Tin Can – The landline, reinvented for kids
120 comments
·July 16, 2025TimTheTinker
xpe
Maybe I’m going out on a limb here?… Even this thrifty and most excellent (party on Garth!) 3 to 17 step process might slightly reduce adoption by the target audience: kids.
randombits0
Set up a couple of ip phones to connect to the other every off-hook, no dialing. Think Batman Batphone!
aspenmayer
I guess we’re gonna have to teach those kids to read the fine manual. (I agree with you entirely in this case. Show them easy mode then if they want a challenge they can do hard mode.)
privatelypublic
Voip.ms is $0.50/mo per DID. After that billing is either an unlimited plan or per minute.
RajT88
Not going to host a SIP server?
Geez this place has gone downhill.
/S
pimlottc
This doesn’t include the whitelisting for incoming and outgoing calls, which is a prominent feature.
aaron695
[dead]
TMWNN
[flagged]
tomhow
> Why is it that there are always, always, ALWAYS super geniuses like you and bja and others who rush to ACKSHUALLY provide "alternatives" that aren't actually alternatives?
Please avoid fulminating or sneering like this on HN, it's clearly against the guidelines.
TimTheTinker
Look, people fall into all sorts of categories based on various individual characteristics. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. It sounds like maybe you don't like seeing ideas that aren't best for you?
Let me encourage you to just keep scrolling if someone's idea doesn't fit you personally.
TMWNN
It'd be one thing if you offered a complete solution, even if cumbersome. Lots of open source projects require more steps than, and have various limitations compared to, their commercial counterparts; heck, for many of us, those extra steps are a feature, not a bug.
But all you did was to mention Google Voice, not exactly an obscure VoIP product and which, again, does not provide a whitelist. A whitelist is fundamental to this product's raison d'être, and to its appeal to parents. If you can't understand that, I don't know what else to say.
S04dKHzrKT
Make note of the privacy policy[1]. Some users may not like the data they collect.
> Information Collected from Children: As detailed in Section 3.C, we collect voice audio during calls, call log information, and utilize the Parent-provided contact list in relation to the Child's use of the Tin Can Device. We may also collect device identifiers and technical usage data related to the Service.
neilv
Yeah, this was buried under a section about "child users". I don't know how that's legal in a two-party consent state.
> C. Information Related to Child Users (Collected via the Service):
> Voice Audio Data: Audio data transmitted during calls made or received on the Tin Can Device.
Between this, and the civil and possibly regulatory liability of having 911 not necessarily work, this company might end up blowing their runway and more on lawyers.
lukas099
It also says,
> This includes the real-time transmission of voice packets necessary for the call to function. If voicemail features are implemented, this includes recorded voicemail greetings and messages.
So maybe it is “collecting” the data only in these limited capacities? (which seem necessary for the thing to function)
codys
They do not state that it is exclusively collected for those purposes, only that those purposes is included. As written, they'd be in line with their policy to collect that data for any purpose (including those listed).
jonah-archive
Huh, I was just thinking about something sort of like this after camping with some friends and our kids this weekend -- we brought FRS walkie-talkies for all of them (cannot recommend this enough!) and on the drive home my four-year-old was asking if he could call his friends on the radio -- rather than getting him a Technician's I was thinking about finding or making some push-to-talk cell/wifi devices for them. It seems like a few of these things exist but they're marketed toward the enterprise (in at least some cases, with a family-style product unfortunately but unsurprisingly being discontinued: https://relaypro.com/families/ ), but it doesn't seem like it would be a hard build aside from making a durable/kid-friendly enclosure for it.
usmanity
you could try GMRS over FRS which ends up having more range and only costs $35 for a 10 year license (no test / certification needed). I was recently trying both types of handheld walkie talkies and the FRS range was almost 1/5th the range that GMRS was able to do
c22
You're making me nostalgic for my old Nextel handset(s).
sugarpimpdorsey
Is this just an ad for a VoIP service?
Your residential internet provider will probably already sell you VoIP that you can plug a real phone into.
Put that old hamburger phone to good use.
tiagod
And Dropbox is just rsync.
The value is in the app for the parents. I would pay $10 not to deal with shitty VoIP interfaces.
eszed
I've set up voip instances, and not liked it, but would be willing to do it again for my kid. I'd not be willing to set them up (and be tech support!) for all of his friends' families. That's the value proposition here, for me.
