In addition to its obvious simplicity, the Kotaska replica boasts strange retro features like "paper" and a rare Shinshu Seiki Model-102 drum printer. The firmware is old school too, having been extracted from the original Busicom ROM. Be sure to read the narrative about this classic gadget of yesteryear in the link for more on its history. You might learn something.

Curious about building your own? Have a nostalgic itch for the days when you couldn't hit the widget button on your laptop and have a calculator pop up instantaneously on screen? Kotaska has you covered, my friends, with the schematics for this rare recreation, as well as the original source code.

There's a few more schematics where that came from, if that's your sort of thing. [4004 via Slashdot]

HP Pavilion 15.4" Laptop (Intel DualCore T3200, 2GB, 160GB HD, Vista Home) - $399.99

Olympus 8 Mega Pixel Digital Camera - $99.99

Samsung 8 Mega Pixel Digital Camera - $79.99

SanDisk 4GB SDHC Memory Card - $12.99

SanDisk 8GB SDHC Memory Card - $19.99

SanDisk 1GB MP3 Player Express with FM Tuner - $16.99

Sony 30GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder with Bag & Extra Battery - $349.99

Samsung 42" 720p Plasma HDTV - $699.99

Samsung 46" 1080p LCD HDTV - $1099.99

Toshiba 32" 720p LCD HDTV - $449.99

There will also be lots of deals on DVDs and video games, so hit up the link for the full list of Black Friday deals at Circuit City. [Probargains]

The “Neon Lamp” my look like lighting from space, but for designer Lucia Mrvíková its inspiration is actually a lot closer to home. Nostalgic for a childhood filled with memories of laboratories and white coats, the Neon Lamp is made entirely from lab equipment. The color is determined by the gas used, and by properties of the reaction, the lamp casts no shadow. Personally this reminds me of long winded chemistry classes with even longer chemical equations, but I still want one.

Its all about the package with the “Picnic ‘n’ Party”, by Slovak designer Klara Zavadilova. This disposable cutlery set is based around a colored and patterned napkin, which is both the aesthetic and functional centerpiece of the design. Each piece of the set is made from clear plastic, and has a hollow handle in which the napkin is rolled up and inserted.

“Adventures of A Little Deer” combines traditional Slovak embroidery with modern cartoon graphics to create a playful collection of homewares with a twist. Instead of the traditional textiles associated with arts and crafts, designer Sylvia Jokelová has brought embroidery kicking and screaming into the modern era with fibreglass and plastics.

The “Neon Lamp” my look like lighting from space, but for designer Lucia Mrvíková its inspiration is actually a lot closer to home. Nostalgic for a childhood filled with memories of laboratories and white coats, the Neon Lamp is made entirely from lab equipment. The color is determined by the gas used, and by properties of the reaction, the lamp casts virtually no shadow. Personally this reminds me of long winded chemistry classes with even longer chemical equations, but I still want one.

Its all about the package with the “Picnic ‘n’ Party”, by Slovak designer Klara Zavadilova. This disposable cutlery set is based around a colored and patterned napkin, which is both the aesthetic and functional centerpiece of the design. Each piece of the set is made from clear plastic, and has a hollow handle in which the napkin is rolled up and inserted.

“Adventures of A Little Deer” combines traditional Slovak embroidery with modern cartoon graphics to create a playful collection of homewares with a twist. Instead of the traditional textiles associated with arts and crafts, designer Sylvia Jokelová has brought embroidery kicking and screaming into the modern era with fibreglass and plastics.

Legacy Entertainment wants to bring back a nostalgic tear to our eye with its classic controller that at first glance could be mistaken for an Atari 2600 joystick. This gaming peripheral does not talk nice to such ancient consoles though, as it was specially built to cater to Windows, OS X and Linux platforms. Connected via USB, Legacy Entertainment is so bold as to claim that it is able to function with just about any emulator, allowing you to get your 1980s video game fix in the most authentic manner possible. All that's missing is the stale cigarette smoke smell in your room.

Add a comment | From: Legacy Entertainment Classic Controller | Visit Ubergizmo | Good deals

The much maligned second generation Chevy Camaro just might be cool again. It was introduced in 1970 and remained in production for a bone-jarring 11 years. While some possessed angry 454 cubic inch V-8 big blocks, the Camaro's weight gradually increased over the years and its engine displacement shrank -- just like many of us.

