Retro

The Chinese manufacturer that came up with this "VIP 007" phone apparently had its decades mixed up when contemplating the retro-styled handset. Either that or it was particularly fond of Roger Moore, because the design of this so-called James Bond phone looks distinctly like one of those caveman versions (sorry, Geico guys) from the early '80s, though 50 or 60 pounds lighter.

True to that unfortunate form, this GSM handset sports a gigantic antenna and has its receiver on the edge of the phone, as shown on Akihabara News, but it does apparently have a color display to … Read more

As long as we're in a nostalgic mood for music, we might as well go all the way down memory lane to radios from the birth of rock 'n' roll in the '50s. (That's even before our time, believe it or not.) The classic design from that era has been revived in the form of an updated "Bush TR82," which combines its retro look with digital radio technology. Gadget Lab says its reviews have been mixed at best but, as retro gadgets go, it could have been a lot worse.

In the esoteric world of turntables, it sometimes seems that the most complicated assemblies are the most valued. That was certainly the case, for instance, with the "Transrotor Artus"--a $150,000, 485-pound beast.

Few have approached that in either price or gross tonnage, but a vintage "Gale GT2101" now being auctioned on eBay is no slouch either as far as moving parts are concerned. This 1975 model looks more like a finely tuned laboratory instrument than a vinyl spinner, not unlike some retro-style tube devices we've seen recently.

No matter how well this turntable … Read more

Alternative forms of eco-friendly personal transportation have been appearing on drawing boards and wacky-tech Web sites for quite some time now, and in most cases they don't actually gain much traction. And many are painfully awkward despite a seemingly 'streamlined,' 'futuristic' design (we're talking about you, Segway). So maybe it's time that personal-transportation visionaries actually looked to the past for inspiration.

Like this one, a new take on the classic VeloSolex motorized bicycle. The VeloSolex, according to oO's Very Eclectic, was originally introduced in 1946 as a low-cost transportation solution for post-war France. The funky little … Read more

With all these ultra-violent games everywhere, do you ever pine for the more innocent days of Frogger and Q-bert? OK, maybe not. But if you do have other favorites from an old Sega or Nintendo console, South Korea's Plezo says you can play them on the new PMG-250 handheld and its 2.5-inch color LCD.

This gadget may not have all the bells and whistles of its better-known counterparts, but it will let you pretend to be a real gamer as long as people can't see what you're playing. And it's an MP3 player too, so … Read more

Video speakers are becoming almost old hat in some product lines, but we've finally found a model that matches our decor at home and on the road. All hail the "Supersonic" boombox.

Not only will this sound machine take care of our entertainment needs--TV, DVD, CD, radio--but it also comes in a retro design (circa 1993) that makes us wonder where we put that "Best of Kool & The Gang" collection.

The $180 boombox has a 5-inch screen, but there's no mention of iPod or MP3 compatibility. That's OK with us, though, because … Read more

Want to celebrate the predictable tragedy that your life has become by eating waffles shaped like the very instrument that invisibly shackles you to your desk? Artist Chris Dimino has modified an old typewriter to produce keyboard-shaped waffles, perfect for honing those typing skills before you get to work. The waffle maker is just a one-off, but hopefully some geek-minded, breakfast-loving entrepreneur will get cracking on a retail version soon (make a pirate toaster while you're at it).

(via TreeHugger)

The more things change, the more they stay the same--either that, or they just morph into each other. Take, for example, the retro '60s trend that won't go away: Just as it's kept alive the lava lamp, it continues to pump oxygen into another staple from the era--the bean-bag chair.

The "Slouchpod InteractiveXT" (sounds dangerously close to an oxymoron) updates the classic bean bag for modern times with two 5-watt speakers, a 10-watt subwoofer and connections for game consoles, media players, PCs, TVs and pretty much anything else you can plug into a socket, according to … Read more

Do you remember the TV you had in the '70s? We're prepared to bet that if you do, you'll also remember that it had a sort of plastic wood veneer finish. Well, Hannspree, famous for its adorable fluffy TVs, has decided to throw the LCD kicking and screaming back into the decade of disco. Perhaps it's watched a little bit too much Life on Mars.

From the front, you'd possibly never realise there's anything different about this TV. It has a normal, matte-black finish and sits atop two silver feet that Hannspree describes as "… Read more