We've got a group of parents around us who'd likewise like to delay their kids' smartphone access for as long as possible - but if a smartphone (or even a dumbphone with no meaningful parental controls) is the only way for kiddo to make calls, then I know some of them will defect. Selling them all on this kit (or something like it) would keep the agreement intact for a while longer.
derwiki
Several comments in this thread give "Dropbox is just rsync" vibes. I'm curious how many of the commenters suggesting to DIY understand that having small children means essentially no free time to hack on something like that.
tiagod
And it's mostly tech workers here. I would say most parents are not technically inclined. It would take the average Joe god knows how many hours to set something like this up. Even for a techie, and even if you value your time at only $10/h it would be worth it even if it took only a weekend of hacking something together, and you get something that was built specifically to your use-case.
nickpsecurity
It really isn't. I got my login for dropbox, installed it on some machines, and it was just click upload or download from there. Crwating and using folders was much like on my desktop.
For rsync, a person would have to study it to learn it. They might want to look for potential gotchas in how they configure it, too. The experts at Dropbox already did all that for us, though.
derwiki
I wouldn’t call it an ad because I’m unaffiliated. I thought it was a neat techie gadget that other HN readers might enjoy.
stevage
This has number whitelisting, and also no monthly fee.
floren
Highly, highly, highly recommend you enable 911 calls by default on all plans -- let parents disable it if they want. Cell phones do this, even without a SIM card. Don't gate safety for $9.99/mo.
Edit: "The FCC requires that providers of interconnected VoIP telephone services using the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) meet Enhanced 911 (E911) obligations." https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/voip-and-911-service
Also "911 Services: Providers of "interconnected" VoIP services – which allow users generally to make calls to and receive calls from the regular telephone network – do have 911 service obligations" https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/voice-over-internet-pro...
J_McQuade
I kinda get why they think they don't want to enable this, but when I was a kid I once called 999 (in the UK) as a joke and let me tell you it was only once. My friends and I were there in the room watching films that we shouldn't and the uniformed and kitted-out Constables turned up and gave us an incredibly stern dressing-down about 30 minutes later.
Luckily, I am in the UK where a bunch of 12 year olds who've just watched Scream calling the police about shadows doesn't result in something getting shot, but still - I think I learned something about actions and consequences that day.
gerdesj
What is bloody annoying is that you can't even test 999. When you set up a PBX it would be nice to know that it would work via the obvious way of actually calling it.
Surely it would be possible to create a test version which gets terminated by a computer instead of hassling an operator - you could send DTMF codes or something similar to indicate a test.
I suspect that there is a little more to your story. Probably that the fuzz had some spare capacity at the time and decided to do an educational exercise on you lot - which worked nicely. Nowadays you hear about all sorts of daft 999 calls - there is a TV programme about it.
Now we are moving into the SOGEA era in the UK. That's where we have "glass" phone lines (FTTP) that don't supply power but have jolly fast internets. 2025 is the year that the copper network gets shut down, except that it wont be! Oh and we will all be using VOIP ie SIP n RTP. The final pretense of circuit switching will trot off into the sunset and be bundled behind a green tent and a single shot will be heard.
mattbee
You can definitely test 999 for your own VoIP without getting into trouble. I did it a couple of times in the 2010s after moving offices. You just say you're testing, there's no emergency, thank you, and hang up.
ocdtrekkie
I would be surprised if you got in trouble for occasionally calling emergency services to clearly communicate you were testing if it works. During normal operations they should have extra capacity and they presumably also would like you to be confident you can reach emergency services in an emergency.
EDIT: I should specify a great way to be sure this is okay is call the non-emergency number for your local law enforcement and ask them if you can place a test emergency call. In a lot of cases, you will end up speaking to the same people who answer emergency calls, and they can tell you if now would be a good time or not.
dylan604
Way back when, my toddler loved to play with the cordless phone, and just happened to be able to dial 911. a lot. We'd realize a connection was made but not who was on the other end and just hang up. Eventually, 911 called back inquiring why so many hang ups and if someone needed help. I was surprised they took our explanation without dispatching someone to follow up. Maybe that's different now as I know my city has a policy of all calls require a follow up even if it's hours to next day later when they know it's not an emergency
danpalmer
I did this too at the age of 4. Apparently fireman Sam doesn't take phone calls, but the operator was very kind and didn't berate me or my parents for it.
emrehan
FCC has rules for calling 911, and many state statutes reinforce or extend FCC rules.
