If your flat panel TV is looking entirely too modern in your home, this prototype design might spark your interest. The M21 Flat Panel definitely looks more like one of the earlier TVs than the sleek ones offered today. Although I love how the flat panels look, someone that has a home that is overly retro might not want to slap something so modern into their living room. Something like this would blend in a lot better. Besides that, if you’re robbed by really ignorant criminals, maybe they’ll be fooled and leave it alone thinking it’s just an old outdated TV.

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

The Scandiphone you see here will definitely be a conversation starter in your home for whoever drops by, since these are extremely rare considering how we’ve all moved on to the digital age. Then again, how many of us still have landlines?

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).

Retro gadgets are all the rage right now. So what’s better than an AM/FM radio…that looks like a 40’s era Bakelite radio?

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. Read the rest of this entry »

In our latest Christmas gift guide it’s the turn of retro toys and stuff, so if you missed out first time round here’s your chance.

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

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In the family of heat engines, “Stirling engine” is defined as a “closed-cycle regenerative hot air engine”. In this context, according to Wikipedia, “closed-cycle” means that the working fluid is permanently contained within the system, whereas “open-cycle” engines such as internal combustion engine and some steam engines, exchange working fluid with their surroundings as part of the cycle. “Regenerative” refers to the use of an internal heat exchanger. In contrast to internal combustion engines, Stirling engines have the potential to be more energy efficient, quieter, and more reliable with lower maintenance requirements.

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. Read the rest of this entry »

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.

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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.

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