this is a space for Cassette Futurism -- retro images, media, design and technology from the 70s and 80s
*reposts to get started, mods welcome
Source with more images: グッドデザイン賞【完全整備品１年保証】YAMAHA CMX II カセットMTR - メルカリ
Via Buttons & Knobs — Near alien technology, this Yamaha CMX II // Multitrack cassette recorder, 1987 — RSS Feed
And, via YAMAHA CMX-II 2 / MT2X Multitrack Analogue 4 Track Cassette Recorder £226.90 - PicClick UK:
Specifications can be found in the owners manual, available on the Yamaha website:
https://uk.yamaha.com/files/download/other_assets/6/324876/MT2XE.pdf
Source: prokhorVLG — 🧠 Neuromorph Mankind enters the age of artificial...
Tumblr archive: https://prokhorvlg.tumblr.com/archive
RSS Feed: https://prokhorvlg.tumblr.com/rss
Text from post
🧠 Neuromorph Mankind enters the age of artificial intellect
1975: Soviet cyberneticist Lana Levitsky designs the world’s first neuromorphic circuit, a true artificial intelligence that crudely imitates the design of a living brain.
SLAVA is finalized and replicated several times, with variations being employed for calculating mission trajectories, code-breaking, and economic planning. Its ability to learn and make decisions is unmatched by any typical computer, although the system seems to settle into a pattern with time.
Within a few years, the neuromorphic circuit is reproduced across the world. In the West, GERTRUDE beeps to life just in time to join the Space Race, roaring off to Mars and Venus. The world had not known yet, but cybernetic life was about to change the system forever.
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Now it is time for some TERMINOLOGY…
* NEUROMORPH Cybernetic being inspired by design of a biological mind. Consists of number of components and systems working in tandem to create a living system.
* NEUROMORPHIC CIRCUIT or CORE Device that contains mind of NEUROMORPH, not including extraneous systems. Analogous to biological brain. Often spherical.
* HEURISTIC WORKER Primary component of NEUROMORPH that responds to input, traverses links, and organizes data within other portions of the system.
* HARD MODULE Hard-coded block which provides baseline skills, rulesets, and memories for NEUROMORPH. Each NEUROMORPH has a number of HARD MODULES, and a HEURISTIC WORKER cannot manipulate the contents of a HARD MODULE.
* DEEP MEMORY Enormous storage banks to which HEURISTIC WORKER reads and writes. Besides storing all kinds of information, this system also stores LINKS.
* LINK Pointer between memories, skills, and whatever else is stored in DEEP MEMORY and HARD MODULES. Critical to learning and decision-making aspects of a NEUROMORPH.
* VIRTUAL MODULE Block made entirely from LINKS pointing to other LINKS which develops over an enormous amount of time and experience. One theory suggests that VIRTUAL MODULES naturally “fill in the gap” for missing systems that would otherwise be present in a biological brain. VIRTUAL MODULES can bypass logic in HARD MODULES.
* MANIFEST CONSCIOUSNESS Theoretically, consciousness may be correlated with higher levels of interconnectivity within a system. VIRTUAL MODULES appear to confirm the theory, although whether NEUROMORPHS are truly conscious has always been a core point of political contention.
* AUTOMATIC Chassis controlled and operated by a NEUROMORPH, often self-propelled. Interchangeable with robot or automaton.
* MASTERMIND High-intellect AUTOMATIC designed to understand and interact with complex systems. Assists in micromanagement, optimization, and generally assisting human operators in decision-making. Often wired directly into computer networks and permitted to directly control complicated systems.
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Source: avtavr - photo by Jon Miller
Tumblr archive: https://avtavr.tumblr.com/archive
RSS Feed: https://avtavr.tumblr.com/rss
Source: LabGuy's World: Akai VT-100 Portable Video Recorder Advertising Flyer #3
More info: Akai VT 100 and Akai VTS-110 DX Descriptions | Video History Project - Experimental Television Center
info from previous link
The Akai VT 100 was a black and white portable video system which used ﾼ" tape. Introduced around 1969, the machine could record video using normal audio tape, although the quality was improved when using the Akai's special quarter-inch videotape.
Model VTS-100S is superbly engineered with convenient control panel, Still Button, Index Counter and Automatic Shut-Off. Model VTS-110DX adds off-the-air recording capability and sound dubbing.