Tin Can is probably not bound by these rules, but it looks like a phone and works like a phone. In an emergency where seconds matter, it better not fail anyone.
Enabling 911 calls for all could not only save lives, but also save the company from lawsuits.
neilv
Yeah, that jumped out at me. If you're doing something that looks like a phone, just do 911, always, even if you're losing money by doing that.
xpe
Yes! I am not a lawyer, but I know many… In addition to steering clear of legal issues, demonstrating overall decency is the right thing to do. In terms of $, customers have already spent money on the company’s hardware devices.
mathiaspoint
I'm surprised they do 911 at all. My Canadian VoIP provider doesn't do it and my understanding is that it's relatively difficult to do.
davideg
This is a really good point, though E911 probably costs the provider something. I wonder if they could offer 911 support at actual cost ($1-2/month).
eterm
> probably costs the provider something
Yes, So what? Eat the cost.
Any life saved was worth it.
nickpsecurity
If you believe it, offer up all your money to cover the cost of all 911 services and life saving tools. Then, the companies can provide them free of charge since you ate the cost.
Most will probably hold back some or all of that money. They'll make it someone else's problem. If not, they'll limit how much they eat the cost of saving others' lives. Their justification will be to put the money into their own needs or pursuing more of something. Which is what the companies do when they don't eat the cost.
If it's right for most people to charge to cover their costs (or ignore other people's problems entirely), then it shouod be right for the companies, too. If they must be selfless at a huge loss, then so must any who demand they do thay.
xpe
To individuals, a life seems priceless. But to anyone facing resource constraints, tradeoffs are inevitable. Welcome to the quagmire where moral philosophy meets bean counting.
winstonewert
Then I'm sure you're willing to donate the cash to make it happen.
turnsout
It's not arbitrary—if you look at your cellphone bill, there's a tax for 911 access. They could probably offer a cheaper plan with just 911, but they can't make it free. But I think $9.99 is fair all things considered.
I'm not sure I see the safety issue. My 7 year-old currently doesn't have the ability to dial 911 without an adult's cellphone. If I give them a Tin Can that has no 911, they are no more or less safe than they were before.
ars
> they are no more or less safe than they were before.
I disagree. They think they can call 911 from it, so in an emergency they will try that, and fail, and try again (because things fail all the time in today's world), wasting a ton of time.
Without this device they would try some other plan, maybe go outside and scream for a passerby to help.
ars
Is it possible to call 911 from a phone that doesn't have an incoming phone number assigned?
lucaslazarus
Yes, because cell phones can do it even without a SIM card
bja
This just seems like another VOIP service wrapped in nostalgia. There are MANY cheaper and better options. I say this because I recently added a VOIP line for exactly this reason to give my kids a way to call their friends without a smart phone.
Here are many good options https://www.ooma.com/blog/home-phone/best-voip-service-for-h...
wffurr
How easy is it to manage the calling allowlist for those providers? That seems to be the key value proposition here; the parent app that controls the allowlist.
TMWNN
[flagged]
tomhow
> It's not. bja is yet another who rushes to the comments to ACKSHUALLY provide an "alternative" that is no such thing.
And again. Please avoid this kind of fulmination and sneering. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
turnsout
Keep in mind, the main use case is allowing kids to call their friends and family and no one else.
VoIP nerds out there, is there any simple PFSense equivalent for VoIP that would allow you to DIY this? Basically restrict inbound and outbound calls to a whitelist?
freddie_mercury
Why is preventing them from calling other people an important feature? The market for people who care about that sounds extremely tiny.
subhro
Yes, get a trunk from someone like BulkVS, SignalWire and run your own freeswitch or asterix. You can set up arbitrary “allowed” lists. Hell you can even get fancy with lookups and decide on the fly to allow a call or not.
There are other comments about providers, but my way is way cheaper and you can run you EPBAX on a pi or even get a pre made VM from Azure, Amazon, etc.
