img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/12/gallery_gizmodo/gizmodo_t.jpg'/img: Photo: Eliot Van Buskirk/Wired.compNEW YORK – Popular technology blog Gizmodo has set up shop in a Manhattan art gallery to showcase some of the rarest and most intriguing gadgets from the past hundred years or so, including never-released Apple prototypes, the first Sony Walkman, a flying aerial surveillance camera and more./pp The Gizmodo Gallery opened Thursday at the Reed Annex (151 Orchard St.), but we snuck in Wednesday night to photograph the most fascinating stuff on display here. The show runs through Sunday afternoon, giving New Yorkers, tourists and gadget freaks a chance to gaze upon important pieces of our technological history, and interact with some more recent gadgets. /p img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/12/gallery_gizmodo/dragan_t.jpg'/img: Photo: Eliot Van Buskirk/Wired.compNico Reyes of the Reed Annex sits blissfully unaware of the Draganflyer X6, a flying surveillance device that "makes crane shots obsolete," according to its creators. That may be the case, but we can't fight off our initial impression that this could be the last thing we will ever see. /pp With an expert at the remote control, the aerial carbon-fiber shutterbug navigates tight indoor spaces with ease according to Gizmodo editorial director Brian Lam, who said the beast is capable of holding steady in winds of up to 18 mph. A "failed motor logic" system keeps the system in operation even if two of the motors crap out. /pp Lam said the Draganflyer X6 accepts a night-vision camera or HD camera in addition to the vanilla flavor, and communicates its location to the remote using a GPS. As great as this gadget is for filmmakers and photographers, its potential application as a weapon is a bit worrying in a Terminator sort of way. /p img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/12/gallery_gizmodo/sony_walkman_t.jpg'/img: Photo: Eliot Van Buskirk/Wired.compHere's the portable audio player that started it all: the original Sony Walkman, on loan from Sony's archives in Tokyo. Initially panned by critics, the Walkman became a worldwide sensation, eventually selling 340 million units. /pp Oddly, the device that kicked off the portable-audio revolution includes two headphone jacks for sharing music mdash; surely, unintentional prescience on the part of Sony, which could never have predicted the later connection between portable music formats and music sharing. /pp Model Alyssa Miller holds the original-model Walkman./p img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/12/gallery_gizmodo/apple_tablet_t.jpg'/img: Photo: Eliot Van Buskirk/Wired.compLegendary Silicon Valley design firm Frog Design lent Gizmodo a couple of Apple prototypes to display, including this MacBook Tablet mock-up, modeled here by Paulo. /pp Apple and Frog Design conceived this prototype using their Snow White design language, according to Gizmodo's Brian Lam. Although this portable tablet computer never saw the light of day, echoes of its design can be seen in the Apple IIc. /p img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/12/gallery_gizmodo/atari_t.jpg'/img: Photo: Eliot Van Buskirk/Wired.compAtari never released a portable version of the Atari 2600 game console, but if it did, it may have ended up looking a lot like this Atari 2600 VCSp, seen here in the hands of writer Lisa Katayama. /pp The Atari 2600 VCSp is the work of hacker extraordinaire Benjamin Heckendorn (better known online as Ben Heck). This model is the first Heck ever made; he went on to build scores of vintage gaming mods that earned him a following among geeks and fans of vintage gaming. /p img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/12/gallery_gizmodo/tenori_t.jpg'/img: Photo: Eliot Van Buskirk/Wired.compThis double-sided MIDI controller allows musicians to build loops of sound by pressing LED buttons arranged in a 16-by-16 grid. /pp This a href=" http://blog.wired.com/music/2007/10/tenori-on-lite-.html "video/a explains how it works, but the gist is that you control which loops play, and when they start and stop, by activating and deactivating the lights. /pp Unlike some of the other gear on display, the Tenori-On will be playable by gallery-goers who can listen to their own performances through a pair of headphones. /p img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/12/gallery_gizmodo/dyson_level_t.jpg'/img: Photo: Eliot Van Buskirk/Wired.compGizmodo’s Brian Lam told us that the original Dyson vacuum cleaner was initially crippled in the