Bluetooth, Steampunk-style

Nicrosin's amazing Victorian-style mechanical confections deserve to be made real. As it is, he made them from sculpey and watch parts, lining with leather for comfort.

Nicrosin's Photostream [via Watchismo]

[#1 posted by Schizmo , September 17, 2008 4:55 AM]

I appreciate the craftsmanship, but I wouldn't be caught dead with one of those on my ear unless I was in full Steampunk attire.

[#2 posted by strider_mt2k , September 17, 2008 5:04 AM]

If it worked (well) _and the gears ran_ then yes.

Just for pretend, [EXPLETIVE DELETED] no.

You'd be better off calling it a prototype, because as one of those I'd feel much better about it. ;)

Make it real is what I'm saying here, people.

[#3 posted by Duffong , September 17, 2008 7:00 AM]

It's all fun and punks until one of those little cogs falls off into your ear drum, gets lodged, and requires surgery to have it removed.

[#4 posted by nerdkiller , September 17, 2008 7:36 AM]

I don't want to be a dick, but I'm really tired of steam punk posts. It's been at least 2 years since the fascination started. I think it's time for steam punk to go the way of YTMND or lolcats.

Can you guys do something akin to the Unicorn posts.

How about after each steam punk post we get something mindless and sophomoric; like funny pictures of early 90's rollerbladers dressed in neon spandex.

[#5 posted by MarlboroTestMonkey7 , September 17, 2008 9:48 AM]

Nerdkiller, I will only disclose it here... steampunk is a ladies magnet, they really dig a chronically displaced gentleman, the smell of coppery gadgets and other leather paraphernalia.
Now, hide your goatse pictures, put a zeppelin pilot jacket over your neon spandex and GO GET THEM! GO!

[#6 posted by strider_mt2k , September 17, 2008 9:58 AM]

Personally I try to make up for the lack of cogery by speaking in anachronisms and using subtle wordplay.

It's interesting to see who's paying attention.

[#7 posted by Kaden , September 17, 2008 10:24 AM]

If those gears aren't part of a mechanism that actually *does* something, this is nothin' but a shameful waste of perfectly good componentry.

These gluegun guys... waddayagonnado?

[#8 posted by harpdevil , September 17, 2008 10:36 AM]

thats beautiful! I really love that.

[#9 posted by dculberson , September 17, 2008 11:21 AM]

I'm not the world's biggest fan of some items posted here, but I realize it's easier and more polite to skip over the post than it is to complain about it.

[#10 posted by nerdkiller , September 17, 2008 12:09 PM]

#9 in general I agree. I usually say if you don't have anything too add to the thread than STFU. And I'm not complaining about this particular post and certainly don't want to come across as rude. But reading Strider's 1 comment, it doesn't do anything. It's a bedazzled bluetooth headset, but spacely sprockets instead of those plastic bedazzle things.

[#11 posted by Jake von Slatt , September 17, 2008 1:06 PM]

#5 @MarlboroTestMonkey7 Man, you are so right!

[#12 posted by TheBlessedBlogger , September 17, 2008 2:10 PM]

I like it. If they made these I'd buy one. I don't particularly care if the cogs do anything purposeful, this is a piece of art and can be appreciated as such. Is my chunky faux diamond necklace a real diamond? No. Is my medieval inspired embroidered purse real? No. And the decorative sword my husband has on the wall behind his desk, could I really use it as a genuine sword? No. But they all still have value as art. Call me crazy but I find value in adding beauty to the world. The piece would still function as a headset, it looks good, who cares if the gears turn and whir?

[#13 posted by PaulRedeker , September 17, 2008 4:26 PM]

Stepping out of character fora moment..

Thats the best bluetooth headset ever!

Nerdkiller

You haven't seen anything yet.

There is a steampunk Cafe/Movietheatre under construction in Lowell Ma. (Home of the American industrial revolution.)
It's set to open next year.
The centerpiece is a giant steam engine, big as your head, if your head was a freight train.

If Johnathan Coulton performed there, Cory Doctorow would giggle like a little school girl.

back in character now.....

What a waste, all that brass could be used for bullet shells, to fight the zombie hordes...

[#14 posted by historyman68 , September 17, 2008 4:28 PM]

what does "functional" mean in this context? I'd imagine the Bluetooth components are pretty tiny, so what would the gears, etc be for? I suppose there could be an old fashioned amplifier and microphone?

So, going on TheBlessedBlogger #12's suggestion, would the gears just be on a motor and turn together? It might be cool to have the gears turn whenever a call comes in - that way, instead of a vibration, you'd just hear little clanking gears!

[#15 posted by Zig , September 17, 2008 6:28 PM]

Actually I think it's pretty cool.

I too often run across people out in public or in the office even who are muttering away seemingly to themselves...and then I realize they have a silly piece of plastic wedged into an ear and are possibly not located left of center from reality.

With something looking like that attached to ones ear anyone seeing you would have to reconsider...maybe you are a loon talking to yourself.

A stylish loon.

[#16 posted by Mister Moofoo , September 17, 2008 9:30 PM]

I think the important thing here is not that the gears, etc. do something specific, but that they look like they might do SOMETHING. Something esoteric, involving aether, or maybe even phlogiston. I think it's way more elegantly done than some vaguely steampunkish things that have cropped up on the nets. It's called an "Aural communication device" on the Photostream, but methinks it could be flashier, clunkier, wackier; "St. John, Lord Bluetooth's Wondrous Wireless Wordificator," or something like that. Like those badass WETA zapguns.

The other geary-stuff on the flickr is equally gnifty. Mostly disembowelled watches, sure, but cleverly disembowelled, with a sense of balance and harmony. Bravo!

[#17 posted by Downpressor , September 18, 2008 2:39 AM]

Steampunk crap in public is nature's little way of warning you against potentially bad mates. Think of it as the little plastic squid that cleans out the gene pool.

[#18 posted by Lizzle , September 18, 2008 8:06 AM]

A little leather squid, bristling with brass knobs and gears, surely?

[#19 posted by nerdkiller , September 18, 2008 8:54 AM]

OK so it's neat looking and who cares if it doesn't do anything; that's ok. My original point was that it's gotten to the point that anything with a cog on it gets posted on Boingboing.

#12 - There are no postings about fake diamonds or medieval looking decorative swords. Not cuz they aren't neat, but Boingboing doesn't post things like that unless they are really unique or special.

At this point anything with little bronze cogs glued on it gets posted on boing Boing. It makes the site feel watered down.

[#20 posted by dculberson , September 18, 2008 9:30 AM]

Nerdkiller, I'm not picking on you I promise, but how many steampunk posts are there on BB Gadgets? I only recall this one, this week. Out of a hundred or so posts, one. If that's "watered down" then the bar is set pretty high.

[#21 posted by nerdkiller , September 18, 2008 11:24 AM]

Oh, I just meant on Boingboing. I really didn't realize this was only on the gadgets page. I want more Klein bottle posts!!! (kinda kidding, but just kinda)

[#22 posted by mygemstonebox , September 18, 2008 2:31 PM]

Steampunk items...whatever they are... jewelry, headsets etc. are so interesting looking...how can one not be intrigued by them?

http://mygemstonebox.blogspot.com

[#23 posted by Downpressor , September 18, 2008 5:35 PM]

mygemstonebox,

same way lots of us are not at all intrigued by unicorns, disney, cosplay, etc.