[po] recently brought to my attention the existence of a satirical Ladybird Book cover entitled "'How It Works' - The UK Governments [sic] Track And Trace" with a pic of a boy back in the day using one of those tin can and string telephones.
It then occurred to me that the technology is available to manufacture a genuine tin can containing baked beans, cocoa or whatever, with a screw top which can easily be removed to remove the contents and consume (or it could be a ring pull), which is also a fully functional Android device, and in particular a mobile phone with a SIM slot and maybe also a Micro-SD, battery at the base of the can, mini-USB charger too. There's an inner lining to protect the hardware and keep it clean. The outer surface is a touch screen which initially displays the classic "serving suggestion", perhaps a video ad or animation. The inner bottom surface bears a CCD, mic and speaker. A string-like antenna projects from the base.
Once the can is empty, you unscrew and retain the rigid plastic lining and can use the phone for calls and audio media. There is a degree of acoustic amplification via the whole canniness of the thing. You can also place a lens or pinhole at the top of the can and use it as a camera using the lid. Videos can be displayed on the side of the can, and it can do all the usual stuff required of an Android device, e.g. browsing the web, playing Defender or cylindrical chess. Special apps are available to exploit the cylindricality of the thing.
If you wish, you can screw the liner back in, take it to a shop and have them dispense food into it. The can is then informed wirelessly of its contents and will display an appropriate image or video.
It also goes "MOO" or "BAA" when you turn it upside down or the right way up again.-- nineteenthly, Jun 21 2020 [+]
And with a bit of string out the end you would then have some string when you need it in those pesky situations where string is needed. I needed some string the other day to lash up a prototype face mask using a hanky and the string.
If you say string a lot, it starts to sound odd.-- DenholmRicshaw, Jun 21 2020 string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string string stringIseewhatyoumean.-- nineteenthly, Jun 21 2020 The question arising in my mind right now is, is this a can of food with a free mobile or a mobile with free food?
But yes, could be used as other things to be sure.-- nineteenthly, Jun 21 2020 Well I can spend a day with one in my handbag, being relatively devoid of pockets most of the time, and have in fact done so as a result of spontaneous supermarket visitation as one did back in the day, but it may not have been a baked bean tin. How important is that detail?-- nineteenthly, Jun 21 2020 It could possibly be made unrollable and telescopic, rendering it a small thing.-- nineteenthly, Jun 21 2020 The string should be elastic and have a small magnet at the end. To make a call you can discretely attach the magnet to anything metal and walk away a bit and then hold the tin to your ear.-- pocmloc, Jun 22 2020 // Steel can sizes //
I believe the idea specifically calls for a tin can. Substituting steel or aluminum would shirley alter the desired acoustics, those being rather pointedly, er, tinny.-- whatrock, Jun 22 2020 It so happens I envisaged the possibility of different sizes, although I was thinking more vertically than in all dimensions, as on that site.-- nineteenthly, Jun 22 2020 Tin cans are usually made of steel-- pocmloc, Jun 22 2020 And how long have you possessed this knowledge of apparent naming fraud, hmm? Long enough to have steered this idea in a more correcter direction?
[looks for something small and heavy to throw at something large and fragile]
You will be severely punished for your superior knowledge.-- whatrock, Jun 22 2020 Suggests you been hanging out with po too much, (no offense, po).
Also, "canniness" no such word. You made that up to fit your needs. You broke all the rules.
Wait, po says it's ok and she's a moderator. I can hear her through my canninesses. That would be two of your Android tins, in case you didn't know.-- blissmiss, Jun 22 2020 canny : the opposite of uncanny.-- FlyingToaster, Jun 23 2020 // Tin cans are usually made of steel //
Well this would increase the proportion of tin considerably because of its presence in display screens.-- nineteenthly, Jun 24 2020 Tinned steel, to be precise.-- pocmloc, Jun 24 2020 So will the product sound tinny or steely? Either would probably be okay so long as it doesn't sound aluminummy.-- whatrock, Jun 24 2020 Beany?-- pocmloc, Jun 24 2020 Is aluminummy kind of like a duller muffled kind of aluminiummy?-- pocmloc, Jun 24 2020 It sounds tantaliummy.-- nineteenthly, Jun 24 2020 random, halfbakery