So, the first bit of 1980s technology to be featured on Ephemeral 80s and, of course, it must wear that insignia of digital excellence - Casio. Better yet, it's a calculator, beloved of many a schoolchild - not for tackling fiendish mathematics, but instead for typing in absolute filth about the lack of mammary glands. Behold, the Casio SL-702C from 1984: a marvel of pocket technology, a gadget you'd slyly reveal to divine the mysteries of long division, or simply work out how much change you'd have from a tenner after a pint of mild.
I bought this little relic some years ago, since then, it's mostly gathered dust in my bedside drawer - yes, dear reader, this is the tragic peak of my bedroom activities. Whilst it's an undeniably charming scrap of circuitry, it's solar energy credentials are woefully weak - despite the claims of the packaging, and it clearly needs to be close to the surface of the sun to deliver its digits in bold. Yes, it's a tidy illustration of the era's technological ambition - and it comes in a sleek leather jacket - but in practice it merely limps you over the line when you're trying to free up your brain from the rigours of arithmetic.
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