Technology
Mystery Gadget 34
This gadget does what now?
Answer is here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Mar 22, 2016 -
Comments (8)
Category: Technology, 1930s
Howling Dog Phone Ringer
October 1932: A Seattle woman complained that her phone never rang, but she could tell when someone was trying to call her because her dog would start howling in the yard. The telephone repair guy investigated. Realized the dog wasn't psychic. Instead, there was a short in the line and the dog was chained to the ground wire.
Indianapolis Star - Oct 23, 1932
Posted By: Alex - Wed Mar 09, 2016 -
Comments (3)
Category: Technology, Telephones, 1930s
The PianoArc
Their homepage.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Feb 26, 2016 -
Comments (7)
Category: Music, Technology
Conception Days Indicator
It's the Swiss engineering that sold me!
Original ad here. (Page 55.)
Posted By: Paul - Mon Feb 01, 2016 -
Comments (5)
Category: Technology, 1960s, Pregnancy
Opel Rocket Vehicles
Original pic here.
Opel-RAK were a series of rocket vehicles produced by Fritz von Opel, of the Opel car company, in association with others, including Max Valier and Friedrich Wilhelm Sander largely as publicity stunts.
The Lippisch Ente a rocket-powered glider was produced on June 11, 1928, piloted by Fritz Stamer, but is not usually considered part of the series.
Opel RAK.1 - a rocket car that achieved 75 km/h (47 mph) on March 15, 1928[2]
Opel RAK.2 - rocket car May 23, 1928 reached a speed of 230 km/h (143 mph) driven by 24 solid-fuel rockets[2]
Opel RAK.3 rocket train (quoted speed is variously 254 or 290 km/h. See: [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]) On the second run the train jumps the track and is destroyed.
Opel Rak IV rocket train, destroyed when a solid rocket explodes on the track, exploding all the other rockets. Railway authorities prohibit further runs.[3]
Opel RAK.1 rocket glider September 30, 1929
Some stock footage of some of the rocket vehicles was incorporated into this early SF film.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 25, 2016 -
Comments (4)
Category: Flight, Movies, Spaceflight, Astronautics, and Astronomy, Technology, Science Fiction, 1920s, Europe, Cars
The Electric Shopper Car
Full story here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jan 21, 2016 -
Comments (12)
Category: Inventions, Technology, 1960s, Cars, Yesterday’s Tomorrows
Desk Riders
I sure would like to know more about this system/device/technology, but I can't google up anything else. Maybe WU-vies can help!
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jan 07, 2016 -
Comments (10)
Category: Business, Technology, 1930s
The Incredible Shrinking Radio
Despite the technological trend being obvious in 1954, I don't think anyone--SF writers or scientists or futurists--really anticipated something like an iPod.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 29, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: Radio, Technology, 1950s
Follies of the Madmen #268
This was one of a series of postwar ads for magnesium, which illustrated how the miracle metal would allow consumers to do things nobody would ever want to do, like carry a baby carriage on your shoulder.
Original ad here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Dec 21, 2015 -
Comments (8)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Technology, Babies and Toddlers, 1940s
The Duoscopic TV
In 1954, DuMont came out with a "Duoscopic" TV set that allowed two people to watch different programs on the same set, simultaneously. From Newsweek (Jan 11, 1954):It was priced at $600. So in 2015 money, that would be approximately $5304 (according to the US Inflation Calculator). At that price tag, it made more sense for couples with different viewing preferences to just buy 2 TV sets and sit in separate rooms.
There's more info about the Duoscopic TV at the Early Television Museum. On that site, there's also speculation that DuMont originally developed the Duoscopic TV as a 3D TV, but decided they couldn't get that to work fully, so they repackaged it as a "watch 2 channels simultaneously" TV.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 11, 2015 -
Comments (11)
Category: Technology, Television, 1950s
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |