Have you ever noticed that things made of wood are generally considered antique? I’m not talking about that Wal-Mart faux wood furniture which is nothing more than pulp with a plastic sticker over it, real nice solid wood.

It was about time that someone took that look and applied it to video games. I guess since video games took place in the age of plastic, we don’t ever consider ever giving them a wood finish.

Perhaps this is the appeal of steampunk, those science fiction look that combines the high-tech of the future with the low-tech of the past. You may notice that most of the steampunk contraptions that you see are metal, but their frames are made of wood.

So how much would you pay for this classic Victorian look for your video games? How about $39? The Joytron Singibigi can work with PS3, PS2, and PCs with a USB. You might want to insure that you have either Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter before you make this purchase.

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What a great idea. This is a sofa which as a pool table built into it hideabed style. Okay, actually, it’s a snooker table, but still. What an ideal addition to an apartment/mancave. According to Craziest Gadgets the couch is about 6 foot long and apparently, it’s quite popular in the UK where they’re fairly cheap.

Made as a joint venture from Pierce Upholsterers and Accrington and Riley – makers of fine British pool tables, and was produced in the 70’s. It’s made of a neutral brown dralon fabric and when opens it flips into a pool table with adjustable leveling feet to make it level. What a fantastic idea which was decades ahead of it’s time. It probably didn’t do too well because manufacturing it would’ve been costly without a computer/motion controlled assembly line. But with the advent of not only computers for design and manufacture, this piece could easily make a resurgence. And why stop there? Imagine a sofa with built in ping pong table, air hockey table, poker table!

As I said, this bad boy has “man cave” written all over it. Currently for bid at eBay.UK at about $200 US but it’s sure to go well north of that.

Hat Tip – Gizmodo via Craziest Gadgets

With the new Star Trek movie finally out, fans are showing their geeky colors a bit more proudly.  Not that they were ever really hidden to begin with, but now manufacturers are coming out with new fun gear.  For those that like to run around in their blue pajamas costumes and try to look as authentic as possible, there is a new recreation coming out.  This Tricorder is the one from the original Star Trek series, which means it’ll have a nice vintage look to it.

The Tricorder measures 8” x 4” x 2” and runs on four AA batteries.  Those batteries are used to make sure that the sound effects keep going.  All of which are of course from the original series, there are also blinking lights that make it look like it’s doing something.  To go with the Tricorder there is a removable scanner accessory.  It won’t be out until June 4th of this year, so you’ll have a little bit of a wait.  Once it is out, it will only cost you $49.99.

Source: RetroThing

Simply plug it into the telly and you’re away. It might be smaller than the original but the Sega Mega Drive Twin Player Console is preloaded with 15 Sega licensed games, including Sonic and Knuckles, Alex Kidd, Golden Axe and many more. Better still you can bung in all those old Mega Drive and Genesis cartridges that have been languishing in the loft. Indeed, this nifty region-muncher doesn’t care where your games originated.

You will be able to bring home the Sega Mega Drive Twin Player Console for just £39.95 – a small price to pay for those glorious moments of yore without having to contend with the taint of downloading illegal ROMs.

The seven-inch LCD frame has one of the most interesting designs, straight out of a science-fiction TV show’s prediction of what television would look like in the future. Just look at the design, and that last sentence will make sense.

As you can see from the photo, it is possible to turn the screen on a swivel for various formats. You can see them in slideshow format with a quick turn, and the photo frame has some other features and effects.

For example, the ALBO has the ability to display RSS feeds via Wi-Fi, and it can receive photos from a cellular phone through an infrared port. The ALBO comes with 256 megabytes of memory, but I’m not certain how much photos or video that it will hold.

The Sanyo ALBO is scheduled to come out in November 14, for a price of about $422. It is probably only available in Japan.

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For those of you who miss that gaudy look of the jukebox from the 1950s, you might want to save up some money (a lot of it) and get the Xi, a jukebox designed to play tracks from the iPod.

The Xi has all the retro glory with the numbered buttons, as well as two very powerful speakers. It also has some features that jukes from that bygone era never had, like a remote control and an LCD screen for iPod video files.

Included in this Xi package is a remote control. The pattern of the LED light around the exterior can be changed according to the user’s preferences, but I have no idea if that is accessible via the remote.

As I mentioned earlier, this piece of nostalgia will cost you. The going price for a Xi Jukebox is approximately $11,000.