U.S. market because manufacturers were worried it would cannibalize the multimillion-dollar market for replacement vacuum bags. /pp Luckily for inventor James Dyson, this version of his design was manufactured in Japan starting in 1983, giving Dyson the financial wherewithal to start making them himself. Twenty five years later, the descendents of the original Dyson are probably the world's most coveted model mdash; itself something of an accomplishment. Who would have predicted that vacuum cleaners could become such a hot topic? /pp Gizmodo's Matt Buchanan wields this original Dyson./p img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/12/gallery_gizmodo/death_star_t.jpg'/img: Photo: Eliot Van Buskirk/Wired.compOne of the largest Lego sets ever released, this Death Star was destroyed on its way from Lego to the Gizmodo expo. Luckily, the company introduced Gizmodo to Lego enthusiast Jonathan Lopes of Brooklyn. /pp The self-described "Lego nerd" arrived on the scene to perform a reverse Luke Skywalker on the Death Star, rebuilding it in time for it to be displayed Thursday morning mdash; no small feat, considering that it's made from 3,800 pieces and that he worked only from a picture of the fully assembled version. /p img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/12/gallery_gizmodo/apple_phone_t.jpg'/img: Photo: Eliot Van Buskirk/Wired.compAnother Apple prototype loaned to Gizmodo by Frog Design, this early '80s conception of an Apple phone featured a handset and a monochromatic screen and stylus, allowing the device's potential owner to sign checks electronically over phone lines. /pp When Apple finally released its first phone in 2007, it didn't even come with a stylus, and the screen was much smaller. /pp Gizmodo's Matt Buchanan picks up the handset. /p img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/12/gallery_gizmodo/thanko_t.jpg'/img: Photo: Eliot Van Buskirk/Wired.compOne of the most useless pieces of electronics we have ever laid eyes on, Thanko's USB tie and gloves provide you with heat or cool when they're connected to your computer's USB port mdash; perfect for commuting and outdoor sports, assuming your USB cable is long enough. /pp The gloves heat up, while a compact fan located in the necktie's knot generates a gentle breeze mdash; worthwhile in theory, if not in practice. As Gizmodo's Matt Buchanan points out, "All USB gadgets are awesome in some way." /p img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/12/gallery_gizmodo/picturephone_t.jpg'/img: Photo: Eliot Van Buskirk/Wired.compWhen this Bell Labs Picturephone debuted at the 1964 World's Fair, many of those who saw it in action, paired to an identical model in Disneyland, probably thought that every phone would feature video by the year 2000. They were close; instead, nearly every modern computer is capable of live videoconferencing, while home phones still largely resemble the models of the past. /pp A 1956 version of the Picturephone was capable of transmitting one picture every two seconds. This one apparently improved on that frame-rate by adding another two lines to the connection. This (nonfunctional) unit was borrowed from the ATT Archives and History Center. /pp Adam Lam uses the Picturephone pictured here to attempt contact with gadget freaks of the past, or so we imagine. /p img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/12/gallery_gizmodo/zeiss_t.jpg'/img: Photo: Eliot Van Buskirk/Wired.compGoggles that let you watch video on a little virtual screen have been around for years, but many of them are plagued by poor image quality, low resolution and headache-inducing optics. /pp This pair, from the widely respected camera-lens manufacturer Zeiss, is an exception, with 640x480 resolution and an individual diopter for each eye that allows eyeglass-wearers to use the goggles. Battery life is four hours mdash; enough for all but the longest films. /pp In this shot, Gizmodo's Matt Buchanan watches a video stored on a video-capable iPod Nano. /p img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/12/gallery_gizmodo/brian_lam_stomping_clear_t.jpg'/img: Photo: Eliot Van Buskirk/Wired.compWe wondered why two hunks of red foam and metal were included in the gallery, until Gizmodo editorial director Brian Lam took a break from overseeing the construction of displays to demonstrate them. /pp With each step, a thunderous, robot-stomp sound emanated from his slippers, and by the end of his demonstration, we were convinced that they did in fact belong in the gallery. 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