drb
logo



"QUANTUM SHOT" #728
Link - article by Avi Abrams


      I invented a ground-breaking device in my sleep last night. Sadly, I
        forgot everything about it.

      This happens to the best of us. We are lucky, however, that many
      historical inventors and outstanding engineers woke up right in time and
      sketched the details of their invention before it evaporated into the warm
      daylight. Some of these famous dreams are recounted
      here. It includes a design for a sewing machine and even mechanics for a golf
      swing. Today, we are going to feature some intriguing devices that should
      feed and inpire your creativity... well into the night!

      
      (mysterious astrological devices, seen in Kunstgewerbemuseum, Berlin,
        photos by
        Amanda Rehagen)

      This is without a doubt one of the most popular DRB series. On these pages
      we uncover some most amazing and unusual vintage devices and some of the
      most puzzling modern ones. We also enjoy a healthy in-flow of our readers'
      tips and comments, alerting us to more unfound treasures. This update was
      surely overdue, as we've got plenty of new stuff to share about.

      
      (right: Sputnik music box, 1960
        via; left image: Rocket Ride!
        via)

      Do not miss the previous installments in this series. We covered retro
      cameras,
      espresso machines,
      calculators,
      typewriters, and even
      globes! This is 1937 X-Ray Machine: come closer, don't be afraid -

      
      (photo from 1937 LIFE Magazine)

      Turntable wonder from 1952: "Galaxy" four-speed multi-record changer from
      STAAR -

      
      (image via)

      Another one; this time a Zenith "Cobra-Matic":

      
      (image
        via)

      And a miniature records player (would make a great business card maker
      today!):

      
      (image
        via)

      Object of desire: 1948 Proctor Art Deco Toaster! -

      
      (images
        via)

      Another cool items from
      DKW Photography
      source are: Golde Slide Projector (left) and Zenith "Cobra-Matic" Phono
      Radio (right):

      
      (images
        via)

      More streamlined American art deco gems are shown on this
      page: Waverly Petipoint iron, 1941 (left) and Juice-O-Mat Juicer from 1937,
      designed by Joseph M. Majewski, Jr. (right):

      
      (images
        via)

      Good old 1938 washing machine with scrawny legs (and more glamorous one
      from 1954):

      

      Great streamlined razor:

      
      (photo via LIFE magazine, 1953)

      This is absolutely gorgeous vintage lighter.. or is it a "Fantastic
      Voyage" submarine? Flash Gordon's escape pod?

      
      (photo via LIFE magazine, 1953)

      Kids enjoyed fantastic rides in the 1950s:

      
      
      (1953-1954, Minnesota and New York American Toy Fair; images
        via)

      Streamlined design for lawnmowers is part of the future, according to the
      Bohn Aluminum calendar, 1943:

      
      (image
        via)

      Vintage dreams about owning a video-telephone:

      

      Ordering "online" while doing stuff in the kitchen:

      

      and controling a lawn robot:

      
      (images
        via)

      Here is the Harvard's one ton microscope from 1937:

      
      (photo from LIFE Magazine 1937 issue)

      And we finish our Retro section with Atomic Cold War Experiments. Whatever
      they are, they must be truly hair-raising:

      
      (image
        via)

      On the right image above is a structure that seems very mysterious, but
      actually not: this is the Russian 1930s tower built for paragliding in
      Gorky Park, Moscow. -------

      Modern Gadgetry: the Weird & the Marvelous

      This is "Visible Sound". It consists of a sewing machine, a radio and an
      ability to enjoy sound wave patterns (made by "Sounds.Batter", more
      info):

      
      (image
        via)

      They also make walking sticks with... attachements:

      
      (image
        via)

      Um... umbilical iPhone cord?! Sure, why not! -

      
      (images
        via)

      Watch the video of it squirming
      here. Definitely something from "Existenz". Great folksy protective "dresses"
      for your camera by
      ChocMuf; (order them
      here):

      
      (image
        via)

      The World's smallest cameras, digital and pinhole - more info
      here
      and
      here:

      
      (images via
        1,
        2)

      Pistol wallets and toys from France (is there a joke in this?) - buy them
      here:

      
      (images
        via)

      Alarm clocks warrant their own article by here are just some "kool"
      examples: wind chime alarm clock (left) and Donation Alarm (if you do not
      wake up, you pay the price) -

      
      (images via
        1,
        2)

      GoateeSaver! Or perhaps, Darth Vader's breathing apparatus attachment:

      
      (image via)

      This thing is the Automatic Aluminum Can Crusher. Oh, yeah -

      
      (buy it
        here)

      On the right image above is its low-tech variety. Some odd items here:

      

      And finally, a mystery device: all we can say is that it's a "Tape
      Converter", but... what does it convert? into what?

