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 at catching sales from old romantics and fan-boys.

If you want proof, take a look at this REW Wire Spooler and chuckle. The cassette tape was hugely loved by anyone who was anyone back in the day, offering compact, high quality and robust recordable sound from a matchbox sized package. What a miracle when compared to 8-track, reel to reel and other inferior techs.

And now look at them. Nothing more than a trendy retro plaything to hang around the necks of simpering hipsters the world over. Tragedy. Anyway, the idea here is the small case will neatly hold your earbud cables until you need to plug them into your brand new MiniDisc iPod DAT MP3 smartphone. Priced at $2.98.