As the 1980s wore on, old Camaros increasingly became the butt of jokes until they were handed over to a final generation of grunge kids before vanishing from the road at alarming speed. And now, 27 years since they ceased production, they're suddenly desirable again.

Mister Jalopy of Dinosaurs & Robots fame bought this particular car in 2007 with the intent of doing a little work and flipping it. Over a year later, it's still part of his stable.

He recently explained its peculiar charm "Though the Camaro is considerably more solid than I found it, there are certainly still Easter eggs to be found. For example, there is a terrific example of farmyard welding to patch the exhaust system. With ample MIG wire still remaining at the site of the repair, the hole is mostly closed with just enough of a leak to produce a satisfying growl. The effect is particularly effective while driving through a tunnel - heavy on the gas with the V-8 roar echoing off the walls until you are bearing down on a hapless Hyundai only to lift off the gas to produce an epic backfire amplified by the close quarters. People get out of the way, I assure you."

I can only imagine the looks of contempt this chunk of automotive history gets as it pulls up beside a foofy gas-sipping hybrid at a traffic light. And -- sadly -- it's probably the greener option, since the environmental damage done through its manufacture is long forgotten in the mists of time. Besides, I doubt they make fuzzy leopardskin print seat covers for a Prius (please don't prove me wrong, dear readers).

It makes me wonder. Thirty years from now, which of today's mass market cars will be sought after by nostalgic backyard mechanics?

Some Expenses Spared [Hoopty Rides]

Oh, Star Trek. What happened to you? You used to be so good. TOS was badass for what it was, TNG was excellent after the first few seasons, and eventually DS9 was pretty good. And then Voyager had a decent episode or two. And then there was that other one that nobody watched because we were all too busy watching better shows like Firefly and BSG. And the movies? Except for “nuclear wessles” and “KHAAAAAAN” they’re pretty mediocre too. So let’s just say I haven’t been especially excited for the latest Star Trek movie. I mean, Star Trek is about the future, right? Why would I be interested in seeing a Star Trek prequel?

Here’s why:

This is the USS Enterprise NCC 1701, as reimagined (or something) by JJ Abrams for the upcoming Star Trek movie. Seriously, I was expecting a total trainwreck, but she looks pretty good, doesn’t she? Call me nostalgic, but it might (might) be worth forking over the $14 or whatever to catch this in a theater on May 8th of next year.

[ EW ] VIA [ Gizmodo ]

T-Mobile G1 with full QWERTY keyboard

The T-Mobile G1 is made by HTC. We’ve been closely following HTC’s rise to fame as the premier Windows Mobile smartphone manufacturer on the planet. HTC makes some seriously high-quality hardware that never fails to impress us - with solid build quality and a penchant for the high-tech, HTC devices deliver on sensory and practical aspects. As such, we expected the HTC-made T-Mobile G1 to be a robust handset packed with the latest mobile technology.

Did the T-Mobile G1 live up to the high standards that we’ve set for HTC smartphones?

Keep reading to find out.

T-Mobile G1

By T-Mobile ($179.99)

Overall - 4/5 stars

Specifications:

• 3.2-inch touchscreen @ 320 x 480 (HVGA) resolution
• Qualcomm MSM7210A running @ 528 MHz
• 256MB ROM / 192MB RAM
• Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900Mhz) GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• Dual-band (1700/2100Mhz) UMTS/HSDPA (3G)
  • Full HSPA support - 7.2Mbps HSDPA (downstream) and 2Mbps HSUPA (upstream)
• 3-megapixel camera with photo-sharing (geo-tagging) capabilities
• WiFi 802.11 b/g
• GPS
• Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
• myFaves-enabled
• Voice recognition, voice dialing and speakerphone
• Hinged touch screen that slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard

Pros:

• 3G data connection for high-speed wireless data service
• Push Gmail with automatic Google Calendar and Google Contacts synchronization
• Speedy user interface with little lag and seamless application switching
• Capacitance-based glass touchscreen (like the iPhone 3G, but without multi-touch capability)
• Full QWERTY keyboard
• Large 3.2-inch display @ 320×480 resolution
• Convenient trackball
• Full-HTML web browser
• Google Maps with Street View and Compass Mode
• WiFi
• GPS

