The Coolest Gadgets, Modern and Retro.
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I invented a ground-breaking device in my sleep last night. This happens to the best of us. We are lucky, however, that many historical inventors and outstanding engineers woke up right in time and sketched the details of their invention before it evaporated into the warm daylight. Some of these famous dreams are recounted here. It includes a design for a sewing machine and even mechanics for a golf swing. Today, we are going to feature some intriguing devices that should feed and inpire your creativity… well into the night!
This is without a doubt one of the most popular DRB series. On these pages we uncover some most amazing and unusual vintage devices and some of the most puzzling modern ones. We also enjoy a healthy in-flow of our readers’ tips and comments, alerting us to more unfound treasures. This update was surely overdue, as we’ve got plenty of new stuff to share about.
Do not miss the previous installments in this series. We covered retro cameras, espresso machines, calculators, typewriters, and even globes! This is 1937 X-Ray Machine: come closer, don’t be afraid -
Turntable wonder from 1952: “Galaxy” four-speed multi-record changer from STAAR -
Another one; this time a Zenith “Cobra-Matic”:
And a miniature records player (would make a great business card maker today!):
Object of desire: 1948 Proctor Art Deco Toaster! -
Another cool items from DKW Photography source are: Golde Slide Projector (left) and Zenith “Cobra-Matic” Phono Radio (right):
More streamlined American art deco gems are shown on this page: Waverly Petipoint iron, 1941 (left) and Juice-O-Mat Juicer from 1937, designed by Joseph M. Majewski, Jr. (right):
Good old 1938 with scrawny legs (and more glamorous one from 1954):
Great streamlined razor:
This is absolutely gorgeous vintage lighter.. or is it a “Fantastic Voyage” submarine? Flash Gordon’s escape pod?
Kids enjoyed fantastic rides in the 1950s:
Streamlined design for lawnmowers is part of the future, according to the Bohn Aluminum calendar, 1943:
Vintage dreams about owning a video-telephone:
Ordering “online” while doing stuff in the kitchen:
and controling a lawn robot:
Here is the Harvard’s one ton microscope from 1937:
And we finish our Retro section with Atomic Cold War Experiments. Whatever they are, they must be truly hair-raising:
On the right image above is a structure that seems very mysterious, but actually not: this is the Russian 1930s tower built for paragliding in Gorky Park, Moscow. ——- Modern Gadgetry: the Weird & the Marvelous This is “Visible Sound”. It consists of a sewing machine, a radio and an ability to enjoy sound wave patterns (made by “Sounds.Batter”, more info):
They also make walking sticks with… attachements:
Um… umbilical iPhone cord?! Sure, why not! -
Watch the video of it squirming here. Definitely something from “Existenz”. Great folksy protective “dresses” for your camera by ChocMuf; (order them here):
The World’s smallest cameras, digital and pinhole – more info here and here: Pistol wallets and toys from France (is there a joke in this?) – buy them here:
Alarm clocks warrant their own article by here are just some “kool” examples: wind chime alarm clock (left) and Donation Alarm (if you do not wake up, you pay the price) - GoateeSaver! Or perhaps, Darth Vader’s breathing apparatus attachment:
This thing is the Automatic Aluminum Can Crusher. Oh, yeah -
On the right image above is its low-tech variety. Some odd items here:
And finally, a mystery device: all we can say is that it’s a “Tape Converter”, but… what does it convert? into what?
UPDATE: As you correctly pointed out, this device is part of the Sound.Batter portfolio – and it converts the leftover glue patterns from old sticky tapes into sound! Don’t ask us why, though. Because it can be done, that’s why. CONTINUE TO “MOST AMAZING GLOBES EVER”! -> READ THE REST OF OUR “GADGETS” SERIES ->
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