006 | text | July 8, Wednesday morning
I'm writing this text post to serve as a very basic guide to the PDA's three most important functions. As per China's suggestion, hard copies will also be printed and given to people that BREW will be dragging here in the future. I'm hoping that this will make it easier for the ones from less technologically-advanced worlds and timelines to learn how to use the PDA with the least amount of fuss, especially since it has proven to be very useful during emergencies. Or--even if you've been here a while, you might still learn something new about these devices.
I'm going to try to make my explanations easier to understand, so... I apologize in advance if I sound condescending. Or stilted.
The "PDA" stands for Personal Digital Assistant. It's a smaller version of the computers that you will see at the Casualty Communal dormitories and Death City Heights units. The computers have their own functions, but that's another matter entirely and to explain how they work will require an even longer post. All you need to know for now is that the PDA devices are more compact, more portable versions of those computers, and have the same functions. The most important of these are the communications and GPS and SOS functions.
Communication
The PDA works like a telephone, a mobile phone, a telegraph, a transmitter/receiver, or any other parallel you can think of that lets you talk with other people who also have PDAs. The video option lets you talk with an accompanying video feed - other people can see your face on the screen and hear your voice through the speakers. Plain audio lets you talk with just your voice, and other people won't see your face. Text is just typewritten words; people can't see your face or hear your voice, but you need to type down what you want to say so people can read it.
**The PDA isn't a demonic device. There aren't little people in it. They are connected to each other through an invisible and intangible network called the Desktop Email and Miscellaneous Internet Spam nEtwork, or DEMISE for short. The most important thing you need to know about this network is that it's public, and it connects you to fellow guests and Shibusen personnel; that's how you can talk to other people through these PDAs.
You can also put up public posts on the network through your PDAs - sort of like sticking posters on a public bulletin board. If you want to announce something, talk about your experiences, if you have something you need help with, if you have questions - this is the fastest way to let others know what you're thinking. Again, the video/audio/text options apply.
There are added options in posting stuff over the network. You can put them up as public, filtered, or private. Public means everyone can see/hear/read your posts, and if you keep the line open, people can and will reply to you. Or you can filter your posts to only a few people - they're the only ones who will see your post. Finally, private posts can only be accessed by you. Locked conversations between you and another person can only be seen/heard/read by the two of you.
The icon on the lower left corner of the screen, the one that looks like a journal - that's where you can make text posts, audio posts, or recorded videos. The one that looks like an envelope, located at the upper right corner of the screen - it will alert you if you have new messages.
**Please pay attention to this function, because it's the fastest way to call for help in case of an emergency. In urgent cases, this will be used in conjunction with the SOS function. I'll get to that in a moment.
GPS
This stands for Global Positioning System. Your PDA functions like a map - it can show you the way to locations in and around Death City. If, say--god forbid--you are attacked and cannot move to look for help, the GPS is the means by which people can home in to your PDA unit, find you, and hopefully rescue you from certain death. Conversely, if other people are attacked and you find yourself part of the rescue party, the GPS will show you the quickest route to them.
Otherwise, you can use the GPS to find the way to the nearest mall or pharmacy, or any location, really, as long as it's listed in the map. But just because you have the GPS to guide you doesn't mean you can go exploring the city by yourself. It's always best to get someone to show you around. Also, as of this writing, at least one serial murderer is still at large and has yet to be apprehended. People are advised to travel in groups of two or more. The GPS is just a tool; it's not a replacement for the safety to be had in numbers.
The GPS can be accessed through the button that looks like there's a hand with a finger pointing down at a stack of papers. It will bring up a map of Death City, and the interface will function differently depending on your purpose. If it's to find your way to a location, the GPS will trace the most likely route. If it's to track down an SOS signal, the SOS will show up as a blinking red dot on the map.
SOS
The SOS is a universal distress signal. Your PDA is capable of sending out this distress signal, and will act as a homing signal for the other PDA units to zero in on your location. In case of an emergency and you don't have the strength or the capability to explain what happened to you through a public post, send out an SOS signal so people can get to you. If you're injured but are still capable of posting a message, send out an SOS, anyway, so people can find you faster.
The SOS button is located at the lower right corner of your PDA's main screen, the one that looks like a panic button. Push it to activate the SOS.
So with that out of the way, here are a few more points that you might want to keep in mind:
**Keep your PDA with you at all times. I cannot stress how vital these units are considering the circumstances we're in.
**However tempting it may be to try to take the PDA apart to see how it works, I'd advise you to refrain from doing so unless you're an experienced mechanic. I haven't heard of anyone losing or breaking their PDAs so they seem to be quite durable, but I don't know what will happen should you lose or break yours. The PDAs are durable, but like any electronic device, they will break when subjected to abuse.
I think that should be all for now. If you're a newcomer, I hope this helped, and if you have further questions, try posting them over the network. (Maybe as an exercise?) Suggestions are welcome; I can't be sure that I managed to cover everything relevant here.
[OOC: You just had to make Kurapika's life difficult, huh, Kuroro? Guide is now edited, red font shows where Kurapika hurriedly inserted information after Kuroro made his suggestions. Strikeouts were never there, okey. And it's not actually red in the IC post, but I thought I had to show Kurapika's fail for posterity's sake. And I kind of. Just picked icons from this picture here, that really is what the PDA looks like according to the FAQ, and mods, did I commit a fatal mistake by assuming that this icon equals that function? ;A; I'm a user manual writer IRL so I tend to take liberties if my resource persons aren't around and uh. Plz to smack me if there's anything wrong so I can change the information.]
