Tag: #retrotech

Tech Review – Edifier MP230 bluetooth speaker

The latest speaker from Edifier the M230/MP230 may look old, indeed it is a throwback to 50s and 60s with a wooden finish that looks really cool and not only that the finish is robust and clean and it is in fact made with MDF. At first glance you may also notice the keys are again a throwback with a piano key design which works really well and once more these keys work flawlessly and look cool.

I have a house full of speakers and a surround system but since this little speaker came into the house everyone will not leave it alone, they pick it up ask me about it then I tell them and once the sound is turned on they are amazed at the punch it gives and in short for now has made my more expensive home set-up redundant. Most of my friends and family are not really tech adopters that is until they come into my place and this little speaker has garnered more attention than anything else here that is worth ten times the value so this for me makes an interesting point.

Retro products have been on the comeback for years and there is plenty out there but having said that most is cheap tacky looking stuff made with plastic and stickers whereas this aint it is a superbly built and finished product with all the features you require in a speaker.

On the rear of the speaker is the ports and not only that it can take and SD card too so if you have one with music on it you are laughing, I do but also use my phone to connect via bluetooth and the sound is just the same and when it comes to sound prepare to be amazed. For those who enjoy speakers some will know how a product is finished and the materials it is made from does make a difference.

The keys on the front are a joy to use where you have all your controls simply laid out, you can play/pause skip/reverse tracks here and swap modes and also take your calls on it if you desire to do so.

When it comes to sound it sounds great cutting it short the bass is excellent so for bass fans this is for you, highs lows and mids are there and for all music genres this covers it all and the sound is not confined to one spot like some speakers it circulates a large area and easily fills a large room and is ideal for your back garden or bringing to a picnic for example you will not be disappointed either way on the audio experience

Main Features:

  • Stereo acoustic system composed of two 48mm full-range drivers and integrated large double passive radiator
  • MDF wooden enclosure reduces acoustic resonance
  • 2600mAh large battery capacity supports up to 16 hours of music playback under Bluetooth connection
  • Class-D digital amplifier with 10W+10W RMS power output
  • Bluetooth V5.0 ensures stable connection
  • Multiple inputs: AUX, sound card and TF card
  • Retro design with easy button control

BUY

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Could You be Sitting on a Gadget Goldmine? #Tech #Gadgets #CurrysPcWorld

Adjusting to the ‘new normal’ can be easier said than done and looking back at the good old days can be a nice reprieve from the realities of the pandemic. The past is very present in our culture, including in the TV shows we watch (such as Stranger Things and Hollywood), memorabilia we keep hold of from way back when, and the resurfacing of “Throwback Thursday” photos. It is clear we are a nostalgic nation.

A recent study by Currys PC World sent to us surveyed 2042 UK residents to unearth why the nation loves to reminisce on days gone by. From what decade we miss the most and how nostalgia makes us feel, to who yearns for the past the most, we reveal it all. Like me there is many collectors out there and I have one of the biggest collection of NOKIA devices in Europe and have other collectibles in mobile phones too but you could have something worth a few quid in your drawer and perhaps now might be a time to check, let us know what you have.

 

 

Old is the new “new”: Nostalgia can be your next side hustle 

Even in today’s digital age, vintage gadgets can remind us of a time when life was as simple as the technology in our phones, games consoles, and music devices. And thanks to this nostalgia, you can make money selling vintage technology, on the basis they are in working condition. When it comes to buying vintage gadgets, people are willing to spend more money on older generations of phones (34%), followed by music devices (32%) and gaming consoles (21%).

Those old mobiles sitting in your drawer gathering dust may also be gathering interest. Currys PC World looked at some of the classic mobile phones and found that the Motorola DynaTac has increased in value by 147% between 1983 and 2020. The original iPhone has also appreciated in value by 264% between 2003 and 2020. We wanted to know who is willing to pay the most for vintage gadgets and here’s what was found:

·         Over a fifth (21%) of top-tier earners are willing to pay more money for vintage record players than the latest technology

·         Women are willing to pay more (30%) for mid-generation phones than men (27%)

·         28% of mid-tier earners sell their items on to make more money

·         Over 1 in 10 people are willing to spend more money on mid-generation games consoles than the latest technology

·         35% of people aged 55+ are willing to pay out for mid-generation phones

The most nostalgic city in the U.K.  

