What makes a design classic? Well, if you’re still selling something largely unchanged in large numbers 75 years after its introduction, we can safely say it qualifies. Like the Kit-Kat Clock. Read more
Kit-Kat Clock
Category: Gadgets and Tech
Revlon retro style hair dryer
Everyone needs a decent hairdryer, especially if you want to keep your bob sleek and smooth, but rather than going for one that looks like all the rest why not try this retro inspired one from Revlon?
It comes in California cream (even the colour sounds retro), and although it has a great shape and chrome filter, it is all mod cons in terms of technology. Which is great news for keeping your hair looking great. The 9092U has a digital control that maintains the temperature and speed you select. It has ceramic technology for even heat and ionic technology for condition and shine without frizz, hurray!
An ideal Christmas present at only £24.95. Even better you can order it online on the John Lewis website.
Find out more on the John Lewis website.
The groundbreaking Grillo telephone
Some time back, we said that the Ericofon was the world’s coolest phone. However, in terms of design, the Grillo telephone, designed by Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper, is arguably the most influential.
So why is this 1966 phone so special? Take a look at your mobile phone. There’s a good chance you’ve got a clamshell handset – and it’ll be based on this house phone. The phone flips open like the modern-day mobiles, with a dial exposed, plus mouth and ear piece. It’s name – Grillo – translates as “cricket”, which is the strange sound of its ring.
Award-winning in its day and still an iconic design today, you can pick one up for less than £100 (though it’s likely to need adapting for use).
Buy a Grillo phone from Telephone Lines
Sanyo’s retro-styled Xacti movie/still camera
I really rate the Sanyo Xacti movie/still cameras – with a retro-styling that leans heavily towards the look of the old super 8 cameras. It’s also quite a nifty gadget too.
The latest Xacti is the VPC-CA6, a splash-resistant digital camera/MPEG4 video camera that should withstand rain, wet hands or the splash of a swimming pool. It’s a 6 megapixel camera with 5x optical zoom lens and a 2-inch flip-out LCD screen., which also records 30fps video in MPEG-4 format – with films and images saved on memory cards.
It’s out this month, priced around £300. Not the best digital camera or camcorder – but one of the best looking and a good all-rounder.
Find out more from the Sanyo website
Crochet iPod cases
Where the past meets the present. In the 60s and early 70s, there was a huge craze for crochet, with books and magazines devoted to making useful household items, toys and fashion out of looped fabric.
Thankfully, those days are gone – but the art of crochet still rears its ugly head occasionally – as with these Crocheted Cuties by Chuckles Central. Though to give them their due, they certainly have the cuteness factor on their side. Made of yarn, buttons and googly eyes, they should fit most iPods, but might not offer the snuggest of fits for your nano.
Available now online from the US, you can pick one up for $22.
Back In Time wooden radio alarm clock
Another nice example of old-style design meeting new style technology is this Back In Time radio alarm clock.
It’s essentially your typical radio alarm clock, with all the functions you’d expect. The front face features the LCD clock/alarm and speaker, while the rear features the dial tuning and volume controls (image shows front and back).
But the standout feature is the look – a wood casing that would sit nicely with your late 60s/early 70s metal and rosewood furniture.
For something so stylish, it’s got a very affordable price tag – just £25.
Find out more from the Iggloo website
