Technologically-Repurposed Vintage Objects

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  Layne Braunstein

  6 years ago

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  I think you guys are missing the magic of this; partlyI think because this article is geared more towards these products and not what they were made for. This isn't about social media or just cause we can. It's the feeling you got when you first saw a DeLorean converted into a time machine. It's about the story of these objects being made for a cross-country adventure. Here is a real example:
  
  
  There was an 80 year old man that was very into antiques on the train in Barstow. He had never used social media. But more importantly, was a loner. He sat down on the typewriter and sent his first message out. Within moments, he had hundreds of responses. I have never seen someone light up light that. But more importantly- he was the only one that really new how to work the typewriter at all- hah.
  
  
  Old tech like that is going to get lost soon to dust in the back of a museum basement. I for one and fine putting a micro-controller in them, if it will keep them in the hands of old and young creators- and out of the dust.

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  reboots

  6 years ago

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  Typewriters once facilitated lengthy works of knowledge and literature, sometimes thousand-page manuscripts; it's sadly ironic that a current technological medium constrains this one to 140 character messages.
  
  On the other hand, while I'm distressed to see Bolex engineering gutted for this project, I remember waiting days or weeks for 8mm film to be developed. The ability to instantly capture and distribute to the masses is wondrous, even through filters aping operator error.
  

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  Donald Rice II

  6 years ago

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  I don't like this. What makes old technology great is that it is not connected to current trends, hence that it's 'vintage'.
  Repurposing technology is an interesting concept, but do we really need a typewriter that types messages to twitter? I can imagine that a majority of the messages coming out of the typewriter would be "Lol k I'm typing this on a typewriter", which, I mean, how many times can you post a status like that before it just get's old (Which in itself is ironic, considering that the technology being used to make it would be old itself).
  
  We don't need another set of objects that can connect us to the 'cloud' of social media; I'm sort of sad they didn't take these items and try to re-purpose them in a more beneficial way.
  It seems like a waste to make objects that connect to trending Social media - especially such social media that will (probably) not hold up to face-book in the future, at worst, and at best, be something people do to mindlessly gobble up their time.
  The only 'project' here that really makes sense is the Soundcloud guitar, but even that itself seems like playful technology, instead of serious technology. I'm going to hate it if things like this get's mass produced and I'm just going to start hearing guitar rifts populate the site that's meant for full length edited and mixed songs.
  
  That being said, I could be just a internet troll who has way too much time;
  These are Good ideas, I just think that the technology and time putting into these ideas kill it for me. Old Tech is old Tech for a reason - It was beaten out by new tech that has new aesthetics, functions, and does things better then what old tech does. It just seems terribly mauling of the old Tech that People collect for the reasons of connecting to the past.
  
  Phone: "Man I just made this awesome typewriter that connects to Twitter!"
  Typewriter: "SEE, I'm using it Right now!"
  
  But I guess people do things just because they can, all the time.

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