Somewhar off-topic, but interesting: you can buy some really complicated-looking radio gear. For those of you out there who love stuff with a lot of switches, check out this ICOM radio.
I have no idea what it does -- I'm assuming it's very similar to my son's ham radio -- but it sure looks cool. Hobbies this complex have always been intriguing to me.
The coolest thing about the hobby is that it scales to all sorts of different interests and spending levels. Compare this to <http://smallwonderlabs.com/Rockmite.htm>. Sure, it has no buttons at all, but you build it yourself and you can still have a wireless conversation with someone half a world away.
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/widerxvr/0095.html
I have no idea what it does -- I'm assuming it's very similar to my son's ham radio -- but it sure looks cool. Hobbies this complex have always been intriguing to me.