Gizmodo
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retromodo
Retromodo: Did You Know Hedy Lamarr Helped Invent Frequency Hopping?
There's a longer story you can read elsewhere, but actress Hedy Lamarr invented and patented a system to help prevent torpedoes from being jammed by using frequency hopping. More » -
the internet
CompuServe Classic Finally Laid To Rest
Have you noticed anything different about your inbox this week? Where are all the weirdly threatening chain letters from family members you've never met? The hyperventilating urgent FWD: FWD: FWD: messages about Barack Obama's secret Hellenic Polytheism? Your tri-weekly update on the power of prayer, told through the perspective of your fourth cousin's cat? They are gone, is where, stemmed at the source. CompuServe Classic is dead. More »
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By John HerrmanComment by Bokusatsu_Tenshi: Yep, I feel like a dinossaur... because I do remember CompuServe, AOL CDs, and I still remember downloading MODs (Axel... 14 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
The First Integrated Circuit Chip: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary
The Computer History Museum is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the integrated circuit, pictured above, with a multimedia exhibit called "The Silicon Engine" to explain why many claim the IC as one of mankind's greatest and most important inventions ever. More »
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By Dan NosowitzComment by chekt: I don't get what this article is about. 2 Responses | Other threads
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Walkman at 30
Take the Walkman 30th Birthday Quiz
How much do you know about the most celebrated personal stereo of all time, one that is today turning the big Three Oh? A lot? OK, hell, let's see what you got: More » -
Walkman at 30
Notable and Crazy Sony Cassette Walkman Editions
Sony's cassette tape Walkman came to life in many shapes and forms through the years. Here are a few of the great, the important and sometimes plain weird Walkman models. More »
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Walkman at 30
Great Sony Walkman TV and Print Ads of the 1980s
To commemorate the Sony Walkman's 30th birthday, here are the trippy ads Sony used to promote it in the '80s. Noble monkeys, off-key kids and sweet-toothed senseis—where's that f'd up sense of humor now, Sony? More » -
retromodo
The Original Ethernet Cable and Cable Diagrams
BoingBoing Gadgets found this photo of the original original Ethernet cable at Xerox PARC, devised by Bob Metcalfe so he could rig up a local system for sharing things digitally. More »
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By Jason ChenComment by CaptainHoratioMcCallister: Yay for Rochester, NY! Home of Dibella's, the best subs on the planet, go ahead New Yorkers, debate me. 9 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
Computing Classic: The Kitchen Computer
The 1969 Kitchen Computer by Honeywell was not just a fancy cutting board. It was meant to store recipes, even recommending meals from ingredients on hand. The problem is, you had to know binary to use it. More » -
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retromodo
Computing Classic: Video on How the Airforce Protected Us from Attacks in the 1960s
This video explains more about the SAGE system I wrote about last week, the huge Airforce used in the 50s to the 80s to make us feel safe from supersonic Soviet bombers. More »
15,720
By Brian LamComment by Duckspwn: Sooo, completely unrelated to this rather interesting article, but I have a question for the Giz commenters. Say someone gives... 8 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
The Secret of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" Forward Leaning Move
The late King of Pop pioneered dance moves that looked mechanical and weren't, like the moonwalk, and at least one that looked mechanical and was: The forward-leaning maneuver from his "Smooth Criminal" video. The secret is all in the shoes. More »
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By Dan NosowitzComment by urbanturban666: wanted: 6 pallbearers.... must be able to moonwalk while carrying a coffin....Must also wear one sparkly glove... 19 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
The Birthplace of Silicon Valley Is a Palo Alto Garage
This is the Palo Alto, CA garage where two young Stanford engineering grads named Bill Hewlett and David Packard started building what would one day become the world's largest PC manufacturer. In 2000, HP turned it into a museum. More »
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By Dan NosowitzComment by WB: And look how far they've fallen: Selling inkjet printers using the razor & blades business model, and perverting the intent... 8 Responses | Other threads
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Computing Classic
Computing Classic: The 1954 SAGE Protected the US From Invasions That Never Came
Dag Spicer from the Computer History Museum leaned over and unscrewed a bolt. Underneath, it read, "I can't stand it". The operator's job was to look for cold war bombers that never came. I would go mad, too. Look: More » -
retromodo
Lego...Uh, Tyco Brick Phone Circa 1983
Lego may be all into consumer gadgets these days with their fancy cellphones and camcorders, but Tyco beat them to the punch in the 80's when they created this charmingly hideous landline phone. More »
