What he's saying makes sense. Rather than properly prepare themselves for the journey, and gaining skills, people do tend to trust electronics to bail them out. I believe this true in daily life, not just the out doors. As a volunteer in homeland security disaster response, we're seeing millions of dollars in grant monies spent by municipalities on new electronic toys, and practically no training to use any of it. In the end, it's training and skills that keep us out of hot water in the first place.
Assurance of a "rescue" is marketable and a line of mainstream people is beginning to form to snatch up that battery powered 'confidence'. Not just hikers.... Beacons are becoming common knowledge among the masses.