Techalyzer

Mixing arcane designs with modern technologies is a big past time of gadget designers. Perhaps it is because they recognize that people do not let go of the past that easily. The result are designs that are somewhat humorous as old world technology designs meets new world efficiency.

A good example are the many MP3 players that are coming out right now that are designed to look like cassette players. There are also a number of stylistic ones that look exactly like they a normal cassette tape. In reality it is a very sophisticated digital player with the earphones or Blue tooth attached.

You can also get a retro Bluetooth handset that looks exactly like the handset of an old black phone from the 1930s. It has a handle with a place to speak at one end and a place to hear at another (just like a regular phone.) Of course it has no cord.  A blue light identifies it as the handset for your cell phone.  The design is a little odd because it is jus the handle ofa regular phone. There is no cradle provided to set it in so it would lie sideways on your desk.

You can also buy a  phone for using Skype that looks like it belongs in a newsoffice in the 1930s. Basically you hook it up to your computer and you dial an old fashioned rotary dial to call any Skype number.  To conncect you lift the receiver from the cradle. To disconnect form Skype you replace the receiver on the cradle. This is a little more serviceable and charming looking than the retro Bluetooth style of 1930s phone.

Another funny idea is the Samsung P300.  This is a phone that looks exactly like a large hand held calculator from the seventies. Nobody will know that you are actually texting because it looks like you are doing mathematical calculations instead.

If you are an old fashioned type who ha s wood chair, wood desk and wooden paneling in your office you can also take heart that you can now buy a laptop computer that is laminated with fake wood veneer. This laptop that has a rustic feel is called “The Woodie.”  You could probably make your own version of this  by simply applying wallpaper to the surface of your laptop.

Do you miss those old square floppy disks that you used to have to insert into your computer to copy information?  You can now get a USB drive that imitates the look of these old disks. They come in those weird old colors such as bright blue and lime green as well.