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By Sean FallonComment by Purple Monkey Dishwasher: Will it tether? 5 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
I Bet Your Camera Can't Transform Into the Defender of the Universe
I was thinking of getting a Canon T1i, but after seeing this fully-functional, transforming Voltron SLR-wannabe 110 film camera from 1985, I will seriously have to reconsider my options. [DoobyBrain via DVice via TheDailyWhat]
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By Andi WangComment by Scott Andrews: You guys are probably going to tare me up but if you want to be technical, that not an SLR... 10 Responses | Other threads
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computers
25 Of The Most Influential PCs Ever Made
A visit to the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA has Maximum PC feeling all nostalgic about the history of the personal computer. More » -
retromodo
Vibra-Finger: You Know, to Massage Your Gums
It vibrates to massage your gums. Sure. [Dark Roasted Blend]
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By Jesus DiazComment by fispaul: Just asking: Why are so many people making their names OMG! Somethings! I am aware of OMG! Ponies! but I... 19 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
Dear Modem from 1964, Welcome to the Internet
45 years after it was first created, Livermore Data Systems' "Model A" Acoustic Coupler Modem finally gets hooked up to the Internet, and travels to the World Wide Web at a whopping 300 baud. More »
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By Andi WangComment by Canoehead: Funny thing is, it does not look very different from the 300 baud modem my dad used to work from... 8 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
What to Do with an Original 1984 Macintosh?
I bought myself an original Macintosh—the one from 1984—this weekend. I saw it on the streets of Williamsburg for $35, almost completely new, and I couldn't resist. Now I want to do something with it. More » -
space
First TV Image of Mars Ever Was Made With Crayons
What you are looking at here is the very first image ever taken of the surface of Mars. It was acquired by NASA's Mariner 4 using a television camera, and rendered using crayons. Look closer: More »
63,756
By Jesus DiazComment by Kaiser-Machead: Crayons are highly a highly underrated drawing medium. 9 Responses | Other threads
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man vs machine
The Death Row Inmate Who Turned His Toilet Into an Electric Chair
Michael Anderson Godwin was a murderer. He was awaiting South Carolina's electric chair in 1989 when he decided to fix his TV set while sitting on his cell's metal toilet. You can probably see where this is going. More » -
man vs machine
The Pitching Machine With a Taste For Blood
11-year-old Mitchell Anderson had just finished practicing in the batting cage and was gathering balls in his helmet. Unfortunately for him, there was one ball left still rattling around in the machine. More » -
man vs machine
A Concert With Death As the Encore
On May 3, 1972, Les Harvey took the stage at Swansea Top Rank with his blues band Stone the Crows. It was raining, and he was soaking wet. More » -
man vs machine
The Coffee Machine That Dispensed Hot Death
Last month, Yogesh Singh was getting coffee from a machine in a stall while taking a break from helping his father run a tent shop. He was tired and needed a pick-me-up. More » -
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By Jason ChenComment by BsideStarchild: Whoa is this the year 1992? Uhh, no. This is the year 2009. WHAAAAAAAAAT?! 9 Responses | Other threads
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man vs machine
The Parachute That Killed Its Inventor
On February 4th 1912 Franz Reichelt attempted to test his latest invention — a parachute jacket — at the Eiffel Tower. He donned his apparatus and tentatively stepped to the edge of the viewing deck. More » -
retromodo
Olde Timey Notificator Machine Twitters Like It's 1935
Featured in a 1935 issue of awesome futurist-comic-book-slash-science-mag Modern Mechanix, the Notificator is almost certainly the world's first Twitter client. More »
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By John HerrmanComment by OMG! Ponies!: Anyone catch last nite's radio-play on RKO? Spoiler: Horace (that cad) goes up to Ethel's apt & she doesn't leave... 5 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
Any Excuse Is Good to Post the ZX Spectrum
It wasn't popular in the US, but in Europe it was huge during the 80s. Black, sleek, slippery when wet, rainbowy. I loved its rubber keyboard. Just like the new Boing Boing Gadgets' redesign. [BBG]
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By Jesus DiazComment by TNTBW: Was it just a keyboard, or did it do something special? 9 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
Vincent Price Promises 3D Pictures That Are 'Three Times as Thrilling'
Is there anything better than watching Vincent Price try to sell an insanely complicated 3D camera as simple? No, no there isn't. More »
10,184
By Adam FrucciComment by madog: Darkness falls across the landThe midnight hour is close at handCreatures crawl in search of bloodTo terrorize y'awl's neighborhoodAnd whosoever... 8 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
Awesome 1980s Computer Pop-Up Book: A Floppy What Now?
