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Posts Tagged “

Retromodo

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retromodo

Wristlet Route Indicator, 1927's Answer To GPS

In 1927, we didn't have global positioning systems or micro LCD displays. But we did have the Plus Four Wristlet Route Indicator. A map that fit on your wrist, a driver could turn the knobs to scroll up their route in a manner far more dignifying than the giant-map-fold-curse-refold maneuver. More »

11:10 AM on Wed May 7 2008
By Mark Wilson
8,622 views, 29 comments

Latest by DSLPWR: Looks like Denis Jenkinson may have heisted this idea for his 1955 Mille Miglia victory... [www.motortrend.com] more »

retromodo

Hamster Wheel Powered Toy Car

Here's a old but good idea in honor of Fuzzywuzzymodo: power a toy car by hamster. The Flintstones would approve. I personally think its a better use of hamster power to rig a traditional gerbil wheel with a generator capable of charging a battery which in turn can charge a USB device. I mean, how else are the vermin going to pay their rent? Vid after the jump. [PetGadgets] More »

10:23 PM on Mon May 5 2008
By Brian Lam
3,939 views, 36 comments

retromodo

Video: Charles Babbage's Difference Machine No. 2 Fully Operational

For those who haven't yet heard, a band of number-crunching nostalgists took the concept design for Charles Babbage's Difference Engine No. 2, and turned it into a real, fully functional machine. But what really makes the Difference Engine amazing is only noticed when you watch its thousands of moving parts in action. Upon first glance, the Difference Engine looks a bit chaotic. But upon closer inspection, it moves with the precision of a Swiss watch while maintaining the fluid motion of a wave about to break. And today, it went on display at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. More »

5:27 PM on Thu May 1 2008
By Adrian Covert
8,115 views, 36 comments

Latest by arekkusu82: Giz, we demand this flv player of yours to have a "full screen" button. Yes, we do. more »

retromodo

April 24, 1184 B.C.: First Trojan Horse Attack

From Wired's Randy Alfred:
1184 B.C.: During the Trojan War, the Greeks depart in ships, leaving behind a large wooden horse as a victory offering. It is hauled inside the walls of Troy, and Greek soldiers descend from the horse's belly after dark to slay the guards and commence destruction of the city.
[Wired]

3:36 AM on Thu Apr 24 2008
By Brian Lam
3,585 views, 20 comments

retromodo

CAT5 Wedding Bands Pronounce You Geek and Geek

Here's something from 2004 worth bringing up again as it circulates the blogs. I am guessing that wedding bands featuring male and female 8P8C Ethernet connectors have a somewhat limited demand. I mean, sure I have met geeks that would be right into this, but never a pair of them, though the fact that they are sold out tells me that they do exist. For those that do want to confirm their geekiness and love in one fell swoop, the sterling silver and plastic rings are available on Etsy at $175 for the set. [Etsy via Gadgetell via DVICE]

3:29 AM on Thu Apr 24 2008
By Chris Magor
1,709 views, 9 comments

Latest by Jared: 'Wonder Twin powers, activate!' more »

retromodo

WABOT-2, An '80s Robot that Rocked the Synth

In the '80s, the only things bigger than man-perms were robots and synthesizers. Waseda University's WABOT-2 combined both of these trends in to what may be considered the ultimate '80s icon. Extremely advanced for the day, the WABOT-2 could not only read music to play the electronic organ, but accompany a singer with a dynamic tempo and then hold a conversation after the performance. It's good to know that over 20 years later with all the advancements in microprocessors, Man was able to realize the vision. [Waseda University via MAKE]

11:05 AM on Wed Apr 23 2008
By Mark Wilson
1,508 views, 9 comments

Latest by -Core-: @drbuzz0: Yeah, it probably would, but that isn't the point from what I can tell. Anyways, I was impressed. more »

retromodo

The Neumann Microphone: Approved By the Beatles and Hitler

NPR has this fascinating piece on the custom microphone building threaded with history of Neumann Microphones. Neumann made the smooth-sounding U47 that the Beatles recorded on almost exclusively on from 1962 to 1970, as did Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, and others. When I say others, I mean Hitler. More »

