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Disposable Cell Phones Arrive
headGasket writes "After the disposable cameras, here comes the disposable cell phones. Ideal for trash talk. Seriously, there is a $5 incentive to not dispose of it in the trash and bring it back for a rebate on the next one." These seem like a nice alternative to being locked into a lengthy contract, or for people who only need a cell phone for a short period of time.
I would imagine with disposable-grade aerial setups you would get weak reception? If I have to jump into an 80's time warp to get equal reception i'm out :)
Finally, a cell phone that works with my tin-foil hat!
FP?
It would make parking a lot easier if I could just drive my car into a dumpster.
And how about clothes that last for 1 day so we can keep up with the latest trends.
Or pets that die after a week, for when you want some love around Christmas but don't want an 8-20 year commitment.
get that global communications network up & running, these things would be great.
:)
Going on holiday to BumFuckEgypt? No worries, buy a phone there. What, didn't use all your credit? Sweet, bring it on home and finish it there.
Ooooh, this will be great for Shane Warne, he can SMS chicks without getting found out now
This is great for tourists. The USA use 1900MHz for their GSM networks, so the dualband (900MHz and 1800MHz) GSM phones which are common in Europe are of no use to tourists. A disposable cell phone looks like a good way to stay in touch with home and fellow travellers.
These seem like a nice alternative to being locked into a lengthy contract, or for people who only need a cell phone for a short period of time.
I'd say it sounds quite wasteful, even if the phone is recyclable.. (how many will recycle it?)
There are alternatives to lengthy contracts, such as prepaid accounts.
And there are alternatives for people who need a phone for a short period: Renting.
I'll just chalk this all down as another symptom that some people can't get the idea that waste is BAD.
This is how to make money today: 1. Think of current newish technology that is expensive but cool. 2. Figure that in 5 years it'll be cheap. 3. Take out patents on the *disposable* use of said tech. 4. Wait 5 years for someone elso to make it cheap. 5. Profit 6. Have fun This is probably a reasonably viable business plan - my tongue is only partly in my cheek...
I could see the 911 button being a nightmare for the 911 call center; it's centered right between the "send" and the "end" button.
...or does that phone look a shitload better designed than most of the current overgadgety, tacky, moronic-buttoned phones that saturate the market? I swear there's a special kind of drug you must need to be on to design current phones.
(barring the T610, which is simple and gorgeous for it)
Does anyone else find this crass? It looks like the trend towards low-cost, disposable, devices for mass consumption is not going to let up anytime soon. What ever happened to the care for quality, workmanship, and longevity in products? I guess it's as they say, "they don't make 'em like they used to."
I don't really see the point of having a huge button for dialing 911.. it's really not that hard to dial, is it?
The website doesn't say, but I'd also be interested to know if dialing 911 is still allowed after your minutes have expired.
Remember that Hop-On has been caught in the past passing of repackaged Nokia phones as their "disposable" solutions.
I believe it when I see it at my local 7-11.....
Please send all UCE to scally@devolution.com so I can f
Now, I thought that the reason Pay Phones in the US can no longer receive incoming calls is because drug dealers were using them to do business.
Wouldn't this just do the same? I can see this as a boon for an illicit dealer.
I wonder how long it will be before one is obliged to produce ID in order to buy one of these things. Many law enforcement agencies object to cell phones that are not tied to an identifiable individual because it makes it much harder to get an order for tapping the phone.
If intelligent life is too complex to evolve on its own, who designed God?
The disposable phone seems expensive (per minute) and mostly useless. The only real application I see is when you go somewhere for a short period of time and need a phone for a few weeks.
I wonder what the quality control will be like on a product that's designed to be thrown away. There's been several studies detailing local microwave heating in the brain (though no-one's sure if this is a serious thing, I sort of side with the cautious on this one. What if ? ...)
Simon.
Physicists get Hadrons!
