So what did fanboys do to collect their favorite shows before the advent of videotape? Believe it or not collecting actual films was a passion of a select few fans back in the day — the hardcore fans would actually purchase 16mm prints, however you could buy on the market a wide range of 8mm film prints which featured clips from many of the popular TV shows of the day. By the 70s this faded, however in 1978 this very cute Pocket Flix viewer from Ideal toys shows the very last gasp of that era. This toy was aimed at kids and one could buy a variety of “easy to snap-in movie cassettes” to recapture a few precious seconds of a show like Star Trek or the Hardy Boys: Read more…
I’m sure at some point you’ve all thought about having your very own robot — I know I have. The closest I ever came was helping a friend build a remote-controlled “battlebot,” only to see it laid to waste by some other kid’s metal monstrosity. It’s been well over a decade since then, and technology has certainly progressed. Designers Peter Seid and Phu Nguyen sought to take advantage of these advancements by developing a unique interface that transforms our everyday smartphones into robots capable of learning, growing, and expanding their functionality through a series of apps. They call it Romo, the smartphone robot.
If you’re like me, and I imagine many of you are, you’ve loaded your smartphone with games. It’s a bit ironic, really. We spend hundreds of dollars on dedicated gaming handhelds and for whatever reason, some of us find our phones more appealing. There was a time when I might have scoffed at the notion that my phone would replace my DSi or PSP, but that’s simply no longer the case. While I can still count on a deep, involved, experience with one of those $30 to $40 titles, more often than not, I’ll pick up my phone for a quick game of whatever cheap thrill the app store has to offer. With hundreds of apps available for almost too reasonable price, determining which system gets my attention for the evening can be an easy decision. So, why not try to improve that experience? That’s where the iControlpad comes in.
Many of us know about the 1988 video by Apple called Knowledge Navigator — well here’s the follow up video! This nice snapshot of history includes interviews clips from Alvin Toffler, Ray Bradbury, Steve Wozniak and Alan Kay (who really envisioned the iPad in the 60s): Read more…
Yelp certainly has its problems, and anyone who has taken the time to wade through the sea of nonsensical reviews would agree, but even I have to admit that its been useful on occasion. Unfortunately, upset customers tend to be the most vocal, and it’s impossible for an establishment to please everyone. That being the case, the service often finds itself plagued by it own users — people with a false sense of entitlement and way too much time on their hands. Don’t believe me? Just check out this hilarious Tumblr account that chronicles some of the worst Yelp reviews ever written. Normally, I would say that I’ve never seen so many ridiculous reviews in one place before, but that’s not true — I’ve also browsed Apple’s app store.
Yuruppy is a word that may sound strange, but in the context of a toy, perhaps not so strange. If you know what Tamagochi then learning about another new word is not problem. Yuruppy is a virtual pet toy for the people who are allergic to real animals, but want to experience what it is like of taking care of a feline or furry companion. Unlike Tamagochi though, your Yuruppy friend won’t die, when you are away from it for hours. Read more…
Over the course of the next few days, Facebook plans to roll out a list of improvements and changes the service designed to increase our privacy. It’s likely the move was made specifically to combat the support garnered by Google+ and its platform of selective sharing. Following their example, Facebook will now make it even easier for users to determine who they want to see their posts, photos, and more without having to wade through their user settings to do so. Instead the options will appear next our their posts, which should cut down on the hassle. On top of that, it looks as though users will now be notified before they’re tagged in a photo by another user, giving them the opportunity to opt out or approve tags before they’re added to your profile. Amazing, right? Unfortunately, many users have already migrated to Google+ and I’ve yet to see anyone bother to look back, which begs the question — are these changes too little, too late? I know many of you keep up with our site through Facebook, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
The Great Garloo was first manufactured by the Marx toy company in 1961 — this very creepy looking two foot tall battery powered humanoid lizard robot could go forward or backward and turn his arms. And for extra kitsch we wears a “Garloo” medallion and cute leopard print loin cloth. How to Be a Retronaut discovered this great commercial from 1963 for the little green guy: Read more…
he ultimate dream for many an illustrator is to turn their iPad into a Wacom tablet. Well here’s a hack which shows you how to do that: This Japanese video below shows a cool hack to turn a pen into a stylus for an iPad, iPhone,iPod touch. Read more…