Now this is one amazing Goodwill find: A vintage pop-up book designed to teach burgeoning nerds about the wonders of the modern computer. Floppy disks, ASCII, and the dot-matrix printer. Oh my. More »
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By Dan NosowitzComment by bosskev: OMG! That SO takes me back to my childhood, even down to that very message--"I'm ready to work-and play-with you."... 9 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
Transparent Mac SE/20 vs iMac Graphite
This is what may have happened if Jonathan Ive from Summer 2001—who designed the iMac graphite on the right—had a time machine to travel back and design the Mac SE/20 in 1987. More »
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By Jesus DiazComment by iPhonePhan: OMG I just pulled out my old iMac Graphite DV to give to my next door neighbor's kids. They're in... 5 Responses | Other threads
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space
How Not To Launch a Rocket: The Nedelin Disaster
History's worst rocket tragedy actually occurred on the ground, in 1960, when the Soviets were experimenting with a dangerous new fuel. Piers Bizony chronicles it in his upcoming book, How To Build Your Own Spaceship:
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retromodo
The Orion Project: A Hotel-Sized Nuclear Spaceship
Here's a classic TED talk by George Dyson, where he shares his father Freeman's notes on reclassified Project Orion: A Cold War spaceship as large as a Marriott hotel powered by 20 kiloton nukes. More » -
retromodo
Vintage 2-XL Robot Uses 8-Track Tapes, Not as Scary as Teddy Ruxpin
Released in 1978, the 2-XL educational robot was before my time, but it wouldn't have haunted my nightmares like Teddy Ruxpin did. At least this robot had the decency to look like a damn robot. More »
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By Dan NosowitzComment by Polzin: Your Friendly Neighborhood Bagel Farmer: i had one of the re-released ones in the 90s. i thought it was the coolest thing ever... eh 2 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
When Good Enough Becomes Lousy
The antithesis of the good enough mantra can be seen with this, a Hoover washing machine from 1948. More »
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By Jason ChenComment by Curves: My grandmother swore by her ringer washer. She said the new ones didnt get the clothes as clean, and she... 6 Responses | Other threads
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film
I Wish Digital Cameras Still Had Bellows
Like this new medium-format Bessa III from Voigtlander—one thing film will always have over digital. More »
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By John MahoneyComment by Knowitallguytherevenge: Film has nothing over digital, that's why none of us are using it anymore. Christ, these kids who never... 26 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
Antique Speaker Horn Adds Old-Timey Class to iPhone
I would've held this Magnavox speaker to my ear and pretended to be deaf, saying clever things like "What's up, sonny?" Matt Richmond combined it with some scraps of walnut to create an iPod dock. More »
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By Odelia LeeComment by krnplcd: Is there video? Could any audiophile readers tell me what kind of sound one might expect? Since its already in... 6 Responses | Other threads
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retromodo
This May Be the World's First Electric Car
If these newly discovered photos are confirmed, what you are seeing here is the first ever electric car, built in 1884 by British inventor Thomas Parker. 1884, people. More » -
retromodo
Holy Crap, Email Was Scary in the 1970s!
In case you weren't aware, email humbly began as some sort of paranormal force whose sole objective was to materialize out of thin air and terrify middle-aged businessmen. More »
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Comment by OMG! Ponies!: There is a disturbing amount of brown in this scene. The shag carpet is brown. The wallpaper is... 16 Responses | Other threads
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Gadget Gods
Bill Gates' First Product Demo Was Full of Fail and Cries for Mommy
Wired's Epicenter proves Bill Gates hasn't always pooped out money-making tech his entire life—their latest post documents his failed traffic metering device, which helped automate the process of counting cars on the road. More »
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Comment by Linux chief hardware engineer: Wonder if he cried when vista failed.. 11 Responses | Other threads
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listening test
How We Listen: A Timeline of Audio Formats
Humans have been writing music for at least as long as we've been recording history. It was storing it that took a little more time. Here are all the ways we've done it to date: More »
retromodo
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