• tibi@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        16
        ·
        edit-2
        2 months ago

        The tape head is basically a small and really sensitive electromagnet. Magnetized tape creates small disturbances in the magnetic signal. Amplify those disturbances and you get sound. Similar to an antenna, but only works in close proximity.

        This also works in reverse. Feed an audio signal through the electromagnet, and the electromagnet will create the disturbances in whatever is next to it. You can do this to record to a tape, or you can do this to pass sound to another tape head, which is how these aux cassettes work.

        You can build one yourself really easily. Just take the tape head from a broken player and solder to an aux cable. Take a cassette, remove the tape, and put the tape head in the middle portion so it comes into contact with the player tape head.

  • WoodScientist@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    26
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    2 months ago

    A bow drill fire starter.

    …I suppose it depends on what you assume the future will be like…

    Barring that, you can get some small vials of tritium gas for under that price.

    • Wanderer@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      2 months ago

      There was a TV show. Stephen Fry 100 greatest gadgets.

      For 1 he told a story about how some guy was talking to a largely uncontacted tribe and they were really interested in their tech.

      So he knew they would have a supply drop and took them out to see the plane for the first time ever. The tribe was remarkable unimpressed with the sight.

      The guy asked what was up and they came back with the reply “You can make fire from your fingertips. Of course you can fly”

      He named the lighter the number 1 gadget.

      • WoodScientist@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        2 months ago

        I suppose it really depends on your perspective. If you’re that uncontacted tribe, you see birds all the time. The idea of a creature being able to fly is pretty mundane. Humans can’t naturally fly like birds, but neither can they naturally wield knives as long and sharp as tiger claws. But flying is ultimately just duplicating something already found in nature.

        But the ability to instantly and effortlessly summon fire? The closest thing in nature is the bombardier beetle, and that shoots boiling acid. Impressive, but it’s not true fire. There are no creatures in nature that can just summon fire on command. From a natural perspective, instantly creating fire is a lot more impressive than a flying machine.

      • WoodScientist@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        13
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        2 months ago

        Not much really. Looks cool though. I suppose it’s more of a decoration than “tech.” About the only practical application of it is a tool to terrify the uneducated. The quantities of tritium the average person can buy are beyond harmless. You could breathe a hundred vials of the stuff and be completely unaffected. If you drank nothing but tritium water for several weeks, you would have some issues. But tiny vials with micrograms of tritium vapor inside? Utterly harmless.

        Or, I suppose for the criminally minded, you could find some evil uses for it. You could probably rob a bank with it. “Give me all the money or I break this vial of radioactive vapor!” That would probably get you a wikipedia page, if you’re just dying for your 5 minutes of fame. You could go down in history as, “that mad scientist that robbed a bank using radioactive gas.” Of course it would be a bluff.

        Though if you’re just going to bluff your way through bank robbery, you can just stick your hand in a hoodie pocket for the same effect.

        I suppose you could use it for other similar criminal acts of varied nobility. You could probably use the same bluff to create a hostage situation to bring awareness to whatever political/religious cause is your cup of tea. Ultimately most people are very ignorant of nuclear science, and simply the words “radioactive tritium” would cause people to shit themselves. And that fear could be harnessed for all sorts of malevolent purposes. (Even better as you can actually show people the faint glow from it, and prove that you do have something radioactive.)

        Hmm… what else could you use tritium for? I suppose you could use it for religious purposes. Absolute quantities really don’t matter much for that.

        What else? You could tie it to a keychain and be able to find your keys in a dark room.

        But really, it’s mostly a novelty. I think small amounts of it can be used for gun sights. But in any quantity the average person could afford or legally be allowed to purchase, it’s a harmless novelty. Larger quantities can be used in fusion reactor experiments and nuclear weapons. But if you try to acquire that much, you better have a budget in the millions, and the NRC is going to be on your ass. The average person can get a small vial of it that faintly glows blue in a dark room. It looks cool embedded in jewelry, but it really doesn’t have much practical purposes beyond perhaps terrifying the ignorant. But I really don’t consider malevolent uses to be truly practical applications.

        (In case it isn’t obvious, I do not endorse using radioactive tritium in the commission of any crime or act of violence or threat of violence.)

  • tibi@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    21
    ·
    2 months ago

    A full working computer, more powerful than what we used to go to the moon, and using less power than a light bulb.

    It can take many forms, like smartphones, SBCs or older PCs/laptops.

    • BruceTwarzen@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      2 months ago

      By that logic, a lighter. Better than smashing two rocks together, that’s how we used to make fire.

      • Zron@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        2 months ago

        One of those fancy plasma lighters, sure. But butane lighters have been around for decades

  • JubilantJaguar@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    24
    arrow-down
    8
    ·
    2 months ago

    A knife. Futuristic in that it will be handy for hunting and self-defense after the future collapse of civilization that results from our insatiable appetite for consumption - of, among other things, useless gadgets.

  • breadsmasher@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    9
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    2 months ago

    what is “futuristic” in this context?

    A calculator is pretty futuristic depending on where you start

    • ArmoredCavalry@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      2 months ago

      I was thinking of something that would be considered futuristic to an average person today. So, maybe something uncommon, with impressive capabilities, but still affordable?

      Not sure if many items fit that criteria, but was curious if any!

        • GrammarPolice@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          2 months ago

          This would have to be some burner or 2nd/3rd phone cuz there’s a lot more than worse screen or worse camera. The only A series phone i would consider using would be the A54/55/73.

          • lud@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            2 months ago

            Well no shit it’s not great.

            It’s still pretty damn impressive that you can buy smartphones for that cheap at all.

            • COASTER1921@lemmy.ml
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              2 months ago

              Honestly the sacrifices they make are pretty reasonable for every day use too. I used ultra cheap Umidigi smartphones for four years as a student and they held up quite well with a huge upside being shockingly good repairability. The biggest downside is the rear camera usually, I wish I had better photos from those times.

              You can get the Umidigi G9 5G for just $99 shipped on aliexpress. Even budget phones under $100 get 8gb RAM, 128GB storage , and 90hz displays now. There really aren’t as many sacrifices as you’d expect, and by the time you spend $200 you even get plenty respectable cameras that would be flagship quality just a few years ago.

      • ericbomb@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        2 months ago

        … So am I the only one that whenever I want a new phone, I just look for highest rated phone under 100 dollars? Been doing that for years, generally it’s just always just like top of the line models from 3-4 years ago.

        Been doing it for years and I’ve never really had any complaint with my phones.

  • reddig33@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    2 months ago

    Bluetooth headphones/headset/earpiece. You too can look like Uhura from Star Trek by sticking a wireless speaker in your ear!