My Vintage Generation » Electronics

1960 Kodak ‘Turn Around’ TV Commerical

MyVintageGeneration — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:50:29 +0000

Last week the Hostess Company filed for bankruptcy; this week it’s Kodak’s turn.
It’s sad to see a 131-year-old company fold like this.
And it’s sadder still to watch this 1960 TV commercial.

Grab a tissue as you watch this week’s My Vintage Video.

1989 Centel Cell Phone TV Commercial

MyVintageGeneration — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:29:03 +0000

I just upgraded to a new cell phone (an iPhone 4S) after using a flip phone for the past 7 years.
My new purchase had me wondering about the first cell phone.

This week’s My Vintage Video is look back at one of the first TV commercials for the then-new device.
I’m glad to see the phones we have today just fit in a pocket!
What a pain to carry this Centel cell phone around!

1977 Early Apple TV Commercial

MyVintageGeneration — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:44:13 +0000

We pay tribute to the late Steve Jobs in this week’s My Vintage Video.

Here’s one of the earliest (if not the earliest) Apple computer commercials to air on TV. The year was 1977.

1959 General Electric Annual Report

MyVintageGeneration — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 01:18:49 +0000

This week, General Electric releases their results for the 3rd quarter.
Let’s look at some of the items featured in their 1959 annual report.

Advances in applicances and lighting

General Electric kitchen in Louisville

Electronic Components

More efficient control of power systems

1962 Radio Shack catalog

MyVintageGeneration — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:08:33 +0000

RadioShack is one of the oldest retailers in the United States.
The first store/mail-order operation opened for business in 1921, in downtown Boston.

It was founded by Theodore and Milton Deutschmann.
They chose the name RadioShack because they specialized in radio equipment (primarily for ships and ham operators) and the space was small.

This RadioShack catalog is from 1962.
It was a time when the company was struggling financially.
But, a year later the Tandy Corporation bought it.
They helped turn RadioShack into a billion dollar company.

30th anniversary of Pac-Man

MyVintageGeneration — Mon, 17 May 2010 02:34:02 +0000

Thirty years ago this month one of the most popular video games in the world was introduced — Pac-man!

Pac-man‘s a fun and easy game to play.
But, believe it or not there’s a strategy to play it.
So keep these in mind next time you head to the arcade :

1 – Your only aim is to eat all the dots (it moves you to a higher level)

2 – Eat the red (Blinky) and pink (Pinky) ghost first — the red one takes the shortest route to get to you quickest; the pink one knows where you’re heading.

3 – Try to eat the fruit for bonuses, but remember your ultimate goal is to eat the dots

4 – If a ghost is behind you, stop eating dots (Pac-man moves slower when eating) and go down a clear alley

5 – Eat the blinking white power pellets in an emergency (if a ghost is on your tail), but try to save them ’til the very end.

So go and grab a joystick OR play the game online by clicking HERE!

Nakamichi 500 Dual Tracer

MyVintageGeneration — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:18:55 +0000

Throughout much of its history, cassettes were deemed inferior to reels or vinyl among audiophiles.
But then along came Nakamichi stereo cassette decks. The year was 1973.

This dual cassette deck was released between 1974 and 1978.
Two models came out in the 500 series. This one and the 550 Versatile Cassette System, which some claim is the first real ‘walkman.’
The 500 models were aimed at the consumer.
They’re not too hard to find these days and not as collectible or pricey as the higher end models such as the 700 and 1000 series. But to collectors and audiophiles most anything made by Nakamichi is worth getting.

AKAI Reel to Reel Player

MyVintageGeneration — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:28:00 +0000

Before MP3s, compact discs, 8-track and cassette tapes there were audio reels. These were played on reel-to-reel tape decks. And you know what? For my money, they sound better than any of the aforementioned audio formats.

This particular reel-to-reel tape deck is owned by an audiophile friend of mine (eBay user ID: TechnoRay). I borrowed it last week because I wanted to play these reels:

This particular model is an AKAI GX-4000D reel-to-reel player. It’s from the late 1970s. AKAI was founded in 1929, in Tokyo, Japan. Right from the start they were a dominant player in the reel-to-reel market. AKAI is still in existance, although these days their focus is on other audio equipment. Still, AKAI reel-to-reel machines in used condition can still be found. Audiophiles are always on the look out for reel-to-reel players in good working order.