Back in the day 2600 hertz was the frequency that AT&T put on all of their long distance lines so that they could distinguish between a free line and one that was in use. If a line had a 2600 hertz tone on it, then that line was available.

A man named John Draper realized that a toy whistle he got in a Captain Crunch box was able to easily generate a 2600 hertz tone. Draper figured out that he could dial a number, blow his whistle, and make a free long distance phone call to anywhere in the world. He shared his knowledge with the phreak community and has hence forth been referred to as Captain Crunch.

Now days long distance phone companies use Signaling System 7, which is a little more difficult to phreak than just blowing a whistle.
There are 2600 meetings all over the world where "hackers" meet up and discuss important issues like how many domains verizon owns, and the like. Here's a partial list of the meeting places:

ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires: In the bar at San Jose 05.

AUSTRALIA
Adelaide: Outside Sammy's Snack Bar, on the corner of Grenfell & Pulteney Streets. 6 pm.
Brisbane: Hungry Jacks on the Queen St. Mall (RHS, opposite Info Booth). 7 pm.
Canberra: KC's Virtual Reality Cafe, 11 East RW, Civic. 6 pm.
Melbourne: Melbourne Central Shopping Centre at the Swanston Street entrance near the public phones.
Perth: The Merchant Tea & Coffee (183 Murray Street). Meet outside. 6 pm.
Sydney: Central Station in the main "dome" of the country trains area by the big clock and Burger King. 6 pm.

AUSTRIA
Graz: Cafe Haltestelle on Jakominiplatz.

BRAZIL
Belo Horizonte: Pelego's Bar at Assufeng, near the payphone. 6 pm.
Rio de Janeiro: Rio Sul Shopping Center, Fun Club Night Club.

CANADA
Alberta
Calgary: Eau Claire Market food court (near the "milk wall").
Edmonton: Sidetrack Cafe, 10333 112 Street. 4 pm.

British Columbia
Vancouver: Pacific Centre Food Fair, one level down from street level by payphones. 4 pm to 9 pm.

Quebec
Montreal: Bell Amphitheatre, 1000 Gauchetiere Street.

ENGLAND
Bristol: Next to the orange and grey payphones opposite the "Game" store, Merchant Street, Broadmead. Payphones: +44-117-9299011, 9294437. 7]:30 pm.
Hull]: In the Old Grey Mare pub, opposite The University of Hull. 7 pm.
Leeds: Leed City train station outside John Menzies. 6 pm.
London: Trocadero Shopping Center (near Picadilly Circus), lowest level. 7 pm.
Manchester]: Cyberia Internet Cafe on Oxford Rd. next to St. Peters Square. 6 pm.

FRANCE
Paris: Place d'Italie XIII, in front of the Grand Ecran Cinema. 6-7 pm.

GERMANY
Karlsruhe: "Old Dublin" Irish Pub, Kapellenstrasse. Near public phone. 7 pm.

GREECE
Athens: Outside the bookstore Papaswtiriou on the corner of Patision and Stournari. 7 pm.

INDIA
New Delhi: Priya Cinema Complex, near the Allen Solly Showroom.

ITALY
Milan: Piazza Loreto in front of McDonalds.

JAPAN
Tokyo: Ark Hills Plaza (in front of Subway sandwiches) Roppongi (by Suntory Hall).

MEXICO
Mexico City: Zocalo Subway Station (Line 2 of the Metro, blue line). At the "Departamento del Distrito Federal" exit, near the payphones & the candy shop, at the beginning of the "Zocalo-Pino Suarez" tunnel.

POLAND
Stargard Szczecinski: Art Caffe. Bring blue book. 7 pm.

RUSSIA
Moscow: Burger Queen cafe near TAR/TASU (Telephone Agency of Russia/Telegraph Agency of Soviet Union) - also known as Nicitskie Vorota.

SCOTLAND
Aberdeen: Outside St. Nicholas' Church graveyard, near DX Communications' mid-union street store. 7 pm.
Glasgow: Central Station, payphones next to Platform 1. 7 pm.

SOUTH AFRICA
Cape Town: At the "Mississippi Detour".
Johannesburg: Sandton food court.

UNITED STATES

Alabama
Auburn: Courtyard outside the computer lab at the Foy Union Building. 7 pm.
Birmingham: Hoover Galleria food court by the payphones next to Wendy's. 7 pm.
Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama, Ferguson Center by the payphones.

Arizona
Phoenix: Peter Piper Pizza at Metro Center.
Tucson: Barnes & Noble, 5130 E. Broadway.

Arkansas
Jonesboro: Indian Mall food court by the big windows.

California
Los Angeles: Union Station, corner of Macy & Alameda. Inside main entrance by bank of phones. Payphones: (213) 972-9519, 9520; 625-9923, 9924.
Sacramento: Round Table Pizza, 127 K Street.
San Diego: Leucadia's Pizzeria on Regents Road (Vons Shopping Mall).
San Francisco: 4 Embarcadero Plaza (inside). Payphones: (415) 398-9803, 9804, 9805, 9806.
San Jose: Orchard Valley Coffee Shop/Net Cafe (Campbell).

Connecticut
Trumbull
: In front of Gloria Jean's Coffee at the tables.

District of Columbia
Arlington: Pentagon City Mall in the food court.

