Retro

We never saw Titanic, mostly because of Leonardo DiCaprio and that blasted song by Celine Dion. But we'd still be more than happy to wear the "Titanic DNA Watch"--which was designed to commemorate the ship, not the movie--so named because it is made with traces of steel and other materials from the shipwreck.

Gizmodo (which hasn't seen the movie either) notes that coal from the vessel is contained in the lacquer used to paint the watch's black dial. Swiss watchmaker Romain Jermone says the number of timepieces to be released, at a price that … Read more

You always knew there's an art to Rubik's Cubes, but it turns out there's more than you thought.

The street-art Space Invader folks, taking a break from surreptitious outdoor installations of vintage video-game mosaics, have branched out into using collections of Rubik's Cubes as an artistic medium.

They produced a number of simple Space Invaders mosaics, but more impressive are the larger photo mosaics--for example, the Clockwork Orange character made from a grid of 171 cubes. The phrase Stanley Rubikscubrik springs to mind.

Meanwhile, for traditionalists, there are new advances in the Rubik's Cube brain-teaser … Read more

Listen up, bargain-hunting audiophiles: There's been a major price reduction in a high-quality turntable from Japan's ELP. Its flagship product, the "Laser Turntable," is being marked down by more than 30 percent. How much is that, you say? Details, details. OK, the bargain-basement price is a mere $9,900 or $14,000, depending on which model you choose.

Before you close your browser, you should know that this turntable not only offers superior sound quality for records in good condition, but it also plays vinyl discs that have been badly worn down or even warped. "… Read more

If we were running Japan's Run-At, we'd be cranking out Disney-branded products everyday--not to compete on the current market, but to be sold as collectibles later on. It's well known, of course, that fanatics will shell out big bucks for all things Mickey, so why not cater to that set?

The new limited-edition "Mickey Mouse iPod Nano," for example, would probably be a good investment if you didn't actually use the thing but squirreled it away in its special leather case and original packaging. (Can't you just see yourself on PBS' Antiques Roadshow … Read more

Who says the Walkman is dead? (And no, that's not a play on Dead Man Walking.)

A gold-plated 1994 cassette version released to celebrate its then-15th anniversary, the WM-EX1HG, sold a few days ago for $550 on eBay, according to TechEBlog. The vintage collectible is ensconced its own presentation case and has never been used, the seller says, so don't expect it to come preloaded with the greatest hits of '94.

Speaking of which, extra credit goes to those Cravers out there who can name the top hit of that year. Answer: "I'll Make Love to You,&… Read more

It's not enough for Star Wars memorabilia to launch a ground attack. Now they're coming at us by air too.

The assault of data-repelling gadgets from the monster franchise continues unabated, with the latest being a set of Tie Fighter speakers spotted by Engadget. The pair is made by Nikko, whose R2-D2 Webcam was a big hit at CES earlier this year. We wouldn't have recognized the speakers as Ties, were it not for the Star Wars logo on the subwoofer. But that, come to think of it, is actually a good thing.

It's apparently not enough for Swarovski to ruin good taste. According to Red Ferret, it wants to play a part in trashing vinyl records as well.

Swarovski has taken its crystal-making juggernaut to this self-running record player, aptly named the "Vinyl Killer," complete with its own needle, speaker and amplifier. But even though its VW bus design would seem perfect for playing your old LPs, we wouldn't recommend using it on your Stones collection. (Get it? Stones?)

Besides, if you're willing to shell out $487 for this thing, you might want to keep it on … Read more

The disturbing trend of technological mutation that has taken hold of the computer industry has apparently been extended to cameras. Case in point: the "120 Tri-lense Stereo Camera."

Why would anyone want or need three lenses, especially in a camera that uses film? According to Gadget Lab, China-based 3D World claims that its camera can produce two slides that "combine to produce an image that gives an illusion of three-dimensional depth." There's apparently a catch, though, as you need one of its viewers to make the whole thing work. But that's the best part, … Read more

Break out those leisure suits--this sound system may be new, but it looks right out of 1974.

The "Gene Sound TAS-100" ("Gene Sound"?) combines digital and analog music in a system that can play and record old LPs and CDs as well as MP3 files, according to Newlaunches. The all-in-one system, made by Seagrand Japan, goes for an affordable $170.

There are a lot of systems that convert old and new recording media, but few have the distinctively retro look of this one, at least from this particular era. Regardless of how it sounds, you'… Read more