I like Heltec V3s as they are inexpensive, widely available and each unit can be configured to any of the world region frequencies.
I print my own cases, but V3 cases are widely available too.
I actually prefer MeshCore to Meshtastic, but the V3 is supported by both.

Ga

I've also found MeshCore to be a better LoRa messaging system than Meshtastic and welcome each integration as useful progress.

I wonder whether there's a "nothing stops this train" aspect to all centralised systems, and to state systems in particular.
The state may even realise that ever increasing surveillance ends up doing more harm than good, but by its nature, it's an impersonal system, and has no effective means to bring about stronger communities (where it tries, it's counterproductive). So, when attempting to solve problems, it just keeps pulling harder on the system levers it can control, until eventually something breaks.

Agree that they are obvious, although in a busy area if you aren't looking out for them I think it's easy to get picked up on the cameras before noticing and avoiding.
I think this stage is part testing, part picking up any wanted people they detect (plain clothes police came back and forth from crowd into the van), and a large part normalisation to mass public-space facial-recognition monitoring.

Yeah, it's all part of the net that's being assembled around us. If a phone's IMEI, IMSI etc gets linked to the incoming digital ID and the increasing volume of facial data, the correlation step will be much lower overhead, and so I expect much more pre-correlated data will be gathered.

Can't zap this post. Message says wallet not properly configured.

Should really be working now.
I tested it by zapping my own post 😳, which would normally be bad form.

Might be working now

Yes, I need to fix that 😳