Dork Adore » Mobiles

The best retro gadgets you can still buy

Katie — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:00:23 +0000

Ever hanker for the days when mobile phone batteries lasted all week and calls were never randomly dropped because your phone suddenly suffered a nervous collapse? Miss the days when your watch slightly patronised you by telling you the time in numbers and beeped every hour that went by?

Well, hanker no more, because you can still get most of your favourite bits of retro tech, and we’ve rounded them all up into one place in a format the internet knows and loves.

Classic gadgets worth buying

Casio Digital Watch
£15.94 Amazon

You can still buy these brand new from Casio, complete with backlit screens, all manner of clever stop-watch, timer and beep-fixated functions, and a strap you can fiddle with till it breaks.

Alternatively, search on eBay for the original 80s Casio Digital Watch and you’ll find loads of people willing to sell you the real, slightly scratched deal.

Nokia 3210

Remember when mobile phones just worked? You could ring someone, get connected to that person and then speak to them until you had finished everything you needed to say. Crazy, I know.

These days calls randomly drop in and out, some phones seem to actively repel each other, and you spend more time speaking to someone’s voicemail than you do the actual person.

And don’t get me started on battery life. My old Nokia 3210 used to last for days, and I rarely started a conversation with “my battery is really low so we might get cut off”, which seems to have replaced “hello, how are you” as my opening sentence.

And here it is still, the Nokia 3210: an iconic phone that kick-started this crazy modern day phone addiction, the student’s best-friend and one of the most successful phones ever created.

It’ll never replace the Siemens SL55 as my favourite phone of all time, but the 3210 was the first phone I ever owned, and the gadget that set me off on a path towards tech journalism. And for that I am forever in its debt.

You can buy them in a choice of colours from Lekki, or rummage around for a Nokia 3210 on eBay.

Diana Mini Lomo camera

It doesn’t matter how fancy photography gets, there’s something special about the slightly crap pictures a Lomo can produce. If you have any of those retro camera apps on your phone, you’ll have an idea of what to expect, but there’s something special about the real thing. Just remember to always shoot from the hip… or something.

HP iPAQ h1940

I LOVED my old iPAQs — in fact, they were partly responsible for me starting my old site, Shiny Shiny. Out of sentimentality, I clung onto a 1910 and a 1940 until last year when I decided it was time to re-home them.

Within minutes of putting them on Freecycle, I was overwhelmed with excited freebie-seekers desperate to get their hands on them. Maybe not ideal for tech-heads who want the latest specs, but the thrilled guy who picked the iPAQs up took one for his wife and one for his kid.

Hewlett Packard HP12C Financial Calculator

Unbelievably, these still cost over £66 to buy, which says a lot about how beloved these calculators are. My mother (from whom I inherited my love of tech) fell in love with hers back in the 80s and I think I’m right in saying that she hasn’t changed the battery since.

An amazing bit of early tech that is still so good at what it does you can now buy an HP Calculator iPhone app that mimics its every move.

Don’t ask me how it works, though…

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Frackulous: Scott Pilgrim app fix, Samsung Galaxy Android-brillity and Angry, Angry Birds

Susi — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 10:00:26 +0000

Where else can you get a show to hook you up with both time-wasting and time-saving apps? Scott Pilgrim and Stephen Fry-related apps? A review of possibly the best Android phone available right now? Nowhere. We don’t think. Watch on for a bumper omnibus edition of Frackulous.

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How to broadcast yourself on the web

Dork Adore — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:00:59 +0000

Not content with making us more efficient at work and giving us the best tools for getting things done at home Darika Ahrens, high chieftain of social media, has gathered together all the best tools for broadcasting yourself all over the web.

We’ve come a long way since lonelygirl15 took to her webcam and broadcast herself to the world. Now, there are even more tools available to (borrowing a phrase from YouTube) broadcast yourself.

Here are some great tools that are out there and free right now.

ipadio

AudioBoo brought us phone-to-audio blogging (aka phlogging) and ipadio takes it one step further, live casting audio from your phone and via your blog, Facebook or Twitter.

This is one to watch.

