Balloons on a plane, word counting pen and a phone that turns off music

Each week I like to read Modern Mechanix to see what Makers were up to in the 30’s/40’s/50’s – clever solutions for problems, using the modern technology of the time – always inspiring, and usually entertaining.

This little balloon pushes air into your nose to ease discomfort and ear popping when you fly. It’s not hair gel or an iPod, so it might be OK to bring…

What did writers use before word count on computers? They may have used this pen that tells you how many words you’ve written based on ink level.

Last up, most modern cell phones that play music will pause the music when you get a phone call – back in the days of rotary phones and radio this was also a problem — this phone will turn off the radio when you pick up the receiver. I’d like to see a modern phone that has a universal remote in it, so when you pick up your phone you can mute your TV (or just install a TV-B-Gone in it)…

More:
Modern Mechanix – Yesterday’s tomorrow, today. – Link.