Exploding the Phone
Phil Lapsley talked about his book, Exploding the Phone: The untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws Who Hacked Ma Bell, in which he prese… read more
Phil Lapsley talked about his book, Exploding the Phone: The untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws Who Hacked Ma Bell, in which he presents a history of the phone system and a flaw in its operation that allowed hackers or “phone phreaks” to make free, long-distance phone calls through the use of a “blue box,” a device that mimicked tones used by AT&T. The use and distribution of the blue boxes was heralded by phone phreaks, including future Apple Computers co-founders Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, who built and sold the devices. Phil Lapsley spoke at Book Passage Bookstore in San Francisco. close