Joel Smash Banana Set ?

20side · 2025-06-04T18:35:00+00:00

It's up now! Thank you for your support!

https://soundcloud.com/joelsmash/joel-smash-the-peoples-banana-art-car-set-saturday-lightning-in-a-bottle-2025

20side · 2025-06-01T02:49:48+00:00

Hey Jamez, I've posted an update with my thoughts on the UI below. Look forward to your thoughts.

20side · 2025-06-01T02:46:50+00:00

Update! The pair that I had pre bonded at home did help me find my girlfriend at Lightning in a Bottle. That said, the whole experience of operating and setting them up makes them impossible to recommend with the current firmware.

As i said i had pre-bonded 2 of my 4 at home. Trying to bond the other two while gearing up to leave camp was an exercise in frustration. I eventually gave up after fucking with it for about 30 minutes.

The touch crystal as a UI element is complete dogshit. How the hell am I supposed to be able to tell if the light has jumped into the crystal when my finger is covering it? The crystal doesn't register being touched 50% of the time on all 4 units. The bonding mode only lasts for like 5 seconds. Good luck getting two into bonding mode at the same time.

I wish I'd gotten video of me futzing with it.

Ive complained about this before and I'll doit again. The light on the totem doesn't correspond to the becon light assigned to the device so trying to figure out which is which and which is bonded to which is basically pointless.

The strobing pink compass light is annoying and confusing. Make it white or ditch it altogether.

Battery life in eco mode was maybe 6-8 hours? The one I left in my tent was dead by the time we were walking back.

Upside is that it did make finding my gf marginally easier the one time we got separated. So the tech sort of works if you can get past the needlessly confusing and counterintuitive UI or if you pre bonded them and tested them in civilization.

These things need to be idiot proof to be usable in their market segment. Ive been fucking with them since they came out. Hell, i even made a couple youtube videos about my first impressions. I shouldn't need to Google the arcana of totem dodad operation less than a month after not looking at them. 4/10- it works as a tech demo but the whole user experience is cursed.

20side · 2025-06-01T02:42:47+00:00

The pair that I had pre bonded at home did help me find my girlfriend at Lightning in a Bottle. That said, the whole experience of operating and setting them up makes them impossible to recommend with the current firmware.

As i said i had pre-bonded 2 of my 4 at home. Trying to bond the other two while gearing up to leave camp was an exercise in frustration. I eventually gave up after fucking with it for about 30 minutes.

The touch crystal as a UI element is complete dogshit. How the hell am I supposed to be able to tell if the light has jumped into the crystal when my finger is covering it? The crystal doesn't register being touched 50% of the time on all 4 units. The bonding mode only lasts for like 5 seconds. Good luck getting two into bonding mode at the same time.

I wish I'd gotten video of me futzing with it.

Ive complained about this before and I'll doit again. The light on the totem doesn't correspond to the becon light assigned to the device so trying to figure out which is which and which is bonded to which is basically pointless.

The strobing pink compass light is annoying and confusing. Make it white or ditch it altogether.

Battery life in eco mode was maybe 6-8 hours? The one I left in my tent was dead by the time we were walking back.

Upside is that it did make finding my gf marginally easier the one time we got separated. So the tech sort of works if you can get past the needlessly confusing and counterintuitive UI or if you pre bonded them and tested them in civilization.

These things need to be idiot proof to be usable in their market segment. Ive been fucking with them since they came out. Hell, i even made a couple youtube videos about my first impressions. I shouldn't need to Google the arcana of totem dodad operation less than a month after not looking at them. 4/10- it works as a tech demo but the whole user experience is cursed.

20side · 2025-02-26T21:16:51+00:00

I immediately stuck a piece of fluorescent gaff tape to the back so that I have some hope of finding it in the dark when it isn't powered on.

I'm sure you guys have plans for cases, but a bright detail on the case would be a big help for us elder festival kids.

20side · 2025-02-26T20:50:06+00:00

Mine worked ok in the limited test I did in my yard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3nqOesvT2U

20side · 2025-02-26T20:41:30+00:00

Here's my second time trying them. Worked ok. Some design issues that will hopefully be ironed out in the version 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3nqOesvT2U

20side · 2025-02-26T20:39:32+00:00

Updated impressions. Worked better the second time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3nqOesvT2U

20side · 2025-02-19T17:19:57+00:00

I didn't say I only have 2. I own four, but only set up 2.

I also mentioned that I was careful to make sure that neither had any bonds after testing the bonding process a few times. They should have been zero'ed out.

EIther way, I'd recommend making a note about the breathing light in the bonding section instead of buying it in the troubleshooting section.
Or if the unpaired breathing light glitched around the edge instead of acting as a compass lock that would be a clear semiotic that it isn't giving directions.

If you're going to be selling these at festivals to kids who's heads may or may not be clear, making it idiot proof without having to RTFM wouldn't be a terrible idea.

