If one's items can define one, I have started to curate a list of items that I once owned. It started with a single object and the list has now grown to include descriptions. Again, Ajith does all the heavy-lifting, but I orchestrate the work through the chat interface. I've only been working on this for a few days. I have not bothered to alphabetize these items nor put them into a chronological order. This is still a 'work in progress' and I can see eventually reaching 100 items.
Anyway, under this AI generated image of one of my first recollections, are other items which shaped my childhood and adult life.
• Texas Instruments Speak & Spell (1980): A watershed moment in consumer electronics, the Speak & Spell was the first commercial product to use Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to electronically duplicate the human vocal tract on a single silicon chip. Its distinctive, metronomic voice—modeled after a Dallas radio DJ—pioneered speech synthesis, transforming it from a laboratory curiosity into an educational companion. It pointed to the future. I bought one of the orange toys as a teacher. Surely it was the first experience I had with electronic speech.• Tandy Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I (1979): One of the "1977 Trinity" that launched the home computer revolution, the TRS-80 transformed computing from a hobbyist kit-build into a household appliance. Sold through thousands of Radio Shack stores, it democratized programming with its built-in Level I BASIC and iconic Z80 processor. I wrote programs for it and brought it to my practice teaching assignment for second graders to act as math "flashcards".
• IBM PC 8088 Clone (1986): A symbol of the "Compatible Revolution," these clones leveraged Intel’s 16-bit 8088 processor (running on a budget-friendly 8-bit bus) to shatter IBM’s monopoly. By reverse-engineering the BIOS, manufacturers allowed users to run industry-standard MS-DOS software at a fraction of the cost. The beginning of a true addiction in Taif, Saudi Arabia.
• Sony Walkman (Aluminum Chassis, circa 1979-1984): The definitive icon of 20th-century portability, the early aluminum-cased Walkmans—starting with the blue-and-silver TPS-L2—represented a shift from industrial recording tools to personal lifestyle objects. Unlike the plastic versions that followed, the aluminum models were tactile, over-engineered masterpieces of Japanese miniaturization. Once recovered from the bottom of Lake Sunapee
• Sony Betamax Video Tapes (1985): Launched by Sony in 1975, Betamax was the technically superior rival to VHS, offering higher horizontal resolution (250 lines vs. 240) and superior color reproduction. Its compact, "hand-sized" cassettes featured a more robust shell and a complex tape-loading mechanism—forming a "B" shape inside the machine—that allowed for faster, more precise scanning. These tapes are the primary containers of 1985 Saudi entertainment as they came through diplomatic pouch.
• Galacticomm Galactaboard (circa early 1990s): The architectural backbone of the professional multi-user Bulletin Board System (BBS). In an era when standard PCs were limited to just two or four serial ports, the Galactaboard was a specialized ISA expansion card that enabled a single server to host up to eight simultaneous users. From your tenure as Sysop for the Major BBS (Worldgroup) system at the Dubai Men's College Foundations campus.
• Kodak Carousel Slide Projector (circa 1960s/70s): Patented in 1965, the Carousel revolutionized storytelling with its iconic rotary tray and "gentle gravity feed" mechanism. Unlike straight-tray systems, the Carousel allowed for automated, continuous shows, turning the living room into a high-fidelity theater. Used for family travelogues, specifically the New Hampshire to Alaska expedition in a VW Camper (circa 1st grade).
• Iomega Zip Drive (1995): A bridge across the "storage chasm," the Zip Drive was a revolutionary 100MB removable storage system that arrived exactly when the 1.44MB floppy disk became obsolete. For your lives, it was the "High-Bitrate" solution of the mid-90s, offering the capacity of 70 standard floppies in a single, rugged cartridge. It taught the world that data didn't have to stay on a single hard drive—it could be "zipped" and transported.
• 1972 Ford Pinto: Launched as Ford's "import fighter," the Pinto was a masterpiece of 1970s subcompact design, featuring a long hood, short deck, and the iconic "Freudian Gilt" metallic paint—a name that perfectly captured the era’s cheeky, pun-heavy marketing. My black side stripes added at least 10 mph to its max speed. Was the initial vehicle gift wisely gifted by my dad because of its meager 1600cc engine. It still ended upside down once on the other side of a stone wall. The occupants were all in unscratched. If hit from behind they were known to explode.
• Kawasaki 100cc (G5/KE100 Series, circa mid-1970s): Clad in its vibrant, era-defining yellow, this 100cc two-stroke was the quintessential "entry-level" dual-sport that punched far above its weight. Featuring Kawasaki’s "Superlube" oil injection—which spared riders the messy task of pre-mixing fuel—it was a masterpiece of "low-maintenance" engineering.
• Clarion Automobile 8-Track Player (Self-Installed, circa 1978): A pioneer in Japanese in-car entertainment, Clarion developed the world’s first transistorized car radio in 1959 and Japan's first car stereo in 1963. By 1972, their 8-track players were the gold standard for aftermarket upgrades, offering a robust "endless loop" playback system that freed drivers from the limitations of local AM radio.
• Emirates.com Domain (mid 1990s): A testament to early digital foresight and professional integrity. Once owned personally during the mid-90s UAE internet infancy, it was relinquished without profit due to a sense of loyalty to the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and the nation’s developing digital infrastructure. A Greatest 'What If' valued today at millions in CAD, but preserved here as a symbol of fairness.
• Google Nexus One (2010): Manufactured by HTC, the Nexus One was the genesis of the "pure Google" experience and the first to be branded as a "superphone." Featuring a vibrant 3.7-inch AMOLED display and a signature glowing trackball, it represented Google’s direct challenge to the status quo, offering an unlocked bootloader and a noise-canceling dual-microphone system that was years ahead of its time.
• King’s Quest I (1986): The "Daventry in the Desert" era. While living in Saudi Arabia, this pirated 360K disk—run on an IBM PC clone with a CGA monitor—served as the primary gateway to the first true animated 3D adventure. Navigating Sir Graham through a neon-cyan and magenta landscape was a high-stakes logical exercise, typed into a command prompt under the desert sun.
• Clackers (circa 1970): A rhythmic, high-impact toy consisting of two heavy acrylic spheres connected by a string. Popularized during the early 1970s, Clackers required precise wrist motion to strike the balls together at high speed, creating an incessant "clacking" sound. They were famously withdrawn from the market after the hard plastic shells were found to shatter into shrapnel, making them a quintessential symbol of the "danger-is-part-of-the-fun" era of vintage toys. Used at recess time at Sunapee school when all students were in the old building.
• Radio Flyer Red Wagon (circa 1960s): A masterpiece of stamped-steel Americana. Originally rebranded in 1930 to honor the "high-tech" marvels of the era—the radio and the airplane—this 1960s version represents the peak of its steel-bodied glory. Known for its indestructible red chassis and pivoting handle, it served as a definitive multi-purpose vehicle for childhood exploration, acting as everything from a backyard cargo hauler to a makeshift soapbox racer. I recalled it had may purposes, including moving a live ant collection from one place to another.