Acetio | Blogma

From the earliest days of desktop computers there has been a tradition of tinkering with computers, people taking them apart, modifying them, and building their own. But cell phones seem to have not gotten the same kind of attention, even though they may be the most ubiquitous computing devices there are.

CNet has a story about home-brewed cell phone makers that show that it isn't all that difficult to get into cell phone hacking, especially now that there are tiny Linux-powered brains available.

"Patel says he has lost patience with even the slimmest Motorolas and most advanced Nokias. He has been trying to build new features for cell phones for years, and he--like a growing number of other impatient developers--has concluded that phones have to be as flexible as ordinary computers if he's going to make progress."

I don't tinker anywhere near as often as I used to, but this gives me ideas...

from Mike C.

My phone number is one digit off from the offices of Screw Magazine, and I've gotten some odd wrong numbers - typically awkwardness at the other end, then a hang-up.

Also, there's a bar called the Village Idiot - a theme bar owned by the Coyote Ugly people. It's phone number is not at all like mine.

But the other night the phone rings:
- hello?
- Hi, uh, is this the Village Idiot?

It's not the first time that's happened.