Tag Archives: computer

Gaming Box gives a whole new interpretation to portable gaming

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Inspired by the Nintendo Switch’s success, there has been a rise in devices with somewhat similar designs running different gaming platforms. There’s Valve’s Steam Deck for PCs, of course, but there are also gaming handhelds running Android instead. Even computer accessory maker Logitech is getting its game on with a cloud-centric collaboration with gaming giant Tencent. Despite varying designs and sizes, the basic format of these portable gaming devices is the same. There’s a large screen in the middle flanked by the two halves of a typical gaming controller. That, however, isn’t the only way to design a portable gaming device, and this concept design tries to think outside the box to put gaming back inside the box in a slightly different way.

Designer: Eli Lan

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There’s definitely a good reason why these portable gaming devices are designed this way. Gamepad controls are easier to use without the support of a desk or any surface, unlike keyboards and mice, and they offer better haptics and tactile feedback compared to just a touch screen. That’s not to say it’s the perfect design or that there are no other possible forms a portable gaming computer can take.

At its simplest, the Gaming Box design concept is pretty much a mini PC with a screen on top. Mini computers, which include the likes of the Apple Mac Mini, have become more ubiquitous these past years. They come in a variety of designs, and some are portable, not just in form but also in operation. The one thing they all have in common is that they need to be connected to a monitor, at the very least, to actually be usable.

This gaming twist on that design puts an end to that problem and puts a screen on the top, or rather the front, of the box. Unlike typical mini PCs that lie on their larger face, the Gaming Box is designed to stand on one of its thinner edges. It’s a more precarious position, admittedly, but it’s the only way you’ll be able to view the screen anyway.

There are also other and probably bigger issues with this design. The display seems large enough, at least when compared to other objects around it, but its square aspect ratio doesn’t really conform to any of the conventions used in gaming and even in videos. There are no controls to speak of, either, so it’s presumed to be using a touch screen. You can attach or connect controllers, of course, but that won’t make it convenient for playing on the go, which isn’t its primary use case anyway.

In truth, the Gaming Box is probably better as a Media Box, allowing owners to enjoy videos or maybe even social media anywhere inside the house. It is more like a home console or gaming PC that you can move around inside the same space rather than something you’d use outside, so it complements rather than replaces designs like the Steam Deck.

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Someone managed to fit an entire Raspberry Pi computer inside the body of a cassette

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This isn’t a throwback. If nothing, it’s actually a throw-forward. Designed to show how far we’ve come in a span of 4 decades, this cassette has a fully-functioning Raspberry Pi computer inside it running a ZX Spectrum emulator inside it. Hacked together by Stuart Brand, the cassette pays tribute to his first-ever computer, the ZX Spectrum. The ZX Spectrum was an 8-bit personal home computer developed by Sinclair Research. Ironically enough, Stuart would write programs on the ZX Spectrum and store them on cassette tapes. 40 years later, the entire ZX Spectrum computer can practically fit inside the same cassette’s plastic body, with a few minor adjustments made to allow the parts and ports to line up perfectly.

Designer: Stuart Brand

Making use of his time between jobs, Brand decided to head down to his garage and brush up on his tinkering and coding skills. “I wouldn’t have had a clue how to build any of this stuff before lockdown,” he said. “It goes to prove that you never know what you’re capable of until you give it a go.”

Faced with a space constraint, Stuart chose the Raspberry Pi Zero W for the project. “Cassette shells make for a great form factor,” he said, “I started with a plain black spare cassette shell and used a small hand file and side cutters to remove the plastic supports in preparation for fitting the heatsink.” The heatsink (shown at the top of the article) was created from scratch too, using a sheet of scrap metal and a bandsaw to fashion the crude shape of the metal heatsink. A Dremel, needle files, and fine-grit sandpaper were used to finesse the shape.

The 5mm interior of the cassette meant Stuart had to hack together his solution. To ensure that the PCB of the Raspberry Pi Zero W didn’t end up peeking out through the cassette’s two holes, he ended up carving out a portion of the PCB, ensuring the illusion was complete. Thankfully, this didn’t affect the functionality of his computer. “I lost some GPIO ports, but it was well worth it to get the tape looking right.” Stuart then cleverly used the top and the bottom of the cassette to house his ports, allowing you to easily connect cables to the device and get it working. That required a bit of cutting and sanding too, although it didn’t do anything to the cassette’s front profile, leaving it looking exactly the way it should. In fact, to complete his build, Stuart even printed labels that he would then stick on top of the cassette! He now uses his ZX Spectrum Pi Cassette as a ‘pick up and play’ device whenever he fancies “a quick bash at some old school gaming.”

