Tin Can is an old-school phone with modern safety measures for children
A trio of parents have created Tin Can, a landline telephone that allows children to make calls without giving them access to the harmful distractions of a smartphone.
Seattle-based dads Chet Kittleson, Max Blumen, and Graeme Davies were spurred to create Tin Can after they couldn't find phones they felt comfortable giving to their respective children.
"Everything out there felt like a compromise – too much tech, too much access, or just another screen to manage," they explained. "We didn't want that. We just wanted our kids to be able to call their friends. Safely. Independently. And without unlocking the entire internet."
"What started in our own neighbourhood is now a growing community of kids across the country who are talking to each other the old-fashioned way."
Tin Can was designed to operate much like a traditional landline phone in that it can only make calls. Its handset has no screen, meaning users' attention can't be diverted by texting, apps or the internet.
The device's name is a playful nod to the childhood activity of making a rudimentary "phone" by attaching tin cans to either end of a piece of string. Its form, too, is meant to emulate that of a can, hence its cylindrical shape and slightly grooved surface, rendered in either pink, white, yellow or mint green.
"We spent an incredible amount of time on the industrial design – from the shape and weight to the feel of the twirly cord," the trio explained. "The right weight, length, and, of course, boingy-ness all matter."
The device doesn't use batteries and has to be plugged into the wall to function, anchoring users to one place while they're talking; Kittleson, Blumen, and Davies hope this feature will make children more "present and focused" during conversations.
Calls can only be made to and received from an approved list of contacts that parents set in the Tin Can companion app, which connects to the phone via its built-in WiFi.
The app can also be used to establish "quiet hours" so that calling is disabled for certain periods, like bedtime or homework hours.
Tin Can joins a growing number of communication alternatives being developed for kids.
At the end of last year, tech company Karri partnered with design agency Pentagram to update its child-friendly Karri phone; the pocket-sized device offers features such as the ability to send voice notes and track the location of its user.
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