Tag Archives: Retro

Elago Game Boy style MagSafe iPhone charger looks fun but comes up short

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Nostalgia is a powerful emotion, as proven by the number of successful crowdfunded projects and launched products that try to capitalize on this ongoing retro trend, especially in the gaming industry. Vintage designs of the past are today’s quirky oddities, and there are many who are quick to jump on the bandwagon. While many of these retro designs try to also recreate the experience of holding a real gaming console or turntable with some modern features and conveniences, others are just content to copy the aesthetics of old-school products and leave it at that. This MagSafe iPhone charger might be in that latter category, and while it is charming in the way it brings back fun, playful memories, it could have probably gone further if it really wanted to.

Designer: Elago

To be fair, the Elago WS M5 Charging Stand does exactly what it says it does, which is to offer a fun MagSafe charger in the design of the Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP. In that regard, it does its job well, providing a stable and useful stand for charging the phone. The fixed 30-degree angle, for example, is claimed to be perfect for watching videos or using iOS Standby Mode at night. It even has helpful support on its back to prevent the charger from tipping backward from the weight of the phone.

Elago never claimed that the stand was a functional gaming device, despite all visual indicators. It’s simply meant to inspire a trip down memory lane and nothing more. The buttons do nothing and you can’t fold the charger close like the original handheld it was based on. For a $25 MagSafe charging stand, that’s a bit disappointing. It sort of raises expectations and then dashes them quickly, making those good old days really feel more like a distant memory.

It’s also a missed opportunity for innovation and distinction. Sure, it won’t make much sense to turn it into a makeshift game controller, but having the buttons trigger some action on the phone or do anything at all is significantly better than making you feel like an idiot for expecting that a button press would actually result in something. A clamshell design would have also made this charging stand a bit more portable while relying on a kickstand mechanism to provide that same stability and support.

What this Game Boy-like MagSafe charger really accomplishes is to demonstrate the biggest benefit of this magnetic wireless charging technology. Sure, charging without cables is convenient, but its speed still leaves a lot to be desired. Instead, it’s the freedom to design a wider variety of accessories, from chargers to stands to docks, that MagSafe really shines, and this Elago WS M5, underwhelming as it might be, is just the tip of the iceberg of what’s possible.

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Retro phone designs bring modern features minus the distractions

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As powerful as our smartphones might be, it’s hard to deny that they can also be too powerful for their own good. They can do almost anything these days, which unfortunately also means they can be sources of any and all kinds of distractions. Not everyone needs all those capabilities, especially people who just need to make calls and send text messages via good ol’ SMS technology. Unfortunately, even the most basic smartphone can still tempt them with social media pings and Web browsing rabbit holes, while the newer crop of minimalist smartphones does promise fewer distractions but at the price of, well, their price tag. Sometimes, what you need is a non-smart smartphone, in other words, a feature or “dumb” phone, which is what the two latest Nokia-branded devices are trying to offer, blending nostalgic design with relatively more modern features.

Designer: HMD Global

Before it quit the mobile market, Nokia was pretty much the king of mobile phones. It is notorious for flooding that market with innumerable and often confusing designs, but, to its credit, it managed to appeal to almost every sector and niche with that same variety. Some of those designs have gone down in history as beloved icons of a time long gone, but HMD, licenses of the Nokia brand, has been reviving some of those, much to the delight of a few.

The Nokia 6310 (2024), for example, bears a soft, curved design that transcended genders and generations, offering a distinctive shape that is probably alien to today’s phone users. Make no mistake, this is as basic as phones can get, with a 2.8-inch QVGA (that’s 320×240 pixels) screen and a 0.3MP “VGA” camera on its back. That large screen and physical T9 keypad, however, are intentionally designed for better accessibility when it comes to reading and typing out text. This 2024 model differs from its predecessor from 2021 with a larger 1,450 mAh battery and a USB-C port that thankfully simplifies your charging life.

Perhaps more interesting is the design of the Nokia 5310 (2024), the latest to inherit the old Nokia XpressMusic DNA. Granted, it doesn’t differ much from the earlier 2021 model save for the larger size, a larger 1,450mAh battery, and the same USB-C upgrade. Fortunately, that also means it still has those iconic physical media playback buttons on its right side that gave the XpressMusic phones their fame. And yes, it also has a 3.5mm headphone jack to really drive home the old-school music listening experience.

