Comments on: Backpack TV transmitter from 1951 http://boingboing.net/2008/04/14/backpack-tv-transmit.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Fri, 24 May 2013 13:42:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: mr_josh http://boingboing.net/2008/04/14/backpack-tv-transmit.html#comment-165387 mr_josh Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-165387 And now CNN just says, "Send in your cell phone footage!" I quietly dream of being the guy who invents the world's first time machine so that I can send my cell phone back to the '60s to some engineer's desk at Bell or PARC or MIT, then see how the present changes. "Backpack, eh? Can you play Tetris on it? No? Well, I can. Well I can for 45 seconds until the demo runs up, I'll be damned if I'm paying 8 bucks for cell phone Tetris..." And on and on... And now CNN just says, “Send in your cell phone footage!”

I quietly dream of being the guy who invents the world’s first time machine so that I can send my cell phone back to the ’60s to some engineer’s desk at Bell or PARC or MIT, then see how the present changes.

“Backpack, eh? Can you play Tetris on it? No? Well, I can. Well I can for 45 seconds until the demo runs up, I’ll be damned if I’m paying 8 bucks for cell phone Tetris…” And on and on…

]]> By: mrfitz http://boingboing.net/2008/04/14/backpack-tv-transmit.html#comment-165144 mrfitz Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-165144 causes cancer in less than a month! causes cancer in less than a month!

]]> By: Hanglyman http://boingboing.net/2008/04/14/backpack-tv-transmit.html#comment-165153 Hanglyman Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-165153 He looks like a 50's Ghostbuster. Back then they wore suits and went door to door, and had a proton pack-mounted cross to scare away the minions of Satan. He looks like a 50′s Ghostbuster. Back then they wore suits and went door to door, and had a proton pack-mounted cross to scare away the minions of Satan.

]]> By: carsick http://boingboing.net/2008/04/14/backpack-tv-transmit.html#comment-165154 carsick Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-165154 I know I've seen a shot of Mike Wallace in one of those. I believe it was while he was doing interviews from a convention floor. Google has turned up the image yet though. I know I’ve seen a shot of Mike Wallace in one of those. I believe it was while he was doing interviews from a convention floor. Google has turned up the image yet though.

]]> By: hawkins http://boingboing.net/2008/04/14/backpack-tv-transmit.html#comment-165172 hawkins Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-165172 Even sillier was the nickname for these machines: <b>creepy-peepy</b> (after the walkie-talkie, I suppose, made popular during the war in the previous decade). Even sillier was the nickname for these machines: creepy-peepy (after the walkie-talkie, I suppose, made popular during the war in the previous decade).

]]> By: boingperch http://boingboing.net/2008/04/14/backpack-tv-transmit.html#comment-165434 boingperch Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-165434 "No, I'm not Commander Cody, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night." “No, I’m not Commander Cody, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.”

]]> By: Ned613 http://boingboing.net/2008/04/14/backpack-tv-transmit.html#comment-165215 Ned613 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-165215 The photo was published before the safari jacket became the standard issue uniform for photo journalists. The photo was published before the safari jacket became the standard issue uniform for photo journalists.

]]> By: Jack http://boingboing.net/2008/04/14/backpack-tv-transmit.html#comment-165049 Jack Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-165049 I like the fact he’s wearing a suit and tie. A far cry from the sweats and polo shirts techs wear today. But you know what is also funny? The TV backpacks (tape machines) that some TV crew members wear in the film <i>Dog Day Afternoon</i>. It would be nice to see a survey of backpack tech items from ye olden days. I like the fact he’s wearing a suit and tie. A far cry from the sweats and polo shirts techs wear today.

But you know what is also funny? The TV backpacks (tape machines) that some TV crew members wear in the film Dog Day Afternoon. It would be nice to see a survey of backpack tech items from ye olden days.

]]> By: Jardine http://boingboing.net/2008/04/14/backpack-tv-transmit.html#comment-165059 Jardine Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-165059 Someone probably realized that having people that crawl around in tight spaces and work with dangerous equipment wear a suit and tie is a stupid idea. The tie is a choking hazard and the clothes are going to get dirty or ripped. From the description of it only transmitting a mile, this seems like it's intended more as a unit for a news crew to report on location to relay the signal back to the station. Or maybe it was paired with a more powerful transmitter (on a truck or something) that would relay the signal back to the station so the crew could report from farther away. Someone probably realized that having people that crawl around in tight spaces and work with dangerous equipment wear a suit and tie is a stupid idea. The tie is a choking hazard and the clothes are going to get dirty or ripped.

From the description of it only transmitting a mile, this seems like it’s intended more as a unit for a news crew to report on location to relay the signal back to the station. Or maybe it was paired with a more powerful transmitter (on a truck or something) that would relay the signal back to the station so the crew could report from farther away.

]]> By: Agent 86 http://boingboing.net/2008/04/14/backpack-tv-transmit.html#comment-165073 Agent 86 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-165073 Am I the only one who thinks it looks like a ray gun? ...and now that we actually have ray guns, why do they not look like this?! Am I the only one who thinks it looks like a ray gun?

…and now that we actually have ray guns, why do they not look like this?!

]]> By: Chemical Orphan http://boingboing.net/2008/04/14/backpack-tv-transmit.html#comment-165330 Chemical Orphan Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-165330 Anyonone else immediately think of Al Franken's gear? http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/10/al_franken.gif Anyonone else immediately think of Al Franken’s gear?

http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/10/al_franken.gif

]]> By: Argon http://boingboing.net/2008/04/14/backpack-tv-transmit.html#comment-165105 Argon Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-165105 He's never going to lift off with <i>that</i> wimpy rotor. He’s never going to lift off with that wimpy rotor.

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