Hasta La Gadget!

When it comes to speakers, retro designs can look pretty great. Check out the Symbol Audio Tabletop HiFi, a tabletop audio system that wouldn’t look out of place in a pad from the 1960s. I’m sure that Don Draper would approve.

Each one of these luxury speakers is handmade from wood, and would be welcome in any modern or retro pad. While it may have vintage looks, the audio isn’t from the past. Inside are two 4-inch full-range drivers with titanium cones, and a 5.25-inch subwoofer, powered by a Class D amplifier, rated at 8-watts-per-channel for the full-ranges and 15.5-watts for the sub.

Unfortunately, the Tabletop HiFi doesn’t have wireless support built in – it’s only got an 1/8″ stereo mini input jack. That means you’ll need an Airport Express or other wireless-to-analog converter if you want to stream tunes from your mobile devices or computer.

The speaker comes in a number of different colors and finishes, and you can mix-and-match speaker grille and cabinet finishes. If you like the way the Tabletop HiFi looks, you’ll have to save up, because they sell for $1,800(USD).

You can get Legos in all the colors of the rainbow—even solid gold bricks to really flash up your creations. But wooden pieces? Unfortunately the Danish aren’t having any part of that; you’ll need to turn to the Japanese designers at Mokurokku for these beautiful knock-offs. More »

Bow ties are cool. Doctor Who said so. Therefore you want to wear a bow tie for special occasions, or just to look awesome. The problem is, tying a bow tie (or tying any tie) can be a real pain.

So forget about tying a tie. Use a wooden tie instead. Now you can look just like James Bond, Doctor Who and many unknown hipsters, hassle free. The Two Guys Bow Tie Company makes wooden bow ties in a variety of different woods and patterns. Prices range from $45 to $65(USD).

Look good in wood. And if you ever want to change your look, just get out the sandpaper, put some new stain and varnish on these babies, and maybe engrave your own special design and you have a brand new bow tie.

[via Geekologie]

If you love everything about your iPhone 5, then this dock just might be the right one for you. This minimal dock is eco-friendly and you’ll be able to frame your precious phone for everyone to see.

The Chisel 5 iPhone dock was designed by iSkelter and it is handcrafted out of rapidly renewable bamboo. Its most distinctive detail is the dedicated cable cutout for your charging cable, which keeps it tidy and also looks cool.

The dock is lightweight and can be used in either portrait or landscape mode.

In addition to working with the iPhone 5, It’s also compatible with the 5th generation iPod Touch, and there’s an earlier version for the iPhone 4/4S as well. The Chisel 5 dock costs $39(USD) and is made in the USA. It’s definitely an interesting dock, and a cool gift for any iPhone-lover.

[via Damn Geeky]

There’s just something so cool about the design of Nixie tubes – I think it’s just that for such an old technology, they’re still sort of timeless. It’s been a little while since I saw a really good looking Nixie clock though, but this one was definitely worth the wait.

The extraordinary Lamina Nixie Clock was handcrafted by artist Zoltan Acs using walnut and maple woods, along with brass gears and disks to give it a look all its own. The designer says it’s a combination of Art Deco, Industrial and Steampunk, and I think he nailed the description. He forgot to mention that it’s just freakin’ good looking.

This thing looks just as cool from the back as it does from the front.

The clock uses antique Russian Nixie vacuum tubes, along with a cool blue LED glow to make them look like they’re floating in some sort of test chambers. And even better yet, it’s got an alarm function, so you could put this thing by your bedside and wake up to it every morning.

Of course, all of this intricate craftsmanship comes at a cost. The Lamina Nixie clock is listed for €1,100.00 (~$1500 USD), which means that most of us will just have to admire it from afar. But if you’ve got deep pockets, you can purchase this amazing work of functional art over on Etsy now.