Remember these?

Get nostalgic with these 10 vintage tech items that once ruled!

Credit: henry perks

From cell phones and laptops to electronic payments and smart TVs, technology is a constant in our daily lives, no matter where we go. But things were different a couple of decades ago. Remember when TVs were huge boxes or when landline phones were the norm? If you want to take a trip back in time to remember these vintage tech items and many others, this article is for you!

Credit: Quino Al

If someone asked you to mime taking an imaginary phone call, you'd probably lower the three middle fingers of your hand, leaving just your thumb and pinky extended, and hold that "phone" up to your ear. Are we right?

If so, it means that -just like us- you're still honoring the legacy of the true king of 20th-century communication: the landline telephone. Whether push-button or rotary dial, the home phone was indispensable in those days.

Of course, they're still around, but we have to admit that their reign has been overtaken and surpassed by cell phones.

Credit: Ryan Putra

While many modern personal computers come with touchpads, the fact is that many of us still prefer using a separate handheld mouse. Today, most mice are optical or laser-based, but they have an iconic predecessor.

Although it wasn't the first computer mouse, the ball mouse -also known as the mechanical mouse- is well remembered. We are talking about that mouse that had a little ball inside, which rotated on the surface of the table or desk to make the cursor move on the screen.

Many of us have memories of disassembling our mice to remove the ball and clean it manually. Do you remember doing that?

Credit: Stephen Holdaway

Most of us have a TV in the living room today, and it wasn't much different in the '70s. In those years, if you had a TV, you probably also had a VHS player (and maybe you're one of the lucky ones who still has one.)

Though it's a far cry from Netflix, the iconic Video Home System came into our lives to make everything more exciting and fun; everyone wanted one! And, honestly, it was no wonder: recording shows and watching movies anytime you wanted, all from the comfort of your home, was a whole new world of entertainment.

Credit: s j

If you're reading this, you've probably held a floppy disk in your hands at least once. Also called "diskettes" -or "floppies," if you were really cool- these little squares were the trendy way to store data back in the '70s. And not only that, they were also one of the first portable storage devices, making them a sensation at the time!

While they are considered vintage items today, their legacy lives on. The iconic floppy disk image is still widely used as the icon for the "save" functions on many of the modern devices we use every day.

Credit: eniko kis

While your cell phone camera might be hard to beat in terms of definition and quality, there's still something special about holding a physical photo in your hands, right?

And when it comes to physical photos, the iconic Polaroid camera is hard to forget. Not only is it a treasure in terms of design, but it's also older than you might think. In fact, the first model, the Polaroid Model 95, was launched in 1948! The Polaroid Model 95 was the first commercially successful instant camera, which allowed people to get a photo just minutes after taking it without the need to go to a photo processing center. Imagine such a change!

Although it suffered a decline during the rise of the digital era, its popularity resurfaced in recent years with much more modern designs, features, and functions.

Credit: Senad Palic

If gaming is your thing, you were probably expecting the iconic Atari 2600 to appear on this list.

One of the first and most iconic video game consoles, the Atari 2600 emerged in 1977, bringing our favorite games into our living rooms. Classics like "Pong," "Space Invaders," and "Pac-Man" were just a few of the memorable games you could enjoy.

Although discontinued in 1992, the Atari 2600 played an important role in the development of other popular consoles and was a pioneer in the world of home entertainment. If you were one of the lucky ones who owned one, you probably remember it fondly!

Credit: Florian Schmetz

The Walkman is undoubtedly one of the devices that came to change everything.

Launched by Sony in 1979, the Walkman was one of the first portable music players. Suddenly, people could enjoy their favorite music anytime, anywhere, whether shopping, running, or taking a walk. It was barely bigger than a cassette and came with a pair of innovative headphones.

Everything about it was cool: design, size, and functions. Even today, it's one of the best-remembered vintage tech items. Did you and your friends have Walkmans?

Credit: Jason Leung

A few decades ago, TV tables were placed much further from the wall. It wasn't a matter of trend; it was because there was no other option.

From the mid-20th century until the early 21st century, TVs and many computer monitors used CRT technology. Box TVs were the norm back then, but bringing one home could be a challenge, especially because of their weight!

By the late 1990s and early 2000s, box TVs were replaced by flat screens and LCD TVs, but no one can deny that the classic TV provided us with decades of fun and entertainment.

Credit: Ant Rozetsky

Nowadays, it’s pretty uncommon to meet someone without a cell phone. We use them for almost everything, carrying them everywhere. But before cell phones, there were beepers.

The beeper -as it was called because of the sound it made- was formally known as a Pager and was the first commercially successful mobile device for sending and receiving text messages. While this might not seem surprising today, it was unbelievable at the time.

Early versions of devices similar to the beeper existed already in the 1950s, but it was during the 1980s that they gained popularity, becoming tech icons.

Credit: Dominik Lange

Next up is a tech item that might not have been as popular as some of the others on our list. Before cell phones, there was a groundbreaking way to make calls on the go: car phones.

Although they were often seen as luxury items, many people ended up having them installed in their vehicles. And that installation was far from easy. Car phones were large and heavy and required a power source and an external antenna for signal reception.

