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Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids

tincan.kids

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Re: Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids

#41

Post by ortusdux »

floren wrote: post #5

Highly, highly, highly recommend you enable 911 calls by default on all plans -- let parents disable it if they want. Cell phones do this, even without a SIM card. Don't gate safety for $9.99/mo. Edit: "The FCC requires that providers of interconnected VoIP telephone services using the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) meet Enhanced 911 (E911) obligations." https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/voip-and-911-ser…

I vaguely recall that there was a time when cellphone companies were required to provide free 911 access. People that only wanted a phone for emergencies were advised to get one and not pay for service because it could still dial 911.

Re: Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids

#42

Post by neilv »

S04dKHzrKT wrote: post #26

Make note of the privacy policy[1]. Some users may not like the data they collect. > Information Collected from Children: As detailed in Section 3.C, we collect voice audio during calls, call log information, and utilize the Parent-provided contact list in relation to the Child's use of the Tin Can Device. We may also collect device identifiers and technical usage data related to the Service. [1]: https://tincan.kids…

Yeah, this was buried under a section about "child users". I don't know how that's legal in a two-party consent state.

> C. Information Related to Child Users (Collected via the Service):

> Voice Audio Data: Audio data transmitted during calls made or received on the Tin Can Device.

Between this, and the civil and possibly regulatory liability of having 911 not necessarily work, this company might end up blowing their runway and more on lawyers.

Re: Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids

#43

Post by subhro »

turnsout wrote: post #37
bja wrote: post #24

This just seems like another VOIP service wrapped in nostalgia. There are MANY cheaper and better options. I say this because I recently added a VOIP line for exactly this reason to give my kids a way to call their friends without a smart phone. Here are many good options https://www.ooma.com/blog/home-phone/best-voip-service-for-h...

Keep in mind, the main use case is allowing kids to call their friends and family and no one else. VoIP nerds out there, is there any simple PFSense equivalent for VoIP that would allow you to DIY this? Basically restrict inbound and outbound calls to a whitelist?

Yes, get a trunk from someone like BulkVS, SignalWire and run your own freeswitch or asterix. You can set up arbitrary “allowed” lists. Hell you can even get fancy with lookups and decide on the fly to allow a call or not.

There are other comments about providers, but my way is way cheaper and you can run you EPBAX on a pi or even get a pre made VM from Azure, Amazon, etc.

Damn I hate paying rent.

Re: Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids

#44

Post by emrehan »

floren wrote: post #5

Highly, highly, highly recommend you enable 911 calls by default on all plans -- let parents disable it if they want. Cell phones do this, even without a SIM card. Don't gate safety for $9.99/mo. Edit: "The FCC requires that providers of interconnected VoIP telephone services using the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) meet Enhanced 911 (E911) obligations." https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/voip-and-911-ser…

FCC has rules for calling 911, and many state statutes reinforce or extend FCC rules.

Tin Can is probably not bound by these rules, but it looks like a phone and works like a phone. In an emergency where seconds matter, it better not fail anyone.

Enabling 911 calls for all could not only save lives, but also save the company from lawsuits.

Re: Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids

#45

Post by tiagod »

turnsout wrote: post #30
ars wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it possible to call 911 from a phone that doesn't have an incoming phone number assigned?

Yes, because you can pull the SIM card out of a cellphone and dial 911.

As far as I know, you can even call 911 with a SIM card on but no service to your network. It will just use another network.

Re: Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids

#46

Post by eterm »

davideg wrote: post #25
floren wrote: post #5

Highly, highly, highly recommend you enable 911 calls by default on all plans -- let parents disable it if they want. Cell phones do this, even without a SIM card. Don't gate safety for $9.99/mo. Edit: "The FCC requires that providers of interconnected VoIP telephone services using the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) meet Enhanced 911 (E911) obligations." https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/voip-and-911-ser…

This is a really good point, though E911 probably costs the provider something. I wonder if they could offer 911 support at actual cost ($1-2/month).

> probably costs the provider something

Yes, So what? Eat the cost.

Any life saved was worth it.

Re: Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids

#47

Post by actionfromafar »

ortusdux wrote: post #41
floren wrote: post #5

Highly, highly, highly recommend you enable 911 calls by default on all plans -- let parents disable it if they want. Cell phones do this, even without a SIM card. Don't gate safety for $9.99/mo. Edit: "The FCC requires that providers of interconnected VoIP telephone services using the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) meet Enhanced 911 (E911) obligations." https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/voip-and-911-ser…

I vaguely recall that there was a time when cellphone companies were required to provide free 911 access. People that only wanted a phone for emergencies were advised to get one and not pay for service because it could still dial 911.

I think that still is the case in Europe?

Re: Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids

#48

Post by tiagod »

sugarpimpdorsey wrote: post #17

Is this just an ad for a VoIP service? Your residential internet provider will probably already sell you VoIP that you can plug a real phone into. Put that old hamburger phone to good use.

And Dropbox is just rsync.

The value is in the app for the parents. I would pay $10 not to deal with shitty VoIP interfaces.

Re: Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids

#49

Post by idkwhattocallme »

The local public elementary school blocked all chat programs on student chromebooks. The 3rd graders figured out that they could chat with another in a shared google doc. They had thousands of pages of chat before the teacher finally put an end to it. The teacher only found out because a kid shared that it was getting unruly during class. I share this because most kids have an ipad and are digital communication natives. This landline concept is like puting a lid back on a can of worms.

Re: Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids

#50

Post by derwiki »

tiagod wrote: post #48
sugarpimpdorsey wrote: post #17

Is this just an ad for a VoIP service? Your residential internet provider will probably already sell you VoIP that you can plug a real phone into. Put that old hamburger phone to good use.

And Dropbox is just rsync. The value is in the app for the parents. I would pay $10 not to deal with shitty VoIP interfaces.

Several comments in this thread give "Dropbox is just rsync" vibes. I'm curious how many of the commenters suggesting to DIY understand that having small children means essentially no free time to hack on something like that.
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