Tip: Don’t get stung by freephone charges when calling from your mobile phone. This is one part of ipadio which should be improved by recognising most people will be blogging/phlogging from their smartphone device.

Slidecasting with Slideshare

By far the easiest way to create an online video if you don’t have a lot of technical knowledge and/or can’t be bothered with video editing software.

Once you’ve got a Slideshare account you just upload your slide presentation (PowerPoint, OpenOffice, and Apple Keynote are all supported) then, once loaded, click “Make Slidecast” and upload any MP3 audio file (most laptops have built in microphones these days).

A super simple editing window appears where you just drag audio markers to match individual slides. This seems quite business-focused but you could play around with uploading holiday photos or even making your own video stories for children like one of my clever friends does.

Slidecast widgets share your creations to Facebook & LinkedIn.

Tip: Traditional video rules still apply here, keeping it short and sweet is the key to keeping viewers watching. Also, once you’ve uploaded the audio file there is no facility to edit audio so you either have to record it in one take OR edit the audio in some audio software first.

Jing for Screencasting

Camtasia is by far one of the most recommended screencasting software around but here’s a sneaky trick – creators TechSmith also have free service Jing for all your screencasting needs.

Some cool features include the useful screencast.com URL allowing you to capture a screenshot, edit it down, and quickly post the link into an IM conversation or email (“No mum click on THIS tab!”)

Those who upgrade to the Pro version can also capture video from webcams so you can include video of yourself, or others, talking to camera.

Tip: If you run a software- or technology-based company this is a must-have for the now commonplace video demos most sites have on their homepage and as part of their Help resources.

SoundCloud

For wannabe musicians or even established music pros SoundCloud is for storing and distributing music and I think/hope will drive a nail in the coffin of those hideous band promo pages on MySpace which, let’s face it, were mainly used for their music player more than any real fan engagement.

Why? The whole look and feel of SoundCloud is polished and functional. It gives you one centralised point to host your music and then allows it to be streamed across the web. There’s also a customisable widget you can embed pretty much anywhere.

Analytics help you track where it’s being played and provide interactive stats and comments. If you make or download music this is definitely something you should check it out.

Tip: Don’t just think music, SoundCloud is excellent for the budding podcaster too.

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Frackulous: The best new iPhone, Android and BlackBerry apps.

Susi — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:48:58 +0000

Each week, we’ll be bringing you a whole week’s worth of app goodness, courtesy of the folks at Frackulous. Whether you’re an Android lover, iPhone officianado or BlackBerry super-user, there’s something for everyone.

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Frackulous: New site for app-addicts

Susi — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:00:07 +0000

Frackulous is new, and it’s going to rock the app world to its very foundations. You heard it here first. Except I would say that, as it’s my own personal baby.

We’ll be releasing an episode each week day (I have just found out how many of those there are in a week – panic!) and each Friday, scooping them all up and delivering them lovingly as an omnibus for your viewing pleasure.

It’s been a fairly hectic launch week – we’ve covered iMovie, Spotify, Camera+ and Flipboard, as well as advising on the best iPhone 4 tariffs and illustrated the iPhone’s antennae problems using a monkey. Phew. This week, we’ll be diversifying into all platforms, although you’ll find the monkey is a constant.

Here’s a handy omnibus, which is perfect for that spare moment on the plane, train or automobile (providing you’re not driving any of them), and if you’d like to see the episodes in smaller two-minute bitesized chunks, just check out www.frackulous.com.

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Apple or Android? The iPhone vs HTC Legend

Susi — Wed, 05 May 2010 13:57:22 +0000

If you’re a lover of air conditioning and cool air, get yourself down to Hell right now. It has temporarily frozen over whilst I temporarily dump my iPhone for an HTC Legend.

When announced, I wrote that the Legend might just have the potential to make the swap from iPhone to Android, but it was always going to be a tough transition. Here’s a little diary on how it’s gone.

Day One
This has officially been the worst day of my life.