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If you have a thing for vintage technology, these coasters are a great way to show your love for old LP records.  Granted you could just pick up your own favorite records from the local thrift shop, that is if you don’t have your own already.  However, having a cold drink, dripping with condensation will end up damaging the label on the top.  These particular records have been laminated on both sides to prevent that from happening.  Now if you happen to find a way to do the laminating yourself, it’d definitely be more fun to just pick out your own LP records.

It looks like the titles will vary, so if you’re easily flustered by music outside of your tastes these coasters might not be a good idea for you.  Having a coaster featuring a band you truly loathe would take a bit of the fun out of it.  However, if you’re just more interested in the vintage look and being environmentally conscious this is the way to go.  Each set has 6 different coasters and is being sold for $19.65 per set.

Source: chipchick

One Etsy seller has a cute and definitely eco friendly idea to make use of those old records.  The seller artyfakt takes the recycled records and sleeves and creates a box for CDs.  Which almost seems a bit late.  Isn’t it time that we start making holders for our USB drives out of old CD cases?  Either way, if you’re for reusing old items, then this little box would likely work well for more than CDs.  I think anymore I own all of four actual CDs.  To which there isn’t a case for a single one, I just have a book for them.  It just seems a bit ridiculous to have the plastic cases sitting around when  book takes up so much less room.

If you have a massive stash of USB drives then I suppose you could dump those in this too.  Then at least you’d be using the box for current technology as opposed to using a box made out of outdated technology to store other outdated technology.  Each box will hold up to twelve different CDs and each ranges in price.  From $45-$75, likely depending on how hard it was to obtain the old record.  Unfortunately being Etsy, these aren’t items that are sold by the bundle.  So you’ll have to pick yours up quick before someone else does.

Source: Great Green Goods

The design was made by Joe Wilkerson, but anyone that is great with their hands could probably easily make something similar. It’d probably be faster than waiting on the prototype to hit the market. Especially since prototypes don’t always get made. This particular design features a 42” plasma screen and is designed after TVs from the 1950s. The designer is still testing the waters and seeing what kind of public interest his design draws before he takes any further steps with it. At some point he hopes to make a wider and shorter version that features a bit of storage. Which means for all those interested in the design keep a lookout on his page for any new pictures he may post.

Source: bbgadgets

Back in the late 50s/early 60s this upright Swedish phone was all the rage amongst style-conscious chatterboxes. And now it’s back in the curvaceous shape of this fully-functioning push-button replica. Simply plug it into a standard phone socket and Sven’s your uncle! Talking about one-piece design, the landmark ScandiPhone is just begging to be grabbed and yelled into. Failing that, simply admire its sexy lines and cast your mind back to an era when Grace Kelly and Cary Grant ruled the world. With their memory-jogging geek-chic styling, Retro Telephones laugh in the fascias of modern slimline phones. They also look seriously cool in any scenario, in a dial-’i'-for-irony kind of way. Best of all you can enjoy a good old chinwag without sullying your surfaces with some flimsy modern pretender. It’s good to talk; it’s even better doing it on a Retro Telephone.

Get your retro-flavored Scandiphone for £39.95.

If you’re a fan of Super Mario Bros then this is the keychain for you.

This nifty little handheld gizmo is preloaded with six classic sounds from the greatest side-scroller in history. Simply press a button and you’ll be transported back to the Mushroom Kingdom faster than you can say ‘Mamma mia, dezza King Koopa widda da Princess Toadstool.’ There are six incredibly evocative sounds, including, Big, Coin, 1Up, Jump, Start and Ouch.

Available from Firebox for £7.95 (~$15).

Sundance (founded by Robert Redford) offers three distinct mini-retro radios based upon the Bakelite originals: Bullet, Ovette and Watt.

Each radio has plenty of sound in a pocket-sized package. Modeled on tabletop Bakelite originals from the 40s and 50s, these AM/FM radios have sleek, mid-century style, yet they are small enough to make them perfect for your desktop or bedside, as well as stuffing inside holiday stockings. Plastic case, AM/FM band switch, volume and tuning controls. So realistic, you can almost hear Edward R. Murrow. Takes two AA batteries (not included). Dimensions are 4-3/4″W x 2-1/4″D x 3-1/2″H.