Unfortunately, that simplicity does also come with a hidden cost, that of compatibility. These phones can only connect to 2G networks, a technology that is already being phased out and shut down in some countries. That said, markets where these two old-school Nokia phones will be sold mostly still support that old-school network, so it’s really a matter of choosing your compromises.

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Retro Mechanical Keyboard has a tiny TV for information and entertainment

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Mechanical keyboards are a dime a dozen these days, all of them promising a better typing experience thanks to more tactile switches. They cover a wide variety of designs, those most seem to swing either towards gamer RGB aesthetics or old-school retro styles. This particular keyboard leans more toward the latter, but that’s not exactly what’s noteworthy about it. What makes it special is that 2.9-inch TV-like mini display in the corner, adding a bit of whimsical flavor to the keyboard. That said, that screen is more than just some fanciful embellishment, as it can add a bit of value to your computing experience even while delivering some fun distractions when you need it.

Designer: Epomaker

Keyboards with screens aren’t exactly unheard of by now, especially on laptops. Almost all of these designs, however, use the additional display for productivity purposes, often by providing extra touch controls, a drawing space, or even a small second monitor. Given how small the “mini TV” of the Epomaker RT100 is, it can hardly do those functions, but it still manages to bring a smile to users’ faces, especially with how much they can customize the experience.

The small 2.9-inch screen, embedded in a detachable trapezoidal prism, sits on the upper left edge of the keyboard. Using Epomaker’s software, that tiny TV can display anything from the time, the weather, an animated image, or even a game of Tetris. It offers a combination of distraction and information that will keep you on your toes while you work. As a bonus, that “TV” is actually removable, which reveals the hidden 2.4GHz wireless receiver for a cable-free connection.

On the more serious side, the Epomaker RT100 has a rather distinctive faceted knob that sits like a black gem on the upper right corner of the keyboard. By default, the physical dial can be used to control media playback, but it can also be programmed for other functions as well. Unfortunately, you can’t change the play icon on the knob’s top to match the function you assign to it.

In all other aspects, this 96-key keyboard is pretty much what you’d expect from mechanical keyboards of its class, including hot-swappable switches and programmable south-facing RGB lighting. The keyboard embraces a chunky aesthetic that calls forth memories or images of decades gone by, making the design feel a little anachronistic in a visually interesting way.

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Air purifier concept takes a page from SMEG’s retro aesthetics

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For those who live in spaces where natural air flow is a “luxury” or in cities where air pollution is a big problem, having an air purifier is a must. Well that is, if you want to breathe in good air and if you’re spending a lot of time there and you don’t want to spend a lot on healthcare expenses. But these kinds of appliances are really more functional and we don’t spend as much time on their design when choosing to buy one. If you can have something that has all the functionalities for an air purifier that you need and it is well designed and can fit in your space’s aesthetics, then that’s a bonus.

Designer: Khaavya Bhosale

This concept for an air purifier for popular home appliance company Smeg fits in with the brand’s distinct retro style. The Airissimo aims to integrate all the most advanced technology in air purifiers into the classic design that all SMEG products have. This includes the familiar pastel colors, ergonomic control knobs, detailed gaps, and the standard stand that balances their appliances. The final renders of the Airissimo concept will definitely fit in with their current line.

But it’s not just the look that the designer thought of, but all the functionalities and features that you need for an air purifier. It has an LED display that will show you the current air quality in your space. Inside you’ll find the electric board, support duct, motor, fan, fan duct and HEPA filter, all the necessary components for this kind of appliance. It uses ABS plastic and aluminum as its main materials. There is an app that you can connect to it to adjust the controls, to monitor air quality, and to also get reminders when you need to replace your filters.

The Airissimo looks like a huge smart hub that you’ll find in your living space or a sophisticated-looking air cooler. Most air purifiers currently in the market look like your usual air-related appliances (aircon, air cooler, humidifier, dehumidifier) so having something like this if SMEG does decide to eventually branch out into this would be pretty cool.

