New York City unveils the pay phone of the future—and it does a whole lot more than make phone calls

There are few pieces of infrastructure in any city more iconic than the pay phone. Clark Kent used it. So did Colin Farrell. And Bill. And Ted.  The pay phone has been a time-travel machine, and a safe haven, and a comedic device.

It has not, however, for a very long time — for most of us — been used to make phone calls.