Today in News History

On July 12, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1920, Pierre Berton, Canadian journalist and author (died 2004) was born. In 1920, Randolph Quirk, Manx linguist and academic (died 2017) was born. In 1926, Gertrude Bell, English archaeologist and spy (born 1868) passed away. In 1927, Jack Harshman, American baseball player (died 2013) was born. In 1933, Victor Poor, American engineer, developed the Datapoint 2200 (died 2012) was born. In 1952, Voja Antonić, Serbian computer scientist and journalist, designed the Galaksija computer was born. In 1955, Timothy Garton Ash, English historian and author was born. In 1969, Jesse Pintado, Mexican-American guitarist (died 2006) was born. In 1970, Susan Tyler Witten, American politician was born. In 2006, The 2006 Lebanon War begins. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.

Wishing for simpler times? How to turn an iPhone into a 'dumb phone'

USA TODAY

USA TODAY

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July 7, 2026

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Narrative Analysis: Plain Folks
Video

A 'dumb phone' is a minimalistic phone that offers only a few features, often calls and texts, a camera, alarm, calendar and maybe music. Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2026/07/07/make-iphone-dumb-phone-tutorial/90821283007/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube Sign up for our newsletter for the day's top stories, from sports to movies to politics to world events: https://profile.usatoday.com/newsletters/daily-briefing/

Narrative Intelligence Brief

This article was published by USA TODAY, a source frequently categorized with a lean left bias based in United States of America. Our narrative intelligence engine continuously monitors coverage from this outlet to track framing, bias, and rhetorical patterns. In this specific piece, our systems detected the potential use of the "Plain Folks" technique. This narrative approach is often used to shape reader perception by highlighting specific emotional or rhetorical angles. By understanding the editorial perspective of USA TODAY, readers can better contextualize the information presented and compare it across our broader media matrix to find the real narrative.

Reliability Insights

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Technique: Plain Folks
System analysis detected use of specific narrative techniques in this piece.
Analysis Methodology
This narrative analysis was generated using the CoDataLab Global Intelligence Engine. Our proprietary AI scans thousands of cross-border sources to identify sentiment patterns, framing techniques, and potential media bias. While AI provides the data-driven foundation, our objective is to empower readers with additional context beyond the standard headline.The content displayed above is a structured summary designed for rapid information processing. For the full original report, please visit the source outlet.

How other outlets are covering this story

Compare narratives across 6 related reports from 6 sources. Real Narrative News aggregates the coverage spectrum so you can see who emphasises what — bias tags reflect the outlet, not the story.

Coverage bias distribution

6 sources

Left 50%

Center 0%

Right 17%


TechCrunch

Unknown

· Jul 10, 2026

Dumb Co dared me to trade my iPhone for a hacked flip phone

Dumb Co sells flip phones that sync to your smartphone, bridging the infinite connectivity of the iPhone and the unrealistic limitations of an early 2000s relic.

Metro

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· Jul 1, 2026

Commodore’s new flip phone bans all social media – and lets you play retro games

Those yearning for a simpler era of technology are in luck, as a new retro-style flip phone blocks social media apps while letting users play classic games.

Digital Trends

Unknown

· Jun 30, 2026

Minimal Phone 2 looks like a deliberate antidote to doomscrolling

Minimal Phone 2 is being teased as a calmer smartphone with a keyboard, aluminum body, and improved software, but key details still need to land before it can prove itself.

Gizmodo

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· Jul 9, 2026

New Study Says Parents’ Phone Use Might Be Giving Kids Attachment Issues Later On

It doesn't merit a full-throated denunciation of phones for parents, but it's food for thought.

SundayTimes

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· Jul 2, 2026

FREE TO READ | Days of awe to boost your immunity and mood

We need only put away our phones for a bit and open our eyes to the world.

BoingBoing

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· Jul 4, 2026

Want to cut back on screen time? Start with this $112 old-school flip phone (MSRP $269.99)

TL;DR: Teleport back to simpler times with this Kyocera DuraXE Epic E4830 flip phone, now for just 111.99 (MSRP 269.99). Missing the simplicity of the '90s? If you're feeling nostalgic for the days before big tech took over, a simple flip phone is a great way to unplug. — Read the rest The post Want to cut back on screen time? Start with this 112 old-school flip phone (MSRP 269.99) appeared first on Boing Boing.

Topics:

World · 2
Business · 1
Technology · 1
Entertainment · 1
Politics · 1

Related coverage for "Wishing for simpler times? How to turn an iPhone into a 'dumb phone'": TechCrunch — Dumb Co dared me to trade my iPhone for a hacked flip phone. Metro — Commodore’s new flip phone bans all social media – and lets you play retro games. Digital Trends — Minimal Phone 2 looks like a deliberate antidote to doomscrolling. Gizmodo — New Study Says Parents’ Phone Use Might Be Giving Kids Attachment Issues Later On. SundayTimes — FREE TO READ | Days of awe to boost your immunity and mood. BoingBoing — Want to cut back on screen time? Start with this $112 old-school flip phone (MSRP $269.99)