way back, way nice
Does your inner steampunk cry out for more awesome gear in your everyday life? There are some gizmos and gadgets that look pretty fantastical, but what makes them amazing is when they’re fully functional rather than just being a prop piece. If you’re in the market for a new Bluetooth keyboard, then do I have a find for you.
There was a time when games were much less (and sub-sequentially more) complicated. Tutorials didn’t take six or more hours, quick-time events didn’t exist, and it was all about skills. While there are still games out there that require some level of proficiency, you really can’t beat the classics. While they don’t really sell the consoles of old anymore, it doesn’t mean you can’t still play games from that time in gaming history.
Who said vinyl was dead? Sure you’re not going to find it in your iTunes locker, or sadly not on your local high street even, but search hard enough and you’ll discover little islands of platter lovers and DJs who use the format all the time. And just to prove it, here’s a new product which aims to restore some of the romance to the genre.
The news this week that Sony has just manufactured its last MiniDisc player will come as a shock to all those who remembered the hoo-ha when this tech originally launched back in 1992. Twenty one years doesn’t seem a huge amount of time for a product life time, but actually we’re not worried. We know that sometime soon, maybe in about 7 years or so, the minidisc will make some sort of comeback, if only as a retro icon aimed…
Sometimes it’s the simple things that count, like the way Mike Tyson’s nostrils flare when he’s reciting poetry, or the subtle whiff of cinnamon you get when the postman drops a fragile package on the sidewalk. No matter how you call it, some things just work because they’re right.
We just can’t get away from the old stuff, can we? No sooner do they start making cell phones tiny enough to fit into a teacup, than we go out and start buying add-ons which make them look like a brick. Crazy! So why then are we surprised to see that some enterprising soul has come up with a kit for converting an old manual typewriter into a fully functioning USB computer keyboard?
If you share a living space with other people who like to eat, there’s a good chance you have to safeguard the food you put in the fridge. Sometimes housemates don’t even know boundaries when you put your name on something. While you don’t want to have it out with someone over food, there are ways to keep your munchies away from sticky fingers by having a mini fridge. There are all different kinds of options out there, but how…
Who can resist the lure of the vintage years? The cosy fireside mealtimes, the gentle smell of polluted industrial wastelands mixed in with all that lovely…cough…cigarette smoke? There’s no question that the old times were the best times, otherwise why would we all constantly try and recreate them by turning our modern things into retro toys?
Don’t be fooled by all the pale imitations, this Rubiks Cube Seat Table is Pantone color matched to look just like the original game cube, and it’s ten times as versatile. Not only does it do service as a go anywhere seat, but it also doubles up as a coffee table and even opens to reveal some valuable storage space for all your important little knick-knacks and so forth.
There were some things that we consumed as kids that are probably better left to memory than to experience again (Tang, Surge, PB Crisps). It’s the same as going back to a place you used to love as a child, and somehow ruining the magic of the experience you once had there. Thankfully though, there are some memories that we can relive, and will never get old. Some of those delicious memories are waffle and french toast sticks.
In the technology business you really know people are upset when developers start producing fixes for your product before it’s even been officially launched. And this is doubly true when the errant company is Microsoft and the product has anything to do with their Windows franchise. Remember the uproar when they completely altered the MS Office look and feel?
MP3 players used to be fun, wacky and interesting and then the iPod killed the joy. Everybody tried to make them cool and sleek and boring, so now they’re either shiny white or dull dull. The whole thing is sad. But luckily there are still crazies out there, who know how to bring a bit of humor back into the gadget world.
Somewhere, in an alternate universe far away in space time, there’s a world where the invention of the World Wide Web stalled and never moved on from 1992. In that universe, people developed websites with all sorts of fancy navigation, services and functionality, but the only tool you could use to access it was the Lynx Web Browser, the oldest browser still in use. What does that online world look like to those user? We have the answer.
If there’s one thing we love it’s when manufacturers combine bang up to date technology with a sense of classic style. The Germans seem particularly adept at this sort of stuff - take the Leica X2 as an example - but there are also other examples we can think of which are just as good. What is it about old style design that is so cool?
You know what the world needs? More retro. All this gleaming chrome and glossy colors stuff is all right, but after a while it all begins to look the same. Maybe that’s why we’re starting to choose more materials like bamboo, to try and restore some sense of quality to the whole tech gadget thing.
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