Sadly, though, there aren’t any schematics for others to build their own ZX Spectrum Pi Cassettes. Describing himself as a haphazard tinkerer with little electronics experience, Stuart went into the project headfirst, with little planning or detailing, and with the entire process effectively mapped out in his head. “I don’t have any schematics to share,” he apologizes, “and never measure anything.” His only standing advice to people looking to emulate his build is to “leave far more room for cables than you think you’ll need.”

Stuart’s build was featured in this month’s official Raspberry Pi magazine MagPi issue 116.

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You can “Air Type” on this tactile keyboard with inflated key caps

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Ah! Look at that keyboard! When the world is transitioning toward a smart future where a mechanical keyboard with a built-in LED screen will rule the roost, a designer dares to give us a cushioning of air bubbles to type on. When I think of laying my finger on this keyboard, I’m hopeful it’ll start popping up like bubble wrap and that would be overly satisfying.

Anyway, that’s nothing like what the Air Type – yes, that’s what it is called – intends to achieve. The tactile keyboard comes with inflated, bouncy keycaps that should be a satisfying experience, not for popping, but to type for long hours. Suddenly the keys on my Dell laptop are hurting my fingertips. I don’t have the leisure to order the Air Type in and continue this article, but hopefully Running Guy Studio will pull off the design to fruition in my lifetime.

Designer: Running Guy Studio

This is not the studio’s first attempt at toiling with an inflated design. They’ve tried to inflate a PlayStation controller and near perfected an Air Case for smartphones. The airtight, inflatable lining for smartphones can protect the device during falls and is super tactile and pleasing to work with. After improving and optimizing that inflatable phone case to produce a couple of worthy copies; Running Guy has found the keyboard as the third best option to try the inflation technique.

From the renders of it, the keyboard looks intriguing to type on with each individual inflatable key. The concern of bubbles popping up with each menacing thud on the keys, still looms in my mind. But hopefully, issues with usability, quality, and reliability have been addressed and we shouldn’t bother; instead, we should see this as a stepping stone for the future where like our jackets and tents, electronics will also be inflatable!

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This retro-futuristic computer from the Loki series is worth every Marvel fan’s appreciation

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The old school computers may have faded in our memory thanks to the high-end Macs and PCs but if you’ve watched Marvel’s Loki, streaming on Disney+, you may have been treated to some retro-futuristic tech, some of which resembles the TVA Multifunctional Computer here.

We have come a long way in time, where computers have evolved to the size and dimension you’re probably reading this on at the moment. But in the mysterious halls of Time Variance Authority, there’s a different setting that ushers in a memorable era of cathode ray tube-like monitors combined with other gizmos to amicably track speech in real-time but not really play you Disney+ to watch the God of Mischief being interrogated.

In the Universe where time defines the odds, the rare possibility can be lived provided JK Captain’s TVA Multifunctional Computer could see the light of day. The retro-futurist tech-styled in the series should have fueled some designer imagination alright, and this multifunctional computer design reminiscent of orange globe-like computer connected to TVA Holoprojector during Loki’s interrogation is drop-dead gorgeous.

Most of the tech innovations appearing in the show built around Loki are custom-made. And for the real world, a designer has enhanced that orange bubble monitor with gizmos evocative of the onscreen adaptation and some more with the white keyboard. Accents of yellow and the gimmicky orange are seen through the contraption, that in may or may not work essentially as the remote control of the Holoprojector.

The reel tape recorder, the volume toggle buttons, microphone, forward, rewind, play, pause, record buttons, and full-scale qwerty keyboard with more knobs and buttons on this multifunctional computer concept is incredibly detailed. In fact, the exquisite detail to which the designer has rendered this in 3D is really worth a sci-fi bloke to appreciate!

