GeekSugar

Dial in Style With a Payphone Key Bracelet

GeekSugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:30:27 -0700

The last time I used a payphone was a desperate time indeed - and I didn't love thinking about how icky the receiver and keys were when I was using it. I'd have no fear with the keys on this Payphone Bracelet ($62); though their origin is authentic, I'm sure they've been Purelled.

Recycling old keys into new bracelets is a pretty cool trend - maybe it's a bit premature for a Cell Phone Key Bracelet, but a Typewriter Key Bracelet is spot on.

What do you think of this upcycling accessory trend?

Home Payphone: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:00:08 -0700

The last time I had to use a payphone, it was because my phone errantly died (I sincerely hope that's what happens to Carrie Bradshaw here) and I was supposed to meet my boyfriend somewhere.

I remember being grossed out by all the germs of a shared phone, and got none of the nostalgia of being a teenager and using a payphone to call my mom to come pick me up from the mall. This Crosley 1950's Style Payphone returns all that nostalgia with none of the Purell - it goes in your home, and though quarters aren't required to use it, the coin slot works and the money gets deposited in the back of the phone - like a piggy bank!

On the other hand, vintage style aside, this could be gauche in the wrong setting. What's your take?

Carrie Prefers Payphones over Cellphones in the Sex and the City Movie

GeekSugar — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:00:15 -0800

You'd think with a fab worthy outfit and a Prada ombre clutch that miss Carrie Bradshaw would be showing off a sleek iPhone in the Sex and the City movie. After six seasons and now with the movie, Carrie is surprisingly still sans a cell phone.

I certainly agree that trying to track down a payphone in one of the largest urban cities in the world is much more dramatic than conveniently returning Mr. Big's calls on a BlackBerry. . . But still!

Let's just hope that Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte step it up and give us some modern technology to get excited about.

Source

Landmark Red Payphones in UK Make Pricey Geek Collectibles

GeekSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:00:30 -0700

I can't say I really miss the pay phones in the US, but when I read that cell phone use is making the red phone booths in Britain obsolete, I got a little melancholic. I mean, the booths are not just cute places to have a conversation or have your photo taken- they're landmarks. Did you know the signature telephone box was the result of a competition in 1924 to design a kiosk that would be acceptable to the London Metropolitan Boroughs? In 1925 the winning design was reproduced 1,000 times, but by 1980 there were 73,000 of the design throughout the UK. That's a piece of geeky history right there! Here's more:

Britain has more cellphones than people, so the use of pay phones has dropped by half in the past three years, according to British Telephone. BT has removed about 30,000, or a third of all pay phones, from the streets since 2002. Of the remaining 61,700 phone booths, 12,700 are the old red kiosks made of wood or cast iron that are so identifiably British.

The old booths are being bought up for $5,000 to $10,000, depending on the make, year and condition. Apparently regular Joe and Jane Does and celebrities are placing bids for their own little booth. Talk about a vintage geek collectible!

Source

Gossip Girl Tech Quiz: Episode 24, "Valley Girls"

GeekSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:02:28 -0700

The blast from the past episode of Gossip Girl taught us that sisterhood is forever. . . and that we don't miss having to use payphones! If you could peel your eyes off of the amazing prom dresses and eighties fashion long enough to notice the tech, then take my quiz and see how well you paid attention.

Photos courtesy of The CW

Take the quiz

Did You Have a Beeper?

GeekSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:00:31 -0700

I saw a childhood friend at a birthday dinner a few weeks ago, and we got on the topic of how much communication and gadgets have changed since we were teenagers. On top of making us feel old, it evoked memories of our hoary pre-cell phone days. He actually reminded me that, for a brief (but oh so awesome!) time, I carried a beeper (commonly referred to as a "pager" by unhip people and doctors). I can't explain why, except that one day my parents presented it to me as a way to "keep in touch" when I was out with my friends.

I can't imagine having a pager without a cell phone would benefit anyone aside from Stone Age doctors at this point, given payphones are considered vintage artifacts. News to Liz Lemon's pager salesman ex on 30 Rock: Pages are just text messages created without the genius of the QWERTY keypad. I've got nothing to say but 143, I promise.

Photo courtesy NBC