Florida
Ft. Lauderdale: Broward Mall in the food court by the payphones.
Ft. Myers: At the cafe in Barnes & Noble.
Miami: Dadeland Mall on the raised seating section in the food court.
Orlando: Fashion Square Mall in the food court between Hovan Gourmet & Panda Express. Payphones: (407) 895-5238, 7373, 4648; 896-9708; 895-6044, 6055.
Pensacola: Cordova Mall, food court, tables near ATM. 6:30 pm.

Georgia
Atlanta: Lenox Mall food court.

Hawaii
Honolulu: Web Site Story Cafe inside Ewa Hotel Waikiki, 2555 Cartwright Rd. (Waikiki). 808-922-1677, 808-923-9292.

Idaho
Pocatello: College Market, 604 South 8th Street.

Illinois
Chicago: Screenz, 2717 North Clark St.

Indiana
Ft. Wayne: Glenbrook Mall food court. 6 pm.
Indianapolis: Circle Centre Mall in the StarPort/Ben & Jerry's area.
South Bend: Town and Country Shopping Center at Cosimo & Susie's a Bit of Italy.

Kansas
Kansas City: Oak Park Mall food court (Overland Park).

Kentucky
Louisville: Barnes & Noble at 801 S Hurstbourne Pkwy.

Louisiana
Baton Rouge: In the LSU Union Building, between the Tiger Pause & McDonald's, next to the payphones. Payphone numbers]: (225) 387-9520, 9538, 9618, 9722, 9733, 9735.
New Orleans: Plantation Coffeehouse, 5555 Canal Blvd. 6 pm.

Maine
Portland: Maine Mall by the bench at the food court door.

Maryland
Baltimore: Barnes & Noble cafe at the Inner Harbor.

[Massachusetts
Boston: Prudential Center Plaza, terrace food court. Payphones: (617) 236-6582, 6583, 6584, 6585, try to bypass the carrier.

Michigan
Ann Arbor: Michigan Union (University of Michigan), Welker Room.

Minnesota
Bloomington: Mall of America, north side food court, across from Burger King & the bank of payphones that don't take incoming calls.
Duluth: Barnes & Noble by Cubs. 7 pm.

Missouri
St. Louis: Galleria, Highway 40 & Brentwood, elevated section, food court area, by the theaters.
Springfield: Barnes & Noble on Battlefield across from the mall.

Mississippi
Biloxi: Edgewater Mall food court (near mirrors) at 2600 Beach Blvd. (really).

Montana
Butte: Butte Plaza Mall on Harrison Ave. near JC Penney and GNC.

Nebraska
Omaha: Oak View Mall Barnes & Noble. 6]:30 pm.

Nevada
Las Vegas: Wow Superstore Cafe, Sahara & Decatur. 8 pm.
Reno: Meadow Wood Mall, Palms food court by Sbarro. 3-9 pm.

New Hampshire
Nashua: Pheasant Lane Mall, near the big clock in the food court.

New Mexico
Albuquerque: Winrock Mall food court, near payphones on the lower level between the fountain & arcade. Payphones: (505) 883-9935, 9941, 9976, 9985.

New York
Buffalo: Galleria Mall food court.
New York: Citicorp Center, in the lobby, near the payphones, 153 E 53rd St., between Lexington & 3rd.
Rochester: Marketplace Mall food court. 6 pm.

North Carolina
Charlotte: South Park Mall, raised area of the food court.
Raleigh: Crabtree Valley Mall, food court.

[Ohio
Akron: Arabica on W. Market Street, intersection of Hawkins, W. Market, and Exchange.
Cleveland: Coventry Arabica, Cleveland Heights, back room smoking section.
Columbus: Convention Center (downtown) basement, far back of building in carpeted payphone area.
Dayton: At the Marions behind the Dayton Mall.

: Shepard Mall, at the benches next to Subway & across from the payphones. Payphone numbers: (405) 942-9022, 9228, 9391, 9404.
Tulsa: Woodland Hills Mall food court.

Oregon
McMinnville: Union Block, 403 NE 3rd St.
Portland: Pioneer Place Mall (not Pioneer Square!), food court.

Pennsylvania
Philadelphia: 30th Street Amtrak Station at 30th & Market, under the "Stairwell 7" sign. Payphones: (215) 222-9880, 9881, 9779, 9799, 9632; 387-9751.

South Dakota
Sioux Falls: Empire Mall, by Burger King.

Tennessee
Knoxville: Borders Books Cafe across from Westown Mall.
Memphis: Cafe Apocalypse.
Nashville: Bean Central Cafe, intersection of West End Ave. & 29th Ave. S. three blocks west of Vanderbilt campus.

Texas
Austin: Dobie Mall food court.
Dallas: Mama's Pizza, Campbell & Preston.
Ft. Worth: North East Mall food court near food court payphones, Loop 820 @ Bedford Euless Rd. 6 pm.
Houston: Galleria 2 food court, under the stairs.
San Antonio: North Star Mall food court.

Utah
Salt Lake City: ZCMI Mall in the food court.

Vermont
Burlington: Borders Books at Church St. and Cherry St. on the second floor of the cafe.

Washington
Seattle: Washington State Convention Center, first floor.
Spokane: Spokane Valley Mall food court.

Wisconsin
Eau Claire: London Square Mall food court.
Madison: Union South (227 N. Randall Ave.) on the lower level in the Martin Luther King Jr. Lounge by the payphones. Payphone]: (608) 251-9909.
Milwaukee: Mayfair Mall on Highway 100 (Mayfair Rd.) & North Ave. in the Mayfair Community Room. Payphone]: (414) 302-9549.

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