluetooth and P2P Wifi (iOS) / WiFi Direct (Android). On Android, it uses Open Garden's mesh tech software."

The range is listed as about 30 feet, so don't throw out all your ham equipment for a SHTF situation. I'm surprised it isn't better with WiFi - even marginally. The most common complaint about the current version is the lack of filters/the ability to setup private chat areas. And you can't chat between iOS and Android devices.

Also, FireChat has been mentioned by Rush Limbaugh, so it must be good.

It's a neat idea, but with such limited range I don't think it offers much for me.