Cons:

• Lack of on-screen virtual keyboard
• Slightly loud “slide-kick”
• Battery life
• Weak keyboard backlight
• Less than stellar indoor 3G reception

Verdict:

The T-Mobile G1 represents the first in what will likely be a long line of full-featured smartphones powered by Google’s Linux-based Android OS. As such, the T-Mobile G1 makes a big splash in an already-crowded pool of smartphone competitors. With its laundry list of features that include a GPS receiver, a WiFi radio, 3G data connection, 3.2 megapixel camera, and capacitance-based 3.2-inch touchscreen, the T-Mobile G1 is a powerhouse of a smartphone.

But, as the first-ever Android handset, the T-Mobile G1 does have a couple niggling downsides.

Keep reading for our in-depth review of the T-Mobile G1 and the Android OS experience.

Packaging

Let’s start from the beginning.

As with many high-end devices these days, the T-Mobile G1 comes packaged in an sleek and functional box that opens to reveal the G1 nestled securely within a foam cradle. Lift the cradle and you find all the accessories and documentation that you’d expect to accompany a new cellphone.

There isn’t too much to say about the T-Mobile G1’s box, but it sure is one pretty box.

Setup / Out-of-box functionality

The T-Mobile G1 requires none of the activation procedures that the iPhone and iPhone 3G require. Setup is as simple as taking your T-Mobile G1 out of the aforementioned box, turning on said G1, and entering your Gmail account information.

Entering your Gmail email address and password allows the T-Mobile G1 to synchronize all your Google Mail, Contacts, and Calendar to your Android OS mail client, addres book, and calendar. The T-Mobile G1 really emphasizes its Google-roots through its Gmail integration and hassle-free setup procedure.

Within minutes of turning on the T-Mobile G1, a little email notification icon popped up in the upper left corner, letting me know that I had just received my first Gmail email. The new Gmail email was “pushed” to the G1, so it was evident that this new email was no older than a coupe seconds (at most).

Sending the inaugural text message was just as easy as setting up the T-Mobile G1. Thanks to the Google-synchronizing feature, the G1 was already populated with a full contacts list. As long as you synchronize your Address Book with Google Contacts before turning on your T-Mobile G1 for the first time, you’ll find all your contacts conveniently pushed to your G1.

Needless to say, setting up the T-Mobile G1 was no harder than logging in to a Gmail account - literally.

Design and Phone Calls…..

Design

The T-Mobile G1 is made by our favorite Windows Mobile smartphone manufacturer, HTC. Known as High Tech Computers, HTC has made name for itself as the premier WinMo device maker in the world. You’ve likely used a Windows Mobile smartphone made by HTC in the past without knowing that HTC actually manufactured the handset. The G1 bears only two telltale clues of HTC’s hand in its creation - one logo along the display’s bezel and one logo adorning the battery.

HTC knows what they’re doing with smartphones, and they’re expertise really shows through on the T-Mobile G1. The touchscreen is sublime (more on that later). The keyboard provides great feedback and is easy to use (more, later). The trackball is a welcome change from the ubiquitous direction pad (D-pad). The soft-touch finish on the battery cover gives the G1 a refined in-hand feel.

Thanks to the huge 3.5-inch touchscreen and hard keyboard, the G1 is a bit bulkier than we had expected. It’s not going to have the model-esque waistline of the HTC Touch Diamond, but we expected the G1 to feel a bit slimmer. That’s not to say that the T-Mobile G1 is huge or feels like a bloated monster. Rather, the T-Mobile G1 is well-balanced and feels solid. Were it to shave a couple millimeters off its profile, we wouldn’t protest.

The camera shutter and volume buttons are perfectly placed and work best for left-handers or right-handers that use the G1 in their left hand. When held in portrait orientation in the left hand, the G1’s volume controls are easily within reach of the left-thumb. For taking pictures in landscape orientation, the camera shutter button is perfectly placed for your right index finger.

A USB port dominates the lower-edge of the G1 and allows for easy charging and data transfers. The microSD card slot is a little harder to get at - you’ll have to flip open the display to get at the card slot.

