Ye Old Time Doo-Dads
Someone brought in an old fashioned genuine working Edison cylinder phonograph today, with engraved cylinders made of a hardened wax or plastic. It drew a significant amount of attention, people gathering around his desk to watch and listen. So it's not digital surround sound, and the voice crooning was scratchy and muffled, but such old fashioned devices capture the imagination with their spinning belts and gears and wood and brass case in a way an iPod, sleek and efficient, doesn't. I do like gadgets, and the fancy shiny modern doo-dads in the store catch my eye, but those old gizmos are where it began, and to see one working in front of you and to be able to touch it is, well, neat. Besides, it also made me think of steampunk.