Title: Copenhagen students design rotary phone that can literally dial up the internet
Context: This is your grandparent’s internet.
Synopsis: Not all of us (or even most of us) may recall the pre-information age where communication was still very analog. In these olden times stationary telephones did not come anywhere close to fitting in one’s pocket, and while they were in part controlled by your finger, it was certainly not in the modern touch, tap, swipe means of interactivity. That said, there was something satisfying about the mechanics of the ancient rotary phone. The tactile nature of its operation, while slow, was also steady, and in some Neaderthalish context, satisfying even. Perhaps there is a way to reconcile our primitive past with the post-futurist present that delivers an amalgamated experience superior to its constituent parts. Even if there’s not, it’s still sometimes fun to try.
Best Bit: “We like the springy push-back of the rotary dial against our fingers, the clicking of the switchhook when we slam down the receiver, and overall sturdiness of the body. These are all physical interactions that the internet lacks.”
via dezeen.com
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