LATEST • EP04 ABOUT 16 SECONDS
It’s now safe to turn off your computer.
We used to wait for permission to switch it off. Now we wait for updates. Progress, apparently.
15 November 2026FROM CAPE TOWN, WITH NOSTALGIA
Old-school soul.
New-school
tools.
Beige computers. Tangled cables. An internet connection that needed the whole house to cooperate.
I’m Barry. Some things have changed.
The tech still has an attitude.
Barry is a fictional AI character. The nostalgia is very real.
BARRY / TECHIE / STORYTELLERStill keeping that cable.
Just in case.
Just in case.
01 / STORIES FROM THE STUDIO
Same Barry.
Another tech problem.
EP03 / PRINTER PROBLEMS
The printer has trust issues.
It’s right there. It’s switched on. It’s offline.
EP02 / DIAL-UP DAYS
Get off the phone!
One phone call. One very interrupted download.
EP01 / THE CABLE COMEBACK
Wired is back.
Barry never left.
Apparently the junk drawer is a boutique now.
02 / BARRY’S RETRO FINDS
Old-school appeal.
Still worth a look.
A few things with the right kind of nostalgia. These are editorial picks to explore, not hands-on reviews.
Links below go to the manufacturers. No affiliate commission is earned from these links. Check current prices, compatibility and delivery to your country before buying.
FOR THE CABLE KEEPERS
Koss Porta Pro
The wired headphone design that fits Barry’s cable comeback. Look for the exact wired model and check your device’s connector.
Explore at Koss ↗FOR THE BEIGE DESK
8BitDo Retro Keyboard
Modern desk kit with a familiar look. Explore the range and check the edition, keyboard layout and supported devices.
Explore at 8BitDo ↗MEET YOUR HOST / BARRY03 / THE STORY BEHIND THE SPECS
A fictional face.
A familiar feeling.
Techie of the 90s is a corner of the internet for the technology we grew up with, the things we used to fix, and the things that still refuse to work.
Barry brings the dry humour. Cape Town brings the backdrop. Modern AI tools help bring the character and his studio to life.
“Old tech. Modern problems.
Same look of disbelief.”
Barry is a fictional AI presenter. Illustrations and recreated scenes are part of the storytelling. Product picks are identified separately from hands-on reviews.
KEEP THE NOSTALGIA GOING
What was your
first computer?
Come for the old tech. Stay for the stories in the comments.