iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

scottsgear.com @scottsgear.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Welcome. I'm Scott from Scottsgear. I collect gadgets from the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Nokia, Ericsson, Palm, Psion, and more. Currently over 1100 gadgets in the collection, adding new devices every week.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 03/10/2026

Welcome to a crate with 3 decades of portable music players. Walkman, Discman, Minidisc, MP3, iPod.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 02/10/2026

Does anyone else still have nightmares about burning through their "airtime"? Kids nowadays are spoiled with their unlimited , talk, text, and data 😁

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 02/10/2026

This is a small sampling showing my collection of smartwatches. This includes my very first one (the Swatch "The Beep" pager watch) to the Timex Data Link, Seiko Message Watch, and even the limited edition gold plated LG Watch Urbane Luxe.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 01/10/2026

During the height of the dotcom boom, Handspring and Glenayre teamed up to add two-way paging capabilities to the popular Visor PDA. This PalmOS powered device suddenly gained near nationwide coverage for messages, news, weather, and much more.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 01/10/2026

My good friend Amazon sells some really cool stuff. This is just one of them... Hopefully this means I'll never run out of sim card eject tools ever again.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 01/10/2026

The new #Amazon 4K Fire Stick is really nice. Brand new remote design, USB-C (finally), smaller dongle and can be powered off TV USB. After trading in my old Fire Stick, this only cost me $4.75! #Firestick #Streaming

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 01/10/2026

This is a first for me: Amazon packaging with a QR code surrounded by raised dots. I had to Google it, and they are apparently used for the visually impaired. Good to see them add accessibility features to the new 4K Fire Stick.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 01/10/2026

This was my first ever video conferencing system. I think I spent upwards of $3000 getting two of these for my offices in 1996, plus the added expense of the dedicated ISDN line.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 01/10/2026

In the 2000's, #Samsung wanted to sell a #Camcorder that could shoot decent videos and photos in the same body. The only way technology could pull this off was by using two separate cameras, so that is exactly what they did! We don't always realize just how lucky we are with our smartphones!

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 30/09/2026

The older folks here will surely remember the megapixel wars, but how many of you recall the "Zoom Wars"? My personal favorite has to be the Sony DCR-SX41 Handycam from 2009, which featured a mind-blowing 2000x digital zoom! I can only imagine how horrible 2000x zoom looks on SD quality video.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 30/09/2026

This is My car doctor from STI International, the world's first handheld vehicle OBDII scan tool. The software runs on the TRG pro, a rare PalmIS device that adds features like removable storage to the OG Palm. Amazingly, this combo still works, but definitely struggles to read newer cars.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 30/09/2026

Did you know that Motorola developed a smartwatch 3 years before Pebble? The MotoActv runs a full Android install, and features WIFI, Bluetooth, GPS, music player, fitness tracking sensors, and 8GB of storage. It was a bit bulky, but having all those apps on your wrist in 2010 was fantastic.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 30/09/2026

Here is another of my #AvGeek highlights: my daytrip to Iqaluit, Baffin Island, Canada. We were on the ground for about an hour in -11F weather. It was one of those amazing days when you get 2 sunsets. We tested a satellite link, then landed at noon when it was already getting dark. #Aviation

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 30/09/2026

If you've ever connected to the internet on a plane, chances are you used one of these amazing aviation satellite antennas. Here is a photo of the early testing done. This is from 2014. The current generation Starlink dishes are much smaller. #AvGeek #Aviation

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 30/09/2026

After being burned by the #Zune, you’d think I would have learned my lesson about Microsoft hardware. Sadly, no... I ended up getting stung again by the Microsoft Band (1 and 2). To make matters worse, I wasn't even eligible for their refund program because I hadn't used the device enough!

