Startup dumb.co challenges smartphone addiction with 'dumbphones' through its Month Offline program, offering a middle ground between tech abstinence and moderation.
The Tin Can is a simplified phone device for children designed by three Seattle fathers, featuring bright colours, big numbers, a curly cord between handset and base, and no texting, apps or games. Priced at $100 with a $9.99 monthly subscription for calling regular numbers, it connects via wifi and plugs into a normal power socket. Parents can approve a contact list to eliminate concerns about strangers. Bloomberg reports hundreds of thousands of sales with school endorsements, though critics question whether kids will actually want to use a device that lacks the features they typically desire.