Designer: JK Captain

 

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This sci-fi transparent PC case is a hypnotic symphony of beastly performance and killer looks

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The visual intrigue of this sci-fi PC case is such that it promotes long hours of productive sitting at the desk sans any distractions. That’s how cool this futuristic machine looks and feels.

A desktop PC case is akin to a spoilt geek’s obsession that needs to look and function like the absolute best on the planet. Isn’t that what all we content creators long for? A computing machine that houses a monster performer on the inside and on the outside, looks absolutely badass to the core. Designer Alex Casabo gives me more than one reason to crave a PC case for my desktop setup that’s as geeky as his creation.

He calls it the Crystal PC Case Concept, and I wish it could adorn my desk one day. The USP with Alex’s design is the sublime combination of computing power with futuristic aesthetics that will escalate any workspace into a productive den. Such is the magnetic ambiance of the concept. All the internal components like the motherboard, RAM, GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card, SSD, etc. are immaculately arranged in a distinct pattern for a clean look. The four heat-dissipating fans – two on top and two on the rear – designed to operate with minimal noise without compromise in active airflow give the innards depth perception.

Keeping with the sci-fi theme of the PC, the designer includes a built-in display on the CPU to keep a check on temperature and clock speed. The Crystal PC Case in part attributes its namesake thanks to the crystal clear case covering with cut-out vents for airflow on the top and rear – in line with the fans. The matte back and gray color scheme is contrasted by the uber-cool blue, green, orange and red LED lights adorning the telemetry display, component indicators, and fan lighting. Just imagine how cool it will look with a blue and green bias light setup for the accompanying monitor in conjunction with color-changing LED lighting for the home office setup!

Designer: Alex Casabo

This portable office desk + PC reinvents coworking space for a true work from anywhere setup

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Area Flip is a refreshing mobile office desk PC with a multi-screen setup that is designed to emphasize seamless workflow, interaction, and flexible private working zones.

In a typical office setup with desktops as workstations, your portability is limited by the partitions and the wires that clutter but keep you connected. This also leads to a standardized working environment which can get monotonous with time. This problem demands a solution like the Area Flip which maximizes the mobility of the work environment. The Area Flip does this by transforming into a portable desktop, a presentation screen (vertical), or a flat (horizontal) screen for a lying board/screen that allows the people to collaborate better.

This thoughtfully designed office computer gives us a glimpse into the future of ultra-flexible work environments where your work is not limited by the equipment at your disposal. Rather it is mobile and tailored for any creative process that takes place in the organization. For example working together on projects, instant presentations, or brainstorming on a priority problem. It merges the portability of the laptop with the real-estate of a PC – giving you the best of both.

Designer SangWoon Kim imagines Area Flip as a computer and a desk space into one ergonomic form – capable of being moved like a suitcase to wherever desired.

This versatile desk can be used in different configurations. First is, of course, the completely folded mode for easy mobility. The second is a general desk mode without exposure to any screen space whereas the third mode opens up the screen, allowing you to make use of dual screen orientation. The fourth option lets you open presentation mode by aligning the two screens for a bigger real estate, great for addressing a group of individuals. And the last two modes allow for an improved ergonomic angle and flat-lying board configuration that reminds me of the Microsoft Table!

Area Flip comes with the promise of expandability and versatility of use as the internal hardware like graphics card, CPU, RAM, and internal storage can be easily upgraded. Thus, the system can be used for years to come without going obsolete. SangWoon’s motive of innovating the office desk space is something I would love to use – and why not – it brings limitless possibilities when it comes to creating a coworking space when desired while respecting your privacy. It truly is a flexible futuristic office setup that improves upon the flaws of the open office layout.

Designer: SangWoon Kim

This laptop uses a patented hinge to transform into an ergonomic workstation anywhere!

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The Cubitus laptop has a patented hinge system (with braking and locking systems) that opens up when the user demands an elevated screen position. It can unfold to the desired height and tilt depending on the level of ergonomic comfort needed.

Meet the Cubitus, a concept unique in its own right because it merges the portability of a laptop while still bringing the elevation of a laptop stand. The name Cubitus comes from the Latin word for elbow, which is an ancient unit of length. So in a way, this portable machine replicates the flexibility of human arm movement.

