Two Wile E. Coyote moments from my recent workbench adventures. You know, those ones, when Wile sees a 16-ton weight falling from the sky straight onto him and all he can do is open an umbrella with anticipation of pain on his face...

1. I got an ultra rare Bosch GSM phone from around 2000, mint condition, and painstakingly put a new cell into the battery compartment. Of course, no charger included. Finding even an used one is nigh impossible, and making own connector is tricky (the plug is super weird). Found a pinout though, and tried to bend the appropriate pins with extreme caution to attach the clips from ext power supply.

With extreme...
...well, no.
Whatever made me do this, my brain must have been off.
I watched in slow motion as the pin, size of a tiny nail clipping, falls apart. Luckily I spotted it on the bench. Had it fallen on the floor, I'd be f**ked.
Result - an hour with the tiniest soldering tip, cursing at myself. I did it, but obviously I fried the plastic here and there and the condition isn't so mint now.

2. I was planning to install a voltmeter on my motorbike. Got a nice vintage Jaeger meter, but it was acting weirdly. Thought it'll ne good to unscrew the nuts on the terminals and add an extra resistor for testing.

Whatever made me use the pliers instead of a proper size wrench (like, 6), may it be cursed.

Stuff was glued with some military grade shit. There was a quiet CRACK and the terminal started to turn around its axis, nut untouched. Checked it with multimeter - infinite resistance. Oh f**k. I probably destroyed the internal circuit.
Effect - still have to figure it out, but most likely I wasted my money due to my own stupidity.
#diy #electronics #fail #retrotech

Retro Gear and the Mystery of Cables Melting Into Cases While in Storage

https://hackaday.com/2026/06/30/retro-gear-and-the-mystery-of-cables-melting-into-cases-while-in-storage/

#RetroTech #Hardware #Science

Korg EX-800 Programmable Polyphonic Synthe Module

https://www.matrixsynth.com/2026/06/korg-ex-800-programmable-polyphonic.html

#Synthesizers #MusicGear #RetroTech

TV with built-in VCR

#RetroTech #90sComputing #DigitalNostalgia #OldSchoolTech #TechThrowback #1990sTech #VCR

Sony Ericsson W910i
(2007)

One of the sleekest and most advanced flagship devices in the legendary "Walkman" music phone series. This ultra slim, slider style phone was a massive commercial success, even winning the prestigious "Best Mobile Handset" award at the GSM Association's Global Mobile Awards in 2008.

Specs:
CPU: ARM9 223 MHz
Memory: 40 MB internal, Memory Stick Micro (M2) slot (up to 4 GB)
Display: 2.4" TFT QVGA (240x320, 262k colors)
Camera: 2 MP primary + video call front camera
Audio: Walkman 3.0 media player, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP stereo, 3G HSDPA
Battery: 930 mAh Li-Po (BST-39)

The killer innovation of the W910i was its built-in 3D motion sensor, which introduced "Shake Control" and "SensMe" features. Users could flick the phone to skip or shuffle tracks and tilt it for automatic screen rotation. The "SensMe" software uniquely mapped tracks based on tempo and mood. With its incredibly thin chassis, dedicated gaming buttons, and loud audio, it was a mid-2000s multimedia masterpiece.

#SonyEricssonW910i #SonyEricsson #Walkman #SliderPhone #RetroTech #VintageMobile #00sTech #1EYEReview

Hard Drive Speakers Crank Out Classic Demo

https://hackaday.com/2026/06/29/hard-drive-speakers-crank-out-classic-demo/

#Hardware #DIY #RetroTech