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Tin Can, a 'landline' for kids

businessinsider.com

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Re: Tin Can, a 'landline' for kids

#231

Post by breakpointalpha »

StrangeWill wrote: post #206
bit_logic wrote: post #68

Why does it seem like many parents are unaware that a hand me down iPhone can be heavily locked down with screen time settings? A list of things you can do: - allowed list of apps, can reduce it to just phone, imessage, and utilities like weather app - effectively permanent downtime, just set the end time less than start time such as 3:00 am to 2:59 am (technically 1 minute of non downtime). This blocks apps except f…

Apple makes this a huge PITA, along with having to do a significant amount of it from another apple device. I'm glad we ditched iPads, it sucked.

This has to be intentional.

Drug dealer getting the kids hooked early is priority #1.

Give just enough "parental control" to lure parents in.

Make it just annoying enough that the parents eventually give up and the kid is the one pushing the drug the entire time.

Re: Tin Can, a 'landline' for kids

#232

Post by philips »

Dan_- wrote: post #230

I did this but using Twilio, a Grandstream HT802v2, and a basic AT&T wall phone. Caller ID sorta works. I really tried to find a phone that would make a satisfying sound when slammed down, but I found that no one makes good, solid corded wallphones any longer. The toughest part was figuring out which set of wires (my house had like 5 lines somehow) went to that particular jack in the kitchen.

When I was a kid I remember discovering the heft of the home phone came from a big chunk of metal screwed into the plastic case.

(My family moved to cell phones so I got the opportunity to disassemble the old phone.)

Maybe just find some washers and glue them inside your handset and receiver?

Re: Tin Can, a 'landline' for kids

#233

Post by alejohausner »

I'm glad it's a push-button phone, and not a rotary phone. There's a hilarious YouTube of today's teenagers tasked with making a phone call on a rotary phone:

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OADXNGnJok
The interface on a rotary phone isn't self-explanatory.

Re: Tin Can, a 'landline' for kids

#234

Post by mixmastamyk »

bit_logic wrote: post #68

Why does it seem like many parents are unaware that a hand me down iPhone can be heavily locked down with screen time settings? A list of things you can do: - allowed list of apps, can reduce it to just phone, imessage, and utilities like weather app - effectively permanent downtime, just set the end time less than start time such as 3:00 am to 2:59 am (technically 1 minute of non downtime). This blocks apps except f…

Our kid breaks through the screen time regularly, even with new passcodes. Have a theory it is done from the wife's macbook, but not entirely sure. Gave up; would not recommend or use again.

Re: Tin Can, a 'landline' for kids

#235

Post by MattGrommes »

I just watched this great mini-documentary about a local landline system in Bellingham WA. Well worth a couple of minutes.

https://youtu.be/UhVi3smmvTs?si=ow6zw_xTKo22WpLZ

People can call each other but also businesses have 4-digit phone numbers that are shortened versions of the business name, like GUIT for the guitar shop.

Re: Tin Can, a 'landline' for kids

#236

Post by FredFS456 »

testbjjl wrote: post #183
venusenvy47 wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My kids are grown up, but my mom is worried about her AT&T service switching to VOIP. She didn't understand my description of Ooma, which I've been using for many years, but now I'm thinking that I should just bring over all the needed hardware and just call it a landline.

Landlines work when there is no power, which depending on where you live can happen more or less often but an important feature for an elderly family member especially if they live alone. For my situation, telling my mom her voip phone was a landline would be problematic. I do need some solution though, AT&T technicians tell me copper thieves are disrupting her service regularly.

Landlines only work when there is no power if: - you use an old school landline phone (not cordless) - your landline is actually copper going to the house (I've seen fiber to house + conversion to twisted pair by a box with a battery) - upstream infrastructure either still has (possibly battery) power

Re: Tin Can, a 'landline' for kids

#237

Post by xnx »

ripplefringe wrote: post #28

A year ago, I got my 8 y/o a landline (we used Ooma). It has been absolutely wonderful. By far the best thing is that he makes his own playdates. I'm not the middleman anymore. He just makes plans and asks me if it's ok. And if his friend doesn't have a landline, I let him call their parent. It surprises them, but when he leaves a message, they love it. He's definitely had more time with friends because of it. Anothe…

I have a strong belief we should experience most/all the levels of technology as we grow up to better appreciate our current state.

e.g. corded phone -> cordless phone -> mobile phone -> smartphone

or

records -> tape -> CD -> MP3 -> cloud

or

Atari -> NES -> SNES -> N64 -> Gamecube -> Wii -> Switch 2

Re: Tin Can, a 'landline' for kids

#238

Post by mixmastamyk »

sparrc wrote: post #229
bit_logic wrote: post #68

Why does it seem like many parents are unaware that a hand me down iPhone can be heavily locked down with screen time settings? A list of things you can do: - allowed list of apps, can reduce it to just phone, imessage, and utilities like weather app - effectively permanent downtime, just set the end time less than start time such as 3:00 am to 2:59 am (technically 1 minute of non downtime). This blocks apps except f…

As a parent, two reasons: 1. The admin work of parental controls in Apple is non-trivial and obscure. I would guess there are something like 300 different knobs and settings you can control for each kid individually. The UX is terrible and there are features missing that seem extremely basic and fundamental. For example, I can't see how much time left my kids currently have, nor can I block any app "now". 2. "the pho…

Indeed, there's an additional problem as well. There are settings, and then there are settings that allow one to change the settings. Not only are there hundreds of settings but they are duplicated in this way.

Configuring them from scratch is a minimum 20 minute job, and then you need to double and triple check to avoid mistakes. More like a half hour.

Re: Tin Can, a 'landline' for kids

#239

Post by neuralkoi »

The one on their website is now $100, not $75 as per the article.

Surely someone can build a more privacy-friendly decentralized solution?

It doesn't take much for Tin Can to start charging $50 / month for a subscription.

Re: Tin Can, a 'landline' for kids

#240

Post by tbyehl »

eloisant wrote: post #127
jkestner wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dug out an old Motofone (the $40 eink candybar) for this reason, only to discover that it’s 2G, which has been decommissioned. Too bad, would’ve been fun to watch the kid learn T9.

Modern dumbphones exist: https://www.hmd.com/en_int/nokia-3210

For Americans, QVC and Target regularly have the BLU Flex or TCL Flip 3 bundled with a year of Tracfone service for $50 or less.
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