Retro phones and fifties diners are mainstays of Retro To Go, so here is a something that combines those two – the 1950s Diner Telephone.
Actually it is an update of the original fifties model – the dial is now push button and you don’t have to put in a dime to make a call, but if you want to drop in a coin, it doubles as a money box.
It is available to buy for approximately £60 from Bloomsbury.
Design is just as important as functionality when it comes to selling a mobile phone – but you do feel that the people behind the Shenzhou VII mobile phone have taken that a little too far.
Yes, it’s shaped like a 50s sci-fi movie rocket – or indeed, the kind of rocket you might have found in a vintage comic book. But it still does everything you would expect – playing back music and video, making your calls and offering storage via microSD cards and connectivity via USB cable.
China only right now, but who knows…we may yet see this relic of the past in UK shops in the near future.
More images and details at the Phone Daily website
Via Technabob
We featured the Pure EVOKE-1XT Marshall Edition DAB digital radio some time back. As the name suggests, it’s a DAB radio in the shape of a classic Marshall amplifier.
It costs about £100 – but you can bid for one signed by your favourite rock star instead, including everyone from Paul Weller, Graham Coxon, Oasis and Pete Doherty to old school acts like Hawkwind, Bill Wyman, Alice Cooper and Ronnie Wood.
The auctions take place in October at the Rockstar Radios website, with proceeds going to Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy.
Browse the signed radios at the Rockstar Radios website
One of the few occasions that we can’t provide a link to buy – but even though it’s not yet out, we think it’s worth mentioning the Lasonic i931.
It packs an iPod into the body of an old school ghetto blaster, pounding out your tunes and flashing a few lights along the way. And that’s about all we know right now. In fact, this isn’t even a real picture, just the company’s latest mock up.
It’s going to be launched at the big electronics trade show (CES) in January 2008, so if you save a bit of your Christmas money, you might be able to pick one up not long after.
Find out more at the Lasonic website
By far the quirkiest – and possibly coolest – MP3 player I’ve seen in a long time – the Chinavision cassette-shaped MP3 player.
As well as the retro design (which also features an image of a record deck on the exterior), the player allows storage of MP3 tracks on an SD or MMC card (up to 2GB), with buttons on the front for accessing your tracks and changing volume, an earphone socket and a rechargeable battery.
This is a new product, with no price as yet – but it’s unlikely to sell for more than £20.
Find out more from the Chinavision website
A 70s stereo off eBay? Actually no – this is a very modern home theatre system from Japanese firm Amadana – the DDA134.
We love the walnut wood and chrome finish that gives it that 70s look, but more practical buyers might appreciate the progressive scan DVD player, state-of-the-art amplifier and selection of surround sound technology (including Dolby Virtual Speaker technology), not to mention an old-style remote control.
On the downside, this only seems to be available in Japan and it’s also got a fairly high price tag – the equivalent of £775.
Amadana website (translated)
Via Technabob
