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Awesome Retro

Talking Steel Guitar

Talking Steel Guitar

Talk box vocal effects reached their height of popularity in the 1970s thanks to Peter Frampton and Joe Walsh, but back in 1964, musician and record producer Pete Drake applied the unique sound to his pedal steel guitar, with this performance of his country blues track Forever. And then there’s this.

’80s Synth Riffs

’80s Synth Riffs

From The Final Countdown to Take on Me to Axel F, musician shochan8883 catalogs some of the most memorable synthesizer riffs of the 1980s. It’s by no means comprehensive, but entertaining nonetheless. Also, we’re not sure what to make of that Baroque Hoedown.

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Video Game Metal Tribute

Video Game Metal Tribute

It’s a few years old, but that doesn’t make FamilyJules‘ hard rock medley of classic video game music any less entertaining. Whenever we hear video game music played with this much energy and speed, we think our character is about to run out of health. Grab the MP3 here.

FC-PVM Family Computer

FC-PVM Family Computer

Retro system master builder Love Hultén continues to outdo himself, this time creating a sweet game cabinet not only inspired by the classic Nintendo Famicom system, but has a fully-playable console built-in. It also packs an old-school 9″ Sony Trinitron CRT, and has storage for controllers inside, and cartridges on top.

RepliTronics Retro Gadgets

RepliTronics Retro Gadgets

New Wave Toys, makers of those awesome miniature arcade machines has some new gadgets for retro tech fans. First up, a miniature change machine you can display alongside your arcade machines that doubles as a 6-port USB charger. There’s also a Walkman-inspired gadget that works as 16000 mAh power bank.

Nintendo’s Weirdest Moments

Nintendo’s Weirdest Moments

When you make games that are as whimsical in nature as Nintendo, you’re bound to have some weird moments over the years. Nintendo fan Shiromi edited together a reel of some of the wackiest things that have happened to Mario, Link, and Kid Icarus and others over the years. Man, the 1990s were a strange time.

Modern Racing, Vintage Camera

Modern Racing, Vintage Camera

These days, smartphone videos are ubiquitous. But there was a time when the only way to capture footage was with a mechanical film camera. Nick Shirrell of filmgrainandoctane shoots modern day auto races using an old Canon Super 8 film camera, then layers in vintage voice tracks. The results are wonderfully retro.

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Retro Phone Lamps

Retro Phone Lamps
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IDIDTHAT creates whimsical and functional art by reclaiming vintage objects. They have lots of cool stuff in their Etsy shop, but our favorites are these old rotary phones from the 1950s and 1960 which have been converted to desk lamps. Their coiled cords can be bent into various positions, and their LED light source is nice and bright.

Preserving the 1990s Internet

Preserving the 1990s Internet

Back in the 1990s, the internet was a kinder, gentler, and downright sillier place than it is today. Quartz looks back at some of the primitive and cheesy websites of the era, and pontificates on what may happen to the information and content they housed as these sites gradually go offline.

Rocksete Retro Keyboard

Rocksete Retro Keyboard

Another retro keyboard from the makers of the Rymek has a design inspired by classic typewriters, with an art deco body, glossy finishes, and round keycaps. It also packs in a pair of JBL speakers, and has a built-in stand for holding a tablet. It’s still in the pre-pre-order stage, so we’re not sure when it will be available to purchase.

Retro Tech: 1996 SEGA Digio SJ-1

Retro Tech: 1996 SEGA Digio SJ-1

It’s hard to believe it, but digital cameras were just getting their start back in the 1990s. And like every tech gold rush, everyone was jumping on the low megapixel bandwagon, including video game maker SEGA. LGR got his hands on this $300 oddity from 1996, with its whopping 320×240 pixel resolution.

Funko Big Zoltar Figure

Funko Big Zoltar Figure
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Inspired by the vintage fortune telling machine in the 1988 movie Big, this 6-inch figure is one of the cooler Funko POP! designs we’ve seen in a while, and sure to be a classic. There’s also a figure of Tom Hanks on the giant piano at FAO Schwartz. Drops 9/30/2019.

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Why Ctrl-Alt-Delete?

Why Ctrl-Alt-Delete?

It’s a key sequence PC users dread having to use, but the old “Ctrl-Alt-Delete” is still in use today. Nostalgia Nerd looks back at the origin of this key combo which dates back to the 1980s. We’re sure that Apple will profess that their “Command-Option-Esc” key combo is far superior.

The Art of Atari

The Art of Atari
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If you grew up in the ’70s or ’80s, there’s not much more iconic than the box art from classic Atari games. Authors Robert V. Conte and Tim Lapetino explore the history of videogaming’s great forefather, and the artists and creative process behind these now classic works.

Uber in the ’80s

Uber in the ’80s

“You can pay the driver in cash, or with a check.” Simply follow these 12 steps to book a ride, and it’ll be at your location sometime in the next 24 hours. Squirrel Monkey envisions yet another modern business might have been like if it had launched some 30 years ago.

Retro iPhone Concept

Retro iPhone Concept

What might the iPhone have been like had it followed in the footsteps of Apple’s 1980s industrial design? Future Punk envisions just that – along with a colorful 1990s take as well. Funny thing is, Apple did design a concept phone in the 1980s.

Mini Arcade Marquees

Mini Arcade Marquees
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Celebrate your love for classic video games with one (or more) of RetroBuilder’s miniature arcade marquee light boxes, each with razor sharp color graphics. Each box measures about 7.87″ wide, is made from bamboo wood, and is powered via a USB cable. Choose from 20 different designs, with more to come.

The Internet in 1996

The Internet in 1996

An awesome time capsule of what life was like on the Internet more than 20 years ago, just as it was starting to take off. If you remember Netscape, dial-up modems, or Excite!, you’ll get a kick out of this old VHS tape. We like he calls URLs “YEEERLS.”

It’s Ok Bluetooth Cassette Recorder

It’s Ok Bluetooth Cassette Recorder

It’s been 40 years since the Sony Walkman first came on the scene, and since been supplanted by CDs, MP3s, and streaming. But if you’re craving that old cassette tape sound, NINM Lab’s portable player/recorder has Bluetooth 5.0, so you can wirelessly send its sounds to a speaker or headphones. Sadly it’s not stereo.

Floppy Cars

Floppy Cars

Some songs lend themselves better than others to being played by Paweł Zadrożniak’s Floppotron – a band made up of old mechanical computer hardware. We can think of no better fit than the synth-heavy, robotic sounds of Gary Numan’s 1979 hit Cars.

LED Gamer Nightlight

LED Gamer Nightlight
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Etsy seller My Home Art Decor makes these sweet laser-cut wood accent lights, featuring images from classic games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Mario, Sonic, and Tetris. Each one has an RGB LED light source and a remote control so you can change its color. The wood panels can be ordered in natural or painted hues.

Retro Tech: Triple Tape Boombox

Retro Tech: Triple Tape Boombox

Techmoan dug up another relic of unusual tech from the 1980s, a boombox from Japanese electronics company National that sported not one or two tape decks, but three. It’s basically the “this one goes to 11” of cassette players. Also, once he cracked it open to perform some repairs, he discovered a mechanical nightmare.

DIY Mini Telegraph

DIY Mini Telegraph

Telegraphs were once the fastest way to send messages over a distance. While they’re long since obsolete, DIYprojects decided to build a modern take on the paper strip telegraph, using an Arduino Mini, a motor, wood, and a pen to write down text messages. Build guide here.

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