way back, way nice
Technology is all slick and streamlined these days, with tiny little not-quite-buttons on tiny little gadgets, but there was a time when ‘big and clunky’ ruled the world, and time has brought ‘BIG’ back into fashion.
Yes yes we admit everything. We’re complete suckers for retro, even if it’s the kind that we didn’t really think looked that good first time round. Funny isn’t it, how we can come full circle to buying new stuff which looks exactly like the stuff folks were throwing out in yard sales for a couple of bucks just a decade or two ago? Weird.
What is it about the sight of a bit of chrome and black leatherette that makes camera equipment so exotic and appealing? Is it our ingrained memories of the early days of photography, when trudging around the world clutching these frail things called personal cameras was all the rage? Snapping photos of famous landmarks was so much fun back then.
We’ve got to admit to being a tad confused by all this retro rush back to yesterday, especially when it comes to things like mobile phones. The whole point of a ‘mobile’ phone is the fact that it’s…well…mobile, right? So what’s with all the accessories which try and make the things less mobile? Are we missing something here?
As you may know dear readers, the Red Ferret is one of the original technology/gadget blogs, having been started by our esteemed founder Nigel back in 2000. Since then the Red Ferret crew has published more than 20,000 articles covering all sorts of weird, incredible and downright ridiculous stuff! Anyway, we thought it might be interesting to take a regular look back at some of the most popular posts from our recent (and not-so-recent) history. So here you go:
We have to confess to being rather confused by the current retro image fetish which seems to have started around the time Instagram hit the streets. So what’s it about? Is it because our digital cameras are too perfect, and we hate perfection? Or is it an unconscious desire to travel back to a past era when men were men and cameras were erratic and untrustworthy?
![XNRetro – turn your crisp focused photos into blurred retro and impress your friends [Freeware]](https://i0.wp.com/www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/xnretro.jpg?fit=600%2C468&ssl=1)
Sorry, can’t help it. We pine for the yesteryears when men were men and recording devices came with boxes of spooled delight tangled around your feet. Yes we’re wearing rosy glasses, but c’mon, do the modern digital equivalents have anywhere near the romance of a gently whooshing tape reel?
Admit it, you’ve always had a desire to own something unique, different. Something a little bit out there and yet iconic. Well now here’s your chance to own a bit of history…a famous British Telecom red telephone box. Sure you can get fake ones all over the place, but this is the real deal.
Wrist watches may be going out of fashion in a general sense, but for some people the idea of strapping on a real ticking or purring timepiece still holds a large amount of fascination. Of course it’s often just to show off with some garish lump of metal, but sometimes you’re lucky enough to see true cool.
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?
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