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$10 Paper Mobile Phone To Launch This Year

Posted by michael on from the and-monkeys-will-fly-out-of-my-... dept.

ROU Nuisance Value writes: "Made (mostly) out of recycled paper and coming this year. The Register article makes the phone sound like a non-hoax, and claims that companies like McDonald's are interested in mass distribution. If so, it's destined to replace AOL CDs as World's Most Annoying Giveaway. Inventor's Web site has pictures of prototypes but I'm willing to bet that call quality won't be worth the paper the phone's printed on. She promises a $20 laptop, too. Anybody know if the patents/inventor/company are for real?"

5 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. Do me a favor... by lildogie · · Score: 4

    fax me the phone, will you?

  2. Mobile phones are overrated! by rackrent · · Score: 4
    The fact that mobile/cellular phones are as commonplace and annoying as they are, it's good to see a guy at this school finally took things into his own hand!

    http://www.statepress.com/columns/hepp/index.html


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    --- There is a man in a smiling bag.
  3. why must it be disposable? by gotih · · Score: 4

    Why do we create disposable products when reusable ones can be manufactured for just as little cash? These products are not recyclable and will probably release toxic materials as they degrade in a landfill. Why not create an inexpensive phone which can be recharged and used more than once? Oh yeah, then the manufactures wouldn't have the constant stream of revenue from users who used up the battery life.

    This seems to be a ploy from the cellular providers to get people who can't afford calling plans to begin using mobile phones and, eventually, they will buy a 'real' cell phone. At that time the mobile providers can lock the users into a contract with outrageous termination fees. They are borrowing the drug dealer's business model -- give the first hit and you'll have a cell phone junkie for life.

    -josh

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    fear is the mind killer
  4. Criminal applications? by bokane · · Score: 5

    Wow. It seems to me that this'd really be a huge boon to people whose phones are monitored (ie, drug lords, mafiosos, etc) -- they just have to buy one of these suckers, then toss it away in a few hours.

  5. Re:Hoax by Jace+of+Fuse! · · Score: 5

    Wireless Network!?!? WIRELESS NETWORK!?

    There aren't that many spare PHONE NUMBERS!

    Some areas of the US are constantly having to redo their area codes just to keep up.

    Even if this thing were real, it would have to be for outgoing calls only... as it could almost certainly not have a phone number it's self.

    "Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

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    "Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

    Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.