Follies of the Madmen #194

Posted By: Paul - Sat Dec 01, 2012 - Comments (2)
Category: Business, Advertising, Products, Technology, 1970s, Hair and Hairstyling

Shweeb

Why am I thinking of the opening credits of Futurama?

Posted By: Paul - Sat Nov 24, 2012 - Comments (4)
Category: Bicycles and Other Human-powered Vehicles, Technology, New Zealand

The EyeSee Mannequin

It's the newest innovation in mannequin technology. It watches customers with the camera installed in its eye, recording details such as age, race, and gender. It also keeps an eye out for shoplifters. Be cool to have one of these as a home security camera. Keep it standing in the window, watching everyone who walks up to the door. [Yahoo! News]

Posted By: Alex - Sat Nov 24, 2012 - Comments (4)
Category: Inventions, Robots, Technology

Johnson Smith Catalog Item #27

This steampunk-style item, the "Rolmonica," is from the 1930s catalog. Blow and crank your way to musical bliss!

Available song rolls after the jump.





More in extended >>

Posted By: Paul - Fri Nov 23, 2012 - Comments (5)
Category: Johnson Smith Catalog, Music, Technology, 1930s

Railroad Motorbus

Over recent years the internet has featured several posts about the small automobiles that were adapted to run on railroad tracks and used for inspection purposes.

But I don't believe there's been much coverage of this short-lived scheme that turned street buses into railway vehicles.

Original article here.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Nov 20, 2012 - Comments (8)
Category: Technology, 1920s, Bus, Trains

Mystery Gadget 14

The answer is here.

Posted By: Paul - Fri Nov 09, 2012 - Comments (10)
Category: Technology, 1920s

DIY Railroading

Posted By: Paul - Thu Nov 08, 2012 - Comments (7)
Category: Hobbies and DIY, Inebriation and Intoxicants, Inventions, Technology, Wild West and US Frontier, Transportation

Cartrivision

Cartrivision was the first VCR marketed to the American public, back in the early 1970s. It predated VHS and Betamax. However, it soon failed, for a variety of reasons. First, it was sold as a TV/home entertainment center/movie camera combo, which made it very expensive. That is, you couldn't buy just the player alone and attach it to your existing set. You had to buy the whole bundle. Second, you could rent movies for it, but you couldn't rewind the movies, so you could only watch them once. This limitation was designed into it at the insistence of the movie industry. Finally, perhaps its slightly creepy ads played a role in its demise. Maybe it's just me, but I definitely sense a pervy vibe coming off of the dad in the scene below.

More info: retrothing, wikipedia, mrbetamax

Posted By: Alex - Sun Nov 04, 2012 - Comments (11)
Category: Technology, Television, 1970s

Mystery Gadget 13

What could these masks be for? Find out here.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Oct 27, 2012 - Comments (7)
Category: Technology, 1940s

Radio Sunglasses

To hell with iPods! These are so much cooler!

Of course, the online inflation calculator I use says: "What cost $24.95 in 1967 would cost $165.76 in 2011. " Or, in other terms, roughly the cost of a new 8GB iPod Touch.

Maybe modern life is better!

From Playboy for August 1967.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Oct 14, 2012 - Comments (9)
Category: Fashion, Music, Technology, Chindogu, 1960s