GeekSugar

Urban Outfitters Ups the Retro Ante, I'm All In

GeekSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:07:19 -0700

I'm the kind of girl that can appreciate the early days of technology and rock a vinyl record player next to a high-quality sound system. Urban Outfitters isn't the first place you'd think to get your tech fix, but it has been raising the bar when it comes to offering up retro gadgets like record players and old-school typewriters. Two of my favorites, natch. Check out a few of Urban Outfitters' latest offerings in the retro gadget arena below and tell me - do you ever buy your vintage gadgets from the chain store?

Mad Men and Its Glam Vintage Geek Dream

GeekSugar — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:14:11 -0700

Tonight, AMC's retro drama Mad Men returns, which also means the return of the most gorgeous retro tech in TV. You know how I'd wire the show's leading man, Don Draper, but the best place to see the vintage pieces are on the show itself, so before you watch this evening, check out some of my favorite gadgets from the first two seasons. Photos courtesy of AMC

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Unforgettable Typewriter: Thomas Paul Luddite Laptop Sleeve

GeekSugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:05:19 -0700

Remember when I told you how typewriter-motif laptop accessories were all the rage? Hate to say it, but I love to be right, and here's Thomas Paul's new Luddite Laptop Sleeve ($50).

I love the name - Luddite, for those who don't know, means a less than tech-savvy person, in a nutshell. Not that Thomas Paul is: he created one of the cutest note pad/mouse pads ever.

Typewriter Laptop Sleeve: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:42:56 -0700

Since this isn't the first typewriter-printed laptop bag I've seen (that honor goes to this red one), I have to note the delicious irony that's having a moment.

The irony, of course, is that of depicting an old-school typewriter on a vessel that transports a new-school computer. Yes, it seems that you can have it both ways: retro and modern.

This Typewriter Print Laptop Sleeve ($35) from the MoMA Store is cashing in on this juxtaposition, and I can't complain; the cool blue and hot orange look stunning together.

But is it pushing a theme too far, or is the laptop/typewriter thing still a cool pairing?

The Charm Bracelet a Vintage Geek Could Love

GeekSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:30:56 -0700

In all honesty, I've never really been a charm-bracelet girl. Even if I had been, I think I've outgrown the years I would have been enthusiastic about collecting the charms, and now I usually see bracelets that reflect a cell phone obsession I'm not comfortable with.

But this Typewriter Charm Bracelet - made of various keys from vintage typewriters - is too cool, and even for me, age appropriate. I would rock it so hard (and what if you could pick the letters? Magic!).

So cool it's sold out for now.

Pretty In Pink Vintage Typewriter Is the Real Deal

GeekSugar — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:00:22 -0700

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.

Guess the Tech Talker

GeekSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 07:30:38 -0800

Which male celebrity is the vintage geek lover?

He said: "I prefer a typewriter. I enjoy the sensation of sitting down and taking time to think about what I want to say."

Source and Source

Take the quiz

Manual Typewriter: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:45:21 -0700

I have always had a fondness for vintage typewriters, but I can't imagine paying the price for an authentic antique (they can go from anywhere between $100 and $2,000!).

This Olivetti manual typewriter ($125) is a nice compromise. The brand has been around since the early 1900s and this portable style is the very last manual typewriter in production today. It doesn't even require power.

Typewriters and Laptops, Living Together in One World

GeekSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:30:04 -0700

Satisfy your love of vintage geek and typewriters without actually having to buy an old typewriter. Sure, they're gorgeous and romantic, but do you really have the space for one? I don't, but I don't have to give up on the dream if I get this Typewriter Laptop Bag ($55)!

Yup, you can combine your love for two eras of tech in one place and one product. Multitasking, that is.

Marilyn Monroe's Typewriter

GeekSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 06:00:58 -0700

Usually I'm in awe of vintage typewriters because they're beautiful and hearken to a romantic bygone era of written letters and carefully taking time to express what you're thinking. Now, however, I'm in hushed awe because of who the typewriter belonged to: This was Marilyn Monroe's.

Part of the collection of photos shot by Mark Anderson after her death, the typewriter is just one of the things she left behind that you can squint at, appraise, and see the essence of the woman they once belonged to. I wonder what she composed on that typewriter, and to whom. . .

Source