Retro-Chic Home Décor Made from 1980s/90s Electronics
Still further evidence that almost everything can be upcycled into something else – and when it comes to home décor the possibilities are endless – are these projects highlighted in this Times Style article from last year:
As the life cycle of the average electronic gadget shrinks to a virtual eye blink, the mountains of electronic trash continue to rise, expected to surpass 70 million metric tons this year, from about 19 million in 1990, according to a 2014 report by Step, a United Nations-affiliated sustainability initiative. Except in unusual cases — like the story last month about a Bay Area woman dumping a rare Apple I computer from the 1970s worth $200,000, apparently by accident, at a recycling facility in Milpitas, Calif. — few look at that trash heap and see treasure.
Not surprisingly, these techie hobbyists share their passion in online communities. One of the more popular forums is a D.I.Y. tech blog run by Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories, a family company in Sunnyvale, Calif., that produces open-source hardware. The site features tutorials on making earrings out of linear regulator chips, wine charms from capacitors and a wooden footstool in the shape of a classic 555 integrated circuit chip from the ’70s.
Kind of makes you wonder what the early 21st century retro-chic will be in 30 years, what with early VR headsets, 1st gen drones, Arduinos, and IoT software stacks to display!
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