Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

I can’t remember the last time I actually used a screensaver, but that’s about to change now that I can spend my time starting at, and even playing, classic NES titles. The Nintendo Screen Saver, from the chaps who created the UberNES emulator, lets you fill your display with a wall of NES titles running in their ‘demo modes’ but at any point you can hit the space bar and take over playing any one of the games currently on screen.

Now since being able to play the games requires you to have the actual ROMs on your system, the legality of the Nintendo Screensaver is kind of a gray area, so if you’d prefer to stay legit, the screensaver can also stream pre-captured ‘movies’ of your favorite games from the UberNES gallery. Not as fun, but probably slightly safer if you intend to run it at work.

[ UberNES Nintendo Screen Saver ] VIA [ GameSetWatch ]

By Andrew Liszewski

LIFE has a pretty amusing photo gallery of 30 old-timey inventions that run the gamut from being just dumb, to downright dangerous. My personal favorites include the Baby Cage from 1937, which is essentially a wire cage/playpen for hanging your infant outside an apartment window. Goodyear’s Illuminated Tires from 1961 which were perfect for… um… well I guess that’s why they never caught on and the freaky Phone-Answering Robot from 1964 which I guess could be considered the inspiration for voicemail/the nightmares I’m sure to have tonight.

[ LIFE: 30 Dumb Inventions ] VIA [ BB-Blog ]

By Andrew Liszewski

A talking digital watch might have made headlines back in the 80’s and wowed shoppers at the local Radio Shack, but these days that technology is old hat. But what if that talking watch only told the time in Japanese? Well now you’re onto something!

Combining both retro digital chic and the opportunity to learn another language, these talking watches can be considered both a stylish accessory and an educational aide as you learn how to tell time in Japanese at the push of a button. Just $18.99 from FredFlare.com available in 6 rad colors including grey, purple, white, blue, green and black.

[ Talking Japanese Watches ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you miss your old CRT TV this retro-looking alarm clock might help fill the massive void left in your entertainment center, and possibly your heart. It’s designed to look like an old-school ‘portable’ CRT set with its overly rounded display and carrying handle, but the only show you’ll be watching is the 12/24 hour clock that of course includes an alarm function. As you can see it even comes with a mock remote that is used to turn off the alarm tones or activate an LED backlight that doubles as a handy nightlight. ~$33 from Thumbs Up (UK) though it appears you’ll need to order at least 6 of them.

[ Television Alarm Clock ] VIA [ Coolest Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

What could be cooler than a cubicle filled with vintage G.I. Joe figures from the 80’s toy line? Why a cubicle filled with vintage G.I. Joe figures from the 80’s toy line playing amazingly detailed miniature arcade cabinets of course! Big J.W., as he’s known on Flickr, hand makes these minute marvels with a combination of plywood for the cabinets and balsa wood for detailing and each one comes complete with authentic graphics and even tiny controls.

And because each arcade machine is hand made to order, it takes about 3 or 4 days before they’re shipped out, so if you happen to order one using the contact info he’s provided on his Flickr pages try and be understanding, particularly since he sells them for just $20 to $25 a piece.

[ Flickr - Big J.W.'s Mini Arcade Cabinets ] VIA [ technabob ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While it might be the world’s first digital camera with a built-in projector, it turns out the Nikon S1000pj was actually trumped way back in 1957 when it comes to the convergence of cameras and projectors. The Wittnauer Cine-Twin was an 8mm film camera that could be converted into a projector with the addition of a special base and a few other add-ons like film reels and what-not. Unfortunately there were many factors that prevented the Cine-Twin from catching on back in the day including its 3 heavy D-cell batteries, the fact that the delicate and expensive projector bulb was always in the camera, even when you were out shooting, and it was only sold in jewelry stores (Wittnauer was apparently a famous jeweler.) So here’s to hoping that Nikon has a bit more success with their design.

[ Retro Thing - New Nikon S1000pj Not First Camera/Projector Convergence ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you don’t get it, I don’t recommend looking up why this t-shirt is clever. Trust me on this one. And if you do get it, you can order your own from Shark Robot for $17.95.

[ "Two Girls, One-Up" Tee ] VIA [ GoNintendo ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Flud claims their Cartridge line of watches are “inspired by the video games of Old” but I’m afraid I’m just not seeing it. The watches feature a waterproof, polycarbonate case with a glossy rubber strap as well as a “killer” display with vertically oriented numbers and movements. Again, not really seeing how that ties in to old school cartridge games, unless the watch periodically stops working until you blow in it, clean a set of metal contacts on one side or cram a folded piece of paper between it and your wrist. $80 each in 3 different color combos from Flud.

[ Flud - The Cartridge ] VIA [ Chip Chick ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Yep, for just $24.95 from Vat19 you can split a single USB 2.0 port on your PC into 4 ports using this retro cassette tape USB hub. Unfortunately like real cassettes, flipping it over doesn’t give you an additional 4 more USB ports, so why would you opt for something like this? As one of the commenters on BBGadgets points out, it’s all explained in the FAQ:

Question: How is this different than a regular (boring) USB Hub?

Answer: The Cassette Tape USB Hub looks like a cassette tape. So, it’s awesome and not boring.

Can’t argue with that.

[ Cassette Tape 4-port USB 2.0 Hub ] VIA [ CrunchGear & BBGadgets ]