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 30/09/2026

This is my 2012 Qualcomm Toq smartwatch. This was released as a demonstration watch, showcasing the latest wearable technology from Qualcomm. It includes their Mirasol screen, WiPower LE wireless charging, and syncs to an Android app. Price: $349.99.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 30/09/2026

This is a really cool new feature from Opera: #Android users can now get a free 3GB eSim in 47 different countries to use within their browser. eSIM with Opera for Android is here - Blog | Opera News share.google/CnIM4zBnTHjO...

blogs.opera.com

eSIM with Opera is here: get free data on your next trip abroad

You can now get an eSIM inside Opera for Android for your next trip abroad. You can try it out with free data for your next travel.

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Reposted by scottsgear.com

BigBadBiologist @bigbadbiologist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Saturday's noon EDT stream will result in me standing knee-deep in nasty capacitors. We'll start by doing a teardown and inspection of a Sony GV-8 Video Walkman. And then we'll do the same with a Mac Classic and Mac Classic II. Why do I do this to myself? youtube.com/live/4rc4JPS...

youtube.com

Disassembly and inspection of a Sony GV-8 Video Walkman, a Mac Classic, and a Mac Classic II

YouTube video by BigBadBench

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 29/09/2026

Working on building a new home GSM base station. I'm figuring out how to get this done using an SDR board you can find for around $100! I'm well into getting things working correctly, and just captured my first GSM signaling packets from my base station emulator.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 29/09/2026

Last year, I paid a well reviewed graphic designer on Fivver $100 to design a new logo for one of my sites. This is what he delivered after one week. At first I thought he was joking, but it quickly became clear that he was dead serious. Once Fivver stepped in, I got my money back 🤣

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 28/09/2026

This hobby keeps getting more expensive. Devices that used to sell by the boxload are suddenly being listed as "rare" or "vintage" with exorbitant prices. What used to coat $20 is now listed for $80 🥹

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 28/09/2026

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 28/09/2026

There was always something incredibly impressive about the mid 80s portable computer. This Sharp PC-1246 has a tiny, almost unusable display, but a wonderfully well designed little dock that adds a cassette deck and printer. This one was used by a life insurance sales person.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 28/09/2026

One of the downsides of collecting so many gadgets is the need to save different storage devices. From MMC to Smartmedia to Memorystick: my drawer of storage cards keeps getting fuller.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 28/09/2026

Something shady for the Sunday morning: the Speedtest powered speed test on att.com consistently shows my 2G Xfinity Internet speeds at half those on the Speedtest site or app. Either their test is configured poorly, or they try to make you feel like you are not getting your money's worth.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 27/09/2026

This is the #Ericsson GH197 "Hotline" from 1993, the second GSM handheld from the Swedish phone giant. It features their distinctive flip-up rubber antenna and a chunky battery. Even though it lacks a phonebook, it has audio components from Bang and Olufsen,

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 26/09/2026

This gorgeous piece of Swiss handywork is my #Swatch "The Beep", a numeric #POCSAG #pager sold in Europe in 1993. Look closely at the face and you'll see the antenna wires running across. This was also right at the dawn of GSM phone popularity in Europe, so The Beep was relatively short lived.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 26/09/2026

Don't make the same mistake I just made: stupid me forgot that SMA comes in male and female. I plugged the wrong antenna into a pricey SDR board and killed it. Thankfully it just needs a new 0603 SMD fuse and SMA connector. Don't be like me!

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 26/09/2026

Who here is old enough to remember the pesky dongle? Almost every road warrior had am assortment of PCMCIA cards and dongles for network, modem, phone, and more. Thankfully, Xircom fixed that with their Realport card: finally full size jacks without the need for a dongle!

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 26/09/2026

This is the #Kyocera 7135 #PalmOS #smartphone. Released a year after the first Treo Smartphone, this slick device opted for the traditional Graffiti text input method over the hardware keyboard of the Treo. Its display was a meager 160x160 pixels, and it predates faster 3G EVDO network support.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 25/09/2026

Evolution of a few of my #Ericsson phones. To me, these are some of the best handsets ever made. I'm especially proud of the woodgrain phone, a mod I performed back in 1995!