Disposable Cell Phones have been on slashdot many times before, and isn't Hop-On the same company cited for repackaging $200 Nokia's and calling them "Hop-On" phones 18 months ago? I still haven't seen Hop-On phones in retail stores years after they were first announced, and I have a feeling I won't see them for many more years. Might as well start advertising disposable computers too, since I'm sure we'll see those in the next 10 years... probably before the disposable cellphone.
my karma will be here long after I'm gone
Now, I can make all my phone sex calls without worrying about my parents seeing the paper trail. w00t!!!
Wh47 d1d j00 541, 31337 15n't t3h r0xor5 ne m0r3???
I have worked and lived in several countries in Eueope, and everywhere, recycling and safe storage of old batteries was top issue. Batteries are VERY toxic.
And now, an idea to just throw away your mobile phone? Don't these people think about the environment? Yeah, I know, there's a 5$ incentive to return them, but you know as I know, that the average northamerican user of such device will think of the return as a nuisance and will gladly renounce to the 5$ and toss the phone. Even if only 10% does this, you still end up with huge quantities of toxic materials in the environment.
I'd like to kick the ass of the guy who launched this product.
Sigged!
Making the entire phone disposable seems to me to be rather wasteful and, well, environmentally-unfriendly. The requirement which this phone purports to address seems to me to be already catered-for by the "pay as you go" model.
Here (Ireland), for example, you can get a decent phone (with no account) for about 100 euro, and then buy call-cards for 10, 20, 50 euro etc. worth of credit. These have a PIN which you use to top-up your account. As an alternative to the "pay monthly" type of account with invoices, it works very well; they're used particularly by teenagers etc. There's no account, nor are one's personal details given to the phone operators.
Why not just use prepaid SIM cards? That's what we have here in Finland. You get a prepaid SIM card and presto, you get to talk or receive calls. Once the allocated talktime has been exceeded, you just buy a code and "recharge" the prepaid SIM card. Or just buy a new prepaid SIM. SIM cards are small and made of non-toxic material. A much better idea for the environment, and I'd say it's much nicer, as you have YOUR choice of mobile phone.
Sigged!
I wonder how many non-intentional (I'd use the word accidental, but it seems inappropriate) 911 calls are going to be made with that design. It's like those stupid computer cases with the reset button sticking out from the front which you keep bumping against accidentally.
...on Slashdot
:)
It's actually kinda amusing reading the comments from that last article about disposable cellphones. Many people though it'd never happen, and now, here it is
On my last trip over (March '03), I was suprised that the concept of a rechargable SIM had not caught on in the US. I tried hard to find them in both Seattle and San Francisco but could not..
With the current political climate and the perception that such a phone would only be used by terrorists and drug dealers, I find it hard to belive it would catch on or would be allowed to work.
It's only possible because you get charged for incoming calls - a thing that happens only in the USA. All around the rest of the world, if someone had a phone like that she would never dump it, because it could be served as another phone number (another identity!)
And.. it's hard to believe they'll continue to live. It all looks like a fraud to me. Their site design looks quick-n-dirty, kinda like the site of Earth Station 5.
Slashdot community, please notice: I am looking for a girlfriend.
Nave H. Weiss
In any case, huge numbers of discarded GSMs are already being sold in Africa at fairly low prices. Here in Belgium most GSM shops let you trade or abandon your old phone when you upgrade, and these phones turn up in the markets in Lagos, Kinshassa, Kigali, Entebbe and so on.
In today's world, there is very little that is actually truly "disposable".
Ceci n'est pas une signature
not even that, since most mobile carriers - at least here in the UK are opting for the "electronic" top ups instead.
This means, you'll have to 'register' a top up card with your phone number, so whenever you need to top up, you simply hand the cashier the top up swipe card and the money and in a short few seconds, your pre-paid account is renewed with however much you wanted.
I believe the phone operators are offering various incenetives to get you to use the electronic top-ups. ie. small amounts of top up like 5 and 10 are only availible electronically. But yeah.. the only waste from this method, is a small till reciept proving that you purchased the credit.
Fight Crime - Shoot Back!