What, you want an explanation? Oh alright. I have tried to de-Apple myself, and Googlify my life by swapping my sim to an Android phone. The result? A kabillion duplicated contacts on my iPhone, calendar appointments appearing two or three times and inexplicably adding alarms at every opportunity, an iPhone wiped of music and a whole load of tears. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming Google, and I’m doing my best not to blame Apple. I’m sure there are ways of smoothly transferring all of the above between operating systems, but I’ll be damned if it’s ever happened to me.

Day two
I’ve yet to find the time to take advantage of all the things that make Android phones a compelling option, and I’m still in mourning for my well organised, if slightly Apple-dominated, life. Having said that, I spoke to my mother today, and her review of the phone was as follows: “Buy this phone immediately, Susannah. This is the first time I’ve been able to hear you properly in several years”. I’m thinking of getting her a column in Mobile Reviews.

Day three
The battery seems to be worse than my iPhone, which is saying something, and it takes me a while to realise this is because of that damned multitasking I was so excited about. Exiting to home from the middle of a programme keeps it running, and I’ve now got a dozen things sucking up the battery all at once. A quick Task Killer app installation, and I think I’ve got it sorted.

Day four
Today it came close to clicking. I always thought Spotify was my killer app for an Android, or at least the ability to run it in the background made it leaps and bounds ahead of the iPhone version. I’ve now upgraded Spotify and so could listen to my cached playlists. If I keep the Android handset it’s going to change the way I listen to music – currently I have 2,000 songs on repeat, most of which are old news. With Spotify I can see myself preferring whole albums, simply because the playlists are easier to manage that way. No bad thing, actually, as it might increase my musical concentration from ‘first line….bored of this…skip…hate this one… skip…’.

Find out if Susi survived the week in the next gripping instalment.

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Vodafone Sure Signal. Dork Review

Dork Adore — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:00:33 +0000

This week, guest blogger Wez Knowles tries out Vodafone’s latest gadget.

I live in a village smack-bang in between two major cities (Sheffield & Nottingham) which also happens to be the place mobile signals go to die. Every time I want to make a call or send a text message I have to stand near a window and pull positions even a Yoga pro would wince at.

For the past few months, every time I’ve planned on making a call, I put my phone on my desk next to the window and use a Bluetooth headset (shudder) to place the call. Yeah, yeah, I know.

I recently switched from O2 to Vodafone for a better signal. But there are still dead spots in my house and 3G is nowhere to be seen.

But browsing the Vodafone forums put me onto a new device from Vodafone called the Sure Signal. Formerly known as the Vodafone Access Gateway, the Sure Signal is a small white box that connects to your internet router and sends your call over the network instead of through the air. The upside of this is no matter where in your house you are, your phone will receive a full 3G signal. No dropped calls, no missed messages. Of course, you’ll need a 3G compatible handset (most modern phones are) and at least 1MB internet.

It’s £50 if you’re on a £25 per month contract or above, or £120 if you pay less than £25 per month. Not cheap, but much less expensive than paying for a chiropractor if you put your back out leaning out of a window while hunting a signal.

Gains points for:

Easy setup

Does exactly what it says it does

Not too ugly

Loses points for:

Maybe too expensive depending on your contract

Vodafone only (I’m sure they could open it up if they wanted to)

Do we really want another box hanging out of our phone sockets?

Conclusion

I’ve been using the Sure Signal for the past couple of weeks and I love it. It’s a great idea and I’m sure it won’t be long before other networks are jumping on the bandwagon (Orange already do something like this for BlackBerry). In time I expect the price to drop, but for now, it all depends on how much a good phone signal is worth to you.

Vodafone Sure Signal

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Retro Rebellion: Bringing back the landline

Emma Cossey — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:00:24 +0000

Who actually uses cordless home phones these days, aside from the elderly and the technophobic?

Mobile phones may have replaced much of the need for a home phone, but this home basic still has its benefits. For a start, the battery tends to last longer, you don’t need to worry about lost signal, and (as the BT advert rightly points out) you’re more likely to focus on the conversation at home then in the pub.

Models like the iDect C51 Twin Digital Cordless Telephone on the right (£64.99 from Amazon) combine style with functionality. The portable handset offers the advantages of a mobile phone, with a sleek design and a comfortable curve to the base.

