Calculator watches, a staple of the average's geek wardrobe since before your grandmother was born, have been called out, as David Jones' own homegrown version totally trumps anything out there on the pre-fabricated market today. The cleverly-titled µWatch was born after a Casio CFX-400 bit the dust after years upon years of telling time and determining averages, and while it seems as though a bona fide front panel is still in the works, we're personally hoping that currently unoccupied Design & Construction portal gets updated with a how-to guide. Check out the read link for a few more shots of the early prototype and the current build.

[Via OhGizmo]

Look, we know that the Curta Calculator is old. 1948 old in fact, after it was first conceived by Curt Herzstark while imprisoned in the Buchenwald concentration camp. Still, why not introduce the post HP35 generation to what was widely hailed as the best portable calculator of its time? Besides, with that WWII intrigue and satisfying mechanical grind, what's not to love? See it in action after the break.

[Via HighTech]

Mmm mm, what could be finer than the aroma of solar powered, "delux" chocolate while punching a stack of numbers? And just look at the separation between the Chocolator's skin and solar panel. Quality man, quality. Then again, you're not buying this 5.5 Design calculator for performance reasons are you?

Feel that? That's the unexpected stir of nostalgia welling inside your dorktic-loin. Rest easy, you're not alone. In fact, that picture aroused a deeply seeded HP fanboi-ism long obscured by thick slabs of drab computing plastic and opaque printer ink. The 35s marks the 35th anniversary of the industry defining HP-35 pocket scientific calculator (and death of the sliderule) -- a first to offer basic trig and exponential functions. While HP preserved the original's reverse Polish notation, gone is the single-line of red LEDs which illuminated the childhood wonder of so many budding engineers. The new 35s also introduces an algebraic entry mode for those who find RPN entry just a bit too, well, reversed. Of course, it's fully modern with 800 storage registers, 100 built-in functions, and a large 2-line alpha numeric display with adjustable contrast. Better yet, the 35s will only set you back $60 compared to the $395 it cost back in 1972 -- that's a lot more 8-tracks for your swank Ford Mercury Capri, eh Pops?

Read -- HP-35 anniversary video
Read -- HP 35s

As if the Cushion Control pillows weren't cute enough, here we find a USB-powered, felt-covered calculator synth to ooh and aww over. Artists Kelli Cain and Brian Crabtree were able to conjure up this nifty device at a Felt Circuits workshop held in Los Angeles, and while details are relatively scarce, the creation is essentially a homemade eight- x six-inch calculator constructed from dyed wool that was hand-rubbed into felt. The two also "designed, etched, and populated noise-making circuit boards" which were then put into the contraption, and when connected to a USB port, touching the metal contacts that are sewn on "makes a bunch of noise," which we can causally refer to as abstract music. Unfortunately, there's no sign of these things going on sale, but if you beg the duo hard enough, you might find out if another workshop is in the pipeline.

We're not exactly sure if Texas Instruments' widely utilized TI-83 / TI-84 line of calculators have reached the same success as Casio (but it's fairly safe to assume a "yes"), but the firm is finally throwing out a substantial update to the graphing calculators that you, your folks, and probably your grandparents all used throughout high school. The TI-Nspire lineup maintains the same relative form factor, but offers up a few swank advancements such as multiple representations, "grab-and-move" functionality, resizing, dynamic linking, and of course, the oh-so-sweet ability to save and edit in-progress work (shown after the jump) right on the device. Additionally, Windows / OS X software will be available to mimic the on-screen abilities of the handhelds, which means those days of viewing the monochrome display via an overhead projector are long gone, and for those who just aren't willing to make the transition, TI is even including a snap-in TI-83 / TI-84 Plus keypad so you can upgrade your machine without relearning keystrokes. The TI-Nspire and TI-Nspire CAS are both slated to hit instructional dealers this Fall for educators (commercially available by Fall 2008), so we'd suggest pinching those pennies now in back-to-school anticipation.

Just as broadcast radio was turning one hundred, Casio was selling its one billionth calculator, as the company reportedly announced that this past December held the milestone purchase. The firm's first electronic calculator, dubbed the 001, hit the market in 1965, and played a big part in the development of the chip industry by generating demand for LSI chips. The pocket-sized renditions the company is so well known for started in 1972 with the Casio Mini, only to be followed by the graphing scientific version in 1985. These monochrome graphing editions will always hold a special spot in our hearts, as there was just nothing like kicking back during class and crushing your previous Tetris record while the instructor gave you kudos for focusing so intently on your work, and of course, that wasn't the only game to ever get ported to the small screen. So here's to Casio for hitting the big 1 billion, but we've got to admit, it looks like TI is the current champ in terms of universal acceptability, but we can't argue too much with a figure like that.

Aside from the typical mathematical applications obviously associated with your average calculator, we've seen some pretty nifty implementations that took advantage of the not-exactly-advertised features hidden beneath the number pad. But Uni-Creation has taken the reverse approach here by stuffing a tabulation machine on top of a multi-format memory card reader. The All-in-1 pocket-sized conglomerate handles your checkbook balancing with ease, but it seems the primary duty of this contraption is to read just about every memory card format we've ever heard of (and some we haven't). Just check out this impressive list of cards it can digest: SMC, XD, SD, MMC, MMCⅡ, RS-MMC, miniSD, CF, CFⅡ, MicroDrive, MS, MS Pro, MediaGate, MediaGate Pro, MS Duo, MS MediaGate Duo, MS Pro Duo, MS MediaGate Pro Duo, and to top it all off, its fully compliant with the "UTMA Fish Card," whatever that may be. While you may assume that managing all those formats would be "all-inclusive" enough, the device goes an extra mile by sporting a calendar, alarm clock (with 8 monophonic tones to wake you), and even stores world times for 16 international locales (you know, since this is presumably the perfect travel accessory). Since we're hard pressed to think of a scenario where having a calculator and card reader on hand would be essential to your well being -- especially considering that handy "Calculator" app that comes pre-loaded on most every computer these days -- it's difficult to postulate when this awkward combination of gadgets would actually come in handy.

[Via Red Ferret]