Blast From the Past: Speak & Spell

i-eec3cdec178644d5aa6e279d57a2f9a5-180px-TI_SpeakSpell.jpg Remember those old Speak & Spells in the 80s, the ones made by Texas Instruments? Well, that and Simon were probably my favorite games as a kid (oh, and Rubix cube). There's actually a cool Speak & Spell emulater on the web that I came across, check it out and enjoy the 'say it' feature. Wasn't there also a Math version? What perfectly lovely toys for burgeoning nerdlets.

(Hat tip, Kyle)

Tags

More like this

Shame on you if you don't know Al Jaffee. He's been a cartoonist for Mad Magazine going back to its founding in 1954. He is best known for the “Fold-Ins” which are hard to describe if you've never seen them. Click here to have a look. He also wrote the “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions”…
Simon came in the door calling "Moooooooomm....Moooooommmm!!" It didn't sound like the "someone is bleeding to death" call or the "Isaiah said my hat looked funny and I beaned him one with a rock and he had the temerity to hit me back and it hurt..." cry, each which has a certain urgency too it.…
Note: I'm off to DC for ASPO-USA's annual spring board meeting. The blog will be quiet. I leave you with one of my all-time favorite re-runs, lightly updated to reflect the ongoing disconnect between dream and reality ;-). But what would life be without fantasy? I find it helpful to reflect on…
Janet and Chris have declared a nerd-off, ostensibly in response to the sci-hottie awards that so cruelly snubbed them. So, I feel that I must assert my Nerdelicious-ness by posting what I was wearing yesterday (under my labcoat, of course!). Back in the twilight of my nerd-hood in the early 80s…

For nerdlets with soldering irons, an actual speak and spell is a good basis for circuit bending: re-tasking cheap electronics to make experimental musical instruments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_bending

or just google "circuit bending" to get some ideas

Wasn't there also a Math version?
Ah yes, the Speak & Math. Many an hour I spent laying in bed playing number stumper.

Bah, somebody beat me to a circuit bending comment. :P

You kids today have it so easy! I had to count on my fingers! And I was GLAD to do it!

By Grumpy Old Man (not verified) on 16 Feb 2007 #permalink

Dane Cook's bit on the Speak & Spell is classic!

"ABCDEFG, I will kill your family!"