Exploding The Phone
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explodingthephone.bsky.social
Exploding The Phone
@explodingthephone.bsky.social
160 followers 160 following 49 posts
The untold story of phone phreaks: the teenagers and outlaws who hacked Ma Bell.
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loriemerson.net
very happy and relieved to confirm: the second printing of #othernetworks will be available on the Anthology Editions website November 21st and also available to order from your favorite independent bookstore shortly after shop.mexicansummer.com/merch/495898...
Lori Emerson - Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook. Mexican Summer & Anthology.
Buy Other Networks: A Radical Technology Sourcebook by Lori Emerson on Mexican Summer & Anthology.
shop.mexicansummer.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:08 PM
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ianausten.bsky.social
Now some Mexico City phone action. This one earns its keep by propping up a bicycle cafe. (Leica R8, 21mm f4 Super Angulon R, Kodak TriX)
A cargo bicycle, with a loose rear fender, carrying coffee for sale, leans against a phone kiosk in hard morning sun on a very wide sidewalk next to a busy street. A double decker bus and many trees are in the background.
October 22, 2025 at 10:07 PM
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ianausten.bsky.social
Bayview O Train Station, westbound platform, Ottawa. (Leica M Monochrom, the M9 based original, 50mm f1.2 Noctilux ASPH)
A cylinderical payphone booth on a concrete platform in frton of a window. A suicide prevention help notice is to its left. A cabinet to the right has fire hose connections and an extinguisher. A phone pictograph is above a push button emergency call station. A illuminated sign further ride is overexposed. Trash and recycling receptacles are underneath it.
October 8, 2025 at 10:16 PM
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loriemerson.net
in 1954 telephone employees at Mountain Bell came to Boulder, Colorado for "Dial Day" to teach residents how to dial a telephone. reportedly, employees explained "how busy signals were different than siren-like tones that indicated that a caller had mis-dialed." #othernetworks
photograph of a full page newspaper story. the top half of the page features a black and white photograph of a woman smiling with a telephone handset up to her mouth. she is standing on the left of a large replica of a telephone dial possibly with a switchboard. a man in a suit stands on the right. text for the article is below. In 1954, Mountain Bell employees taught Boulder residents how to dial a telephone. 1954 Dial Day' in Boulder In the early months the finger stop, the dial pany employee, was unique to Area codes, at the time, were of 1954, Mountain Bell must be allowed to re- party-line subscribers. Most only used by operators who Telephone employ- turn freely to its start- party lines were spread across ees visited clubs and ing position." were contacted by dialing four households. Residents the number "0") for long-dis- schools in Boulder to Boulder, in 1954, had could (and often did) listen in tance calls, even from Boulder teach members of the a population of approxi- to conversations of the other to Denver. The operators also mately 25,000 residents. subscribers -- often, annoyed gave directory information and a telephone. Before "Dial Day," residents wanting to make a call only had to pick up their receivers and wait for an operator to ask, "Number please?" Finally, on March 6, 1954, phone users could make local calls themselves, but they had a lot to learn. "Midnight tonight will be a historic moment for Boulder,". stated a writer in the Camera's 24-page special "Dial Day" sup-plement. Subscribers had to be told to wait for the dial tone ("a steady hum") before placing their calls. Then, they were taught how to physically dial their new rotary phones. "Don't force the dial to try to speed it up," stated a Mountain Bell employee. "After each number is pulled around to According to the Cam- when the shared phone was in assisted in emergency calls. era, there were 40 tele- use. In return, they got reduced Individuals took a while phones for every 100 ra…
September 13, 2025 at 3:58 PM
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sorenspicknall.bsky.social
Terrible news: American Science & Surplus is closing.

The stores in Geneva and Milwaukee may have a future if they can work out terms of a proposal for current workers to buy the business, but Park Ridge (which moved there from Jefferson Park) is permanently shuttering.

sciplus.com/important-in...
