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20 affordable retro tech gift ideas

20 affordable retro tech gift ideas

10 of the best retro alarm clocks

10 of the best retro alarm clocks

Retro reading glasses by London Mole

Retro reading glasses by London Mole

Categories / Design and Interiors

Gianfranco Frattini Acheo modernist wall light

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Artemide_modernist

If you’re trying to create a modernist look for your home, the Gianfranco Frattini Acheo wall light could be a stylish addition.

It’s not from the original era, the Acheo actually dates back to 1989, but it does feature a look that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a stylish 1930s apartment. The wall support is constructed from chromed metal, while the diffuser is made of borosilicate glass, holding a 300w halogen bulb for some substantial brightness.

Reissued by Artemide and available online, it costs around £149.

Find out more at the Panik Design website

Categories / Gadgets and Tech, Music

iStylophone now available to download for your iPhone

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Istyl2

We got very excited when we first heard about it – and now iStylophone is available to download for your iPhone.

If you missed it first time around, this is a detailed recreation of the classic Stylophone – the original consumer-friendly electronic keyboard – for use on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Which means you get the same look, the same switches to flick and above all, the same monophonic synth sounds.

It’s been used on recordings by the likes of David Bowie, Brett Domino, Erasure, Hexstatic, Kraftwerk, Marilyn Manson, Orbital, Pulp, The Raconteurs, They Might Be Giants and most famously of all, David Bowie on Space Oddity. And you can use it yourself this very day. Download it from the Apple app store for a bargain £3.49.

Find out more at the iStylophone website

Categories / Men's Fashion, Sportswear

Bumpy Pitch vintage US soccer t-shirts

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Bumpy

We’ve seen the late 70s US soccer tops done to death, but Bumpy Pitch offers something a little different – genuinely vintage US soccer t-shirts.

You see, the beautiful game didn’t just appear in the US with Pele, George Best and Rodney Marsh, teams were around from early in the 20th century – and these t-shirts celebrate some of the lost teams of all eras.

The two above are Brooklyn Wanderers (dating back as far as the 1890s) and San Francisco Gales, a 60s team with Dutch heritage. Both sell online for $36 – check out the site for the full range.

Find out more at the Bumpy Pitch website

Categories / Gadgets and Tech

John Lewis retro-styled bedside DAB radio

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Lewis_dab

Thanks to Dave Clark for spotting this John Lewis retro-styled bedside DAB radio on the shelves.

Loving that throwback shape, mixing black or white plastic with a wood finish, large front screen and offering a choice of DAB or FM radio, as well as four independent alarms. And you don’t have to wake up to the radio – if you really want to go old school, there’s always that trusty buzzer.

Both colours are available instore or online, priced at £67.

Find out more at the John Lewis website

Categories / Architecture, Travel

Retro Retreat: 1960s William Cody-designed house in Palm Springs. California, USA

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Palm1

Looking to brighten up your life with some old school Hollywood-style glamour? Well, book yourself into this William Cody-designed mid-century house in Palm Springs. California, USA.

Built in 1964 for inventor/industrialist Stanley Goldberg, the house sits high in the San Jacinto Hills, part of a small gated community and sat next to a pair of mid-century gems by John Lautner. The interior was featured in Architectural Digest back in 1967 and many of its key features remain, rubbing shoulders with artwork and furniture in keeping with the design – including originals from the likes of Paul Evans, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Richard Schultz and Eileen Gray.

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Categories / Food and Drink

Vimto limited edition centenary bottle

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Vimto

Whilst having a coffee in a local cafe today, we noticed these Vimto limited edition centenary bottles on the shelf. We picked one up from there, but you can also buy them online.

Vimto was born in Manchester in 1908 and the company has offered that original fruit-based cordial (made to a secret recipe) for 100 years. It’s now back in the original ‘crock’ (pot) bottle for a limited time – essentially, until the 6,000 bottles made run out.

Whether you love or hate the drink, this is a great piece of vintage design – and as they are numbered, it might be a shrewd investment too. The weighty bottles are actually made by Mawsons, who are selling them online – priced at £5.53.

Find out more at the Mawsons website