steampunk

Ornate steampunk computer desk really works

If the Phantom of the Opera had a desk job, this would be his workstation.

We've seen lots of steampunk stuff before, from RSS feeds in Morse code to ray guns, and it's often cool but pretty useless. Well, meet the Victorian Organ Command Desk. It works, and it looks gorgeous while doing so.

Bruce Rosenbaum of Massachusetts home restoration firm ModVic literally pulled out all the stops when he built this baroque workstation out of a demolished church's organ. He gutted the pump and innards, replacing them with three monitors, a 3GHz AMD Phenom II X4 945 processor running Windows 7 Ultimate, 3GB of RAM, a 1TB HD, and lots of other goodies. For more pics of this awesome machine, see our photo gallery.

The steampunk aesthetic reflects the Victorian love of craftsmanship and fine detail. Rosenbaum admires beautifully designed objects, but prefers practical tools to museum objects. When he decided to build a new PC desk, he scoured eBay and local antique fairs for parts he could repurpose, eventually spending thousands of dollars. It then took six months and help from three other specialists to build the desk.

Rosenbaum uses his ornate desk every day. Here are some interesting details and hidden features: … Read more

Gorgeous amplifiers, made in Utah

For over 10 years ElectronLuv has been producing custom amplifiers and high-end components.

I think they're awesome-looking things, and I love that they're built to order. In a way ElectronLuv's design ethos reminds me of the "American Chopper" TV series where they custom build high-end motorcycles to order. But in this case it's stereo pre- and power amplifiers, guitar amplifiers, turntables, and horn speakers designed to meet ElectronLuv's customers' desires.

Some might call it steampunk or retro chic, but I think ElectronLuv products are unique and represent the best of American high-end audio.

ElectronLuv's Josh Stippich needs three to six months to design and build each of his one-of-a-kind products. In the early design stages Stippich sends his customers drawings to get feedback so he can give them exactly what they want. … Read more

Japanese reveal steampunkalicious iPhone case with interchangeable lenses

You can find plenty of iPhone applications that use software to create effects for the built-in camera, but the Quattro iPhone 3G Case, made by Japanese company Factron, is one of the first hardware add-ons to actually mount an aftermarket lens onto the front of the phone.

The case itself is made of aircraft grade duralumin for durability and a sexy polished-silver finish. The backside of the case is covered with supple calf leather for the highest in dead-animal quality, but the external lenses are the real stars and include fish-eyes, macros, wide angles, superwide conversions, and more. Put them … Read more

Gadgettes 137: The Fish on a Bicycle Episode

Convergence: The occurrence of two or more things coming together. In this case, cars and couches, shoes and bathtubs, and last but not least, showers and aquariums. Try to wrap your brain around that!

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video)

EPISODE 137… Read more

Steampunky goggles feature working aperture

Today is a very bright, sunny day in Seattle. I wore my sunglasses. My sunglasses are rarely used, yet badass. They are not, though, as badass as these variable aperture goggles we found on SmugMug. Change down the aperture and you get less light. They're awesome.

Sadly, they're a concept and not actually for sale, which is too bad. While I'm not a huge fan of the steampunk movement, I understand it. That being said, I would totally rock these, if I could get them in my prescription. I'm that much of a nerd.

I would, … Read more

Where we're going to Awesometown

EPISODE 90

Today Wilson misses the boat so we get Justin Yu and Ariel Nunez to replace him. We talk steampunk, iPhone VS. Treo, how to regrow fingers, and what it's like to actually read a book. Don't ask. All this plus a special trip to Awesometown on the 404.

Listen now: Download today's podcast

What is this steampunk contraption?

MILFORD, Utah--I need your help.

I was driving through this tiny western Utah town on Road Trip 2007, and I saw this contraption by the side of the road as I zipped by.

It was so bizarre looking that I had to go back to see it. Fortunately, there wasn't another car in sight, so I simply popped the car into reverse and backed up.

It was there, just off the road, looking like it hadn't been used in decades. Kind of like a display piece. And it reminded me of the steampunk revival that has been going … Read more

Office interior is an homage to Verne's Captain Nemo

If you've caught the nautical bug but aren't sure you want to live in a pineapple under the sea, consider this. Pirate-friendly game development company Three Rings Design has pimped out its office so that it resembles the interior of the high-seas-steampunk Nautilus submarine from Jules Verne's classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The interior is a mishmash of old maps, eye-catching colors, (fake) wheels and cogs, and Victorian-era styling that's sure to enamor just about anyone who ever thought that Star Trek-inspired interiors just weren't elegant enough. This masterpiece of a makeover was … Read more

RSS feeds via Morse code

This is one of the greatest technological anachronisms I've ever seen. The Victorian aesthetically-driven boys at the Steampunk Workshop have put together a telegraph clacker that sounds out RSS feeds. For those of you who were born after the death of the handlebar mustache, telegraphs were ways to electronically communicate information long before things like "computers" and "modems" were invented. Decades before even the telephone was invented, telegraphs were tapping out important information to important people in Morse code.

The Steampunk Workshop's RSS telegraph sounder brings the technology around full-circle. It converts the text … Read more