Gizmodo Australia » vintage

1984’s “Masterpiece Of Micro-Processor Technology” [NSFW]

Danny Allen — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Hey, that’s their words, not mine — I’m almost lost for any. “Sculptured by a European artist … the Erotica phone plugs into any wall-jack and is fully-guaranteed.” I bet, just look how classy this gent seems with an ear full of cleavage.

Keep it tasteless 1984. I’ve got no idea what fine publication this appeared in, but it looks like the sales came out of Mission, Kansas. And no, the 1800 number no longer works.

How much would this ultimate conversation piece have set you back? Just $US75, including shipping which takes 3-6 weeks. That’s an insane $US150 bucks today. I wonder how many they sold… [Paco Camino and LiveJournal via CopyRanter]

Obsolete Gadget Tattoos Are Seven Shades Of Wrong

Jesus Diaz — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, I’ve seen my share of intricate, beautiful, and even lickable tattoos. These vintage gadget tattoos are not them. Tumblred by Anna Jane Grossman — démodé-gadgeteer extraordinaire and author of the highly recommended Obsolete — these are a mistake:

Vintage Gadget Tattoos

I may have an original 1984 Macintosh on my work desk, but I would be out of my f—king mind to get a tattoo of it forever burnt in my skin. A ZX Spectrum, on the other side, is a very likely possibility. It just depends on the amount of Zacapa rum and Margaritas this weekend.

Note to the VHS tattoo dude: If you are going to drill a video tape into your skin for the rest of your life, at least pick a Sony Beta. [Obsolete]

Awesome 1980s Computer Pop-Up Book: A Floppy What Now?

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 09 May 2009 20:00:00 +0000

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.

Some of this stuff is amazing, like an ASCII and binary decoder, and the hilarious message on the dot-matrix printer:

Now that we’ve met, I’m ready to work—and play—with you. See you soon! Goodbye.

Computers used to be so adorable (and polite!). [JonathanRyan]

Vintage Massagers Look Like Torture Devices

Gizmodo US Edition — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The geniuses at Oobject have curated a hilarious gallery of 18 forgotten vibrators/massagers, all of which look more likely to induce pain than pleasure.

All of the vibes have great names like Chic Glorifier, Handy Hannah Vitalator, Stim-U-Lax Junior, Bonger Body Massager, and let’s not forget the classic Magic Fingers Hotel Bed Massager. I included my favourites below, but hop over to Oobject for the full effect. If I ever see these in real life, I’m running in the opposite direction. What were ladies in the ’50s thinking? [oobject]

How to Make a Wi-Fi Internet Radio Classy (Stuff It Inside a Vintage Radio)

Matt Buchanan — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:00:48 +0000

Wi-Fi internet radios are usually more function than form oriented, their plastic and metal bodies lacking the elegance or charm of a vintage radio. Solution: Reanimate a classy vintage corpse with a modern soul.

Luckily, Wi-Fi internet radios have gotten a lot cheaper lately: That Aluratek I reviewed has fallen to $US120, from $US200. Internet radio in hand, you need a vintage shell to stuff the guts into. Then you need a thick coat of elbow grease: Gut the Wi-Fi radio, paint its buttons, get the vintage shell ready, mount the display and speakers, and if necessary, you might have to reshape the Wi-Fi radio’s motherboard.

It’s definitely more of a weekend project than an evening endeavor, but every nerd could afford to do a little more handicrafting. [Instructables via Lifehacker]

Super Electrofluorescent Profanity Machine Tells Time With Intermittent Swear Words

Jack Loftus — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:00:00 +0000

Truly the masochist’s dream clock, the Super Electrofluorescent Profanity Machine gives you the time and then lays down a litany of cuss words and other fine four-letter fare from the English language.

Designed, built and marketed solely by “Koolatron,” the clock/display was cobbled together using “vintage Cold War-era Soviet vacuum fluorescent tubes and custom driver circuitry.”

According to the designer, every four-letter English word could potentially pop up on the display. To prevent incomprehensible gibberish from ruining your day the device is programmed to display pronounceable words, not random letters. [Etsy via technabob]

Flying Aerocar Auction Shows the Future Comes From 1956

Jesus Diaz — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 21:00:00 +0000

This flying automobile is probably the only real transformer in existence: The Aerocar, a machine that actually flies and can be legally driven on a highway. Built by Moulton B. Taylor in 1956 and powered by a Lycoming 160HP engine, you only have to attach the folded wings, tail, and propeller to explore the skies at 265kph. Don’t believe it? The FAA does, and you only need $US3.5 million to buy and enjoy one.

Patented on October 13, 1956, the Aerocar is the only car that is a fully FAA-certified aeroplane. This one has the FAA registration number N103D and apparently it is in working condition after 1,103 flight hours, even while the last official inspection was performed in 1976. According to the eBay seller, “an informal inspection of the plane by an FAA licensed A&P aircraft mechanic was performed in August of 2006.” [eBay via Dark Roasted Blend]

Hardware Hoarder Builds Australia’s Largest Computer Museum In His House

John Herrman — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:00:01 +0000

Max Burnet worked with computers for his whole life, and he hasn’t strayed far in retirement: he’s collected a massive amount of vintage computer hardware in his house, creating the what is claimed to be the largest collection of its kind in Australia, and one of the most extensive in the world. He’s got everything from a 20s era electro-mechanical tote board to punch card mainframes to the Apple Lisa in his huge stockpile, and odd curios aren’t neglected; he’s got early hard drive and RAM specimens, as well as a library of over 6000 vintage computing manuals.

As was probably the case with the Apple pack rat before him, Burnet’s collection must have been borne of a special mix of odd psychology and determined enthusiasm. Check out a full gallery here. [CIO via Slashdot]

Gallery of 101 Vintage Computer Ads

Gizmodo US Edition — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:00:00 +0000

Sure, some of us remember using the Commodore 64, but do any of us recall what the ads for it were like? Boingboing has aggregated a wonderful collection of 101 classic computer advertisements by everyone from AT&T (yeah, I forgot they tried their hand in making PCs too) to Texas Instruments. Aah, to be back in a world where everything fit inside a bulky keyboard and displays were monochromatic. [Boing boing]

Perspektiva Lamp: For Anyone Who Dreams of Being Stalked By the Paparrazzi

Sean Fallon — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:20:00 +0000

According to the designers at Transparent House, the idea behind the Perspecktiva lamp was ” to integrate an iconic object into modern day life while maintaining the qualities of art and function.” In this case the “iconic object” was a vintage camera inspired by the classic Leica design. The result is a work of art that should appeal to just about anyone—especially Hollywood hopefuls that dream that they too will one day have to file a restraining order against a paparazzo. Too bad it is only a concept at this point. Video after the break.

[Transparent House]