When did POPCORN stop?

For decades there was a phone service in Northern California that would read you the time and date if you dialed POP-CORN, the letters that represented 767-2676. That service went dark back in 2007, and Bay Curious listener George wants to know why.

Can you still call POPCORN for time?

Currently, anyone misdialing POPCORN (POPULAR, for instance, or even POPTART) still gets the time, as long as the 767 prefix is properly dialed. As an alternative, the California Public Utilities Commission has proposed changing some of the numbers, including the time and weather, to ones that start with 555.

What was the old POPCORN number?

For those of you born in the Internet age, it will mean little to you that not long ago the only way to really know the exact time was to call 767-2676, or “POPCORN,” and a recorded woman's voice would intone the time in 10 second intervals saying something along the lines of, “At the tone, the time will be 3:53 and 10 ...

Does 853 1212 still work?

What that means is that people throughout Southern California will no longer be able to call 853-1212 to hear a woman's recorded voice state that “at the tone, Pacific Daylight Time will be . . .” with the recording automatically updating at 10-second intervals. “Times change,” said John Britton, an AT&T; spokesman.

Does the speaking clock still exist 2021?

Do people still use the clock today? Yes! At its height the speaking clock commanded around 250 million calls per year.

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Can you still phone for the time?

(Call 202-762-1401 today, and you'll hear a pleasant ticking sound followed by the announcement of the exact time, delivered in an old-timey-broadcasting voice.) Not only does it still exist, but people still use it.

Can you still call a number to get the time?

Even in the smartphone age, you can still dial up the time in hours, minutes, seconds. The U.S. Naval Observatory's time-by-phone line received more than three million calls in 2015. Quick, try this: Dial 202-762-1401. Trust us, it's not a scam, but you may be surprised by what you hear.

Is 411 still a thing?

But here's the good news: you can actually reach directory assistance for free. Just dial 1-800-FREE-411 (or 1-800-373-3411) from your phone instead. This version of directory assistance is advertiser sponsored, so you'll have to listen to a 10-second ad before you reach an agent.

Does time and temperature still exist?

You still can. Millions of Americans grew up calling a local telephone number to find out the time and temperature — and, believe it or not, a fair number of folks still do.

What was the old phone number to get the time?

The telephone numbers that New Yorkers have used for nearly 50 years to find out the correct time—MEridian 7‐1212 or the more familiar N‐E‐R‐V‐O‐U‐S—went the way of the live operator and the nickel call yesterday. In their place, the New York Telephone Company has installed the matter‐of‐fact 936‐1616.

Does 555 1212 still work?

In the U.S., directory assistance for companies with toll-free "800 numbers" (with area codes 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, and 888) was available from toll-free directory assistance, reachable by dialing 1-800-555-1212, for many decades until it was discontinued in 2020.

Who was the first person to pop popcorn?

In addition to the kernels found in New Mexico, a kernel approximately 1,000 years old was found in Utah in a cave that was thought to be inhabited by Pueblo tribal members. French explorers that came to the new world found popcorn being made by the Iroquois in the Great Lakes region as well.

Do they still have operators?

Short answer: yes. The job just looks much different than it used to. Today's telephone operators are specialty agents, working directly in customer service to manage large volumes of phone calls, or in places like hotels or other hospitality facilities that may have their own internal phone systems.

What is the oldest phone number?

According to the hotel's website, PEnnsylvania 6-5000 is New York's oldest continually assigned telephone number and possibly the oldest continuously-assigned number in the world.

What was the phone number for the speaking clock?

Find the precise time by dialling 123 to hear the BT speaking clock (Timeline). The time is announced every ten seconds.

Does AT&T still have operators?

AT&T offers 24/7 operator assistance for all types of calling needs. For instance, you can contact the operator to connect a phone call to a particular international destination. You can also request the operator to charge a third party, such as your company, for an official call that you make to your company's client.

Can you still call the time in Australia?

Telstra confirmed that there will be no reprieve for the 'talking clock' – the exact-time service that's been part of Australians' lives for 66 years. At the third stroke at midnight on September 30, the service, accessed by the phone number 1194, will end.

What was the speaking clock number UK?

In the United Kingdom, the speaking clock can be reached by dialling 123 on a BT phone line; the number may vary on other networks. Every ten seconds, a voice announces: At the third stroke, the time from BT will be (hour) (minute) and (second) seconds.

What was the old time and temperature number?

Old and forgotten after 65 years, the time-and-temperature phone number is threatened with forced retirement. The message at 817-844-6611, an advertising service sponsored by a local bank since 1951, announces not only the time and temperature but also a Dec.

What is the 611 number?

611 – Reserved (local telephone company repair)

Similar to 411 services, 611 has been reserved in the NANP but not specifically assigned to a particular use. In some areas, 611 was used as a test code for linemen on the street or was used to report troubles to the central office from a subscriber.

When did phones stop using operators?

Cord switchboards used for these purposes were replaced in the 1970s and 1980s by TSPS and similar systems, which greatly reduced operator involvement in calls.

Is there a free cell phone directory?

Cell phone numbers are private—there's no public directory of cell phone numbers to replace those old paper phone books.

What happened to the time Lady?

There are a few, lesser-known time services still in operation all over the country. In fact, (415) POP-CORN will still get you the time and date in San Francisco, but it's not the time lady — Joanne Daniels is retired and living in Atlanta.

How do I change my area code?

Why is the speaking clock called Tim?

The BT Speaking Clock has kept time since 1936, when it was also known as “TIM” -- the three-letter code short for “time” which callers dialled on old-fashioned alphabetic phones. Since its launch, only four people have leant their voice to the service.