Maybe their time in the spotlight was brief, but we can't deny that they were an important step toward modern mobile telecommunications.

WORD MASH-UP

Mixed words that make sense: 10 portmanteaus explained

Credit: Nick Fewings

In life, many inventions came from mixing things around, the ebay cocktails were at least! Well, something similar happens with words, they are called portmanteaus: two words are cleverly fused to create a new one with an original meaning, of course. These linguistic mashups are not only funny, but they are also convenient and expressive: there’s no way to replace words like "brunch" or "workaholic." In this article, we’ll explore 10 portmanteaus and explain how they were formed and what they mean. Are you ready? Let’s go!

Credit: Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦

Let’s kick off the list with a classic. This word is so commonly used, that we often forget it’s actually a combination of "breakfast" and "lunch." It was born after the need to call that late-morning meal something new.

A brunch can also be a social event as much as a meal, often accompanied by friends, laughter, and relaxed vibes. Modern, practical, and precise, this one is here to stay.

Credit: Warren

You probably know someone who is a bit awkward and nerdy, but irresistibly cute. Well, that person is "adorkable." This word is a combination of "adorable" and "dork," and far from being an insult, it describes someone whose interests may be uncommon, yet they are cute and appealing.

The word has found a home in popular culture, introduced by Fox to describe the main character of an upcoming TV series. But it stayed because it is an accurate and affectionate description, don’t you agree?

Credit: Daizy Isumi

Bohemian Rapsody; I, Tonya; The Social Network, can you guess what they have in common? First of all, they are movies, specifically "biopics." But the distinctive feature is that they all portray the significant lives of real people. In the case of the movies mentioned, the people were Freddie Mercury, Tonya Harding, and Mark Zuckerberg.

The word "biopic" combines the words "biography" and "picture." Whether it’s an artist, politician, or scientist, biopics aim to capture the essence of a person’s life on the big screen. They offer a peek into history and, more often than not, it’s used to highlight some aspects of these people’s lives.

Credit: Steven Lewis

Did you know the word "motel" is a portmanteau? It combines the words "motor" and "hotel" and it emerged during the rise of automobile travel in the mid-20th century. What was the appeal of motels? Their location!

Motels provided convenient, roadside lodging for travelers who didn’t want to stray too far from the highway. They were budget-friendly and perfect for a quick overnight stay. Of course, over the years, motels have become an iconic and essential part of American road culture. While often depicted as mysterious in movies, they are still the number one choice for weary drivers!

Credit: Tim Mossholder

Who said learning can’t be fun? In fact, most professionals agree that the best way to effectively learn something is through enjoyment! So, "education" meets "entertainment" to give birth to "edutainment," a term to describe educative content that is also recreational and fun to make the learning experience, an enjoyable one!

The term has been embraced by everything from children’s TV shows to interactive museums, where people can experience lively tours that help the information stick. Learning is not a chore anymore, edutainment will keep everyone engaged!

Credit: KOBU Agency

Neither too little nor too much is good in any case! The same goes for work. We all want to strive and improve in life, but being addicted to work won’t get us anywhere. Don’t be a "workaholic"!

This word combines "work" and "alcoholic," and even though alcohol isn’t involved in this description, the term was chosen to refer to an addiction. The adjective describes those who cannot stop working, usually to the detriment of their personal lives. While this behavior is not recommended, no one can deny it was a necessary word!

Credit: Monika Simeonova

In social circles, the workplace, and even within the family, we all have that one person for whom we can’t really decide whether we love or hate them—that’s our personal "frenemy."

A frenemy is someone who blurs the lines between "friend" and "enemy," a blend of both. It describes the kind of person who might support you but also somehow, compete with you. It’s truly a unique, and often confusing dynamic. Nothing personal, it’s all about chemistry!

Credit: Jakob Owens

Have you watched The Office? That series is set in a paper company, where we follow the people who work there, their relationships, and their terribly useless boss. It’s styled as a documentary, but it is actually a work of fiction and also a bit of a satire. That’s what makes it a mockumentary.

Blending the words "mock" and "documentary," this specific type of film imitates documentary-like features, such as the handheld camera or characters’ interviews and comments, while incorporating fictional stories and deadpan humor, absurd situations, and satirical elements. The purpose? To mock real-life scenarios or exaggerate them.

Credit: Austin Distel

We’ve already learned that education can take a fun turn and become entertaining. Similarly, education also found a way to become accessible to all through the internet, our best ally when it comes to learning. A "webinar" is a blend of "web" and "seminar," and it refers to online educational events.

It’s a product of the digital age and the goal is to increase accessibility and comfort, as they are typically attended from home. They have become a key piece of professional development and, during the pandemic, were highly requested to keep up with the educational goals. Creative, don’t you think?

Credit: Firmbee.com

To close our article, we’ll also explore a word that comes from the technological field. In this case, the word "phablet" is a combination of "phone" and "tablet." You may wonder why this word was created, and that would be a fair question.

A phablet is what you get when you combine both technology devices in order to create a device with a larger screen—bigger than a phone but smaller than a tablet. It is both an inventive device with a creative word that aims to give users the best of both worlds. The comfort of a phone, with the size(-ish) of a tablet. Did you know about this one?