A hero of the piece was John Draper, a hacker known as Captain Crunch because he had discovered that the sound emitted by the toy whistle that came with the breakfast cereal was the same 2600 Hertz tone used by the phone network's call-routing switches.
In Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs, a notable figure is John Draper, a hacker famously referred to as Captain Crunch. Draper earned this nickname due to his discovery that the toy whistle included in the Captain Crunch cereal could emit a 2600 Hertz tone. This particular frequency was crucial because it was used by the telephone network for call-routing, allowing him to manipulate phone systems.
Draper's ingenuity illustrates the intersection of technology and hacking during this era, as he cleverly utilized a seemingly innocent toy for significant exploits in telecommunications. His actions not only underscore the creativity involved in the early days of hacking but also highlight the larger context of innovation that surrounded figures like Jobs during the technological revolution.
