Seven retro gadgets that got modern updates
Imaging giant’s
Super 8 camera reboot is just one among many of tech’s love affair with
nostalgia
Even as we flirt with Jetsons-style bathrooms hooked
up to digital assistants and race for flying cars, one thing remains clear:
Despite ever-improving technology, our nostalgia-tuned minds remain glued to
the rear-view mirror. Kodak recently made that abundantly clear when it revealed
footage from its reboot of the Super 8 camera, which revolutionised amateur
filmmaking when originally released in 1965.
It’s part of a movement that Kodak describes on its
website as an ‘analog renaissance’. “Just as vinyl is making a comeback in
music, film is being embraced by more and more amateur and professional
filmmakers,” says Brian Cruz, Eastman Kodak Co’s vice-president and general
manager of consumer products. Kodak isn’t alone in its throwback pursuit. Here
are six additional retro gadgets that are coming back, stronger than ever.
Polaroid OneStep 2
On the occasion of its 80th birthday, Polaroid Corp
unveiled the OneStep 2, a new, $99 ‘instant analog camera’ that shoots
reengineered classic Type-600 and i-Type film. It is part of a rolling effort
started by the Impossible Project — now called Polaroid Originals — to bring
back instant photos in all their offline glory.
Luciano Speaker
There are very few people who are still nostalgic for
the phonograph, but that didn’t stop the innovators at New Black from inventing
a ceramic Bluetooth speaker inspired by one. Constructed in the Italian town of
Nove, famous for a ceramic industry dating to the 1700s, the Luciano speaker
includes components normally found in hi-fi stereo systems. If you have deep
pockets, you can always splurge on its 24 carat, gold-plated version for around
$1,712.
Nokia 3310
Last year, Finnish company HMD Global Oy took us back
to the early days of the new millennium with the re-release of the Nokia 3310,
a lower-cost phone that first hit shelves back in September 2000. The $60
throwback comes in four colours — and yes, you can play the Snake.
NES and SNES Classic Editions
The NES Classic Console is re-imagined from the hit
gaming platform that launched in 2016 to great fanfare. Loaded with 30 classic
games, the console has the look and feel as the original with one difference:
Its size has been shrunk for gaming convenience. The $80 consoles were so
popular that they sold out everywhere almost immediately.
Lofree Four Seasons Retro
Mechanical Keyboard
Love the clack-clack-clack of a classic typewriter?
Keyboard maker Lofree wants you to enjoy that sound with its Four Seasons Retro
Mechanical Keyboard without sacrificing Mac compatibility. At $74, these are
cheaper than a time machine. Still in the final stage of development, the
product is estimated to commence shipping in April this year.
BlackBerry KeyOne
Not to be left behind, BlackBerry also decided to
grant Kim Kardashian her dream of the phone’s comeback with the launch of its
KeyOne phone in April 2017. In August, the company announced a ‘Black Edition’
and last month unveiled a bronze coloured model to be made available in
overseas markets. The phones, which cost more than $550, have four gigabytes of
memory and 64GB of internal storage, plus that signature keyboard Kardashian is
so fond of.
— Bloomberg
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