lcamtuf :verified: :verified: :verified:A slightly unhinged calculator fact: in the golden era of electronic calculators, some Japanese shopkeepers were reluctant to trust the newfangled tool, so Sharp made a line of combination calculator / abacus devices.
Here's a photo, next to some other stuff I own.
Rusty Ring@lcamtuf@infosec.exchange
Given what calculators were like in that era, I wonder how many people noticed.
Nazo@lcamtuf@infosec.exchange Rofl, I love the calculator wand. It's literally just a calculator that's just harder to use, but I guess at least you can wave it around. (Is it also a pen maybe? There seems to be some kind of tip.)
That mechanical thing seems neat as heck if it actually works. I'm guessing we're talking simple addition or something with it?
Lee Holmes :donor:@lcamtuf@infosec.exchange There are many Soroban trainers out there to this day, including phone apps :) They take a lot of practice to use.
BTW, have you seen the Otis King cylindrical slide rule? They are very pretty - https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=otis+king+cylidrical+slide+rule
lcamtuf :verified: :verified: :verified:@Lee_Holmes@infosec.exchange Yes, and
Oblomov@lcamtuf@infosec.exchange @Lee_Holmes@infosec.exchange damn I want one of those.