A screenshot of an announcement from American Science & Surplus reads: It's with a heavy heart that we share some difficult news. For almost 90 years, our company has been so much more than a business; it's been a family. A community of inventors, creators, and curious minds, built on a shared passion for discovery. After working hard to stay open, and thanks to your incredible support, we were able to hang on a little longer. But despite our team's best efforts and your unwavering love, we're not able to continue. We will be closing our mail-order warehouse and discontinuing our catalogs. The last day to order from us online or by phone will be September 7th, at which point our website will also be shut down. While we were unable to find a buyer for the Park Ridge store and will be closing later in September (if interested email patrick@sciplus.com), we do have some good news. Geneva and Milwaukee could remain open as employee-owned and operated locations. We are so excited for them to continue the legacy of American Science & Surplus. We will keep you posted if and when we can make this happen! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for 88 wonderful years. We'll miss you all more than words can say. Happy trails and please continue to support small businesses everywhere-they need you! incerely, Patrick Meyer & The Entire AS&S Team
August 29, 2025 at 9:29 PM
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ianausten.bsky.social
This pair, with an aging transit map for handyl reference, are in the Jean Talon station of Montreal's Métro (Leica M Monochrom, 50mm f1.2 Noctilux ASPH)
Two wall mounted payphone kiosks and a tiled wall with a very large transit map in between them. An expandable stainless steel door is to the right.
August 28, 2025 at 10:39 PM
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taonf.bsky.social
“I thought it would be fun to get a lot of mathematicians to try and re-enact” That’s Mathematics by Tom Lehrer #TomLehrer
youtu.be/U9norkmRXDY
July 28, 2025 at 4:41 AM
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wbm312.bsky.social
Ok I’ve not been making as much progress as I would have liked on the tarot project. But here’s the next card I’ve been working on.

The Phreak.
July 27, 2025 at 1:26 AM
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ianausten.bsky.social
This decorative phone kiosk arrangement can be found in Quebec City's bus terminal. Note now it is conveniently near an always disappointing claw machine. (Leica M5, 35mm f1.4 Summilux ASPH, Kodak TriX)
Three cylindrical Bell pay phone kiosks near a large window. Each is a slightly different height. A very long room is behind them, as is a claw machine.
July 16, 2025 at 9:18 PM
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ianausten.bsky.social
London, Ontario. One of those wide, suburban streets lined by car dealerships. The phone had a dial tone.
(Hasselblad SWC, Zeiss 38mm f4.5 Biogon, Kodak TriX)
A Bell payphone kiosk near the corner of a store. Instead of a right angle, the corner is a 45 degree wall. There is also two trash bins and a Canada Post mail box. A sign in the shop window gives the estimated prizes for two lotteries: $20 millon and $12 million. A sign on the shop reads: Market with another word that is cut off except for a C.
July 14, 2025 at 8:23 PM
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ianausten.bsky.social
Kamloops, British Columbia. No payphone in the vicinity.
(Mamiya 7ii, 50mm f4.5, Kodak TriX)
Chopped up shrubs and bushes are piled up. Looming above is a sign that reads: Cold Beer, Jimmy's Liquor Store, Open 7 days a week, Yellowhead Cannabis, Open 7 days a week.
July 13, 2025 at 1:47 AM
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ianausten.bsky.social
One of the last low phone kiosks on Quebec Autoroute 20 between Quebec City & Montreal. They allow drivers to chat from the comfort of their cars. Something changed. It is now so low that only a child in a pedal car or an F1 driver could use it. (Shen Hao FCL810AC, 180mmf8 Super Angulon, TXP320)
A phone kiosk which is just barely off the ground. Two bent pipes flank it as protection. A tree is immediately behind and an extra tall kiosk for truckers is in the distance.
June 30, 2025 at 3:45 AM
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404media.co
This Queer Online Zine Can Only Be Read Via an Ancient Internet Protocol

🔗 www.404media.co/queer-online...
This Queer Online Zine Can Only Be Read Via an Ancient Internet Protocol
New Session publishes poetry via Telnet, rejecting the internet’s fast-paced enshittification.
www.404media.co
June 24, 2025 at 2:03 PM
explodingthephone.bsky.social
So excited to get my copy of Other Networks today -- fascinating and beautiful! @loriemerson.net, great work!
June 25, 2025 at 12:56 AM
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ianausten.bsky.social
René Lévesque and St. Laurent, Montreal. The phone has a dial tone. (Crown Graphic, Schneider 135mm f4.5 Xenar, Kodak TXP 320)
A payphone kiosk with an extraordinary amount of graffiti and stickers covering it in front of a stucco wall covered with graffiti. The trunk of tree is in front.
