Steve_S  12-04-2002
04:19 PM ET (US)
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I assumed the "Drizzlenik" bit was a winkwink from a manufacturer selling an essentially unlawful product, sort of the way radar detectors are marketed without acknowledging the fact that they're intended to permit someone to break the law and avoid penalty, or the way vibrators are marketed as "back massagers" (not that there's anything unlawful about vibrators, mind you. . .)
I merely pointed out that, taking the site at face value, there's little economy in paying $150 for a clock radio.
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Jim Treacher 12-04-2002
02:09 PM ET (US)
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I wish Dr. Drizzlenik would do some more stuff with Snoop Dog.
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jleader 12-04-2002
01:37 PM ET (US)
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Given that the site sells tools to telephone linemen and cable installers, it's definitely a joke. The whole site is somewhat humerous; they sell toolkits that don't make you look like a "phone guy", so you won't get stuck listening to some bozo neighbor complain about the problems he's been having with his phone.
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Chris Smith 12-04-2002
12:47 PM ET (US)
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> I too wonder if this site is a hoax
From the site:
] Our Chief Scientist, Dr. Emil Drizzlenik PhD from the
] renowned Chernobyl Electrical Institute in Russia,
] developed this patented technology after an accident at
] the power plant left all of the homes and businesses in
] his area dark.
Hello, people? Dr Drizzlenik has a bridge to sell you.
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Steve_S 12-04-2002
12:16 PM ET (US)
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I too wonder if this site is a hoax, but if not, who wants to pay $150 for a clock radio? What do they cost at Walmart, $20 max? Do a rate-of-return on that and you'd find, even with the free electricity, it takes 25 years to earn your investment back. Bad idea.
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bradm 12-04-2002
09:47 AM ET (US)
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Every designer of subscriber line equipment has
faced this issue. The ones who survived figured
out why you can't do this.
Subscriber loop lines (from the central office to
your house) are only replaced when they absolutely
won't work (filled with water, rodent damage, etc).
Most older lines in the USA are pretty marginal.
If you try to get DC power off the line, and the
impedance of your line is marginal, the telco will
think your phone is off-hook (looking for dial
tone). The telco will, after a few minutes, unhook
your line from the switch. This is self-healing
because the telco goes back to scan those "dead
lines" every few minutes. If you disconnect the
offending device, the telco will reconnect your
phone to the switch after a few minutes.
Even worse, the problem will come and go with bad
weather. Their device may work "fine" for a few
weeks and then cause you to request a $175 telco
truck roll. >OUCH<!
People really get attached to having their phones
work, cellular experiences notwithstanding.
Lots of customer returns for this type of product!
- brad
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Tzaquiel 12-04-2002
08:54 AM ET (US)
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"The technology behind Telco Powered Products™ is covered under US Patent No. 4773863, and other worldwide patents."
That's kind of sketchy . . . IIRC, there was a 'box' back in the early '80s that did the same thing. You remember, like Blue Box, Red Box, etc. that provided multiple innovative ways to rip off the telcos before they moved to digital switching systems ? I can't remember what 'color' it was (and being a government employee at work, you can bet I'm not going to look it up now), but I'm sure the plans are out there, and there's no reason why they wouldn't still work.
I think that counts as prior art. :')
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Reed Esau 12-04-2002
06:55 AM ET (US)
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You may want to use batteries for that vibrator.
From Telephone-related ASCII Schematics V1.01 ...
"If one were to try [using power from phone line], would phone company had a way of finding out?"
Most assuredly. They aren't in the business of supplying power, and they ARE in the business of finding faults in their lines. Any substantial power drain from their lines WILL be detected. If it's large, the phone switch will conclude that you've dropped the phone in the bathtub or something like that, and will disconnect your line (and will check periodically to see if the drain has gone away and you can be reconnected). If it's small, the switch will report it to the service people as a possible line problem, to be investigated before it causes a complete failure... and if they investigate and find that you're to blame, they will probably send you a bill for time and trouble. The current you can draw without eventually having it noticed is very small.
http://www.ee.washington.edu/circuit_archive/
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rodney 12-04-2002
03:22 AM ET (US)
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At the bottom of the page the following is noted:
"The technology behind Telco Powered Products™ is covered under US Patent No. 4773863, and other worldwide patents."
Skeptical of this product and the patent mentioned above, I looked up 4773863 in the USPTO database and got a patent for "Amusement device for a toilet bowl or urinal."
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ernie 12-04-2002
01:39 AM ET (US)
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" TELCO POWERED™ CELL PHONE "
[sound of exploding head, chunks hit floor]
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Raph Levien 12-04-2002
01:20 AM ET (US)
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It took me a while to figure out which parts were for real and which weren't, and even then I'm not quite sure.
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