Archive for the ‘Retromodo’ Category

Ten Really Dumb Old Inventions and Their Really Dumb Modern Counterparts [Wrongmodo]

Hookay. So, you think that this M3 sub-machine gun—with a shoot-first-and-ask-later curved barrel—is a really stupid, really dumb invention, right? I don’t blame you. But, trust me, you don’t know what really stupid, really dumb inventions are. Yet.

I just saw a selection of 30 dumb inventions in Life, and I couldn’t resist picking my favorite ten. These things are so damn stupid they became obsolete before even becoming real products. It was hard to choose. After all, how could I leave out scientology nutcase L. Ron Hubbard and his Hubbard Electrometer, which in 1968 made him reach the conclusion that tomatoes “scream when sliced”? See? Really hard.

Then I thought that these all looked weirdly familiar. I searched in Gizmodo, and instantly found their modern counterparts. Some of them make sense now, with current technology. Others, as you will see in the gallery, seem equally goofy. All of them, however, we can live without. Enjoy:

Clearly, humans are the only animals that trip twice over the same stone.

Witness Ron “Typewriter” Mingo In Action [Retromodo]

This video has it all folks. The fastest typist in the world circa the late 70’s, music, pimp suits and the hardships of a man too damn good at what he does.

“I’ve lost about 25 or 30 jobs because of my speed. They couldn’t keep me busy 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.

At the time, Ron was capable of typing 160 wpm—fast enough to become the world record holder on a manual machine. Who knows how fast he could have typed without the tacky jewelry weighing him down. [Digg]

How to Disguise an Airplane Factory as a Subdivision [Retromodo]

During World War II, the Army Corps of Engineers wanted to hide the Lockheed Burbank Aircraft Plant in case the Japanese decided to attack the West Coast. So, of course, they built a fake subdivision on its roof.

Using camouflage netting and trompe l’oeil, they brilliantly disguised the enormous plant as something completely benign. Just look at these before and after pictures! Fortunately, it all ended up being unnecessary, but what a cool example of creative thinking in a time of crisis. [Think or Thwim, Thanks, Jason!]

18th Century Silver Swan Automaton Looks More Realistic than Most Modern Robots [Retromodo]

If this Silver Swan automaton were invented yesterday, it would have surprised me for its realism, and the fact that it’s made of glass and silver. When I learnt it’s from the 18th century, it completely blew me away.

Made at natural scale, the Silver Swan is power by clockwork. It sits on moving glass rods and silver leaves that give the illusion of flowing water. The swan floats, moving naturally and catching a fish that passes by the stream. I just can’t believe this is a purely mechanical device from two centuries ago. I guess I would have to go to the Bowes Museum—in Barnard Castle, Teesdale, County Durham, England—to check it out myself. [MEINE KLEINE FABRIK via Dark Roasted Blend]

Obsolete Gadget Tattoos Are Seven Shades of Wrong [Retromodo]

Living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, I’ve seen my share of intricate, beautiful, and veehee lickable tattoos. The vintage gadget kind are not them. Tumblred by Anna Jane Grossman—démodé-gadgeteer extraordinaire and author of the highly recommended Obsolete—these are a mistake:

I may have an original 1984 Macintosh on my work desk, but I will never ever get a tattoo of it. EVER. A ZX Spectrum, on the other side, is a very likely possibility. It just depends on the amount of Zacapa rum and Margaritas this weekend.

Note to the VHS tattoo dude: If you are going to drill a video tape into your skin for the rest of your life, at least pick a Sony Beta. [Obsolete]

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