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Retro laptop concept takes the mechanical keyboard trend to the next level

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The retro craze shows no sign of slowing down as more people discover the wonderful quirks of designs from the past. It has even reached a point where designs are being applied to things that are somewhat unrelated to the original. We’re seeing computers that look like gaming consoles from the 90s, for example, or media players that would make you think they could play cassette tapes. This laptop has the same feel, although it barely looks like the workstations of Eld. Instead, it takes its cue from the design trend that’s gripping the computer accessories industry, applying not just the aesthetics but even the materials of retro mechanical keyboards to envision a workstation that, while powerful, isn’t made for gamers but especially for developers.

Designer: Wonjae Kim

Mechanical keyboards have always had an old-school ring to them, literally and figuratively. Their chunky keycaps and metallic sounds feel like just a few steps away from typewriters, especially with the prevalence of “chiclet” keyboards with soft sounds and short travel. Some accessory makers have taken that association even further by embracing the designs of keyboards from decades ago, and that same gray and literally edgy aesthetic is being applied to a laptop aimed at people who code more than those who play games.

Inspired by Lofree’s line of PBT (Polybutylene terephthalate) retro mechanical keyboards, this workstation concept has the same shapes, colors, and even materials that would remind one of those old-school keyboards, particularly with the use of blocky forms and a limited number of shades of gray with a single orange accent to break the monotony. The design isn’t apologetic about being a little bit thicker than most laptops that are aiming to grab the “slimmest” title at the expense of performance or flexibility.

That said, the laptop only looks retro but the concept is actually quite forward-looking. The bezels around the screen, for example, are thin, something that would have been inconceivable in older laptops. The most notable feature, however, is the touch display on the right side of the keyboard that can be used for different purposes, depending on the situation. It can be a numeric keypad, a to-do list, or even a game to give your brain time to breathe after a long and intense coding marathon.

Despite trying to evoke retro aesthetics, this Lofree-inspired workstation is quite clean and minimalist so you won’t stand out from the crowd in a negative manner. Using the same PBT material for the keyboard would make the emulation more authentic, but it wouldn’t be practical for a laptop chassis that needs to be a bit more durable. It’s definitely an interesting design and one that will easily rise from a sea of black and white laptops that have flooded the market today.

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Handheld gaming console only plays pinball, comes with a retro analog twist

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Gaming handhelds are quite the hot item in tech these days, with the likes of the Nintendo Switch still selling strong and handheld PCs becoming more common. Of course, gaming devices you can hold in your hands are nothing new, even discounting how smartphones or even old “dumb” phones have been offering such an experience for years now. During the age of the “Game & Watch,” each handheld offered a single game and only a single game, making each one a collectible item as well as a toy. That might sound wasteful and impractical today, but such a dedicated device can spark a bit of nostalgia, especially if it’s a classic game that everyone knows and perhaps loves. Even better if it plays almost exactly like the original pinball, complete with a physical lever.

Designer: Giacomo Carlini

Almost everyone is familiar with pinball, even if only in concept or through movies. Just like arcades, the game is like a relic of the past, which makes it even better suited for a retro makeover. FlipOnGo is a concept that capitalizes on the nostalgia potential of the game but puts in a design that mixes the old and the new in interesting and unconventional ways. Yes, it’s a digital gaming handheld, and yes, you still need to pull that lever to start playing.

The device, which is only a little larger than a deck of cards, offers a classic game of pinball with the bells and whistles of a digital version. There are no real balls involved, and no mechanical paddles to flip. It has a large display, which shows a playing field and digital versions of flippers and bumpers. It also has a smaller display that shows the score, how many balls you have left, and the remaining battery.

To play the game, however, you will have to really give your fingers and hand an exercise. There’s a real lever hanging down the bottom of the console, and you have to pull the spring-loaded mechanism to “launch” the ball into play. Buttons near the top on each side of the device act as your paddle controls, though it’s uncertain how comfortable it will be to play the game this way.

The design of FlipOnGo is definitely intriguing, though it won’t be able to shake off doubts about the feasibility of such a device, especially with a lever that could become a source of mechanical failure after some time. It does, however, bring back a little of that joy and excitement when playing a classic pinball game, complete with that iconic lever, just miniaturized for portability.

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Astell&Kern SP3000T is a modern music player with retro vacuum tube amps

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It’s not unusual these days to see plenty of retro-themed designs and products, all trying to capitalize on the strong emotions that nostalgia can bring. Most of these simply slap on a facade that mimics the aesthetic from decades past, but some do try to also recreate the experience by using what would be considered vintage technology or components. Of course, it’s not enough to just use old-school technologies, they also need to be properly integrated into today’s features. That’s the kind of balance that Astell&Kern’s latest portable music player tries to deliver, bringing a modern device that not only looks retro on the outside but partly on the inside as well, blending the present and the past in perfect harmony.

