Seven high-tech gadgets with a retro twist
Here are some tech toys to treat yourself to. From a Commodore 64 keyboard to a Casio calculator watch, there's a retro-but-modern gizmo for everyone in this list.
Remember the Commodore 64? A 1-megahertz, 8-bit CPU computer in a keyboard that talked to a TV as its monitor, it was a much-loved gaming machine that died in 1994, after more than a decade of life. Now it’s back, sort of. Commodore USA has released a lookalike with modern innards, a keyboard that feels like the original, and an emulator so you can run those wonderful old 8-bit games. http://www.commodoreusa.net/CUSA_Home.aspxThe Canadian Press
Asteroids, Centipede, Lunar Lander – these classic arcade games are back in the browser-based Atari Arcade. Built with HTML5 and touch-enabled in Internet Explorer 10, the games do a pretty good job of reminding us how clumsy we've become over the years. We don't remember crashing the Lunar Lander quite so much … sigh. http://atari.com/arcadePicasa
The BlueTube Audio Tube Amplifier may look like an old-fashioned amp, but this Kickstarter project is filled with tech designed to provide the best possible sound: 8 watts per channel, wired or Bluetooth connectivity, all in a gorgeous hand-rubbed walnut cabinet. And yes, those are vacuum tubes, which produce old-fashioned analog sound that's softer and warmer than digitally produced audio. (about $775 U.S.) http://www.bluetubeaudio.com/
Yesterday’s telephone handset is now a fun accessory for your mobile phone, tablet or computer. This is the POP Phone, from Native Union, which combines an easy-to-cradle handset with high quality sound – and, as an added bonus, zero radiation. (About $40) http://www.nativeunion.com/ca/collection/pop-phone.html
Jake von Slatt of the Steampunk Workshop created this Victorian work of art from a flat panel monitor and assorted computer parts. Here's his step by step journey from modern to gloriously retro PC: http://steampunkworkshop.com/victorian-all-one-pc
In pre-GUI (graphical user interface) days, when we interacted with computers by typing text instructions, “images” in games were only in our imaginations. Adventure was the game that started it all, and now we can play it in all its blue-screen glory. Malinche (http://www.malinche.net/demos/) not only offers Adventure, it lets you play an early game by Scott Adams (the pioneer game developer, not the cartoonist) as well as Dungeon, the game upon which Zork was based. Quick – what's the magic word …
Not so long ago, no self-respecting nerd would be seen without a funky digital watch like this Casio, with its 8 digit calculator, stopwatch, calendar and dual alarms. You can still buy them, and other models adding a 25 record databank. Unleash your inner nerd at http://www.casio.com/products/Watches/Databank/ ($25 U.S.)