The “chin.” That little slightly-bent portion of the G1 that houses the trackball and navigation buttons is a polarizing design element to say the least. Some will say that it kills the G1’s smooth lines. Others will praise the jutting “chin” for its ergonomic value and unique aesthetic. You’ll just have to make up your own mind…

Phone calls

After all, this is a mobile phone made for making phone calls.

Call quality is superb. You won’t have any problems with your listener not being able to understand your muffled or garbled speech. Calls come through nice and clear on the T-Mobile G1, making for a good “phone call experience.”

The phone, or “Dialer,” application is accessed via the “Call” button, the homescreen, or the applications menu. Whichever method you choose to fire up the phone dialer app, you’ll be off and calling in under four button clicks.

And, remember, all your contacts are automatically synchronized to the G1’s address book. No hassle, no fuss.

Email and Messaging…..

Email

Push Gmail

As you are probably already aware, the T-Mobile G1 features Push Gmail. As mentioned above, the G1 only asks that you enter your Gmail login credentials in order to setup your device to accept push Gmail emails.

The Push Gmail feature, as many BlackBerry Email and Microsoft Exchange users will likely attest to, is invaluable for staying on top of all your important emails. Even if you don’t rely on time-sensitive emails, it’s nice to have emails pushed directly to you handset without having to affect an email update (as with POP3 and IMAP email solutions).

Other email

Setting up other email accounts is just a matter of entering your email address and your password. The Android OS email client automatically configures your email account (downloading your Inbox with folder structure intact) and should be up and running in no time.

Push Gmail seems to only work with the main Gmail account, additional Gmail email accounts don’t have push functionality enabled.

Full-HTML emails are fully supported and parsed quickly. You won’t have to wait to load images (especially over the 3G connection) in your emails allowing you to enjoy HTML formatted emails.

Messaging

Text messages are easy to send. The “Messaging” application threads SMS text message conversations, which is a huge plus for heavy texters. You can manage your text messages as conversations between contacts, and even send out mass messages to your entire contacts list (again, automatically synchronized with Google Contacts).

Google Maps, YouTube, Web Browser…..

Google Maps, YouTube, Web Browser

Google Maps

The Google Maps application has garnered some serious media hype since the HTC Dream was demonstrated with Google Maps Street View. Google Maps features functionality on-par with the desktop version of Google Maps, which says a lot. And, with the ability to zoom into street-level views with the Street View feature’s Compass Mode, Google Maps becomes an indispensable app. Compass Mode allows you to pan around the Street View window through G1 movements, as if the G1 was a window into Street View - it  works by measuring directional-data from the G1’s integrated compass and accelerometers to detect which direction you are facing.

YouTube

The YouTube application brings the world of mobile-optimized YouTube videos to the T-Mobile G1. There are a lot of mobile optimized YouTube videos available from YouTube, but there are some less-popular videos that fail to make the cut. So, don’t go expecting to access all of YouTube video library on your G1, but chances are good that the video your friend is raving about is available right now on the G1.

Web Browser

The iPhone Safari browser, Opera Mobile/Mini, and the Android Web Browser are easily the three best mobile web browsers on the planet (as far as touch-based devices are concerned). With the Android web browser, webpages are rendered in their full HTML-glory. That means you see the webpage as it looks on the desktop.

Panning around webpage is a simple matter of dragging your finger around the screen. Zooming in and out is accomplished via the “+” and “-” zoom buttons - a little less intuitive and sleek than the iPhone Safari’s double-tap zoom method, but workable, nonetheless.

Scrolling through webpages is a joy, thanks to the Android OS’s smooth page rendering capabilities and the smooth capacitance-touchscreen. Just flick your finger across the screen and the webpage scrolls down smoothly proportionately to the speed of your “flick.”

Touchscreen and QWERTY Keyboard….

Touchscreen

There’s nothing like a squishy touchscreen to ruin your smartphone experience. Pressure-based touchscreens have been in use for more years than we care to count, and we couldn’t be more pleased to see resistive-based touchscreens going the way of the IR port (although, we do get nostalgic for IR functionality).

The T-Mobile G1 sports the superior capacitance-based touchscreen technology that was made so popular in Apple’s iPhone and iPhone 3G. Sadly, multi-touch functionality is missing from the G1’s touchscreen, but the solid, glass touchscreen adorning the G1’s front face is plenty nice. And, with a generous 3.5-inches of real estate, the G1 touchscreen is a pleasure to use.

