Superman and Richard Branson [no connection, other than they both used phone booths to slip on brightly coloured lycra pants and then try to “conquer the world”] have meet their match in the new digital dawn as phone boxes are out ... photo-booth are in. The curtained booths, [for those unfamiliar with their strobe light status on many UK high streets, are used for posing for passport mugshots or more commonly    filled with pissed students trying to get as many of their mates in at once after some swift “ales” for some easily forgettable results] are now being turned into online mini offices under a deal between British Telecommunications and Photo-Me.

The partners said Monday that most of the 4,300 Photo-Me kiosks located in busy areas like rail stations and supermarkets will be transformed into high-tech centres offering Internet and email access. An unspecified number of booths will start business this year, and 1,000 are expected to open by next spring. They will be unstaffed, as they are now, and customers will pay for online time with coins or smartcards.

“This is part of our commitment to create an online society,” said David Pincott of BT’s Internet and multimedia division.  “This will be for anyone who hasn’t got access to a personal computer as well as for those who do but who are out and about and want to collect their email [and like to hang out with the boggers at railway stations].” There are also plans to install some additional vending machines next door to the booths, sponsored of course, by Knickerbox.

http://www.photo-me.com/