Designer: Astell&Kern

It might come as a surprise in the age of smartphones, but there are still companies producing music-playing devices that do only that. It allows the brand to focus solely on perfecting the listening experience without having to worry about cameras, cellular networks, and apps. As far as those portable music players go, Astell&Kern’s existing SP3000 is already quite distinctive with its hard, faceted, and angular design, giving it an almost industrial aesthetic, especially with its stainless steel body and 99.9% pure silver plating.

The SP3000T, however, gives that design a retro twist by adding dual vacuum tube amplifiers on the back of the device. These aren’t just for show, though, as they actually function the way the tube amps did in the past, using modern techniques and materials, of course. The tubes bring not just an analog appearance but also an analog sound, delivering a unique audio quality that can be best described as warm and soothing, qualities that are difficult to achieve simply using digital sound.

What’s even more interesting is that listeners won’t have to choose between one or the other. Yes, the SP3000T lets you switch between these analog tube amplifiers and the digital op-amp mode, but there is also a third hybrid option that mixes the two together. What you get is a combination of the precision and high-resolution output of the digital amp mixed with the warm tonal qualities of the analog vacuum tubes.

The Astell&Kern SP3000T also carries the brand’s latest audio technologies, including a digital-to-analog converter that promises a complete separation of digital and analog signals for the cleanest sounds. It also has 8GB of memory, boasted to be the highest in digital audio players, for smoother operations. And, yes, it also has a touch display, almost like a smartphone, that lets you enjoy not only album art but also themes, adding a bit of joy to this retro-modern listening experience.

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Retro mechanical keyboards offer a tactile experience to inspire creativity

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We’ve all been there, staring at a blank page at a complete loss on how to get started on a written project. The dreaded writer’s block makes it feel like our brains are all dried up, but all it really needs is a little nudge to get the creative juices flowing again. That can sometimes come from a fidget toy or, more often than not, a favorite tool that stimulates our senses, especially our sense of touch. That’s the kind of experience that this retro-style keyboard wants to offer, presenting a modern keyboard that looks like a classic typewriter yet also has the elegance of a luxury item, giving both your eyes and your fingers a feast to get that brain running again.

Designer: AZIO

There’s actually no shortage of computer keyboards that lay claim to the title of “retro” or “classic, but many of them heaps on embellishment after embellishment to the point that the design becomes showy and distracting. The keyboards become more like decorative pieces to show off rather than functional tools to help you get the job done with as little friction as possible.

AZIO’s new collection of retro mechanical keyboards tries to strike the balance between minimalist design and detailed retro aesthetics. Inspired by the design of classic typewriters, it shaped the keys into concave circles encased in what looks like polished metal. The keys have a rather sizable gap between them, allowing the backlight underneath to shine through the spaces and give the keyboard a distinctive yet gentle glow.

The retro keyboard, however, goes beyond simply trying to mimic a typewriter. AZIO opted to use premium materials for both the frame as well as the surface of the keyboard itself, mixing aluminum with wood or leather. These materials are already a sight to behold, but their textures can also stimulate the skin. You don’t need to reach for a fidget toy or any other object when you can just glide your finger across the luxurious materials of the keyboard instead.

Of course, this is a mechanical keyboard, so it comes with all the benefits that this kind of device entails, from a solid, tactile typing experience to the satisfying clicky sounds that each key makes. The overall design is distinctive yet subtle, giving your eyes something nice to look at without taking your mind off the task at hand. It’s a tool that is a pleasure to see, touch, and use and doesn’t get in the way of you creating your next big writing masterpiece.

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GRiD Compass 80s computer is reborn in a retro-futuristic DIY laptop

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Computing history is filled not only with monumental machines that celebrate the achievement of human ingenuity but also with designs that look both alien and intriguing to our modern eyes. Of course, the computers of the past were designed to work within the limits of technology at that time, resulting in appearances that are simply out of this world yet oddly very desirable, at least as decorative pieces. The recent retro trend, however, is making these vintage designs actually useful by shoving modern-day components inside old shells, or at least a close facsimile of those old shells. Take for example one of the world’s first-ever laptops, recreated as an actual modern laptop that you can use, presuming you have the pieces and the patience to build it yourself.