Akai VTR systems are truly portable. Zoom lens camera with built-in microphone, recorder and attached 3" TV monitor weigh less than 20 lbs. Record and playback up to 30 minutes on a single 5" reel of inexpensive and reusable ﾼ" tape. Battery or AC operated. Optional RF converter permits playback on any TV set.
Source: NOKIA BL-4C (by IWSE Zhang - ArtStation)
ArtStation profile: https://www.artstation.com/iwse
RSS Feed: https://www.artstation.com/iwse.rss
Source: Brain computer (by T 5 - ArtStation)
ArtStation profile: https://www.artstation.com/thornsdance
RSS Feed: https://thornsdance.artstation.com/rss
Source with a few more images: Practice (by Vitaliy Ishkov - ArtStation)
ArtStation profile: https://www.artstation.com/vitaliyishkov
RSS Feed: https://vitaliyishkov.artstation.com/rss
Source: PYE Image Orthicon Camera Control Unit | Set: Control Freak | Sameli Kujala (Flickr).
Full Flickr album: Control Freak.
Some info about Pye Mark III television camera at Science Museum Group Collection:
(...) Mk III Camera Chain made by Pye in England, c. 1955. Image orthicon camera type 2028, used by Associated TeleVision (ATV). Moulded cream plastic letters 'ATV' attached to side of camera.
The Pye Mk III Camera was the first Pye camera to be designed to use the 3-inch Image Orthicon camera pickup tube. Designed in 1951, the first production models became available in 1952 and by the following year increasing numbers were being sold to broadcasters around the world.
(...)
Source: Értékmentés - egyre keskenyebb szalagon (Hungarian) / Preserving value - on ever narrower tapes
* Note that the picture is recent but the equipment is form 70s / 80s
The last paragraph translated with DeepL:
In the picture is the archive recorder, with the following equipment (from left to right): in the corner an AMPEX VPR2 1-inch player, then a SONY BVH 2000 PS, in the rack a SONY BVW 55 Beta SP, below it a Digi Beta version, on top of the monitor on the right the smallest but newest piece is the SONY PDW 1500 recorder, and the row is completed by another 1-inch player, the SONY BVH 3100 PS. On the table in the middle are the controls and editing tools for the 1-inch machines.
Found on the Aesthetics Wiki's page for Cassette Futurism and identified as Hungarian TV technology through "Cassette Futurism": salvare gli anni Ottanta dai fanboy nostalgici 1/3 (Italian).
Source: prokhorVLG — A Datanet advertisement for a specialty...
post text
A Datanet advertisement for a specialty microcomputer from the early 2020s
With the cybernetic revolution raging across the world, other digital technologies evolved to support it rather than forming an identity of their own. Given that cybernetics was expected to eventually replace all human-computer interaction, investment into other methods was rare.
By the 2020s, the Datanet existed but primarily for the machine and its programmer. Gigastreams flowed from node to node, carrying terabytes of data between mainframes, robots, and microcomputers. The signals they carried formed the unconscious backbone of society, underground and mostly out of sight.
Between the gigastreams, there existed a space for the human users. The vast majority would be using specialized applications to access electronic conferences, entertainment downloads, interactive encyclopedias, and similar use cases.
The few that ventured further into the machine-facing cyberspace were specialists: cyberneticists, programmers, tinkerers, digital archeologists. It wouldn’t be until the first teleindexer — the PAL, from Maple Cybernetic — that the Datanet would be placed into the human palm, fundamentally changing daily life one more time.
Archive: https://prokhorvlg.tumblr.com/archive
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Source: Raleigh Vektar Appreciation Society (Facebook)
Bike seen on 1985 Raleigh Vektar (r/RetroFuturism)
Some info from The Raleigh Vektar | The Bike Comes First:
The Vektar, the worlds first computer bike, was launched in 1985 long before we had health and safety laws. Equipped with ‘micro chip technology’ the rider could see how fast they were going, how far they had gone and how long they had been riding for at the touch of a button. The head’s down display ensured that you would ride into the back of your mate or a kerb as you fiddled with the control panel.
If that wasn’t enough you could listen to the radio on one of the three AM preset stations either while riding the bike or parked up hanging out with their pals. Later models came with a MW tuner giving even less crappy sound quality.
The main feature though was the advanced warning and alarm system. Once you had chosen one of the eight sounds from the ‘revolutionary sound generator’ on the top tube mounted control panel, you could use the handlebar mounted controller to terrorise old ladies as you rallied around the housing estate.