June 15, 2025 at 2:54 AM
explodingthephone.bsky.social
@cara.city Hey Cara! I'm in Oakland and my company has a 2008 Mac server (Intel Xeon) in good condition — it’s been gathering dust for years. It’s not as interesting as a PowerPC-based machine, but hey. :-) Please DM me if you'd like it (for free, obvs). Thanks! --Phil
June 7, 2025 at 6:16 PM
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ianausten.bsky.social
A rare, for southwestern Ontario, non-Bell Canada pay phone in Windsor at Tecumseh and Lauzon Roads. There was no dial tone and someone long ago obliterated any sign of who owns it. (Shen Hao FCL810-AC, Kodak 190mm f6.3 Wide Field Ektar, Kodak TXP320)
A phone booth in bright sun. Its signs are handset pictographs. Behind is an intersection of two wide roads with a large sign looming and a shopping mall in the distance.
June 4, 2025 at 8:16 PM
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ianausten.bsky.social
The payphone at Foodland in Osgoode, Ontario offers very outdated editions of the Ottawa-area white and yellow pages telephone directories for its shoppers' reference needs. (Leica IIIg, 35mm f2.5 W Nikkor, @ilfordphoto.com HP5)
A wall mounted Bell payphone. beneath it are two black binders containing telephone directories that are resting on bags of Kingsford charcoal and Windsor water softener salt. To the left is a bulletin board with small cards for community notices topped by an ad for an auto garage and used car dealer.
May 16, 2025 at 4:12 PM
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ianausten.bsky.social
A pay phone pair at noisy entrance to the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Centre in the Orleans area of Ottawa. I sometimes wonder why those signs identifying the phones as, well, phones were ever installed. And who knows if the mug was ever retrieved. (Mamiya 7ii, 43mm f4.5, Kodak TriX)
Two payphones mounted on a painted concrete block wall next to a entranceway. In between them is a pictograph sign of depicting a telephone handset. An insulated drinks mug is sitting atop the phone on the right. A tall, three sided pylon warning of a wet floor is in front of the phones.
May 14, 2025 at 9:38 PM
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wolf.moda
happy mother's day !
May 11, 2025 at 6:31 PM
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ianausten.bsky.social
And now the exterior phone at the Via Rail's triplet payphone station in Cobourg, Ontario. (Mamiya 7ii, 43mm f4.5, Kodak TriX)
A Bell payphone mounted on a brick wall which has carved stone elements. It is at night and a lamp is illuminating an empty part of a parking lot.
April 24, 2025 at 12:40 AM
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edge-ai-vision.com
Embedded Vision Summit® Announces Full Conference Program for AI and Computer Vision Innovators, May 20-22 in Santa Clara, California
www.edge-ai-vision.com/2025/04/embe...
Embedded Vision Summit® Announces Full Conference Program for AI and Computer Vision Innovators, May 20-22 in Santa Clara, California - Edge AI and Vision Alliance
The premier event for product creators incorporating computer vision and AI in products and applications SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 21, 2025 /EIN Newswire/ — The Edge AI and Vision Alliance, a worldwi...
www.edge-ai-vision.com
April 21, 2025 at 6:07 PM
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loriemerson.net
❤️
chmarchives.bsky.social CHM Archives @chmarchives.bsky.social · Apr 18
From unprocessed collection (Efrem Lipkin & St. Jude Milhon), this is a fun sticker we found--
Black and white illustration with exterior round frame reading "Grrrls Need Modems!" and a 1940's-era image of a woman wearing a telephone operator-type headset with microphone partially obscuring her lipsticked mouth.
April 18, 2025 at 3:55 PM
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ianausten.bsky.social
Quickie store, previously a 7 Eleven and, before that, a service station, Bank Street, Old Ottawa South. I first shot this phone two or three years ago during the 7 Eleven era. But it wasn't guarded by bollards then. (Hasselblad SWC, Zeiss 38mm f4.5 Biogon, Kodak TriX)
A Bell Canada payphone kiosk mounted on a brick wall under a Canada Post post office sign. Three tall bollards are in front of it and there some melting snow on the ground. To the left are shop windows with some sort of mirrored coating.
April 15, 2025 at 1:59 PM