The UK's red phone boxes get converted into free public charging stations

[Justin Kahn]

As smartphones and mobile technologies progress, those iconic red phone boxes once scattered throughout Britain are becoming much less practical. While some are simply being sent to the dump, others are being converted for more useful applications.

We have already seen some of the remaining red boxes get turned into free public WiFi hotspots and now the first Solarbox conversion has been unveiled. With a fresh new coat of green paint, Solarbox has its first new public charging station up and running on Tottenham Court Road in London. 

The new charging stations are outfitted with 86cm solar panels on top, offering free charges for tourists and citizens. Open from 5:30am until they are locked at 11:30 at night, the Solarbox stations can charge up to 100 phones a day and offer about a 20% battery boost in 10 minutes. Inside, users will find a series of different charging connections for various phone models as well as a screen that displays ads while you’re waiting. While around 30% off the ad space is reserved for community projects, companies like Tinder and Uber are said to be among those interested.

According to Solarbox, about six people have used the box per hour since it was launched. Reports say five more Solarbox charging stations are expected to roll out by April 2015.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/58320-the-uks-red-phone-boxes-get-converted-into-free-public-charging-stations.html

 

[VitalyT]

Now we're talking...

Go to the green box to answer the calls, go to the red box to reject calls...

Charge up some whisky while at it...

UK is fun, ....till you get to share the phone booth with someone much boozier than you, a real ugly looking dude, and oh wait, it's not even Rowan Atkinson...thinking prince Charles? - try again.......who's your buddy...?

 

[Radient]

More ads marketing sucks maby north korea would be a good vacation

 

[TadMSTR]

Cool idea but I suspect people will try to hack them. Though it might create a market for adapters that block data but allow power.

 

[Railman]

While some are simply being sent to the dump, others are being converted for more useful applications.

I very much doubt that the iconic red phone boxes are being dumped. They are very collectable. I am sure the more modern boxes have been scrapped.

 

[VitalyT]

Thence came bipartisanship... and you better decide now where your allegiance is!

I'll be a red-booth squatter! Kill the greens, kill the greens!

 

[tipstir]

Times have changed! Phone boxes here in the USA are pretty much gone!

 

[VitalyT]

Times have changed! Phone boxes here in the USA are pretty much gone!

You got your trailer parks, mate!

 

[captaincranky]

You got your trailer parks, mate!

We just keep trailer parks around as tornado bait. Works every time..(y)

 

[Arris]

I don't know about everyone else but I feel myself becoming immune to advertising. I don't even use an ad blocker and couldn't even tell you what adverts are on any of the web sites I read regularly. Advertising companies pouring money into these sort of ventures are throwing money away in my opinion.

The major issue here is drunk guys tendency to pee in any convenient location (apart from the actual toilets in pubs/bars). I can imagine a lot of these smelling of wee.

 

[captaincranky]

I don't know about everyone else but I feel myself becoming immune to advertising. I don't even use an ad blocker and couldn't even tell you what adverts are on any of the web sites I read regularly. Advertising companies pouring money into these sort of ventures are throwing money away in my opinion.

I've said something on this order for years, but viewed from a business's perspective. Why do you keep handing Google more and more money for ads, don't you realize we're pretty much at the saturation point. Google is just taking your money.

When you come right down to it, most advertising is demeaning and condescending to its own target audience. Or for God's sake, if it isn't, a lot of people need to need to wake the hell up and realize it's intended to be.

How many 800 series beemers does the average person buy in a lifetime? Clue, the answer is "none". Does that prevent BMW from advertising them on a daily basis, and at least twice on Superbowl Sunday? Hell no!

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

This is why I like the British, they are inherently rigid and resistant to change. Britain wouldn't be Britain if there were no more red call boxes, black taxis and red double decker busses, hell I'm surprised they got rid of trams.

 

[Railman]

This is why I like the British, they are inherently rigid and resistant to change. Britain wouldn't be Britain if there were no more red call boxes, black taxis and red double decker busses, hell I'm surprised they got rid of trams.

Blackpool retained the original tram network. Quite a few towns in UK have reintroduced trams for example Croydon, Manchester, Birmingham and Sheffield.

 

[tipstir]

You got your trailer parks, mate!

You mean metal neighborhoods, but those don't have any payphone. I don't visit that area, I doubt those are left here since hurricane can cause issues for those metal homes.

 

[captaincranky]

You mean metal neighborhoods, but those don't have any payphone. I don't visit that area, I doubt those are left here since hurricane can cause issues for those metal homes.

I told you what trailer parks were for, to lure tornadoes out of the clouds

 

[Adhmuz]

Evidentially they are being used by people, 6 and hour oh boy, but even this will be obsolete once advanced battery technology is release from the super powers who control the oil and natural gas of the world. Also people in the UK are far to well mannered, apart those urinating drunks, something like this in Montreal would be vandalized within a week. It just takes one kid to go in to that booth and tear out all the power leads, heck even the solar panel on the top would be smashed or stolen.