Designer: Penk Chen

Launched in 1982, the Grid Compass (stylized by its creators as GRiD) is arguably one of the earliest predecessors of today’s laptops or at least the first to feature a clamshell design. The computer’s claim to fame was its use by NASA, particularly in the Space Shuttle program, as well as the US military. Its distinctive appearance, which is a large black box whose lid is only half the length of the box, became the template for many laptops that followed shortly.

The rasti.computer rides on the ongoing retro wave and brings back that historic laptop with a modern twist: you can actually use it for your everyday work, presuming you’re up to the challenge of building one yourself. The mainboard for this DIY project was gutted from a modular Framework 13 laptop, though you can also buy a fresh new one from the manufacturer. You’re also mostly assembling the laptop from scratch, including the specially-designed keyboard. Fortunately, all of this information is freely available, so you can collect all the needed pieces while waiting for the guide to drop.

Of course, the process will be quite involved, like many DIY projects tend to be. There will be plenty of 3D printed parts required, not to mention soldering electronics while you’re at it. And just like many DIY projects like this, the satisfaction of the final design is the reward itself.

It doesn’t hurt that you get an actually functional modern computer, thanks to the use of modern computer hardware. It’s going to be a weird experience, nonetheless, with a wide and short 10.4-inch 1600×720 LCD screen and a rather bulky rear. It will definitely make you the center of attraction wherever you go, presuming you’d want to take this outside at all. It might even become a homing beacon to other computing history and tech enthusiasts who are interested in seeing what our ancestors would have experienced in using such a laptop design.

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Suzuki Omnichord is back to offer a fun and interesting way to make music

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When you think of musical instruments, you will probably first think of things like pianos and guitars. Electronic musical instruments, on the other hand, conjure up images of keyboards, electric guitars, and complicated synthesizers. Suzuki’s Omnichord, on the other hand, is an odd yet curious duck that stands somewhere in between these two extremes. First launched in 1981, this electronic device empowered anyone to make music or accompany a song even without previous musical experience or even reading notes. The Omnichord’s distinctive electronic sounds and novel design made it quite a hit, but the product faded into obscurity back in 1996. To commemorate its upcoming 40th anniversary, Suzuki decided to give today’s generation a taste of that unique experience with a new model that recreates the original so faithfully down to using the same analog circuits.

Designer: Suzuki

Imagine just pressing a few buttons and sliding your finger on a flat surface and then suddenly producing wonderful music. That’s pretty much the experience that the Suzuki Omnichord offered, presenting people, whether musically trained or not, the joys of creating music with ease and freedom. There are no wrong notes, just new harmonies and beats to be discovered and incorporated into your masterpiece. It’s like an adventure for novices but also a new territory for veterans who want to add a unique flavor to their music.

The new Suzuki Omnichord OM-108 tries to bring that 80s experience to the 21st century, reproducing the tonality that characterized that period while also adding modern features that cater to today’s more demanding audience. To accurately recreate the same tones of the OM-84, perhaps the most popular Omnichord ever released, Suzuki opted to go completely old school and apply the same analog circuitry that gave the original its distinctive electronic sounds. It also has that popular harp sensor or strumplate that lets you easily slide or tap your finger to produce the “notes” that will make up your music.

The new OM-108 model boasts 108 chords, hence the name, as well as many new functions, like a switch that changes the way chords and rhythms are played. There’s also a drum pad mode that turns the chord keys as well as the sturmplate itself into beats. And like with many modern electronic musical instruments, you can connect the Omnichord to external MIDI devices to mix tones to your heart’s delight. Plus, the built-in speaker can be turned on or off when you connect an external speaker, useful when you want to monitor your own sound during a live performance.

The Suzuki Omnichord OM-108 may look like a toy, but the unique sounds it lets you produce are pure joy, at least to fans of the electronica genre. Its revival coincides with the retro craze gripping many industries and is a perfect example of a design that manages to remain relevant decades after its last appearance. That said, you’ll have to wait a bit before you can get your hands on the newest Omnichord, as sales aren’t expected to start until July, with the price and market availability still unknown.

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