the Joe-Com

A device developed for the GI Joe team's use upon its reactivation in the year 2001, the Joe-Com has since been issued to every member of the team, whether of an active, reserve, or retired status - you never know when (or where) you'll need to reach a present or former Joe.

The idea behind the Joe-Com is to give everyone on the team access to the communications power that the new millennium offers - both in a passive and an active state. And the Joe-Com offers its possessor all of this power in the form of a lightweight wrist-mounted device.

The Joe-Com itself is made from Remarkable (30) m.s. materials, and has an effective m.s. of Excellent (20). It is remarkably durable considering the sensitive devices housed within - and the punishment it must regularly endure. The Joe-Com has these capabilities:

Biometrics: the Joe-Com, when first issued to a GI Joe operative, is tailored to his or her specific use. It 'imprints' on their unique voice and finger print information, and thus only the Joe it is assigned to can operate their own, 'unique' Joe-Com.

Furthermore, the unit is constantly monitoring the vital signs (heart rate, etc.) of its assigned Joe, to determine whether or not he or she requires medical attention at all. The Joe-Com can automatically submit this information to a command and control center.

Cellular Communications: above and beyond all else, the Joe-Com is a powerful communications device. The unit itself has a Good (10) communications range, allowing it to speak with other Joe-Coms or a nearby cellular tower within 25 miles of its location.

Once connected to a communications network however, the Joe-Com can relay data anywhere on the globe instantaneously. And it has a very high throughput, being able to move any information relevant to a mission back and forth to a command center in mere moments.

Color Control: the Joe-Coms are all equipped with a small liquid crystal display above their manual user interface (the keypad). This allows a Joe to easily read information relayed from other Joe-Coms or from a command center, but it's somewhat obvious in nature.

To this end, the designers of the Joe-Com lined the entire outer surface of the device with electronic ink, which allows information to be covertly relayed to a Joe even when the device's display is off - alphanumeric information can literally scroll across the entire Joe-Com!

Electronic Countermeasures: the Joe-Com wields highly complicated and advanced encryption when transmitting information. The Joe-Com's transmissions are protected by Remarkable (30) ranked digital signal obfuscation, preventing almost all eavesdropping on the devices.

Furthermore, the actual files in the Joe-Com's terabyte 'liquid protein' storage banks are similarly protected, being masked and obscured by literally millions of bogus files and misdirecting links. This prevents all but the most skilled of hackers from gleaning information from it.

Environmental Independence: the soft and spongy surface of the Joe-Com that actually comes in contact with the Joe who wears it constantly adjusts itself for maximum comfort while worn. The idea is that the less obtrusive the device is, the less likely someone will 'forget' to wear it.

But this soft, porous surface does more than just whisk away sweat buildup. No, it can emit vitamins and nutrients that are absorbed right through the skin when necessary, providing Feeble (2) ranked Environmental Independence where food is concerned.

Locational Sense: finally, the Joe-Com is equipped with a state of the art global positioning system (GPS) receiver, on top of all its other data transmission and reception technology. This allows the Joe on the go to know exactly where he or she is, anywhere on the planet.

In other words, a Joe can determine his precise location, in three-dimensional terms, within about ten meters - great for calling in an air strike or for requesting a rescue. Furthermore, it naturally keeps the time with a built-in micro-atomic clock, so Joes are never late to the party.

Extra Goodies:

GI Joe directories featuring a version of the Joe-Com:

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