Mickey Mouse Tech

Long after five generations of portable phones and answering machines have been consigned to the junkpile, the venerable Mickey Mouse pulse dialer lives on, unconnected, in an upstairs bedroom. Mickey Mouse survives because it's our one phone that can operate if the power goes off say, during an earthquake. As long as our landline has tone, we can dial out ("dial" for once may be interpreted literally).

I plugged Mickey into the jack and called the iPhone. It worked perfectly, just as it did 20 years ago. The communications people call it "POTS"--plain old telephone service--but plain can be beautiful. © 2010 Stephen Yuen