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what to do with my cell phone

Starius

Practically Family
Messages
698
Location
Neverwhere, Iowa
I don't know about the looks of a cell phone but I made mine sound like a classic Western Electric 302 phone. I made a youtube video quite some time ago of how easy it is for a RAZR V3 to interact with Mac OS X and in it you can see my adding the Western Electric 302 ring to the phone, among other things. (including adding the movie poster of Forbidden Planet as my wallpaper)

I'm all for making modern devices appear more retro than they are but I don't think I'd cripple a large part of it's functionality to do so, in this case, make the phone more unwieldy to use. I don't think Henry Dreyfuss would approve.
 

Miss Neecerie

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,616
Location
The land of Sinatra, Hoboken
I also have a 'ringy' sounding ring...

and then I have the text message sound.....its a recorded bit of 'telegraph sounds'....since text messages are the new telegram....complete with their own shorthand. Granted..I dont abbreviate..but the underlying idea is the same.
 

panamag8or

Practically Family
Messages
859
Location
Florida
Miss Neecerie said:
I also have a 'ringy' sounding ring...

and then I have the text message sound.....its a recorded bit of 'telegraph sounds'....since text messages are the new telegram....complete with their own shorthand. Granted..I dont abbreviate..but the underlying idea is the same.

Mine is the old phone ring, too, but with football season approaching, it will soon be time to change it back to the Gator fight song.
 

Matt Noir

One of the Regulars
Messages
134
Location
Wichita, Kansas
While I do not believe that a cell phone should ever become a fashion accessory...I saw a neat classic holster in the Summer issue of Classic Style. It is on my desk at my office so I do not have access to the details at the moment - but it certainly was a nice way of carrying the phone.

Regards,

Matt
 

Twitch

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,133
Location
City of the Angels
I'm with Baron Kurtz- throw it against the damned wall in pay back for all the times it interupted you, dropped calls and made you available to every yahoo that engaged you in banal, droning conversation at inappropriate times.lol
 

MagistrateChris

One of the Regulars
Messages
127
Location
Central Ohio
I've been carrying a pager or cell phone for over 10 years now, at the order of the boss. When I'm dressed to thrill, the phone goes in a pocket on vibrate. No one knows it is there unless I need it. Helps keep the vintage look...until the watch phone is perfected a la Dick Tracy!
 
Lousy excuse for Phoney Drivers

Vermifuge said:
...The face of the modern company has changed. In order to remain productive (not to mention increase productivity) we are forced to have mobile offices. This need will become more pressing as the bulk of out labor force (the baby boomers) enter retirement.

What was the norm of 40 hours in the office a week has evolved into an average of 60 hours working in and out of the office as needed. We may have the freedom to work where we want but the demands are higher.

Some might be quick to call this a luxury but the fact is in my line of work it is a necessity...

I heartily dispute the NECESSITY of 99% of the cell phone conversations made by the "drivers" I see. The business of driving is DRIVING, not business. Pull over to concentrate on your big wheel deals, oh modern magnates of commerce. Ditch the cellphone behind the wheel - hang up and drive - lose the conceit that fuels genuinely reckless driving. "But I was on an important phone call!", yeah and ran the light, ran over that pedestrian, collided with another vehicle, caused other careful drivers to make wild corrections to avoid YOU!
And those NovaPhone cell phone gizmos are junk - useta work for a rinky dink joint and those toy phones were too rinky dink even for them.
 

ScionPI2005

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,335
Location
Seattle, Washington
Vermifuge said:
bluetooth_retro_handset_new.jpg


I must admit I just purchased one of these actually. I plan on placing it on a no longer working vintage rotary dial phone base. Then I will have a mysterious wireless vintage phone that somehow receives calls from my cell phone...;)
 

Shaul-Ike Cohen

One Too Many
Messages
1,176
Location
.
ScionPI2005 said:
I must admit I just purchased one of these actually. I plan on placing it on a no longer working vintage rotary dial phone base. Then I will have a mysterious wireless vintage phone that somehow receives calls from my cell phone...;)

Exactly my idea. I have a WE202 with the same handset (F-1) they used as a pattern, and I'm going to buy a non-working base to put it next to it to hold my mobile phone BT handset.

BTW, after the initial fun, as with so many things, you might get used to the handset. I once took it out of my briefcase when the 'phone rang, and wondered why my friend was so amazed and excited and laughed.
 

Elaina

One Too Many
My cell phone is paid for by my job (which is strange since I work at home and never leave) and plays "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead." Outside of working hours, I never use, nor carry it.

I believe if I wanted you to know where I am, I'd call and tell you. I don't need to be electronically leashed.
 

ScionPI2005

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,335
Location
Seattle, Washington
Shaul-Ike Cohen said:
Exactly my idea. I have a WE202 with the same handset (F-1) they used as a pattern, and I'm going to buy a non-working base to put it next to it to hold my mobile phone BT handset.

I guess it just makes sense: you can't have a vintage handset without having a phone base. That just doesn't make sense--you have to have somewhere to rest the phone.

Similarly, does anyone else find that they like the feel of an old fashioned handset against their ear? Maybe it is just me, but it seems like so many cell phones are oddly shaped, and they are so small now that they feel weird when you use them.
 

DominusTecum

Familiar Face
Messages
78
Location
Kansas, USA
Exactly, Scion! They just plain aren't comfortable to use. Sure, they're great for "Hi, where are you? Oh you're right in front of my face? I didn't notice because I was gabbing on my cellphone instead" type conversations, but anything more than that is pushing it. Ever tried to have a real 10 minute to 2 hour telephone conversation on a cellphone? By the end of it, your ear and/or face are usually sore, because the phone wasn't designed with actual conversation in mind, but with the sole objective of fitting a speaker and a microphone into the smallest package possible.

Never mind the vintage look, I'm excited about the (corded -my cellphone is an antique that doesn't have bluetooth) handset just from a standpoint of useability. I've been wanting one of these things for years, ever since necessity dictated that I have a cellphone.
 

MrPumpernickel

One of the Regulars
Messages
111
Location
Sweden
Sure it makes sense to have a vintage receiver without a base, but it does require some hacking and modding.

This is just a concept, but at least it's self explanatory:

<img src="http://www.mousevomit.com/blog/art/images/20070721122902_20060509cellphone.jpg">
 

ScionPI2005

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,335
Location
Seattle, Washington
ScionPI2005 said:
I must admit I just purchased one of these actually. I plan on placing it on a no longer working vintage rotary dial phone base. Then I will have a mysterious wireless vintage phone that somehow receives calls from my cell phone...;)

I just finalized my new toy this afternoon. I purchased a non-working 1960's black rotary phone, removed the wall cord and the original handset. Now I just sit the bluetooth handset on top of it. Only problem is, when I'm bored doing homework or casework, I'm going to sit at my desk spinning the rotary...;)
 

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