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portable rotary phone gets bluetooth upgrade, still won’t fit in my pants pocket without drawing stares

sparkfun_bluetooth_rotary_phone

Would you believe this is a mobile phone?

SparkFun’s newly redesigned portable rotary phone ($249.95 USD) has been upgraded to work with any Bluetooth phone. Just pair the “portable” phone with your cell phone, and you can send and receive calls on this old school rotary phone. Even the ringer, analog dial and dial tone…

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February 25th, 2009 comments (5) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: gadgets mobile tech retro technology

nixon r1g1 watches prove analog is still in style

Nixon R1G1 Analog Gauge Watches

Maybe I’m just too geeky, but I have a tendency to be drawn to ultra-modern digital watches. But sometimes there’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned analog dial. At least the guys over at Nixon are thinking a little outside the box with their latest analog watch design, the fashionably geeky R1G1.

The R1G1 ($150 to…

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August 26th, 2008 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: design timepieces

cell phone watch flips its lid

U200i Cell Phone Watch with Flip Lid

This oversize wristwatch conceals a little secret beneath its flip-top. Just pop it open, and you’ll reveal a fully-functional multimedia mobile phone inside.

Under the hood of the U200i mobile phone wristwatch dwells a quad-band (unlocked) GSM phone, complete with a 1.3MP digital camera, Bluetooth connectivity, and full media player capabilities. And thanks to an…

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May 1st, 2008 comments (11) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: media players mobile tech timepieces

nixon murf watch offers retro-modern style

Nixon Murf Mens Analog Watch

It’s been a while since I brought you guys any cool new watches. It’s not for lack of trying, but there just hasn’t been much that’s hit my desk that really caught my eye. So I was pleased when I came across these, the latest analog timepiece from the guys over at Nixon.

The Nixon…

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March 11th, 2008 comments (4) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: design retro timepieces

lip mystic analog watch: watching the wheels go ’round

LIP Mystic Analog Dial Watch

When I first looked at this watch, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of numbers displayed on the face at once. But once I took a second to get my bearings, I actually thought it was pretty cool.

The Lip Mystic displays time using three concentric circular discs, the outermost one containing hours, the…

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January 11th, 2008 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: design retro timepieces

vestal watches: analog and digital harmonies

Vestal Metal Monte Carlo Watch

I recently came across watchmaker Vestal, who makes original designer watches with a decidedly modern spin. The artists of Vestal use music as their inspiration for their designs, and their music video filled website reinforces this sentiment.
There are a ton of really great watches in their current collection, and one that caught my eye…

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August 15th, 2007 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: design timepieces

the rotary dial mobile phone

Portable Rotary Phone Spark Fun

A while back we showed you the retro bluetooth handset you could use with your mobile phone. Well if you’re one of those people who didn’t think that took the concept far enough, you might want to check out the Portable Rotary Phone from Spark Fun Electronics.

This fully-functional, highly impractical piece of nostalgia is…

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December 16th, 2006 comments (1) stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: just plain fun mobile tech retro

kensington releases skype usb speakerphone

Kensington Vo300 Internet Speakerphone

The new Kensington Vo300 USB Internet Speakerphone allows you to make Skype VOIP phone calls from your desktop using the familiar interface of a regular desktop speakerphone.
The phone features a standard telephone keypad and volume controls, as well as an integrated LCD that lets you control Skype without looking at your computer screen at…

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September 24th, 2006 comments stumble it! digg it! author: technabob

filed under: gadgets