9:26 PM on Mon Apr 21 2008
By Brian Lam
9,050 views, 23 comments

retromodo

1930s Steam Cooker Uses Car Exhaust To Cook For, Poison Your Family

Before the advent of the drive-through, families on road trips were stumped by the dilemma of how to have a hot meal ready at any time during their travels. But never fear, 1930s road warrior — hook up this automatic food cooking contraption to your exhaust pipe and your car will prepare your dinners for you! More »

11:30 AM on Sat Apr 19 2008
By Elaine Chow
7,070 views, 25 comments

retromodo

50-Year-Old Basement Organ is Real-esizer, Not Synthesizer

You've got to admire the passion of this guy who put a whole special effects organ in his basement some 50 or so years ago. It reminds us a lot of the recent Absolut Machine. Leon Berry's music organ earned itself the nickname "Beast in the Basement," and it even had wind effects, Tommy-gun sounds, burlesque and bird whistles and chimes alongside normal organ pipes. More »

10:20 AM on Wed Apr 16 2008
By Kit Eaton
3,824 views, 28 comments

retromodo

Robot Shopping Cart Cruises Streets, Bursts into Flames

Why the hell is a dismembered pair of legs walking around willy nilly with a shopping cart? I'll tell you why...To draw awareness to homeless people, and the cutthroat world of cart-pushing. It was designed in 1993 by a college student who thought the concept of using robots for hazardous jobs could be applied to the most dangerous job of all, being homeless. The student rigged the cart together using a bunch of bike chains and a couple car batteries. We're not sure it serves any practical purpose—might be better if there were hands to put things in the cart. One thing the artist definitely got wrong though: homeless people do not spontaneously burst into flames. At least not in New York, they don't. [GizmoGarden via Make]

9:00 PM on Mon Apr 14 2008
By Benny Goldman
3,595 views, 28 comments

Latest by Earthslide: Suicide bombers on strike now? more »

mods

Ben Heck Mods Apple IIgs into a Bright, Shiny Laptop

While some people mod PC parts into devices that look like Apple products, Ben Heck has chosen to throw Apple IIgs parts into a laptop mod that looks more like a PC. The Apple IIgs laptop has a 15-inch screen, RAM expansion, compact flash reader for storage, stereo speakers. He also included ports for a floppy disk drive, mouse and joystick. More »

7:53 PM on Mon Apr 14 2008
By Adrian Covert
7,744 views, 18 comments

spy gadgets

Retromodo: East German Cold War Spy Gadgets Make Us Paranoid

Reader John from the Cambridge University Press blog tips us off to these crazy East German police (Stasi) gadgets used during the cold war. Lots of these gadgets are what you'd expect cold war gadgets to be—spy gear covertly inserted into everyday objects—but others are for surveillance. One of them, a spy camera shoved inside a bra, look dangerous. Not because it's a spy gadget next to your boobs, but because it's so big that anyone copping a feel would be sure to detect it. [Cupblog - Thanks John!]

6:00 PM on Mon Apr 14 2008
By Jason Chen
5,240 views, 6 comments

Latest by Plecky: If you're ever in Berlin, I'd highly recommend you visit the Stasi museum, which (although small) has most of these items and more. On one of the floors, there are still some original office spaces and a conference room, complete with more »

retromodo

Coin-Op NES Requires Serious Magic Fingers

While a slew of hotels feature sad, generic video game controllers ready to play whatever crappy IP-streaming games the chain may offer, many Japanese hotels were once stocked with these coin-op Famicom (NES) systems. A 100 yen coin would buy you 10-15 minutes of play, which is a pretty great deal compared to the mini bar or, uhh, "video on demand" services. To check out the Super Famicom (SNES), hit the jump. More »

