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Bloomberg
Even as we flirt with Jetsons-style bathrooms hooked up to digital assistants and breakneck races of flying “cars,†one thing remains clear: Despite ever-improving technology, our nostalgia-tuned minds remain glued to the rear-view mirror.
At CES, Kodak made that abundantly clear when it revealed footage from its hotly-anticipated reboot of the Super 8 camera, which revolutionised amateur filmmaking when originally released in 1965.
It’s part of a movement that Kodak describes on its website as an “analog renaissance.†The film-format camera—Kodak’s first since 1982—will cost from $2,500 to $3,000, have a 3.5-inch LCD screen, variable speed control, and C-mount lens support.
If you’re wondering where the heck you’re going to get the film developed, Kodak has you
covered: An online platform will let you purchase film, processing, and shipping. You’ll mail the goods to Kodak, which will process the film and scan it digitally before sending the files to your Darkroom account.
“Just as vinyl is making a comeback in music, film is being embraced by more and more amateur and professional filmmakers,†Brian Cruz, Eastman Kodak Co.’s vice president and general manager of consumer products, told Bloomberg.
“There are many digital solutions out there. We aspire to balance the best of both worlds: the ease of capture and editing afforded by digital, with the luxurious color and texture offered by real film.â€
Kodak isn’t alone in its throwback pursuit. Maybe it’s all the Stranger Things-inspired ’80s nostalgia floating around, but now more than ever, consumers seem to be looking toward retro tech. One national movie theater chain is even renting VHS videos.
blackberry keyone
Not to be left behind (again), BlackBerry Ltd. finally decided to grant Kim Kardashian her dream of the phone’s comeback with the launch of its KeyOne phone in April 2017.
BlackBerry has since been tinkering with the wrapping: The company announced a “Black Edition†and unveiled a bronze coloured model to be made available in overseas markets. The phones, which cost more than $550, all have 4 gigabytes of memory and 64GB of internal storage, plus that signature keyboard.