Make sure to remove the protective film covering the touchscreen surface prior to powering-on your G1. We know some of you obsessive smartphone enthusiasts like to leave plastic films on your device as long as possible, but you just can’t get a feel for the G1’s smooth touchscreen surface with all that plastic in the way. If you’re worried about screen scratches, just know that the all-glass display is much more resistant to scratches than plastic, pressure-based (resistive) touchscreens.

QWERTY keyboard

Ahh, yes. The slide-out keyboard. For some, a physical keyboard is a necessity that makes or breaks the decision to buy a smartphone. For others, an on-screen keyboard will do just fine.

The T-Mobile G1 caters to fans from the gotta-have-a-hard-keyboard camp. With a flick of the fingers affecting a smooth “snick” of the slider mechanism, the T-Mobile G1 opens up to reveal the comfortably sized and ergonomically laid-out keyboard. The screen flips-out along an arcing pathway, distinguishing this QWERTY slider from almost every other keyboard-toting smartphone currently available.

Unfortunately, the G1’s hard keyboard does have an issue with backlight intensity. The keyboard backlight just isn’t strong enough for normal use. Granted, the presence of a backlight is definitely a good thing, but the weak backlight makes it near impossible to see the keys in dim lighting conditions - where there isn’t enough ambient light to make out the letters, but still enough light to overwhelm the keyboard backlight. To make matter worse, the bright screen tends to overpower the keyboard backlight.

At this time, the T-Mobile G1 doesn’t offer an on-screen virtual keyboard. The absence of a touchscreen keyboard takes away from the G1’s appeal as a hassle-free handset. Without the ability to enter short, simple text/character input via the touchscreen, G1 users will find themselves flicking the screen to get at the QWERTY keyboard quite often.

Thankfully, all other features and functions on the G1 (those that don’t specifically require text inputs - like Google searches, text messages, calendar entries, etc.) can be easily accessed via touchscreen finger-inputs and the trackball.

Android OS and Android Market…..

Android OS

T-Mobile G1 in its closed, portrait orientation

Android OS offers an intuitive interface and makes use of eye-catching effects and icons. The UI doesn’t measure up to the iPhone OS (which is arguably king of the usability-hill), but it gives the iPhone OS a good run for its money. The lack of a soft-keyboard (on-screen, virtual keyboard) is a perfect example of the Android OS’s unfinished feel.

Some will claim that Android isn’t as polished or refined as it could be, but those pundits are just comparing the Android OS to its touchscreen competition. On its own, Android is a great platform that has huge potential. Unhindered by the kind of “walled garden” approach that Apple uses to control the user experience, Android offers developers and consumer the flexibility to do with their Android device as they see fit (within reason). Sure, Android OS is missing features like the soft-keyboard, but that will be fixed in time - and then Android will truely shine.

Android Market

You Gmail account is the key that opens the doors to the Android Market. A quick peep at the G1/Android gallery at the bottom of this post will show that the Android Market is quite reminescent of the Apple iPhone AppStore. In the Android Market you’ll find all manner of applications that will add functionality and “fun” to your G1 - and best of all, they’re all FREE (for now).

The Android Market highlights featured applications along the top and allows you to browse for applications by category. There aren’t as many Android applications available for the T-Mobile G1 as of yet, but as the G1 gains a stronger foothold in the mobile world, we’ll see more Android apps hitting the Android Market - premium application offerings will also drive Android app growth.

Overall…..

Overall - 4/5 stars

Overall, the T-Mobile G1 is an impressive first-run device. There are issues with the backlight, the missing soft-keyboard, and weak battery. But, what device doesn’t have its downfalls? Battery life isn’t the best, but a full day of heavy use is about the same uptime that we get with your iPhone 3G. The backlight isn’t that strong, but it’s definitely helpful in some situations. And, the 3G connection does falter when indoors, but the EDGE data connection and WiFi radio ensure that you’ll have more than enough bandwidth for your needs.

