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6 Retro Gadgets We Love

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:18:25 PDT

Happy 8-Track Tape Day! In the spirit of our favorite gadgets of yesteryear, we took a stroll down technology memory lane. Whether you grew up with 8-tracks, records, cassette tapes, or you're a child of the digital age, reminisce on the days before Spotify and iPads in the gallery.

What was your favorite childhood gadget?

Mad Men and Its Glam Vintage Geek Dream

GeekSugar — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:16:13 PDT

AMC's Mad Men won the outstanding drama series award at last night's Emmy's, and we couldn't agree more. While the show is packed with drama, it's had its retro gadget moments as well. Check out some of our favorite tech from Mad Men over the years.

Photos courtesy of AMC

Website of the Day: Pica Pic

GeekSugar — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:30:29 PDT

Remember those clunky, handheld electronic games you had as a kid? Now there's a website that lives to re-create them and lets you play old favorites like Donkey Kong, Jr. and The Terminator. Pica Pic contains 19 classic games within its simple and clean design. To play a game, select one from the rolling menu and click Play. The game is enlarged to fill the whole screen, and shows you which keys to use to control it - or just use your mouse. Vintage geek win!

Do you have an interesting website you want to share? Join the Website of the Day group, and blog it for a chance to be featured on GeekSugar.

Two Ways to Profess Your Camera Love, Thanks to Modcloth

Kristen Hawley — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 05:21:24 PDT

Modcloth, purveyors of a wealth of vintage-inspired wares (second only to my love of Urban Outfitters), has two new options for professing your camera love: the Stick With It Magnet Set ($10) and the Sweet Snapshots Air Freshener ($6).

Both feature sweet yellow, vintage, plastic cameras, awesome for their kitsch factor and adorably affordable (the air freshener comes in pink, too!). And both are fun ways to declare your vintage geek.

Retro Gaming Controllers For Your Modern Computer

Kristen Hawley — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 05:00:15 PST

Massive win for vintage geekery here! (Did I just call something from my childhood vintage? I think I did.) Check out these USB Game Controllers, only $25 from Urban Outfitters.

Each is a replica of the well-known Nintendo and Super Nintendo controller and plugs into any computer via USB for playing games. I was a huge SNES-junkie as a kid (Mario Kart, what?), so even looking at a photo of the controllers puts my nostalgia in overdrive - and I'm not even a computer game junkie. The only thing that could make these better is if I could use them to control movies or music volume!

Go Old School With These Reissued Classic Phones

Leta Shy — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:00:27 PST

If you long for the days when a cell phone was just a phone, and probably a Nokia one at that, then this post is for you. The French company Lekki has released refurbished and jazzed up versions of the Nokia 3210, that ubiquitous phone of the late '90s, as well as the Motorola StarTAC (complete with retractable antenna, of course).

The refurbished phones still maintain the decidedly low-tech features like monophonic ringtones and the classic game Snake, but they come in amazing candy colors like green, yellow, and magenta, so they'll look right at home with any modern hipster outfit.

The bad news? Both the Nokia 3210 ($98) and the Motorola StarTAC 130 ($163) are only compatible with GSM 900 or 900/1800 networks, meaning we won't be able to relive the days of sneaking phone calls in the school halls and composing genius ringtones here in the US. Nevertheless, check out some photos of the (bomb) phones in the gallery below!

View 5 Photos ›

PhoneXPhone Landline iPhone Dock: Totally Geeky or Geek Chic?

GeekSugar — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 14:37:17 PST

We never seem content with the sleek, high-tech look of smartphones, and this iPhone landline disguise is no exception. Just plop your iPhone into the retro dock's recess and connect it to the handset, and voilà: yet another old-school way to answer your calls.

Even the PhoneXPhone's description calls this $42 item "almost useless," but its one minor functionality is the ability to easily access apps while talking on the phone via the headset. Plus, it comes in bright colors (including blue, white, and red) and would probably add a nice pop of color to your home decor. I think it's cute, but then again, I love anything vintage geek. What you think?

Retro Phone Handset: Totally Geeky or Geek Chic?

GeekSugar — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:15:40 PST

Oh, Urban Outfitters, what's not to love about your vintage gadgetry and over-the-top accessories, including this Retro Phone Handset ($78). The handset is made from plastic and painted a shiny gold. It comes with five different adapters for use with your iPhone 3/3GS, Sony, Nokia, Samsung, or Motorola device. (Sorry iPhone 4 users, this doesn't work with your device.)

It's a little bit clunky and obviously not a travel accessory, but I love it! It's quirky enough to leave out on a coffee table and hilarious enough to actually use. What do you think?

Looking For Some Vintage Geek Gifts? Shop Urban Outfitters!

Kristen Hawley — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:30:47 PST

Urban Outfitters is one of my favorite destinations for vintage geek goodies, and for holiday shopping ease, all of the "Heritage Electronics" are in one place.

Browse tons of vintage-style cameras and film, a solid collection of record players, and headphones of all shapes and sizes.

While I obviously love Urban Outfitters all year long, check out five of my favorite picks from its awesome electronics section.

An Original Apple-1 Can Be Yours . . . For $161,600

Kristen Hawley — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:45:08 PST

Thirty-four years ago, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak built the first Apple computer in Jobs's garage and sold it for $666.66. Now, one of the original Apple-1s can be yours with the highest bid in a Nov. 23 auction at Christie's in London. The computer, believed to be one of about 200, comes in the original box. The return address is Jobs's California residence, and the package even includes a handwritten note from Jobs on notebook paper.

Find out more about the original computer (including how you can get in on the bidding action) after the break.