With the influence of 40’s era design making a comeback in the design world, you can stay ahead of the curve of these design trends for only $25 per radio. Or if you just have someone to buy a gift for who says “when I was a kid” and “they sure don’t make things like they used to” a lot.

[Sundance via GeekSugar]

Etch a Sketch

When I was a kid just about everybody on the street had an Etch a Sketch, just think of it as low tech tablet.

The amazing Etch a Sketch originated as the Magic Screen in France and is now a pop culture icon around the world! Over 100 million Etch A Sketch drawing toys have been sold in 67 countries worldwide since its introduction in 1960. Unsing a mixture of aluminum powder and plastic beads, the screen allows you to doodle, print, draw, then just shake to erase, and do it all again! Recommended age: 4+.

Cost : From $5

Rock Em Sock Em Robots

They are no where near as cool the robots featured on our toy robot gift guide but Rock Em Sock Em Robots are still a pretty entertaining blast from the past.

The original Rock’Em Sock’Em Robots™, first introduced in the 60s, are back and hotter than ever in this nostalgic reproduction. Maneuver Red Rocker® and Blue Bomber® around the ring as you try to knock your opponent’s block off with jaw-jolting action! Remember how the losing robot’s head pops up with the power punch?

Cost : $19.98

Rubik’s Revolution

The Rubik’s cube has been brought up to date with the Rubik’s Revolution.

• An electronic version of the best-selling Rubik’s Cube
• Multiple challenging levels
• 6 addictive, fast-paced electronic games in one
• Games include Light Speed, Rapid Recharge, Pattern Panic, Code Cracker, Multiplayer Madness and Cube Catcher
• Features lights and sound effects
• Conquer one level and the cube unlocks another

Cost : $24.95

Bluetooth Retro Handset

This is class, the Bluetooth Retro Handset.

We have taken the ever-popular Retro Handset and updated it to connect to your cell phone using Bluetooth technology. That’s right! No more tangled up phone cord. Now people will think you’re really crazy talking into a old-time handset connected to… nothing.

Cost : $29.99

Evel Knievel Super Stunt Set

It was a very sad day when Evel Knievel passed away, you can still recreate his stunts with the Evel Knievel Super Stunt Set.

Perform the high-flying cycle stunts Evel made famous over 30 years ago ~ including wheelies, jumps, and flips! Includes launcher, Evel Knievel figure with removable helmet, motorcycle, adjustable ramps, simulated hoop of fire, 14-piece brick wall set, 17-piece accessories, decals, and certificate of authenticity. Each set is individually numbered and comes with interesting background booklet.

Cost : $49.99

Simon Trickster

In my day this sort of game was called “Simon Says”, now it’s Simon Trickster.

Programmed to fool, determined to rule. It’s the trickiest SIMON games you’ve never played! Features 4 challenging games to play solo, head-to-head, or with friends. SIMON CLASSIC is the legendary memory game. Can you press the lenses to repeat the patterns? SIMON BOUNCE – The trick: The colors bounce from lens to lens! Can you follow the colors to repeat the pattern? SIMON SURPRISE – The trick: Every lens is the same color. Can you remember the patterns by location only? SIMON REWIND – The trick: It’s SIMON CLASSIC with a brain-busting twist! Can you remember the patterns backwards?

Cost : $57.99

Carrera® Open Wheel Race Set

What bloke child wouldn’t want one of these, the Carrera® Open Wheel Race Set.

This is the finest slot-car set available, and it is made by Carrera® of Germany, the world’s most prestigious slot-car maker since 1963. The set has three loops, two lane changes, a flyover, a high banked curve, a lane-narrowing chicane, and over 35′ of challenging track length that tests racers’ skills in high-speed competition. Two richly detailed 1:43 Formula One™ cars (Ferrari and Renault) use a specially-designed double contact brush, which provides a secure connection to the track for consistent control during a race. A boost button on each handheld control provides an extra 25% power boost to tackle loops and increase speed on straightaways.

Cost : $79.95

Wurlitzer 45 Jukebox

It might not be the most advanced of music players but the Wurlitzer 45 Jukebox is certainly one of the coolest.

A precise Deutsche-Wurlitzer replica of the legendary model 1015 (first built in 1946), this classic jukebox houses a thoroughly modern 200-watt stereo amplifier, six powerful speakers, and a microprocessor-controlled 45 record player. The jukebox comes stocked with 50 Billboard 45s with hits of the 50s, 60s, and 70s that are stored vertically but displayed horizontally for play or browsing (its easy to switch the 45s with those from your own library if desired).