Source: Tictac – Musée du Minitel
Some info (French) from Collection Minitel
The CNET rather pushes its investigations towards the coupling of telephone and television, developing, in 1974, the TIC-TAC system (Integrated Terminal Including Television and Keyboard Call). But TIC-TAC is only a prefiguration. The culmination of the work, a veritable marriage of computers and the telephone, will take the name of Interactive Videotex.
cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/4807979
Source: AKAT-1 Analogue Computer (by Bethany Fox - ArtStation):
An iconic Polish analog computer from the 60s made for my friends' awesome FMP set in a dystopian fascist museum
Authored at 4k. Has a clear screen that isn't shown in Painter since it displays opaque.The post only says "Reference picture", but I think it's the one at "Muzeum Techniki" in Warsaw, Poland:
https://flickr.com/photos/mwichary/2231616877/in/album-72157603823734926/More pictures from the museum on Marcin Wichary's Flickr album:
https://flickr.com/photos/mwichary/sets/72157603823734926/Some info from Jacek Karpiński's Wikipedia:
The breakthrough achievement of Karpiński's career was the construction of AKAT-1 in 1959 in co-operation with engineer Janusz Tomaszewski. AKAT-1 was a pioneering work – the world's first differential equations analyzer based on transistors. Karpiński built the device during his spell at the Polish Academy of Science's Institute of Automatics, where he found employment after the success of AAH. The aim of AKAT-1 was to simulate various complex dynamic processes like heat transfer or a shock absorber's mechanics. The innovativeness of the device was acknowledged by historians of computer science – e.g. Maciej Sysło claims it has to be conceded that Karpiński's effort preceded any other similar device. The construction was also lauded for its aesthetical merits – the panel designed by leading Polish artists – Emil Cieślar, Olgierd Rutkowski, Stanisław Siemek and Andrzej Wróblewski had been considered to 'innovatively merge all functions in a congruent and attractive form that anticipated the future trends'. The machine has been domestically welcomed warmly, having been covered by a host of country-wide media, including national television TVP1 and Polish Film Chronicle.
Source with more props: Various device designs (by Max Marharit - ArtStation):
Was designing random props in my spare time, had a lot of fun making those to get deeper in product\prop design
- Drone controller
- Portable disc player with speakers
- Portable cassette player
- Portable game console ( Screen pixel art by Francesca De Vivo )
ArtStation profile: https://www.artstation.com/mmi
RSS Feed: https://mmi.artstation.com/rss
Source with more images: Video game night. (by Vadim Shishkin - ArtStation):
Hi everyone! I want to present to you my new scene. It's a teenage room in the 80s style. First I only planned to make a computer model but I was too obsessed with searching references on Pinterest that in the end there was a small scene. About the brand of the computer, it was collected from different pictures that I loved.)) I hope you like it.
ArtStation profile: https://www.artstation.com/vama6
RSS Feed: https://vama6.artstation.com/rss
Source: VN Commodore I.P Proposal (Glen.H, flickr)
A cheaper simpler version was produced.
The version produced (source: VN Commodore I.P Proposal (Glen.H, flickr))
Found via cassette futurism collection (Samuel, Pinterest)
I think this is the model: [Holden Commodore (VN) (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Commodore_(VN))
Source: ‘Science Fiction Monthly’ Cover Gallery, 1974 – 1976
Artist ISFDB*: Tony Roberts: Summary Bibliography
* Internet Speculative Fiction Database
Brought up (on reddit) by u/ihahp.
More info: Wikipedia PXL2000
1987 Video ad from reddit comment.
Picture found on Cámara Pixelvision (IDIS) [Spanish] with another picture.
The plant was opened on the 80s, but the picture is probably a recent one.
Source: The untold story of the architect who turned Spain’s modernist power plants into art
Image caption:
Aboño thermal power plant, Aboño valley between the municipalities of Gijón and Carreño, opened 1980, owned by EDP. Photography: Luis Asín
From the article:
Deep in the Cantabrian Mountains, some 150 kilometres away from his hometown Oviedo in northern Spain, a young Joaquín Vaquero Palacios (1900-1998) used to travel around on horseback with his father, one of the founders of the Hidroeléctrica del Cantábrico company (now part of the EDP group). (...)
Found via cassette futurism collection (Samuel, Pinterest)
Spanish Wikipedia: Joaquín Vaquero Palacios
More info:
