Lost Formats Preservation Society

Since the dawn of history, not to be confused with the dawn of time, but the time at which humans first began to record their exploits and discoveries, the struggle for new and better mediums on which to store our intangible intellectual properties has been ongoing and unrelenting. While the uncovering of ancient ruins has proved that pictures and words chiseled directly into rock most definitely stand the test of time, it doesn't take a rocket-dentist to reveal the staggering un-portability that plagues of this sort of information technology. Thanks to the intelligence fostered by the development of opposable thumbs, it only took us 6,000 years or so to reach a time where our mastery of modern manufacturing and adeptness at electrical alchemy have advanced us to the point where we can now tuck several full-length novels, or movies or even a lifetime's worth of photographs, right into our pockets. But the path toward easily manageable mass storage is littered with the remnants of past attempts and while we have all begun to move on to this damned new-fangled cloud, it is imperative that we the retrogeeks maintain, for posterity's sake, the grand and sometimes awkward history of portable storage. With that I give you the Lost Formats Preservation Society.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE LOST FORMATS PRESERVATION SOCIETY

On The Flip Side

It's long been known that geeks, retro and otherwise, enjoy the novelty of "playing records" – not just listening to music, but the act of collecting vinyl records and gathering together to play them on vintage, and otherwise, music reproduction equipment. However those in the know will quickly point out that the 1/8-inch compact cassette at least equals the classic vinyl disc in terms of pure retro coolness (don't even get me started on 8-track). Finally someone has decided to revisit the long-abandoned idea of combining these two mediums into one package, and that someone has turned out to be the increasingly clever ION Audio, a consumer brand introduced by Numark Industries, who have already made waves in the music industry with their innovative DJ turntables and mixing gear. While it's certainly not the first of its kind, the ION Duo Deck is probably the first vinyl/cassette combo player to feature powered on-board USB, which not only allows the transfer of music to a PC or Mac (using the included cable and software) but also eliminates the need for a traditional wall-wart power adaptor, although one is included. Small enough to fit into your backpack, the unit can be powered by batteries as well and features both a built-in speaker and headphone jack making it a complete package in the category of portable retro music players. Here are the stats of this soon-to-be-released wonder:

• Compact, portable design fits easily into a bag or backpack
• Plays and converts vinyl records and cassette tapes
• Built-in speaker allows you to listen to your records or cassettes anywhere
• Convert records and tapes into MP3s using the included EZ Vinyl / Tape Converter software
• Headphone output for private listening or connection to external speakers
• Plays and converts 45 and 33-1/3 RPM records: 45 adapter included
• Plays and converts both normal and chrome cassette tapes
• Onboard light makes finding the groove quick and easy
• Retractable tone-arm clip for secure, compact travel
• Powered by batteries (not included), USB connection or wall adapter (included)

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