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 25/09/2026

This is the genesis of Palm PDA's: the 1996 Palm Pilot 1000. Launched at $299 by modem maker US Robotics, the original Palm Pilot was an instant hit. Apps started appearing, new accessories were added, and within 18 months, they sold one million units. #PalmOS #PDA #retrogadget

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 25/09/2026

Remember Cuecat? Those of you not old enough to have owned one of these: this barcode scanner allowed you to scan codes printed in magazines that took you to advertisers websites. Think QR codes, but for the 2000 bubble. Millions were handed out for free. Huge flop of course.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 25/09/2026

Long before companies like Insta360 released their amazing cameras, I shot a revolutionary 360 video from a cockpit using 5 GoPro Hero 3 cameras and a special rig. Stitching this all together took 3 hours to render. #AvGeek #Cockpit #360video

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 25/09/2026

This behemoth is the Imate JasJar from August 2005, one of the largest PocketPC devices ever made. Also known as the HTC Universal, this giant features a swiveling screen, dual cameras (very unique at the time), WiFi, Bluetooth, SD card slot, and support for 3G GSM networks.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 24/09/2026

Fresh from Japan: The Sharp Zaurus SL-5000D, #PDA. This was the first ever PDA sold running Linux (Qtopia-based Embedix Plus). Unique features include a slide-out keyboard and the ability to be expanded with a *video capture card*, camera, and a wired music player. The device has CF and SD slots.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 24/09/2026

My box of unsorted #MP3 players. These are all awaiting testing and adding to my catalog of #gadgets. At this rate, it'll take me at least another year till they are included 😁

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 24/09/2026

Before the smartphone camera, there was the #Ericsson CommuniCam from 2001. This add-on camera allowed you to snap a (crappy) photo and send as an MMS. On the popular Ericsson T68m, you could even snap a photo and set it as your background image, something totally unique to the market at the time.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 24/09/2026

Way back in 2014, I wrote a whitepaper for the aviation industry to determine whether "head mounted displays" could ever be a viable option for Inflight entertainment. We flew a private jet around for three hours testing 6 different headsets. Conclusion? Nope 👎 #IFE #inflight #AvGeek #Aviation

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 24/09/2026

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 24/09/2026

Still high of the sweet success of the Zip and Jazz drives, Iomega tried to score one more hit with Clik! (Later renamed to Pocket Zip). These tiny spinning discs supported an mp3 player, PCMCIA, and a parallel port drive. Of course, it couldn't compete with flash storage and died within a year.

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 24/09/2026

One of the biggest perks of flying on the company 737? Sitting in the #jumpseat up front. #AvGeek #Aviation #Cockpitview

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 24/09/2026

One of the biggest perks of flying on the company 737? Sitting in the #jumpseat up front. #AvGeek #Aviation #Cockpitview

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 24/09/2026

One of the biggest perks of flying on the company 737? Sitting in the #jumpseat up front. #AvGeek #Aviation #Cockpitview

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 24/09/2026

One of the most underappreciated innovations in the past decade: USB-C. Before we had this single connector on almost every device, you had a different damn cable for each of your gadgets. Think about that next time you charge your stuff!

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 24/09/2026

I stumbled on some old screenshots of my aviation apps. Quite impressive to see just how far the user interface has come, and how clunky these early #iOS and #Android apps were. #AvGeek #Aviation

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 24/09/2026

Way back in 2014, I shot one of the world's first 360 videos of a flight inside a cockpit. This predates cameras from Insta360 and others. My setup consisted of 5 GoPro Hero 3 cameras in a rig, and a 13 hour render session to stitch them all together. #AvGeek #Aviation

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 24/09/2026

There is something incredibly satisfying about popping 2 fresh batteries into a 32 year old Palm Pilot and having it spring back to life, just like the day you bought it. #pda #palm #retrogear #gadget #graffiti

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scottsgear.com @scottsgear.com · 24/09/2026

Here is some amazing #AvGeek technology from 1989: what is probably the earliest example of an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) allowing pilots to plan their route, find waypoints, calculate fuel consumption and even run through their pre-flight checklist.

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