All we know about human behaviour, and I mean the non-rational part of us, the part which has sentiments and some morality and/or some sense of ownership or territorial defence, well this part is the one that makes us cling to everything we own, makes us attached to that old pair of shoes, makes us feel affection for that old beige box on the desktop.
That's why we'll see more customization kits, swappable cases and GUI skins for portable phones, and disposable phones will probably fail.
Maybe we deserve this world ?
No idea why you say that.
I can walk into any phone shop in Belgium and buy a pre-paid GSM card without leaving my name. I can then use that card in any GSM phone anywhere in Europe.
I am also aware of similar schemes in other European countries.
The criminals already have anonymous communication methods and that it is as it should be, because it means the rest of us do too.
Kristoph
Clearly, if you use a phone often or for a long period of time, it's cheaper to go out and buy a real phone than to continue buying replacement disposable ones. The main market, therefore, seems to be travelers etc. who will only be in an area for a short while. I'm sorry, but why can't such people just buy another simcard for their existing phone? (As opposed to this crappy disposable one, which apparently can't even send text messages. What the heck is the point of a phone that can't send text messages?) Simcards cost about $6 in most countries, much cheaper than one of these things, and you get the benefit of still being able to use your own phone.
To all that say "Use it until it expires, then keep it for 911" or "Get one just to kick around in an emergency kit" are forgetting about BATTERY LIFE.
Does anyone really think you can recharge these things? Or that they have awesome shelf life? There's probably enough juice to get you through the minutes about twice (for safety) then you have to bring it in to replace the battery pack anyway.
Just a thought.
SYS 64738 NO CARRIER
It sounds like the only thing disposable is the company.
According to stockpatrol, the former CEO was arrested for defrauding investors.
Their 2002 Audited Financials, shows over 98 MILLION shares and lifetime sales of just $4,283 (at an expense of $29,576). The company has moved from online gambling (1998-2000), to DSL provider (2000), to wireless phones(2001-). The audit claims: "[...] the Company has sustained operating losses and expects such losses to continue to the forseeable future. The Company has not generated any significant revenues or product sales [...]". It also mentions that the company currently has two lawsuits against it for unpaid fees.
Actually, I really can see a use for these - When i go out into town, i dont want my new nokia stolen, so i take an old housebrick-sized phone. It gives me a point of contact, with very little risk - who would want to steal it? I was actually stopped (at knife point) and mugged a few months ago - he took a 20pound note, but not my phone, (or even my student card or driving licence. It's well worth asking to keep it - worthless to the theif + would cost a lot to replace) as for dialing emergency sevices, all nokias seem to have a facility to dial 999 (i live in the UK) at least once a week without you knowing. I often wonder how much nokia costs those services - even with the keys locked, it will still dial out if it's in your pocket.
Just sell temporary SIM cards at 7-11 and let people figure out how to get a used cell phone for $20 bucks. That's how we do it in Taiwan. Locking into contracts for two years is for weenies. Who cares about changing your phone number every two months!
North American cell phone customers were happily surprised this morning when Merison Vireless released a cell phone so shoddy and crappy that most would be happy to dispose of it.
"I've been waiting for the shittiest cell phone I could," remarked Janice McFarley of Prescott Hills "the phone Merison sold me wasn't that great, but I was planning to keep the unit even though I could no longer afford the service. With this phone, well, it simply has no value! I'd throw it away without a second thought!".
The new "KrapPhone", with a limited feature set and shoddy quality, is perfect for service providers that are looking to milk customers that have very little money. Robert Slaton of Merison Vireless explained to us that they could make a tidy profit on welfare mothers and the homeless.
"We find that welfare mothers would like a cell phone, but they can't afford the $30 monthly fees. With this totally crappy phone, we can sell them service, make a tidy profit, and the destitute will be able to remain only 3 or 4 payments behind on their rent. Once they default on our charges, they can simply throw away the phone under the guise of it's crappiness.
