A repo to keep track of interesting gadgets and toys that I find or someone tells me about. These are things that I might own already, desperately am waiting to be released, or want in the future.
- Teenage Engineering: Toys for audio, like
wireless synthesizers. Great looking hardware design.
- I got the OP-Z and the PO-137 rick and morty, as well as the modules for the OP-Z: oplab and rumble1.
- I got the impossible I-1 old-school polaroid camera2. If they are out of the film you can order it from Polaroid. Just make sure it is type 600.
- Love Hulten: Tech + wood crafting meet retro gaming. Interesting that in some instances it is just a raspberry pi inside and has other failings like mono audio.3 Perhaps not a problem with more recent creations.
- Analogue Pocket: Handheld device for playing old game cartridges. Awesome hardware design. However can only take cartridges, not ROMs. This is an explicit design decision.
- play.date: Handheld gaming device made by Panic! and Teenage Engineering. Amazing hardware design featuring a hand crank.
- 8bitdo: Retro game controllers made wireless.
- Polymega: Swiss army knife of retro gaming consoles. Skeptical since it is not an FPGA, could also just be their marketing doesn't show off their hardware like the Analogue marketing does.
- RED Camera: Cinema quality, 8K, cameras. You can attach any lens to these. The quality is really great and some folks swear by them4. They have some great documentation around their sensors as well5.
- Probe Lens: Along with the RED camera brain from above, this lens allows for some really fun shots6. Would be fun for hardware PCB boards or up close on a product. It has a light built in since it needs a lot of light for a great picture.
- Sonos Turntable: The ability to listen to a record in a modern way is very compelling. The design of these is also beautiful.
- Markforged: 3D print metal or carbon fiber. Parts require supports on the parts though to the additive manufacturing process used.
- Desktop Metal: 3D print metal. Parts require supports due to the additive manufacturing process used.
- Hello Robot: Programmable robot arm.
- Spot: Robot dog.
- Genesis Orrery: Model of the planets. Mechanically engineered in a visually stunning orrery.
- Designed by Apple in California: Not a gadget, but a book. Beautifully designed and no longer in print.
- Canon EOS R5: Mirrorless camera, 8K RAW video at 30fps, 4K video at 60fps, has a 45 megapixel sensor, 1053 autofocus zones, 120fps viewfinder