The nation is full of idiosyncrasies and it turns out that opinions on nostalgia are no different, as how we reminisce differs from city to city across Britain. Londoners love the most up-to-date games consoles (33%) and are willing to pay a higher price for it. Whereas Bristol, Birmingham and Plymouth (13%) are willing to spend more on vintage games consoles. When it comes to the most missed decades, Belfast longs for the 80s the most (47%) but Leeds (30%) and Liverpool (38%) miss the 60s the most. Sheffield residents miss the 90s (26%)– the decade that Spice Girls found international stardom – the most.

·         Norwich residents are the most nostalgic in the U.K. (59%)

·         Newcastle residents are the least nostalgic (11%)

·         Southampton residents get the most stressed when thinking about the past (8%)

·         Plymouth is a city of technology hoarders, as 43% keep their vintage technology

·         30% of Edinburgh residents give their technology away

The battle of the sexes: Women are more nostalgic than men  

Reminiscing is a very personal experience and impacts some people more so than others. There are all sorts of things that can trigger nostalgia and bring on a whole host of emotions too. According to the research, it turns out that vintage games consoles are three times (14%) more likely to trigger nostalgia in men than women (4%), which could explain why they are almost twice as likely (12%) to buy them than women. Music, films and chatting to family are most likely to trigger feelings of nostalgia in women.

·         Music triggers nostalgia in women (60%) more than men (50%)

·         Men (6%) feel more stressed than women when reminiscing (3%)

·         Men are twice as likely (14%) to see nostalgia as an avoidance of the present than women (7%)

More information on the study can be found here: https://techtalk.currys.co.uk/gadgets/mobile-phones/nostalgia-why-britain-loves-to-look-back/

Methodology

Survey data was collected through Censuswide with 2042 participants across the U.K. All mobile phone value data was based on the original retail price and the highest asking price for a working model on eBay (25/05/2020). Mobile retail price data was sourced from:

·         https://www.knowyourmobile.com/phones/the-history-of-mobile-phones-from-1973-to-2008-the-handsets-that-made-it-all-happen-d58/

·         https://www.oldest.org/technology/cell-phones/

·         https://qz.com/1450916/how-much-every-apple-iphone-costs-today/

Whether it’s because of the music, the fashion or the simpler technology, looking back to a bygone era is a popular pastime for the nation. With the right SIM-free phone, it’s easy to enjoy the simplicity of the past without getting lockdown with expensive contracts.

Retro Tech Review – The Groov-e Personal Cassette Player & Recorder with Radio #Tech #Groove

Retro Tech is cool and for most people in a certain age bracket today will appreciate it and I fit into this demographic. When the walkman was a thing I had the best there was and spent sill money on them before the cd walkman came out and repeat the same.

This is made of plastic and is cheap and an ideal gift to buy or just have for yourself and it does everything as they did back in the day and just check out all the buttons on it which again fucntion as normal. You have play/pause/stop/FF/REW and yes you can record.

We also get an AM/FM radio thrown in an works just as remembered turning that dial til you hear a station tune in,no presets here lads. You also have a belt clip if you wear a belt that is and you can slap it on the side and look like what millions of us around the world did years ago..  You can also power it by either battery or micro USB which is a bonus.

How does it sound Well given we have moved on and can get all this on our smartphones now it is pretty decent for the price and the heaphones with it too, not the best in the world but good enough to listen too and the music is good too with a good tape,due to copyright issues I could not use much but listen in the review and tell us what you think.. Overall it is a cool retro tech piece and even for modern day tech geeks it will be interesting for them to check out what the 80s/90s where like and at worst just to have it stuck on a shelf for viewing,its pretty cool…

  • BUILT-IN SPEAKER AND MIC – This personal cassette player also acts as a recorder so you can record yourself singing if you wish to, record and listen back to your performance
  • EARPHONES INCLUDED – Earphones are included with this personal cassette player so as soon as you open it up you can kick back, relax and start listening to your tapes/AM/FM radio straight away
  • AM/FM RADIO – This cassette player also features AM/FM radio stations that you can tune into – Perfect for listening to in the morning or on your daily commute
  • RETRO BUTTONS – Retro classic buttons add a nostalgic vibe guaranteed to take you back to the 90’s – Simple and easy to use, perfect for kids
  • STYLISH AND SLEEK DESIGN – The compact and sleek design with it’s black and silver shading is guaranteed to bring back memories listening to all your old cassette tapes while also easy to store and carry

BUY HERE