It's not like the thing even does something you can't get now. Europe (and I hope the US) sell prepay and full featured phones starting from 50 euros - not just some crappy box that doesn't even have a display. So what is the point of this? I seriously doubt that this device is that much cheaper, and considerably more restricted in features and lifetime.
The $5 deposit is just a sop.
It's not like phones are the best devices from an environmental point of view (think of all the needlessly different battery and adaptor types), but at least they're not meant to be tossed away after so many minutes. In fact, most shops often have trade-in schemes for old models and pass them on to charities for refurbishment for third world countries. So some good comes from them.
Great I hope the smart states slap a hefty sales tax on these things to cover the cost of disposal say 100 dollars per unit, doesn't seem so cheap now huh? After all the company positively encourages the user to dispose these things.
No mention of the initial up front costs of the unit.
The call rate will certainly be higher to cover costs and make a profit, they do intend to make a profit right? Or are they hoping to pump the share price and make money by selling blocks of shares?
No sms text, means this tech is already dead in Europe and the rest of the world.
Anonymous mobile phone purchase is illegal in some countries, ever try buying a legal phone in France without ID?
Just who is the target customer? Business travellers? Poor students?
What's the point of a mobile if you can't be sure that the other party will still have the same phone number after a week? Who would you rather do business with e.g. on ebay?
A low-tech alternative to throw-away phones is to simply buy a pre-paid SIM card from a local operator early in your trip, and to use that to make local calls & stay in touch with the family.
I was in India last week and the network coverage of all major operators was excellent in towns and around urban/touristic areas. The SIM card only cost me Rs.300/- ($6) and included 30 minutes of talk time to Indian phone numbers, and allowed my friends and relatives to call that number. And you don't pay huge roaming fees for receiving calls.
I thought that logo looked similar. There was a company called Hop-On in Australia a few years ago that supposedly was going to offer free internet access (offset by advertising). The company disappeared before it started connecting users, AFAIK. The website (www.hopon.com.au) is dead but the internet archive has a copy. That's obviously the same logo.
"A week in the lab saves an hour in the library"
It's already an annoying problem for the emegency services that phones dial 911 or 999 accidentally and they have to figure out whether its a real emergency and the person is unable to speak or whether the phone is unlocked in someones pocket.
Now there's just a single freaking button to press ? - That may be a problem.
"Free software as in beer, copy protection as in racket" - Telsa Gwynne
Don't worry, the "hey, I'm on the bus!" phase will end as soon as everyone in the States gets over the newness of cheap, popularly available cell phones. One day it will be the equivalent of bragging to people about having a color television.
Of course, judging from my experience in Japan, the people around cell phone users are half the problem. I've seen people give dirty looks at people talking on the cell phone in a regular voice on the train, even though there are people having much louder face-to-face conversations nearby.
Personally I think it's just people being annoyed that they can't eavesdrop.
excellent move, in such times. now terrorists won't even worry about giving their name to get a cellphone. they can buy one, call whoever they want to call, then throw the evidence away.
this makes me think that when there's the chance to make some profit no fear-of-terrorist can stop it. it's interesting to see that this "culture of fear" only arises when profit is under threat, and is forgotten when no money can be harmed.
-- There are two kind of sysadmins: Paranoids and Losers. (adapted from D. Bach)
Trust me, putting the 911 button like that IS a pain for 911 operators. I am one. If people would THINK before dialing 911, we wouldn't be so busy answering stupid calls. Over 40% of the calls we take are cell calls, and I'd guess that 75% of those are wasted calls. We at the 911 call center know when there is a wreck. All the phone lines start lighting up. I've even had a 911 call reporting a wreck 20 minutes after the fact. I asked the caller, isn't the police there? She said yes, but I didn't know if you knew about it. HELLO.......McFly......I'm the one who TELLS the fire/police where to go. 911 is a victim of it's own success. For 20 years, we've told people call 911 call 911. Heck, they call 911 like it was 411 now.
*beep* <- 911 was just pressed
Operator: "911 emergency, how can I assist you?"