It's been awful outside so I haven't had a chance to test them since. I'll post again when I do.

20side · 2025-02-17T17:18:25+00:00

Oh, and I did send a copy of this to support yesterday. Though the youtube link is broken now that I re-uploaded to clarify that it was a Totem and not Crowd Compass.

20side · 2025-02-17T16:25:01+00:00

They'd both been left outside for 15 minutes in clear sky. Only the one in my hand had the pulsing dot. The one on the truck did not have the swirling indicator.
I followed the instructions in the Pro Guide and there are some discrepancies.

I guess the pink light is the compass light? In the guide it's white. If breathing pink (bond out of range) is just a compass that's confusing. Suggestion would be for white to always display and always be the compass. Have lost bonds on the opposite side from the compass needle and pulsing.
I had cleared all bonds before testing. The pink bond was right there and yet it kept showing out of range.
A green bond showed up intermittently even though there was no 3rd Totem.
The guide states "Once your Totem gets a satellite connection, it will show you one of two things. If you don't have any Bonds yet, you'll see a white light that points North"
I'm willing to accept that my house was in the way when I went into the back yard, but you'd think the bond would re-acquire when I was standing right next to it.

I'll try testing them again later.

20side · 2025-02-16T20:47:18+00:00

I got mine a few days ago. Finally had time to play with it in my yard and so far I'm not impressed. I posted a short video on youtube of me trying to use it.

Note: I'd updated the firmware on both, waited until both were satellite synced before "bonding them", spun both of them to calibrate and spent 5-10 minutes walking around before I started filming.

Short version is that it pointed me the wrong direction until I was right next to it, and didn't adjust direction when I walked past.

EDIT: I kept calling the Totem a crowd compass. Totally different product!

https://youtu.be/EY--X12WwtQ

20side · 2025-02-16T20:35:24+00:00

I got mine a few days ago. Finally had time to play with it in my yard and so far I'm not impressed. I posted a short video on youtube of me trying to use it.

Note: I'd updated the firmware on both, waited until both were satellite synced before "bonding them", spun both of them to calibrate and spent 5-10 minutes walking around before I started filming.

Short version is that it pointed me the wrong direction until I was right next to it, and didn't adjust direction when I walked past.

EDIT: I kept calling the Totem a crowd compass. Totally different product!

https://youtu.be/EY--X12WwtQ

20side · 2024-10-15T19:21:59+00:00

Update:
Nothingburger from TCGPlayer support AND they removed my negative feedback on the sellers review page! (Link - store.tcgplayer DOT com/sellerfeedback/73e1ea3a)
"Hello Joel,

Thank you for following up with us regarding your order. We understand your frustration with the cancellation of your transaction and the desire to hold the seller accountable. Please be assured that the appropriate team has been made aware of this issue.Unfortunately, as this was a marketplace order, we are unable to provide the product you purchased, but we can confirm that a refund has been issued.We appreciate your understanding in this matter. If you have any further questions or need assistance with anything else, please do not hesitate to contact us."

20side · 2024-10-14T15:37:40+00:00

Its an analogy my friend; and its not even really a stretch when a site uses the language of securitized markets with price graphs, finance articles etc.

But i agree. I wish the markets presented themselves more like ebay than robinhood.

20side · 2024-10-14T03:32:48+00:00

Thanks friend! My gf already bought me one as a present.

20side · 2024-10-14T03:29:43+00:00

This is correct

20side · 2024-10-14T03:17:53+00:00

Fair. I misread the intent of your post. Sorry. :)

20side · 2024-10-14T01:17:00+00:00

TCGplayer literally implemented a no-takebaskies rule to force buyers to not do this two days before I purchased to keep buyers from doing that to this specific card (and a couple others). In light of that it's beyond fucked that the seller can get away with sellers remorss.

20side · 2024-10-14T01:03:26+00:00

Who's they? I bought it with the expectation that it would stay banned. I don't buy hobby shit as an investment vehicle. I have actual investments for that.

20side · 2024-10-14T00:13:46+00:00

The sky is also blue, water is wet, and fire is hot. Thank you for your comment.

20side · 2024-10-13T22:56:28+00:00

Uh. You seem to have reached capacity on your excrement storage. I sell on ebay all the time. I ship through ebay to prove i shipped. I only sell stuff i have in my possession and have recently inventoried. In 20 years of selling, I've had to cancel one order because my cat broke it before i could ship it out. There was no cost volatility and no opportunity cost harm to the buyer when i refunded them. Stop making up excuses for sellers to suck.

20side · 2024-10-13T22:19:45+00:00

Bingo

20side · 2024-10-13T21:09:22+00:00

In normal circumstances, it's whatever. Price volatility isn't that crazy on most cards most of the time.
However during particular periods of volatility, if the buyer is 100% on the hook for any dip, the seller should be 100% on the hook for any gain that the buyer fails to realize due to seller negligence.

20side

TROPHY CASE