I'm going to try to make my explanations easier to understand, so... I apologize in advance if I sound condescending. Or stilted.
The "PDA" stands for Personal Digital Assistant. It's a smaller version of the computers that you will see at the Casualty Communal dormitories and Death City Heights units. The computers have their own functions, but that's another matter entirely and to explain how they work will require an even longer post. All you need to know for now is that the PDA devices are more compact, more portable versions of those computers, and have the same functions. The most important of these are the communications and GPS and SOS functions.
Communication
The PDA works like a telephone, a mobile phone, a telegraph, a transmitter/receiver, or any other parallel you can think of that lets you talk with other people who also have PDAs. The video option lets you talk with an accompanying video feed - other people can see your face on the screen and hear your voice through the speakers. Plain audio lets you talk with just your voice, and other people won't see your face. Text is just typewritten words; people can't see your face or hear your voice, but you need to type down what you want to say so people can read it.
**The PDA isn't a demonic device. There aren't little people in it. They are connected to each other through an invisible and intangible network called the Desktop Email and Miscellaneous Internet Spam nEtwork, or DEMISE for short. The most important thing you need to know about this network is that it's public, and it connects you to fellow guests and Shibusen personnel; that's how you can talk to other people through these PDAs.
You can also put up public posts on the network through your PDAs - sort of like sticking posters on a public bulletin board. If you want to announce something, talk about your experiences, if you have something you need help with, if you have questions - this is the fastest way to let others know what you're thinking. Again, the video/audio/text options apply.
There are added options in posting stuff over the network. You can put them up as public, filtered, or private. Public means everyone can see/hear/read your posts, and if you keep the line open, people can and will reply to you. Or you can filter your posts to only a few people - they're the only ones who will see your post. Finally, private posts can only be accessed by you. Locked conversations between you and another person can only be seen/heard/read by the two of you.
The icon on the lower left corner of the screen, the one that looks like a journal - that's where you can make text posts, audio posts, or recorded videos. The one that looks like an envelope, located at the upper right corner of the screen - it will alert you if you have new messages.
**Please pay attention to this function, because it's the fastest way to call for help in case of an emergency. In urgent cases, this will be used in conjunction with the SOS function. I'll get to that in a moment.
GPS
This stands for Global Positioning System. Your PDA functions like a map - it can show you the way to locations in and around Death City. If, say--god forbid--you are attacked and cannot move to look for help, the GPS is the means by which people can home in to your PDA unit, find you, and hopefully rescue you from certain death. Conversely, if other people are attacked and you find yourself part of the rescue party, the GPS will show you the quickest route to them.
Otherwise, you can use the GPS to find the way to the nearest mall or pharmacy, or any location, really, as long as it's listed in the map. But just because you have the GPS to guide you doesn't mean you can go exploring the city by yourself. It's always best to get someone to show you around. Also, as of this writing, at least one serial murderer is still at large and has yet to be apprehended. People are advised to travel in groups of two or more. The GPS is just a tool; it's not a replacement for the safety to be had in numbers.
The GPS can be accessed through the button that looks like there's a hand with a finger pointing down at a stack of papers. It will bring up a map of Death City, and the interface will function differently depending on your purpose. If it's to find your way to a location, the GPS will trace the most likely route. If it's to track down an SOS signal, the SOS will show up as a blinking red dot on the map.
SOS
The SOS is a universal distress signal. Your PDA is capable of sending out this distress signal, and will act as a homing signal for the other PDA units to zero in on your location. In case of an emergency and you don't have the strength or the capability to explain what happened to you through a public post, send out an SOS signal so people can get to you. If you're injured but are still capable of posting a message, send out an SOS, anyway, so people can find you faster.
The SOS button is located at the lower right corner of your PDA's main screen, the one that looks like a panic button. Push it to activate the SOS.
So with that out of the way, here are a few more points that you might want to keep in mind:
**Keep your PDA with you at all times. I cannot stress how vital these units are considering the circumstances we're in.
**However tempting it may be to try to take the PDA apart to see how it works, I'd advise you to refrain from doing so unless you're an experienced mechanic. I haven't heard of anyone losing or breaking their PDAs so they seem to be quite durable, but I don't know what will happen should you lose or break yours. The PDAs are durable, but like any electronic device, they will break when subjected to abuse.
I think that should be all for now. If you're a newcomer, I hope this helped, and if you have further questions, try posting them over the network. (Maybe as an exercise?) Suggestions are welcome; I can't be sure that I managed to cover everything relevant here.
[OOC: You just had to make Kurapika's life difficult, huh, Kuroro? Guide is now edited, red font shows where Kurapika hurriedly inserted information after Kuroro made his suggestions. Strikeouts were never there, okey. And it's not actually red in the IC post, but I thought I had to show Kurapika's fail for posterity's sake. And I kind of. Just picked icons from this picture here, that really is what the PDA looks like according to the FAQ, and mods, did I commit a fatal mistake by assuming that this icon equals that function? ;A; I'm a user manual writer IRL so I tend to take liberties if my resource persons aren't around and uh. Plz to smack me if there's anything wrong so I can change the information.]
