Touchscreens Replace Pay Phones in NYC
- Posted on April 10, 2012 at 2:18pm by
Liz Klimas
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With 85 percent of adults owning a cellphone, pay phones over the last decade have become nearly obsolete. Where a pay phone once stood is often a barren, graffiti-covered shell stripped of its communication device. New York City is looking to bring these booths and stands back to life with technology that’s instep with modern time.
According to the New York Post, 250 telephone booths will be retrofitted with 32-inch, Internet-ready touchscreens that will include information about the local neighborhood, such as things to do, shops and restaurants. They will also inform city-goers of local events and safety alerts. The touchscreens could eventually be used to check email or serve as wireless hotspots, and one of the best parts, all this information and access is expected to be served free of charge.
The Post has more:
“The goal is to pilot it and see what the response is,” said Nicholas Sbordone, a spokesman for the city’s department of Information Technology & Telecommunications.
“It will help inform the city’s ongoing reassessment, with public input, of what we want or what we think the future of public pay phones will entail.”
Check out this local ABC News report on the project:
Concerned about the germs, as many New Yorkers might be? The Post reports the franchise installing the machines, City24×7, said they are water-proof, dust-proof, and “built to be cleaned with a jet hose.”
According to the Post, the touchscreen upgrade is not costing the city anything and it will even get a cut of the revenue from advertising. Eventually, all 12,800 payphones in the city could be replaced in this manner.
Here‘s City24×7’s promo video on the project:
The touchscreens are expected to have measures to limit certain searches, preventing visits to illicit websites or anonymous and nefarious online activity.
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GodAlwaysWins
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 5:57pmAhh…won‘t it be nice when everything is done via computers and those whom don’t have a chip in either hand or their forehead won’t be able to access their $, also known to computers as credits. No money means no food, gas, medicine, doctors, dentists, etc. The one screen that speaks “Knowledge is Power” is right. We all know that the enforcement of the world order will soon be upon us and we are empowered because we will not accept it nor their invasive devices to implement that control.
Report Post »Aerocog
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 1:44pmFinally, old phone booths now have new use besides hobo restrooms.
Report Post »Gary S
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 7:25amA solution looking for a problem. Thanks mayor numbn**s.
Report Post »freedomisasfreedomdoes
Posted on April 11, 2012 at 12:09amthe upgrade won’t cost the city anything??? sounds to good to be true.. means it probably is
Report Post »Poggle The Stick
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 7:54pmWhy the mouse pointer? It makes it look ugly.
Otherwise, nice stuff! We need this in Seattle, too.
Report Post »mekusmilkdud
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 8:48pmr they gonna put these in gang banger territory, who is gonna pay for the damage? Never rmind taxpayers of course. I hope they are smart enough to lock them up and require a good fee just to get into them, of course you could get a refund . If you got them money to get into where one is (booth) your probably not there to just vandalize it.
Report Post »lel2007
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 7:14pmThat is so thoroughly modern I could poop my pants with excitement.
Report Post »wbalzley
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 6:27pmSNARK: Sounds COMMUNIST to me…
Report Post »MrHoggLegg
Posted on April 10, 2012 at 5:52pmThis sounds like a great idea ✡ Why the usage ideas could very well be immense ✡ The information that could be available to people that have no cell phones and to visitors that are unfamiliar to the area could be invaluable ✡ Now ✡ Having said all of that ✡ The vandalism issue is what will kill this idea ✡ Video surveillance will not be enough to protect the equipment ✡ The reason is vandalism is a Misdemeanor ✡ And imposing fines won’t be a deterrent since refusing to pay fines only net a person (Juveniles?) a few days in lock up which costs the taxpayer to provide room and board for the vandal ✡ Nope! ✡ Will not work! ✡ Fails before even being started!
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