The ACCRC’s It Ain’t Dead Yet blog

Energy & Sustainability Technology
The ACCRC’s It Ain’t Dead Yet blog
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MAKE Editor at Large David Pescovitz writes on Boing Boing:

The Alameda County Computer Resource Center (ACCRC) is a Berkeley, California-based non-profit group that recycles anything that you can plug into a power outlet. Massive tonnage of insanely strange circuitry goes in and out of that place on a daily basis. To share some of those curiosities with the world, the ACCRC has launched “It Ain’t Dead Yet,” a blog for showcasing “new and/or unusual pieces of technology, identifying them, and finding their values (historical value/practical use/$ value).” Seen above is a wire recorder (circa 1945-1955) that stores audio by magnetizing a reel of fine wire. The folks at ACCRC plan to convert digital data into audio and store it on a wire reel. Just for kicks.

(Also pictured above: A portable 8-track stereo system, a digital trainer (with a “breadboard, various buttons to control the clock, and places to plug in wires to connect the various components and circuits within”), and a Wang 600 programmable calculator from 1974.)

It Ain’t Dead Yet

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Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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