Cost : $8,995.95

Looking for other people to buy for, check out our other 2007 Christmas Gadget Gift Guides.

Was that enough engine nerdiness for you? No? Then do I have something for you.

The Stirling Engine Kit is a great little gadget that will run off the residual heat off your body or any other warm surface it comes into contact with. You can see with your own eyes the functionality that made this engine, at the time, a serious alternative for the internal combustion engine.

Now with global warming and people getting interested in alternative fuel and energy sources, it may be a good idea to look into this technology once again. From Wikipedia:

In recent years, the advantages of Stirling engines have become increasingly significant, given the general rise in energy costs, energy shortages and environmental concerns such as climate change. These growing interests in Stirling technology have fostered the ongoing research and development of Stirling devices. The applications include water pumping, space-based astronautics, and electrical generation from plentiful energy sources that are incompatible with the internal combustion engine, such as solar energy, agricultural waste and domestic refuse.

Not too shabby. You can pick up your own palm-sized marvel for yourself for $49.99.

[via ThinkGeek]

Every bachelor has the bar fantasy for their bachelor pad. Pool table, big screen TV with NFL Sunday Ticket, Girls dressed in Dolphin shorts serving up brewskies, and that flashing neon sign that says “Joe’s Place.” Well, the DYI Neon sign can’t help you with the Dolphin dressed drink servers, but it does allow for the creation of custom neon signs at a very affordable price.

The 2×3 snap together blue neon letters let one announce who’s place it is, what the rules are, even where the bathroom is located. Simply line up the plastic encased neon tubes, snap them together and plug into the included power supply and your sign is ready to power up and display in as little as a few minutes. Users can choose from letters numbers, and special characters, and up to 22 can be strong together horizontally for connection to a single Power Supply unit before another needs to be brought on board.

And Neon uses little power, can be used in both 110 and 220 volt countries, and stays really cool, so it’s easy on one’s electric bill. And the price couldn’t be cheaper … about $4 a letter.

Source: The Ferret

I couldn’t help but notice the success of Guitar Hero, Karaoke games, and the general transition to simulated music. Because such a game becomes rewarding very quickly, many ‘play’ the simulated instruments instead of choosing to make real music. This pains me a lot, even more so because I’ve been playing the guitar for years.

This summer however I discovered a great little instrument, that becomes rewarding in the first day, and even in the first hour. While I was abroad in the summer holidays, I went to a music shop to buy some strings and picks for my guitar, which was home (much to heavy to carry around while traveling). That, day, I discovered the Ukulele.

The Ukulele is a small 4-stringed instrument, often referred to as the ‘Hawaiian Guitar’. 4 strings and a simple tuning mean that chords are easy to finger, and its size and weight allow you to carry it everywhere, and perform with friends or maybe even to the general public, for pure fun. You can read more about the instrument on Wikipedia.

Ever since I’ve got the little thing, I’ve become totally addicted. While at first sight it might seem that you can only strum simple, exotic tunes, its sweet characteristic sound can be used in many musical genres, and it’s truly excellent for blues and jazz.

Even as a real guitar player, it was far easier for me to pick up the uke than to get used to Guitar Hero, and far more rewarding. Can you take a game controller out, to play with friends? Of course not. But this, this does an amazing job.

Soon after I got the basics, I started doing research on the Internet for variations and techniques. The techniques have proven to be too easy to research anything more about them, so I kept on looking for instruments. Then, I found a company that manufactures and delivers lots of sorts of Ukuleles, from the inexpensive and simple (but not bad at all, I spent 30 Euros ($50) for mine and it’s pretty good), to radical designs like the Solid or the electric hollow-body. (both pictured below). No matter what kind of Ukulele you’d choose, you’re guaranteed to have enormous fun. Really now, even just browsing the catalog was a lot of fun for me.

I’ll probably get me one of the electric babies for the holidays, and if I do, it will surely hit the stage, together with my guitar.

So, there you go. I’ve made a suggestion. What music or “music” related gift will there be for this year’s winter holidays?.. Will it be Guitar Hero? Will it be Rock Band, or will it be a great Ukulele?

Here’s a video, for your delight. Don’t expect to be that good from the beginning, but this is a great demonstration of what this little instrument can do, and the clear demonstration that it’s not a toy.

