Blue Box

A typical Blue box

At least 100 years ago, Bell thought it could cut costs if it sent out a 2600hz signal through the phone lines right after someone dialed a long distance call. It would have worked, too, if it weren't for those darned kids and their cereal. Captain Crunch discovered that a toy whistle in a cereal box issued that same sound -- and if you blew on it right after you made a phone call, you got free long distance. You could also hack into the internets with it. Thus, phreaking was born.

Soon, Steve Jobs and Woz got in the act, and made so much money off the blue box that they used the proceeds to start Apple. The rest, as they say, is history. This is just more anecdotal evidence that the more you stick it to The Man, the more the world will become a better place.

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