Before cell phones, there were radiotelephones. In your car. They were big. Only rich people could afford them.
And when I was in college, a friend wanted to impress his new girlfriend. So I built him this completely fake car phone with all the bells and whistles: The "Teletronics" box would have a row of LED's that scanned a row of red and then green (like a police scanner). When you picked up the phone the scanning stopped and you heard a dial tone. Five seconds later, no matter what number you dialed, you'd hear a busy signal. (Sound effects were provided by the two tape recorders under the driver's seat.)
Everything was done by hardwired logic – no computer inside. And the case was woodgrain contact paper with white rub-off lettering.
I was bored in college, okay?
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| The fake car phone in action. |