GeekSugar

Rotary Phones - the Latest in Photo Booth Technology

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:17:02 PDT

In the days of cell phones and video chat, there's not much of a reason to keep a rotary telephone around other than its vintage good looks. A new project called the Rotobooth is repurposing those antique devices of yore in a way that is so 2012: a text message-sending photo booth.

Rotobooth users dial their mobile numbers the old-school way with long winds around the rotary phone located below the camera lens. Creators of Rotobooth hacked the phone with an Arduino microcontroller, so that once a photo is taken, it's sent to Flickr, and the user then receives a text message link to that photo on whatever number was dialed on the rotary phone.

This retro take on a modern digital photo booth was actually part of a hacking session at Twilio, a cloud-based texting company, and was used to send text message photo links to those smiling for the Rotobooth camera. Go, hackers!

Photo: Flickr User mauxfaux

Weekend DIY: Retrotastic Camera Bag

Kelly Schwarze — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 07:17:17 PDT

We get a little excited about all things photography and DIY around here, so naturally this cut-and-sew retro camera bag from Happysewlucky is next on our growing craft to-do list.

To make this plush bag version of the iconic blue Diana lomography camera, purchase a fat quarter piece of the fabric ($17) with the camera components already printed and ready to sew into place. Then follow Happysewlucky's step-by-step tutorial on transforming the fabric into a retro wonder.

Just in Time For the Mad Men Premiere: A Retro PC Tower

GeekSugar — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 04:00:05 PDT

One of the things that I love about Mad Men (besides the vintage tech references) is the decor. And just in time for the season four premiere tonight comes this custom-built, midcentury modern PC tower.

This console perfectly houses the builders' PC and even has a breathable cover-up front. I'm already in love, and this shot just gets me more excited for tonight's premiere!

Retro Cool Meets High Tech: USB Portable Turntable

GeekSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:45:36 PDT

Vinyl is making a comeback! Many artists are now releasing albums on vinyl as well as digitally.

There's something about the sound of a vinyl record that makes any song - even a new release - sound totally old-school. I've mentioned my love for retro-style record players before, but this Ion USB Portable Turntable ($140) from Urban Outfitters is the perfect mix of retro and tech. It hooks up to your computer via USB, which means you can turn your favorite vinyl tracks into MP3s. Also, it's totally portable, and runs on batteries or connected to a wall outlet.

I want to use this to import my parents' record collection into my computer - the turntable supports both regular-sized records and 45s. Plus, since it's portable, it's perfect for parties.

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Pretty In Pink Vintage Typewriter Is the Real Deal

GeekSugar — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:00:22 PDT

I don't know what it is about this 1950s Pink Royal Typewriter - maybe the fact that it's ridiculously adorable, 100 percent authentic, or because it actually works - but I'm lovin' every square inch of this antique machinery.

Because most of you can appreciate manual typewriters, you'll be happy to know that every button on this typewriter works - it even has touch control so you can adjust how hard you want to type on the keys. And I love the fact that it comes in the original tweed carrying case, so you really get the full vintage experience.

Unfortunately it's just as expensive as a new netbook with a price tag of $425, so for now I'm just going to stare and not spend.

Don't Expect to See Drew Barrymore on Facebook or Twitter

GeekSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:00:52 PDT

Unlike Oprah who has already signed up for both a Facebook and Twitter account in the past month, actress Drew Barrymore - who admits she's confused by technology in dating - told Kelly Ripa and her husband Mark on Live With Regis and Kelly that she stays clear of both social networking sites. Although admitting that she appreciates technology and the convenience of it, she doesn't know what "Twittering" is and doesn't care to know. Check out the clip below.

And to watch Drew talk about her old school rotary dial banana yellow wall phone, just

Vivitar's ViviCam Is So Retro, Yet So New

GeekSugar — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 10:02:34 PDT

On the exterior, Vivitar's new ViviCam 8027 is wrapped in a rustic red leather-like material and offers a vintage metallic body and feel that could be mistaken for a camera from the seventies - needless to say, I fell head over heels in gadget love when I saw this cam on Chip Chick. But on the inside, the ViviCam is anything but retro with its 8.1-megapixel resolution, 3x optical zoom, a nice 2.4-inch LCD screen and a rechargeable lithium battery. And if you aren't digging the red hue, you can also pick one up in black or yellow. Unfortunately, a price hasn't been announced just yet.

Oscar Worthy Gadgets: Revolutionary Road

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:02:48 PST

Concluding this year's Oscar Worthy Gadgets series is a movie up for three Academy Award nominations, including best costume design, art direction, and Michael Shannon's nomination for his performance in a supporting role. Starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road takes us inside the lives of a couple who struggle with the mundane realities of living in a Connecticut suburb.

Because the movie is set during the mid-1950s, there were many vintage tech shots. We not only see the classic dial telephones in Frank's office (where he works on computer manuals), but when Frank and his female co-worker are out at a high-end restaurant, Frank is handed a retro phone to make a call - right from his table.

And who can forget the emotional scene near the end of the movie when Kate's character, April, uses the hanging wall phone to call her babysitter? It was simple yet powerful gadget placements like these that made me feel a part of this time period.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Vantage

Daily Tech: Gadget Evolution 1-0-1

GeekSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:03:09 PST

MTV UK has whipped up an interesting video which shows how technology changes faster than hairstyles. - Unplggd
Apple has updated the white MacBook by replacing the polycarbonate shell with the aluminum unibody encasing. - CrunchGear
Yesterday, directly on the CNN homepage that was covering the inauguration live, there were over 600,000 status updates from the Facebook Connect service. - TechCrunch
MSI's Valentine's Edition of their Wind U100 netbook, comes in pink, features a 160GB hard drive, and costs $430. - Gizmodo
On Friday, Barack Obama aides learned that they will have to give up IM, or else IM communication will become a part of official records. - Switched

Source

Feel Retro, Go Modern With the Skype Hulga Pappa Phone

GeekSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:05:52 PST

You don't need to hang onto that landline just to keep a sexy-lookin' corded phone around; if you're a Skype user, you can use Hulger's Pappa Phone ($300). Like their ultrasexy Sophia phone, Hulger's Pappa plugs into a Mac or PC and becomes your vehicle for Skype.

But let's discuss what's really hot about this phone: Its looks. The wooden angles are modern, but they look to fit so naturally in your hand. And natural it is - the phone is made from one solid piece of walnut.