How a cereal box whistle inspired Steve Jobs' first business
In short: Before Apple, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak operated a scheme involving 'blue boxes' to manipulate the AT&T phone system. This video explores the origins of their unauthorized venture and the hacker who inspired it.
The business centered on 'blue boxes', devices designed in 1972 by Steve Wozniak. The concept of selling these boxes was attributed to Steve Jobs. The pair drew inspiration from John Draper, a notorious 'phreaker' known as 'Cap’n Crunch'. Draper utilized a specific 2600 Hz tone—replicated by a whistle found in 1960s Cap’n Crunch cereal—to access operator mode on the AT&T network. Draper's connection to the duo was significant; he later worked at Apple despite serving a five-year prison sentence for his hacking activities.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Steve Jobs' Illegal First Business
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