Members of Club Nintendo in Japan will have the opportunity to purchase a SNES style Wii controller in April of 2008. Retro gamers outside of Japan may have the chance to pick one of these controllers up in the import market – and it’ll cost you!

From the Gamebrink site, explaining what Club Nintendo is:

Club Nintendo is an official Nintendo club for Japanese fans. Membership is given as a type of commodity. Anyone who lives in Japan can eventually receive membership if the person gathers a certain amount of points which can be gained by purchasing and registering games published by Nintendo. They often receive nice and exclusive gifts from Nintendo, such as Wii remotes with television remote functionality, personalized imprints of their favorite Mii characters onto their Wii remotes, and exclusive & unreleased games, such as the recent Exclamation Warriors.

A Club Nintendo account can be linked to your Wii, and when Virtual Console games are purchased, they appear on the games registered list on your Club Nintendo account. You can then fill in a questionnaire for additional bonus points.

Personally, I would love to get a classic NES controller for the Wii…as soon as I can find a Wii to buy, that is.

[Gamebrink via Gizmodo]

Whether it’s that snobby boss of yours, or your kid you’re pitching to on Saturday morning, you’ll find one for any of them.

There’s a golf ball floating above a mini pitch, and a baseball that levitates above a base.

Click on for some bigger pictures and for the little extra info you need to know about these.

For each of them, the stand is 6 ¾ inches (17.1cm) tall, just so you can figure out where you could place one in your house or cubicle.

They will take up a power outlet, as well, as the levitation is ‘computer controlled’. A 120V adapter is included.

This ‘Computer system’ allows you to set the ball to spin at a chosen rpm. They come at $29.95 each.

Hurry up if you like them, the stock is decreasing as I write this post. Here are the product pages for the Golf ball and for the Base Ball.

Just make sure you don’t use them for the actual sports they’re depicting.. There’s bound to be some metal inside, and it would definitely be unhealthy.

Via GeekAlerts.

With Europeans using cellphones more than a conventional landline these days (and in our mobile global culture, it makes sense), what happens if your phone dies, gets stolen, trashed or merely lost? Concept designer Priestman Goode noticed a need and sought to fill it. Enter POST A PHONE. The idea is that users can order a temporary phone and have it delivered in the mail right away. Made out of recycled cardboard, plastic, and no doubt printable circuits, the phone fits in an A4 envelope and measures a mere 4mm thick. But here’s the weird the part. In a culture where mobility is practically worshiped, the Post A Phone is a conventional landline telephone.

The thinking is that in the event of emergency – a conventional landline is more failure proof way to communicate, rather than rely on overwhelmed cellphone networks. And the landline ensures power – whereas a mobile phone battery would die over time. And fixed line phone technology powers itself, as such, even in an electrical outage, a phone plugged into that wall jack would work.

Only a concept, but who knows, maybe version 2.0 will have a mobile component to it so vacationers can take a disposable (and recyclable) cellphone rather than risking their iPhone on a vacation. (Ed: Not to mention run up their phone bill at the end of the month…)

Source: Treehugger

Yet another strange product from Japan. This time, it’s a natural product. Milk. However, it’s not normal milk.

It’s taken from cows only once a week, at the break of dawn. This way, the milk is about 4 times richer in natural melatonin than usual. Melatonin is considered to be a strong stress reliever.

The fact that the milk is bottled at no more than 6 hours after the milking also helps it to retain natural properties.

What’s truly stunning about this milk however is its price: $43 for a 900-milliliter bottle. Quite ’spensive, isn’t it?

The original press release is right after the break.

TOKYO (AFP) – A Japanese dairy company on Thursday announced the launch of super-premium milk for stressed-out adults — at the price of 43 dollars for a bottle of 900 millilitres, or one quart.

Tokyo-based Nakazawa Foods will launch the “Adult Milk” line of products in October targetting “adults who live in a stressful society,” the company said in a statement.

The price of 5,000 yen a bottle is nearly 30 times as expensive as ordinary milk even in Tokyo, which is famous for its high prices.

The milk is taken from cows once a week at the break of dawn as they discharge a lot of a stress-relieving hormone called melatonin during the night, the company said.

The milk is bottled within six hours of milking at a farm north of Tokyo.

It is said to contain three to four times as much melatonin as usual milk.

Via Akihabara News