It's not often (never, in fact) that one comes across a 144-page clothbound color book accompanied by a 2 CD set featuring recordings taken from vintage 78 rpm shellac records from the 1920s through the 1950s. The book is crammed with images of record labels, needle boxes, instruction booklets and other 78-related curios. It's heavy on images rather than text, but I think that's the way a collection of this nature should be presented. The visual presentation is part of what makes exploring these recordings special, unlike the standardized album art provided by iTunes.
Victrola Favorites was put together by Seattle-based experimental musicians
Jeffrey Taylor and Robert Mills of Climax Golden Twin. The songs were mic'd straight from a classic Victrola, in an attempt to preserve the authentic listening experience.
The 48 tracks feature a diverse range of music that spans the world - everything from Chinese opera to Hillbilly & Persian folk songs (though not together on a single track). If I had a time machine, I'd love to take this back to the original performers to get their reaction to the digital magic we take for granted less than a century later.
Inquisitive retro fans will also appreciate the Victrola Favorites audio sample page, with Real Audio excerpts of each track.
Victrola Favorites: Artifacts from Bygone Days [via Boing Boing]

Both landmark albums are being re-released as 5.1 remixes in this CD box set. Also included are two discs of rarities and remixes, and a DVD with new videos as well as other hidden treasures. For those of you who are DJ's, many of the singles are being reissued as 12" vinyl. If you'd rather be your own DJ, the music is being parceled out as digital downloads as well.
I'm always torn when it comes to writing about stuff like this. It's more retrostalgic than retro. However, I suppose this watch serves as a heavy-handed example of how the tech design of the past influences modern products.
VHS tapes degrade over time, so there are piles of video home movies, and even some commercial titles that aren't released on DVD that are worth preserving. ION has created the first VHS deck with a USB video output for doing just that.
The Benchmade Knife Company was founded in California in 1988 and now occupies a 35,000 sq. ft. facility in Clackamas, Oregon. They've become known for innovative and attractive blades, including custom branded
It's not that long ago that the iMac hit store shelves, quickly followed by tons of unrelated junk sold with a lowercase "i" in the front. This isn't a new idea. Fads often inspire manufacturers to look at their own shelves to see what they can adapt to cash in on the latest craze.
It wobbles out what is now a spooky-sounding message about meeting up at the ranch. When it was new I doubt that it sounded much better, but to a kid brought when talking toys were a rarity I'll bet that it sounded like bliss.
It's interesting that at the same time this toy phone celebrated the anachronism of cowboys, the company was becoming an anachronism of its own by sticking with traditional quality materials. Hats off, gentlemen, as Gong Bell and their ranch phone ride off into the sunset.

Forgive me, I said "cereal" when I meant to say "system." Both the packaging and the original 