Need a landline update? Here are a few more options.

MagicBox Toque DECT with Answering Machine

MagicBox has some really lovely designs, and several of them mirror the contemporary black designs of the iDect.

The MagicBox Toque DECT with Answering Machine (£59.99, Cordless-phones) has been designed specifically with home décor in mind, rather than the practicality of an office. Glossy and minimalistic, it wouldn’t look out of place in the pages of a lifestyle magazine

The charging system is similar to that of the Powermat, where you simply plop it into the dish, and it recharges.

Siemens Gigaset SL565 Bluetooth® Cordless Phone

This phone (£68.08, cordless-phones) might not have the high-tech appearance of the previous two cordless phones, but it makes up for it in features.

The bluetooth element allows you to go hands-free at home, and you can also send and receive SMS messages. It uses up 60% less energy then most other cordless phones, which should appeal to the eco-friendly amongst us.

Philips DECT ID937

Emerging Terminator-style from the compact gloss base, the Philips ID937 has a surprisingly soft touch for such a solid looking phone.

Highlights of this handset include a sim-card copying facility and XHD sound. Plus the price (£34.99 from Amazon) isn’t too shabby either.

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Powermat gadget charger review

Emma Cossey — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:00:00 +0000

Loose cables are the bane of my working life. Between my phone, netbook, Nintendo DS and iPod, I’ve got wires all over the place.

Even with an extension lead, I’m still using all the available plugs. So how can I reduce the amount of cable clutter in my room?

The designers at Powermat think they’ve got the solution, and they’ve sent one over for me to try out.

The Powermat Home & Office edition is a hoverboard- shaped charging mat for a multitude of devices. The mat connects to the main with one cable….and that’s all the cables you’ll need.

To charge your gadgets, you click the phone/iPod/Nintendo DS into a receiver, and place it on the mat. Then with a joyful little beep, it starts to charge at the same speed as if you’d plugged it straight into a normal charger.

The benefits of this device are varied, including:

Space saving: You can charge up to four devices at once (with the extra USB port) so you’re not tripping over a web of cables.
Easy to use: Once you’ve clicked the receiver on, you just need to place the device on the mat and it’s charging. Job done.

However, it loses points for

Additional receivers: The mat doesn’t come with any basic receivers, so you’ll need to order one for each device you want to charge separately. And they’re not cheap at around £30 per receiver.

You’ve still got clutter: Unless you want to walk around with the receivers clipped to your gadget all day, you’re still going to have to store them somewhere. So you’re replacing wires with chunks of plastic.

Conclusion

For the ultra tidy gadget queen, this is a tempting product. Stylish, compact and convenient, it’s a clever gadget. It’s worth remembering though that you’re effectively paying around £70 for the mat, and an extra £30 per receiver to simple save you a little space and mess.

You can buy the Powermat from Amazon for £67.80. You can also get a package deal of the Powermat, iPhone 3G receiver and Powercube for £131.85.

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Make your own Google Android Doll

Emma Cossey — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:38:26 +0000

With Google Android phones set to become the big talking point of 2010, it only seems natural for a crafty geek to have recreated the Android logo in cuddly form.

The creator has even kindly thought to include a pouch to keep your Google phone safe.

Recombu have created the video below to give you a step by step guide to create the Android Doll, which we’ve embedded below for your ease and convenience.

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Dork Adore » Mobiles

The best retro gadgets you can still buy

Classic gadgets worth buying

More stories like this

Frackulous: Scott Pilgrim app fix, Samsung Galaxy Android-brillity and Angry, Angry Birds

More stories like this

How to broadcast yourself on the web

ipadio

Slidecasting with Slideshare

Jing for Screencasting

SoundCloud

More stories like this

Frackulous: The best new iPhone, Android and BlackBerry apps.

More stories like this

Frackulous: New site for app-addicts

More stories like this

Apple or Android? The iPhone vs HTC Legend

More stories like this

Vodafone Sure Signal. Dork Review

More stories like this

Retro Rebellion: Bringing back the landline

More stories like this

Powermat gadget charger review

More stories like this

Make your own Google Android Doll

More stories like this