Caller: "*muffle* *muffle* mmmph *muffle*"
Operator: "Sir...er..or madam, are you in trouble? Where can we locate you?"
Caller: "*shuffle* *muffle* mmm *smack* *shuffle* *beep* *muffle* *beep*"
Operator: "Hello?"
Caller: "*beep beep beep beep beep beep...*"
Trolls lurk everywhere. Mod them down.
More toxic waste for our rapidly spreading landfills.
Just what we've all been crying out for.
I for one welcome our new purveyors of low quality shite overlords.
siggy played guitar
Go ahead, try to buy one! You can't. Offer them some investment money... they'll take it!
... and costing WAY more than $30 for the parts.
_ room_floor_2/
Did nobody notice that all images of the "phone" are virtual mockups?
How many promos/how much hype for this have I seen in the past three years?
Hmm, BusinessWeek mag was persuadade that they were available back in 1999 and claimed to have tested one.
It was later shown (by opening the case) that Hop-On's "disposable phones" were really Nokia phones with their own plastic casing put around them.
There were some delays admitted-to long after the 1999 "demo", in June 2002
There was a bit of a problem with a Universal Studios tie-in back in 2001:
"In November 2001, Hop-On announced that it would partner with Universal Studios Home Video to give away a limited number of the disposable phone to purchasers of the "Jurassic Park III" DVD/ home video. The "winners" would get a free Hop-On phone if their copy of the video contained a special coupon. The promotion was cancelled when Hop-On failed to deliver the phones... Universal has advised Stock Patrol that it is sending all of those winners - about 1000 in all - $30 checks (the supposed cost of a Hop-On phone) and a free DVD. "
See also http://www.wirelessreview.com/ar/wireless_cutting
and oh, oopsie!!!!
Disposable Cell Phone Company Hop-On Wireless CEO Indicted For Fraud (April 18, 2003 -- for ANOTHER venture of his, not Hop On, but it looks like a familiar tale)
Last year we had the story of how it looked like disposable cell phone company Hop-On Wireless was a scam. Since then, I've seen the company highly touted in many news stories, talking about how it was this great invention... but which no one seemed to be selling. Now, the CEO of Hop-On has been arrested for fraud, relating to work he did on an earlier company - but which brings up many parallels to Hop-On. The earlier company was an online gambling site, which he raised a lot of money for. However, they did so by showing software that was really someone else's software "cosmetically altered" to look like their own. Hop-On's "disposable phones" were really Nokia phones with their own plastic casing put around them.
From the hop-on website:
Q. When will I be able to buy the Hop-on phone?
A. The release date of our Hop-on phone is contingent on a variety of factors. We are doing everything we can to get our phones into the hands of all those who want and need them as soon as possible. If you like, you can e-mail us your contact information, and we'll let you know as soon as our phone is available in your area.
This thing is almost certainly a scam. The bill of materials for a GSM phone is about $40, even after you remove the display, microphone, and speaker, which these guys seem to have done from the picture.
Someone's got to pay for this, you can do it with a subsidized contract or you can charge for the phone, and you've still got to find a way to make money.
Something like this comes up every couple of years. No reason to expect that this one is any more credible.
jeff
Not if they can make money by deliberate waste, anyway; that's obviously a much more important contribution to the American Way.
So these people have been around since at least the beginning of 2003? And /. has only just reported on them?
I suppose this is the inverse of one of those "repeat story!" posts--a story that's been covered on Slashdot at least twice already and nobody remembers. There's this 1999 story on the patent being issued, and then this one from 2002 about reviewers discovering sample Hop-On disposable phones actually had the guts of a more expensive Nokia model in them because they hadn't actually tooled up their assembly lines yet.
So yes, they have been around a while...and yes, Slashdot's covered it.
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
The 911 dispatch absolutely hates it when people have preprogrammed 911 buttons on cell phones, as the picture shows for this one. They get way too many accidental calls, and are required to try and folow up on any call made, thus wasting a significant amount of time.