Filed under: Odds and ends, iPhone
Rotary dial for your iPhone
I am one of the few people left in the country that owns and uses a rotary-dial telephone. Call me old-fashioned, but I just like the sound of that bell instead of an electronic noise when the phone rings.
Now you can extend part of that experience (at least the labored dialing part) to your iPhone. Minnesota-based CodeMorphic has released RetroPhone, an application that simulates the rotary dial mechanism on the screen of your iPhone.
Their website doesn't have a whole lot of information yet, but you can watch a video of the software in action at the St. Paul Pioneer Press's Your Tech Weblog. Of course, RetroPhone doesn't replicate the satisfying tactile response, but all the joy of spending two hours to dial an international phone number can be entirely yours.
Thanks, Julio.
Get a WordPress.com Blog
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
G Rynne said 4:00PM on 5-12-2008
Why doesn't someone develop a classic ipod interface for the iphone?
Reply
Kev Orng said 4:36PM on 5-12-2008
Good thinking.
I don't mind most of the iPod touch's interface, but when it comes to tracking back 30 or 40 seconds in a half hour podcast, its very difficult to not go back 6 minutes.
FatsVernon said 4:04PM on 5-12-2008
Very cool....for about 13 seconds until you actually see it in use. It takes sooooo long to dial a number that any typical user would lose patience with it immediately. 10 Points for a very nice interface though!
Reply
Ryan Trevisol said 4:20PM on 5-12-2008
Damn hippie!
;-) Seriously, though, it's only good if you can hear the thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump of the dial returning.
Reply
Shawin said 4:22PM on 5-12-2008
Hah! Visuaweb made this a long time ago.
That's nothing new.
http://blog.visuaweb.com/index.php/post/2008/03/02/iDial-10-%3A-lalternative-vintage-au-dialer-de-liphone
Reply
Schrysco said 4:27PM on 5-12-2008
Indeed, Ryan-- it really needs the satisfying ticking noise! I used to love numbers with 9s and 8s in them, just because they'd make more of that noise each time I let go of the dial.
Reply
Jeremos said 8:51AM on 5-13-2008
If you want more smooth movements, you should use iDial which is a better rotary dialer for iphone made few month ago from a french company.
just add rep.visuaweb.com to your installer.app sources.
http://www.iphoneskinning.com/2008/03/idial-brings-nostalgia-to-your-iphone.html
Reply
Rhywun said 4:42PM on 5-12-2008
No amount of nostalgia can overcome the string of swear-words that would come out of my mouth when I inevitably dial 999-9998 instead of 999-9999.
Reply
robogobo said 6:34PM on 5-12-2008
ditto.
Jeff said 4:44PM on 5-12-2008
What next? An iPhone tin can and string interface? ;-)
Reply
ortho said 4:45PM on 5-12-2008
Isn't this just as silly as that tape-recorder Mac program? I think it's always funny when people make modern software designed to emulate old-school electronics that ends up running too slow on a modern machine. Like the iNes Nintendo emulator iPhone app. Kinda seems embarrassing.
Reply
stainboy said 4:53PM on 5-12-2008
shhhhhUP thup thup thup thup thup thup
shhhhhhhUP thup thup thup thup thup thup thup
shUP thup
shhhhUP thup thup thup thup thup thup
Reply
Michael L. said 5:42PM on 5-12-2008
A compelling reason to get an iPhone!
Now all you need is an EXchange NAme to go with your number, which you can pick up here:
http://ourwebhome.com/TENP/Recommended.html
Reply
Robert Palmer said 5:47PM on 5-12-2008
That, sir, is an awesome link. You get my gold star for the day.
T509 said 5:56PM on 5-12-2008
iDial is on the sosiphone.com's repository for people wanting to compare.
Just have a try : rep.sosiphone.com with more than 250 packages maintened.
The side french blog of the repository : http://sosiphone.com/blogiphone
Cheers
Reply
Doug said 6:48PM on 5-12-2008
I still own a rotary phone! Great for when the power goes out; it still works.
Reply