CP Electronics

Hello and welcome back to CP’s “Old Tech of the Week.”!

Today we’re moving a little bit closer to modern day to look at this iPhone 5s. I know this might not seem like it belongs here in old tech, but as it was released in 2013, making it 13 years old, it does qualify! It was also a pretty groundbreaking phone when it was released.

Released alongside the iPhone 5c, it had almost the same dimensions as its predecessor, the iPhone 5, sporting a compact 4 inch display. Despite the similarities, the 5s had a few new features, some of which are still widely used and are taken for granted today. It was the first phone to feature a 64 bit A7 chip, making it much faster than its predecessor. It was also the first smart phone to have a fingerprint sensor, built into the home button. The TouchID system Apple still uses today was launched on this device. The iOS 7 operating system released along side it was also the first to introduce Apple’s AirDrop system as well as iTunes Radio.

The phone was so popular, that Apple actually supported it through a whopping 6 major versions of iOS, taking it all the way to iOS 12!

This one might be new enough that some of you probably remember having one of these! If you do we’d love to hear about it! Until next time!

Here we are again for CP Electronics’s “Old tech of the Week!” Today we’re looking at something a bit more fun, this Tandy Sports Arena 3-in-1 game.

First introduced in 1981, the Sports Arena game featured interchangeable plastic screen overlays and allowed you to switch between Basketball, Soccer, or Ice Hockey. It uses LED technology, which was a common feature of electronic games of the early 1980s

It could be played in either Amature (slow), or Professional (fast) modes. The goal of the game was to take shots and make it past the opposing teams defensive players, and their Goal defender, earning points.

Fun fact: the Tandy corporation was the corporate parent to Radio Shack and started out in around 1919 as a leather goods company. They transformed themselves into a dominant force in global electronics and computing. They acquired the struggling Radio Shack brand in 1963, transforming it into the successful business we all knew and loved back in the day.

We hope you found this interesting and look forward to seeing you next week! Until next time!

Good afternoon all! You know what time it is! CP Electronics Old Tech of the Week is back with this Realistic TRC-216 4 watt, 40 Channel walkie talkie.

First produced sometime between 1985 and 1988, these were considered the peak of mobile communication at the time. Their 4 watt output and long telescoping antenna meant their signal could reach miles further even than some of today’s modern walkie talkies. These were another prime example of the move away from the bulky crystal technology of the 1970’s and into the sleek, modern tech of the 1980s.

That long antenna may seem ridiculous by today’s standards but its innovative coiled core meant that it could function without needing to be 6 feet long, as other CB antennas at the time would have had to be. Marketed both for recreation purposes as well as industry the TRC-216 was a very popular radio for the time and they continue to be popular with vintage tech enthusiasts today.

Hope you enjoyed this one, and we’ll see you next week!

Hello, all! Today CP Electronics is offering our very first giveaway! Like, share, follow, and leave a comment on which Old Tech of the Week post was your favourite. Do this, and you’ll have a chance to receive a free $25.00 restaurant gift card of your choice from the options pictured. One winner will be chosen at random and that winner will be announced on May 15th.

Good luck and we hope to see you soon!