9:20 AM on Mon Apr 14 2008
By Mark Wilson
5,318 views, 8 comments

retromodo

Soviet Dog Cooked in Space Only Got this Lousy Statue

It's the stuff of canine legends. Fifty years ago Laika the dog went from stray zero to hero when the Soviet Union strapped her to Sputnik 2 and launched it into the cold reaches of outer space. The trailblazing pooch, who had a statue to her unveiled in Russia last week, proved that living things could survive in space. Her trip also paved the way for more ambitious human-related endeavors, like John's Glenn's historic orbit, the Apollo 11 moon landing and Tom Hanks' career. Laika eventually died an excruciating death from overheating when life support failed a few hours after launch, for which Russia recognized her with a monument. All that sacrifice, and just a statue? More »

6:00 PM on Sun Apr 13 2008
By Jack Loftus
9,315 views, 52 comments

Latest by jackfrost132: Ohhh I'm a rocket dog! Burning up the capsule with a failed support system, ROCKET DOGGGG! more »

retromodo

Stylophone, Scourge of Seventies Britain, is Back, Back, BACK!

Rather like the kazoo, the Stylophone is what you might term a "musical" "instrument." The farty-bontempi sound was a feature of school playgrounds up and down the land—and even David Bowie used one on Space Oddity. And then, suddenly, rather like white dog poo, and "I choked Linda Lovelace" T-shirts, the Stylophone disappeared from view. Until now. More »

6:34 AM on Fri Apr 4 2008
By Addy Dugdale
4,937 views, 25 comments

retromodo

Hire the A-Team Limo to Carry Around Your Lazy Behind...Sucka!

Listen up punk! I've jabbered on about this before, but it looks like you need a little reminder. The next time you need a limo to haul that lazy behind of yours around town, hire the A-Team limo service. But if I catch any of you prom kids drinkin' in the back, just remember—I still got two feet, so kickin' you ain't gonna be no problem. And let me tell you somethin'—soldiers of fortune do it up right! Don't believe me fool? Check out what our van is packin' after the break.

More »

8:30 PM on Tue Apr 1 2008
By Sean Fallon
3,545 views, 7 comments

Latest by room209: Oh man this would be so awesome more »

gadgets

Retromodo: Doggy Treadmill Idea is Actually From 1930

We were wrong when we thought that our crazy technologically-obsessed culture now was responsible for the doggy treadmill idea. It originated in the the 1930s. Modern Mechanix dug up one of their old articles from the last century and found this thing, first debuted at the LA Dog Show, which supposedly lets dogs run for "an hour without getting anywhere." How could you tell (besides the black and white) that this is an invention from the last century? Because the lack of safety concerns for the dog; the whole thing is raised up off the floor, meaning if Floofy gets tired, he's going flying. [Modern Mechanix via Boing Boing]

2:00 PM on Wed Mar 26 2008
By Jason Chen
2,448 views, 10 comments

Latest by P3TER: @AtomikB: Yup, I remember seeing one of these in an old stately home in Wales. They have been around since the 1500's. Search wikipedia for 'turnspit dog' and you will see a picture, or Google for 'whiskey turnspit dog' to more »

retromodo

iPod + Nike's Fat, Moldy Grandpa: Apple II Pumas

Before iPod + Nike, there was Apple II + Puma. The built-in pedometer in these 1980s clodhoppers look like a recipe for some cracklin' good shin splints, if you ask me. After pounding the pavement, you download the time and distance to the Apple II via its game port to track your progress, along with your knees' crippling descent into being cartilage-free. I think they didn't take off because they lacked that crucial Walkman hookup. Hit the jump for a closer view.
More »

12:40 PM on Mon Mar 24 2008
By matt buchanan
9,987 views, 21 comments

Latest by bored_and_agitated: puma rs100 they're still available, except without the bulky electronics. more »