Damn I hate paying rent.
turnsout
Whoa, love this. Do you have any recommended resources if I wanted to try this out? Any comments about FreeSWITCH vs Asterisk, or BulkVS vs Signalwire for a simple setup like this?
wffurr
Some of the providers on that link have “allowlist” as a feature, but I am curious how easy it is to manage. The parent app seems like the real value proposition here.
scosman
And that’s fine. It’s cute. It’s fun. Looks like they are optimizing for UX, design, and marketing.
idkwhattocallme
The local public elementary school blocked all chat programs on student chromebooks. The 3rd graders figured out that they could chat with another in a shared google doc. They had thousands of pages of chat before the teacher finally put an end to it. The teacher only found out because a kid shared that it was getting unruly during class. I share this because most kids have an ipad and are digital communication natives. This landline concept is like puting a lid back on a can of worms.
derwiki
3rd grade, sure. This seems like a great fit for my 3 year old and her friends who don't have unfettered iPad access.
idkwhattocallme
A landline for a 3 year old to communicate with her friends. lol
anotherhue
Google Wave!
floren
I only used Wave a little (because my netbook was far, far too underpowered to work properly with it) but I really really enjoyed it for both serious collaboration and random bullshitting with my friends. Haven't seen anything comparable since.
eszed
Wave nostalgics of the world, unite! It's the best remote collaboration tool I've ever used, and imo nothing I've seen since has really come close. It still baffles me that it wasn't successful.
_spduchamp
I setup a VoIP.ms number with call extensions for the family and gave my kid a phone. They never use that phone because all the friends are on Messenger Kids.
Our Uniden walkies get a lot more use. Calling into the shed, or kitchen to upstairs, or across the street to neighbours.
Nevermark
If there was an adapter version, for real old school phones, that would be fun.
There are so many real old school styles. [0]
[0] https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=vintage+phone&_sacat=0&...
[0] https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=scooby+phone&_sacat=0&_...
zargon
There was an article about kids and landline phones posted recently:
Kids Love Landline Phones - 70 comments - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43105961
Seems like someone decided to productize such an idea.
CGamesPlay
Can I get this for an elderly relative who has dementia? Scam calls were stressing her out (she doesn't have any ability to lose any assets, but the pressure they put on her stresses her out), so we took her phone. But we would love the ability to call her on a whim.
Terr_
I've seen some similar products (controlled devices for vulnerable seniors) in the form of smart-watches, which have the advantage of being harder to misplace and more likely to be available in an emergency.
Now, whether the limitations of that form-factor/platform are worth it is a harder question.
kondro
Yes?
legitster
I really like this idea, but I have 3 pieces of feedback:
1. I love the idea, but I do not love the pricing. $10 a month for something you can get for free with a Voip box is tough to justify.
2. It looks like they are refitting "antique" phones for their Flashback model. If they just sold the standalone Voip kit with their service wrapped around it, then we could find our our vintage hardware to use.
3. Realistically, 90% of the time my son would be on this would be to voice chat while playing Minecraft. So knowing that it has a decent speakerphone would be nice.
ipython
What voip service allows free calling to/from pstn? Without an app filled with ads?
There's a cheaper alternative, if you don't mind some manual setup:
- buy an ethernet -> phone adapter (Grandstream, Cisco, and Poly sell these) and a cheap analog phone.
- get an inexpensive VoIP number[0] and set up the phone adapter to log into the service you set up.
- set up a Google Voice[1] number if you haven't already. When you want to make an outgoing call, use the Google Voice app to initiate a call to your VoIP number[2] -- that way you're technically receiving the call there, so it's cheaper or free, depending on your plan.
[0] CallCentric has a $3/month plan that gives you free incoming calls and e911 service: https://www.callcentric.com/faq/46/529. This works well if you initiate outgoing calls via the Google Voice app.
[1] As of 2023, Google Voice doesn't work directly with Obitalk VoIP service anymore, or with any other VoIP devices :(
[2] if you need to let kids make outgoing calls via Google Voice unattended, set up the Google Voice app on an old iOS device in Guided Access mode and plug it in next to the analog phone. (But make sure they know to make 911 calls using the phone itself, not the GVoice app. I suggest printing a "Emergency: call 911 on this phone" label and putting it on the back of the handset.