The omnipresent phone: TerraStar Genus smart/satellite handset

When I think of satellite phones, I always think of the movie "Jurrasic Park 3." Those scenes involving a yellow satellite phone -- on the plane that eventually crashed, of the protagonists sifting through a mound of dino-crap and looking for the same satellite phone -- somehow convinced me that having a satellite phone means having a constant access to a dependable means of communication. (Although, it could also mean potential bad luck for whoever is holding the phone.)


TerraStar Genus smart/satellite phone

Now come media reports that a relatively unknown tech company has convinced a major U.S. mobile service provider to sell its satellite phone that moonlights as a smartphone (or is it a smartphone doing part-time work as a satellite phone?).