      

      UPDATE: As you correctly pointed out, this device is part of the
      Sound.Batter
      portfolio - and it converts the leftover glue patterns from old sticky
      tapes into sound! Don't ask us why, though. Because it can be done, that's
      why.

      CONTINUE TO "MOST AMAZING GLOBES EVER"! ->

      READ THE REST OF OUR "GADGETS" SERIES ->




RECENT ARTICLES:

Visual Caffeine #8
Visual Caffeine, Issue 8

A thrilling blend of art, myths and technology

Visual Caffeine #7
Visual Caffeine, Issue 7

A thrilling blend of art, myths and technology

Art Deco
Imperial Dreams: Art Deco Update

Wings, Gears, & Glamorous Ladies

1970s SciFi
DRB Pics-of-the-Day

Grand Space Adventure 1970s Art



"Dark Roasted Blend" - All Kinds of Weird and Wonderful Things, Discovered Daily!"

DRB is a top-ranked and respected source for the best in art, travel and fascinating technology, with a highly eclectic presentation. Our in-depth articles in many categories make DRB a valued online magazine, bringing you quality info and entertainment every time you visit the site - About DRB

Connect with us and become part of DRB on Facebook and Twitter.



YOUR COMMENTS::

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

She's not programming a kitchen menu, she's using the video-telephone to buy a shirt for her son, as she makes breakfast.

___  
Blogger Phoebe Dancing Cat said...

Please, do not let my humans see this. I do not want to fit in anybody's pocket.

http://phoebedancingcat.blogspot.com/

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sputnik music box and "Rocket Ride" are obviously placed the opposite way: the former left, and the latter right.
And... Good old what 1938 with scrawny legs? It looks like a washing machine, but I'm not quite sure.

___  
Anonymous alfred venison said...

dear Anonymous
i disagree a bit. whilst she's not programming a kitchen menu, she's not making breakfast, she's not making breakfast, either - the kids are outside, in the rain, tending (presumably) homewards. i reckon she's making an after school snack & buying that shirt for boy child. her stove's electric, too.
yours sincerely
alfred venison

___  
Anonymous Boot Camps said...

GoateeSaver does seems like a Darth Vader's breathing apparatus. I wonder if works on all faces well..don't know if it has some adjustment on it.

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The "Mighty Tiny" records reminded me of cutting the records off of the back of cereal boxes when I was younger. Instead of a "prize inside" it was on the box.

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The first pair of items are sundials. The one on the left is a universal with gears and siting hardware for reading accurately to a minute or even a bit less. The one of the right is compound; the top is a spherical dial; the base has a west facing vertical dial.

___  

Post a Comment

<< Home


SF ART & BOOK REVIEWS:
Don't miss: The Ultimate Guide to NEW SF&F Writers!
Fiction Reviews: Classic Cyberpunk: Extreme Fiction
Short Fiction Reviews: Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness" (with pics)
New Fiction Reviews: The Surreal Office



READ OTHER RECENT ARTICLES:


Abandoned, Dieselpunk
DRB Pic-of-the-Day

Abandoned: Streamlined Three-wheeler

Visual Caffeine #6
Visual Caffeine, Issue 6

A thrilling blend of art, myths and technology

Visual Caffeine #5
Visual Caffeine, Issue 5

A thrilling blend of art, myths and technology

Hellish Weather on Other Planets

Wild, Untamed, and Uncut

Medieval Suits of Armor

Metal Body Suits vs. Weapons of Medieval Destruction

World's Strangest Theme Parks

Amusement to the (twisted) extremes!

Enchanting Victorian Fairy Tale Art

"Then world behind and home ahead..."

Adorable Pedal Cars

Collectable Pedal Vehicles Showcase


Japanese Arcades: Gundam Pods & Other Guilty Pleasures

These machines have gone up to the next level


Modernist Tallinn Architecture

Delicious blend of old and new!


Early Supercomputers: A Visual Overview

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons"


Futuristic Concept Cars of the 1970-80s

French, Italian & Japanese rare beauties


Epic 1970s French Space Comic Art

DRB Time-Slice: Valérian and Laureline


The Trees Are Escaping! The Abandoned Prison in French Guiana

"Great Escape" from the Devil's Island



FULL ARCHIVES
(with previews, fast loading):

2022/16
2015/14
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006

Link Lattes

Feel-Good & Biscotti Issues





CATEGORIES:
Feel-Good! | airplanes | animals | architecture | art | auto | boats | books | cool ads | famous | futurism | food
gadgets | health | japan | internet | link latte | military | music | nature | photo | russia | steampunk
sci-fi & fantasy | signs | space | technology | trains | travel | vintage | weird | abandoned