We often think of computers as a very modern phenomenon, but there were actually plenty of computers around 50 years ago. They just weren’t an everyman commodity, instead limited to goverment and corporate use. And they certainly weren’t small. Some of them had imaginative names like Whirlwind, Colossus and Pegasus, while others were slightly less poetic with names like Z4, AN/FSQ-7 and ENIAC.

Below we have listed as many as 19 examples of computers from the early days, pioneering efforts that although cutting edge in their day now look lovingly retro.

Read more

Summer is over. The temperature is dropping and winter is looming on the horizon, which means that it’ll soon be time to take out those scarfs and snow caps and whatever other attire you use to protect yourself against the cold.

Many see this as an opportunity for self-expression, and the geeks of the world are no exception. Here’s how you can stay warm in awesome geek style throughout the winter.

Read more

The truly great thing about laptops and netbooks is that you’re not bound to your desk. You can bring them with you anywhere. Some people are taking that to the extreme, bringing their laptops with them to places where most of us wouldn’t.

So, just for a minute imagine you’re not stuck at your desk and join these people who are taking portable computing to new heights.

Read more

We live in Sweden, a very organized country when it comes to things like infrastructure, electricity, etc. However, there are some countries that have a more “organic” approach to their cabling…

Here are some of the most insane examples of electrical (and phone?) cabling that we have found. Imagine being the electrician called in to fix a problem with that wiring. You’d get the wonderful opportunity to get both electrocuted AND entangled.

Read more

Symmetry and asymmetry, structure and detailed designs. Are we talking about art? In this case, no, we’re talking about silicon chips, integrated circuits and electronics. Look at these close-ups and macro shots, and you’ll see why sometimes they could just as well be considered art.

Read more

Lego started selling their now world-famous bricks 60 years ago, and has a certain inherent geek appeal (after all, Lego bricks are kind of like 3D pixels, and you can be endlessly creative with them).

This post shows what happens when computer geeks combine their love for Lego with their love for certain popular tech companies and their logos.

Read more

This underground data center has greenhouses, waterfalls, German submarine engines, simulated daylight and can withstand a hit from a hydrogen bomb. It looks like the secret HQ of a James Bond villain.

And it is real. It is a newly opened high-security data center run by one of Sweden’s largest ISPs, located in an old nuclear bunker deep below the bedrock of Stockholm city, sealed off from the world by entrance doors 40 cm thick (almost 16 inches).

Read the full post for plenty of more pictures and cool information.

Read more

Some of the luxury computers out there have designs that are quite extreme, and some even put Apple to shame when it comes to elegance. These computers are made with expensive materials, bling, strange shapes, and prices ranging from expensive to insane.

If you fancy paying up to a million dollars for a luxury computer, here you go! The rest of us will probably just enjoy looking at the pictures.

And yes, one of the computers in this post actually does cost a million US dollars. Ouch…

Read more

It’s not exactly a big secret that we here at Pingdom are complete and utter geeks (which we freely admit). That’s why we love what we’ve seen in the way of pumpkin designs now that Halloween is around the corner. There are pumpkins designed as robots, computers, nice IT logos, gaming icons and more.

We have collected some of them in this post. Let your inner geek loose and keep reading.

Read more

The infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) probably hasn’t escaped the notice of anyone who has used a computer in the last decade or so. If you haven’t seen it on your own PC, you probably know someone it has happened to.

There is actually a ridiculous amount of BSOD photos to be found around the Web. And not just of PCs. As this post will show you, the blue error screen seems to show up everywhere, and often in highly unexpected locations.

This is a collection of some of the very best ones we could find. Enjoy!

Read more