In the end, it’s a testament to the G1’s prowess that we ding the handset for weak keyboard backlights and a missing on-screen keyboard.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• 3 Reasons Why Nokia’s N95 Is NOT A Smartphone - It’s Not Replacing MY Smartphone
• More Google Phone Concepts
• T-Mobile goes live with T-Mobile G1 web portal
• Gmail goes IMAP!
• T-Mobile G1 is live - HTC “Dream” becomes T-Mobile reality, ushers in Android OS!

The launch was flawless. Forty-one years ago to the day, the Saturn V became the biggest, tallest, largest-payload rocket ever to be sent into space. Even more amazingly, it still is.

If you talk about the Moon landings, some people remember Armstrong and Aldrin landing on the moon, and may think of the photo of that famous footprint, or the planting of the flag. I choose to remember the rocket that enabled it all, the Saturn V, a pretty shocking mechanical masterpiece all by itself.

Nearly everything about it is monumental in scale and historic in importance:

• At 364 feet high, it was roughly as tall as a 36-story building.

• Its launch weight of 6.7 million pounds was equal to about 2,200 average late '60s cars.

• Its orbital payload of 260,000 pounds is the equivalent of about 1,500 average people.

It was designed under the supervision of the rocket man, Wernher von Braun, and was chosen in 1963 from a list of potential systems proposed to make good President Kennedy's promise that a man would visit the moon within a decade.

The rocket was so very large that it required NASA to build the Vertical Assembly Building, one of the world's largest buildings. It had to be constructed in three stages, could hold four Saturn Vs at the same time, and was reportedly so large that it had its own weather systems. It's still used to put Space Shuttle stacks together, and will house the upcoming Ares series rockets too. It's also home to the four largest doors in the world.

The Saturn V's first-stage rockets—five F1s made by Rocketdyne—are the most powerful single-nozzle liquid fueled rocket engines ever to see service. The engine bell for each was over 12 feet across. Each engine developed 1.5 million pounds of thrust, drinking over 670 gallons of fuel mixture per second: That's enough to empty your typical 30,000-gallon swimming pool in around 45 seconds. The F1 even makes the more modern Shuttle seem wimpy, since each F1 had more thrust than all three Shuttle main engines combined.

Its second-stage rockets—five J2s, also by Rocketdyne—were the largest liquid-hydrogen rocket engines in their day, and remained so until the Space Shuttle's main engines were built. The J2s were also the first rocket engines that were able to restart in mid-flight.

In comparison, America's first manned rocket, the Redstone, was about the same length as the final stage of the Saturn V. Redstone was actually less powerful than the emergency escape rockets on the manned capsule atop the Saturn V. (I suppose it's important to note, too, that those escape rockets never had to be used.) And Redstone's maiden liftoff was only 14 years before the Saturn V's, which shows the tremendous speed of NASA's rocket program in the '50s and '60s.

Here's a great comparison chart of the world's biggest and best rockets:

Even the Space Shuttle, deemed by some the most complex machine humans have yet built, doesn't compare to the Saturn V. And if you're wondering what the unlabeled black rocket in the middle is, it's Saturn V's, the Soviet N1 moon-shot rocket. This had four attempted launches, none successful. Part of this was due to lack of management and funding, but part had to do with its incredibly complex first-stage design, which required the synchronized firing of 30 separate rocket engines.

Perhaps most amazing of all facts about the Saturn V is that each of its 12 main Saturn V launches was successful. Two of them suffered in-flight problems including engine cutoffs, but the on-board computers were able to compensate, resulting in a successful mission. The rocket was even considered at one point to act as a prototype for the first stage of the Space shuttle, thereby requiring no solid-rocket boosters. If that had happened, the 1986 disaster that befell Challenger would never have happened.

There were also plans for several post-Saturn V projects on the drawing boards. The best was a super-massive variant with eight engines in each of the first two stages, capable of launching all the International Space-Station hardware to orbit in one shot. Sadly, for political and financial reasons, all variants were canceled.

Today, there are other contenders as NASA suits up for the next moon shot. Though not as tall as its predecessor, the massive Ares V rocket, child of NASA's somewhat troubled Constellation program, is technically able to put 414,000 pounds of payload into low Earth orbit.

But until the Ares V flies, the Saturn V remains king of rockets. Call me overly nostalgic (or pessimistic, seeing as Ares is well underway), but I'm inclined to think the Saturn V may well keep that title forever.