Childhood Trauma Tin-can Phone

Newcastle Herald

Tuesday February 5, 2008

ANITA BEAUMONT

What: Before discarded mobiles were the toys of choice for kiddies wanting to make like adults, there was the tin-can phone. Two empty cans were joined by a long piece of string which, when pulled taut, acted like a transmitter.

When: No one is sure when the first prototype appeared, but some believe it was around the time when schools introduced their trash-to-treasure programs.

Why: It was the poor man's walkie talkie. Cheap, easy, and magic.

Chance of revival: Now that people upgrade their mobile phones every two years, the chance of a tin-can phone resurgence is slim indeed.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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