old tech
How the Railroad Industry Invented, Then Immediately Discarded, the Barcode
KarTrak, an innovation originally built for the rail system, was quickly discarded by train operators. But without it, we wouldn’t have modern barcodes.
One Man Is Bringing Magic Lantern Shows Back from the Dead
In a small Amish town, 'Professor Firefly' is reviving a lost art that once occupied the space of movies and TV.
This Japanese Band Makes Music With E-Waste
Reel-to-reel tape recorders, cathode ray tube TVs, and ventilator fans are all instruments for Open Reel Ensemble.
Get Lost In These Urban Kaleidoscopes
For "Citysphere," artist Eric Corriel takes live street footage and maps it onto a rotating sphere.
Dig Up Dead Tech At The Media Archaeology Lab
The project includes over 1,500 outdated computers and devices that have since been brought back to life.
Two Artists Create An Artificial Mineral From Old Technology
Revital Cohen and Tuur Van Balen mine precious metals from old tech and turn them into mineral form.
America's Nuclear Arsenal Still Runs Off Floppy Disks
On the other hand, at least they're not connected to the Internet where they can be hacked, right?
Old Machines Get Resurrected From The Dead-Tech Abyss In Crazy GIF Series
Jim Golden's "Relics Of Technology" thankfully does not animated dial-up Internet set-ups.
Do All Flip Phones Go To Heaven? "Small Data" Explores The Afterlife Of Dead Tech
We talked with artist Daniel Canogar about his new solo exhibition and the junkyard dives that inspired it.
Repurposing Obsolete Wind-Up Toys As Quirky, Art-Making Robots
These obsolete devices are having their own "Brave Little Toaster" moment.