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The NoPhone

thenophone.com

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Re: The NoPhone

#61

Post by _carbyau_ »

hbcondo714 wrote: post #24

I remember seeing this on Shark Tank years ago and didn't think much of it. Now I have a toddler who always goes after our phones so maybe this will be a good gift for him.

We have and I have seen other parents use old phones or old remote controls for this.

For young toddlers, say 1-2, this works for a day or two up to maybe a week. Then they learn to distinguish between the ones you go for and the ones you don't.

They want to do what you do, they will go for your phone, pen, laptop, glass etc precisely because it is yours.

Later, say 2.5-3 and up, when they are capable of self sustained imaginary play having a prop is nice. But by then, anything will do because the play is in the imagination.

Re: The NoPhone

#64

Post by g_p »

OJFord wrote: post #57
Syonyk wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've gotten in the habit of turning mine off regularly. I'll just turn it off in the evening and turn it on in the morning if I don't need an alarm (which... I have an alarm clock, I just tend to not use it). I use it mostly for person to person communication and kid photos (the only things on my home screen are Messages, Signal, Hangouts, Element, the actual phone app, and the camera - everything else is buried over…

> Get one of those "You only pay if you use it" plans, though I expect the spammers and scammers would cost me a lot of money that way. I don't know what country you're in, (here in the UK I'd expect anyone would call that 'Pay As You Go (PAYG)') but could spammers and scammers really cost you anything? By calling/texting you? Even for pan-European stuff only the initiator pays these days.

In the US, without an inclusive calls plan (i.e. what you call a contract in the UK), both caller and recipient pay - it appears that you pay for "air time" (time in an inbound or outbound call). Most people will be on a contract with unlimited "air time", which effectively gives unlimited inbound and outbound calls without charge.

Operator billing models are seldom rooted in reality, and often are quite counter productive - 4G originally was a "pay extra" feature, despite the fact it is in an operator's interest to get users onto 4G due to the increased spectral efficiency, and better performance with weaker signals (so less complaints). They designated VoLTE (4G HD calling) as a premium feature for contract users, but it actually reduces the load on the legacy voice network. And don't start me with WiFi Calling, which is also often a contract premium feature, but actually trunks the call over a connection the user already pays for (and avoids using the cellular network!) - common sense plays little part in how operator billing works.

In the UK look up the "termination rate" if you're interested - this was the mechanism through which the receiving side of the call made money and was able to offer receiving of calls for free.

Re: The NoPhone

#65

Post by pfundstein »

s1mon wrote: post #47

For $7.50 you can get a dummy phone which looks a lot more realistic. A quick search on Aliexpress shows this for the iPhone X, and there are plenty of other options. (I had a bunch of the iPhone 8 models for a work project. The only downside is the glass is most definitely NOT Gorilla Glass). https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001708486523.html

I don't think mimicking a real phone as closely as possible is the intent

Re: The NoPhone

#66

Post by mrcartmenez »

jjulius wrote: post #44
an_opabinia wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> ...Phones often are an all-in-one coping mechanism for other issues While I agree in principle for healthy people, it's a waste of time, but for people for whom light entertainment is their medicine... would you rather they be drinking? This comes up a lot re: video game addiction. The jury's still out on the impact of social media and light entertainment (i.e. YouTube) on mental health. UK teens for example are do…

>... but for people for whom light entertainment is their medicine... would you rather they be drinking? While I don't find anything wrong with light entertainment being one's medicine, why make the assumption that drinking is the next viable 'medicine' in line? Are there not countless alternatives to drinking to remedy "boredom, stress, loneliness, etc."? Picking up hobbies? Sports? Anything else? Edit: I want to cl…

These are all fair points reasonably made.

Re: The NoPhone

#67

Post by mlac »

bridanp wrote: post #58
silicon2401 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

breaking the phone habit is imho one of the best things anybody can do these days. Phones often are an all-in-one coping mechanism for other issues: boredom, stress, loneliness, etc. One of the best things I ever did was get off all social media, force myself not to even pick up my phone except to respond to a call or text, and just confront the boredom. After a few minutes of no phone you find yourself actually doin…

It's sounds silly, but the way I've broken the phone addiction is with a watch. I've got it paired as a family member through my wife's phone, and it has a cell plan so the only phone number I have is through the watch. My work requires me to have a mobile "phone" and I get a stipend for having the service, so I'm required to have something. This serves that purpose, but for my mental health, the mindless scrolling a…

This is also my experience. Since getting a watch (with LTE) I’m much more willing to leave my phone in the house or car on walks or when I’m out. I have a phone too - it’s just necessary for when I travel for work / if I need to do anything while away from the computer.

I guess it’s phases of connectedness - an iPad let’s me be more mobile than my computer. My phone let’s me be more mobile than my iPad, and my watch covers the rest. Do I need this level of connectedness? Probably 3x per year. But those three times are absolutely critical and it gives me peace of mind if I’m on vacation - if my watch isn’t ringing I’m free to do whatever it is in front of me.

I did the digital minimalism thing (and need to do it again soon), but a watch is a nice forcing function. And calls have to be short because they are on speaker phone (or EarPods / Bluetooth, which overall is a good setup).

If apple keeps going the way they are going, I will need a very strong argument to get my kid a smartphone in 10 years when I can get them a watch that allows them to make calls, send limited texts, and not get wrapped up in social media / taking photos all the time.

Re: The NoPhone

#68

Post by atommclain »

aidenn0 wrote: post #48
JackMorgan wrote: post #42

I prefer my Palm phone[0]. It is so tiny I can't really DO anything with it unless it is a legit emergency. But when I do need it, there is wifi, cell, browser, google maps, and gps. The "life mode" is fantastic, no calls or notifications at all until you unlock the screen. Combined with a really short battery life when the screen is on, it is the perfect daily driver for me and my outdoors lifestyle. Also charges in…

If that only had enough storage for my music and a fingerprint unlock, I'd get it. Really even just a fingerprint unlock would be enough. I can't stand face unlock.

Check out the Jelly 2 https://www.unihertz.com/jelly-2.html https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/unihertz-jelly-2

Re: The NoPhone

#69

Post by omosubi »

I had one of these after i finished college abroad for like 2 months until I got an actual phone - miss those days. Everyone _hated_ me whenever i brought it up. What fun. If only I didn't have to go on call so i could make this my permanent phone :)

Re: The NoPhone

#70

Post by spicybright »

sanity31415 wrote: post #28
chrisbigelow wrote: post #21

This is a great joke. But I'm skeptical this will actually illicit any behavior change. I think a better approach is to try to change our current phone usage patterns. I've been working on a timelock wireless charger to do just that: https://pausbox.com/

What if someone needs to call 911?

It mentions integrating with your phone's do not disturb functions. Usually in an emergency someone will call you multiple times in a row and, presumably, this would open the shell.

And unless you live alone, which many don't, other people will usually have phones.

You can also buy a dumb phone specifically for emergencies, 911 doesn't require a paid line.

And like other's said, you can probably pry that sucker open. It looks flimsy honestly, with no lock or dead bolt connecting the two parts in the front...

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