Telephone | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/telephone/RSS feed for TelephoneenFri, 24 Jul 2026 16:00:08 +0000A Brief History of Hold Music, From Early Patents to the Soundtrack of Customer-Service Purgatoryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/a-brief-history-of-hold-music-from-early-patents-to-the-soundtrack-of-customer-service-purgatory-180989185/Sixty years ago, Alfred A. Levy patented his “telephone hold program system.” Little did he know a teenager’s unearthed New Age practice tape would become its enduring anthemFri, 24 Jul 2026 16:00:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/a-brief-history-of-hold-music-from-early-patents-to-the-soundtrack-of-customer-service-purgatory-180989185/Smartphones Might Be Playing a Role in the United States' Declining Birth Rate, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smartphones-might-be-playing-a-role-in-the-united-states-declining-birth-rate-new-research-suggests-180989129/Some economists suspect that the technology's widespread adoption has reduced in-person interactions and increased access to pornography and information on birth control, leading to less unprotected sexThu, 16 Jul 2026 16:05:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smartphones-might-be-playing-a-role-in-the-united-states-declining-birth-rate-new-research-suggests-180989129/