First-Ever Phone Directory and Instruction Manual to Be Auctioned

This is the world's first phone directory—and it's going up for sale next month in New York at Christie's auctioneers. The Telephone Directory, Volume 1, Number 1, for New Haven, Connecticut, aptly enough, is, at 20 pages, more of a pamphlet than the kind of thing that big strong men rip in half to make the ladies swoon (and us geeks shrug and say, "SFW?") But the funniest thing about The Telephone Directory (apart from the estimated price) is the first eight pages—which are instructions on how to use the telephone. More »

19th-Century Vampire Slayer Kit Probably Kills 21st-Century Vamps Too

It's unfortunate that the original auction page has been removed, because this handy vampire hunter kit put together by Ernst Blomberg provides everything you need to lay waste to unholy bloodsuckers, be they Nosferatu's children or your neighbor's five- year-old. More »

Design Concept: Pocket Watch Alarm Clock

Now here's something you can do with grandpa's pocket watch: you just slide it into the Pocket Watch Alarm Clock and you have a mixture of old and new. More »