A laptop comes with the promise of portability, and recently, the power to match the performance of your PC. The loss? Working on the laptop for long hours is not ergonomically optimal, takes a toll on the eyes, results in physical and mental fatigue, and triggers long-term postural issues. As we all know, sitting is the new smoking.

The current solution uses a laptop stand to elevate the screen’s position to your eye level, making it just one more thing to carry with you everywhere. Adding to the premise of an all-in-one design, the Cubitus includes a digitally displayed keyboard and trackpad. In addition, these accessories will be customizable according to the user’s needs, making the setup more individualized.

The area above the keyboard acts as a tablet/task manager, allowing you to keep an eye on your ongoing applications or we can set up tabs to display functionality such as multiple time zones – its extra screen space at your disposal.

The Cubitus takes a huge leap into making the laptop portable and ergonomic. Imagine walking into your favorite cafe and have your machine transform into this fully functioning design – giving you the perfect environment and desk setup in one go!

Designers: Raul Guelfi, Samuele Montorfano and MAIN Engineering.

 

 

 

 

 

World’s first DIY breathing PC uses magnetic bellows to stay cool. Watch the video!

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How innovative can your average PC case get for design? DIY expert Matt Perks of DIY Perks sets a new high with his breathing PC that keeps the high-performance GPU and CPU cool with a breathable motion never ever seen before. Sure fanless PC builds have bemused me in the past, but a PC chassis that has its own sets of lungs (metaphorically) is the reason you see this writeup here. Matt wanted to try out PC cooling without the noisy fans for a high-end gaming machine loaded with an Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card and 16-core AMD Ryzen 5950X CPU. That powerhouse combination demands active cooling as they produce a lot of heat.

This towering PC rig is not compact by any means as the breathable part is housed in the lower section, and the PC components are placed above it. The back and forth breathing magic is achieved with magnets and reinforced acrylic panels. Using acrylic bellows, vents, and a water loop – the innovation can cool one of the best graphics cards and the best gaming CPU on the market, the RTX 3080 and AMD Ryzen 9 5950X. This system results in cool air being pushed up to the powerful components and through the radiator, which keeps the system cool. All the hot air is pushed out from the top to prevent it from circulating back inside.

During the testing phase, the CPU and GPU temperature is maintained at 60°C and 62°C, respectively, using this unique cooling system. These are usable temperatures for gaming at medium settings but don’t expect to push the limits with your ultra-settings and ray tracking switched on. For a first-time effort at building this DIY PC, I’m not complaining about its capability compared to the traditional cooling solutions for high-end PCs. It’s not every day that you come across such a futuristic PC, and given its innovative engineering, the entire video is worth watching!

Designer: Matt Perks

Innovative and sleek PC accessories to amp up your work from home productivity!

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Even though most of us love the portability of laptops and tablets, there’s something about PCs that never really goes out of style. They’re trustworthy, highly functional, and always waiting in our homes ready to welcome us! We can get almost anything done on our PCs with ease, but we can always make our desktop experience even more comfortable and effective with the help of a bunch of accessories! We’ve curated a collection of innovative product designs that will function as the perfect sidekicks to your PCs. These nifty and efficient accessories will not only elevate the utility of your PC but also amp up your work productivity. These products are ideal for those who work from home (of course, there are a few fun designs for recreational purposes as well!) and spend the majority of their time on their desktops. Dig in!

The Switcheroo is the size of a regular QWERTY keyboard and comes with a built-in input control and direction pads in opposite corners, resembling a wider interface of the prototypical game controller. Along the keyboard’s topmost edge, users can find the RB button just above the input control pad and the LB button above the direction pad. Aliyev designed Switcheroo for the occasional gamer who also uses their keyboard for designing and artwork, ideal for those WFH lunch hours that could be spent playing video games instead. To make the keyboard completely portable, Aliyev designed Switcheroo to be battery-operated and Bluetooth-compatible.

The ECLLPSE is a tiny, finger-sized SSD that’s encased in a rugged, virtually unbreakable, waterproof housing. With as much as 2 Terabytes of internal storage, the ECLLPSE gives you a way to store and carry practically all your data around with you, right in your pocket. It comes with multiple adapters built right into its design, giving you the ability to connect it to ALL your devices, from your laptop to your phone, and from your DSLR to your drone, letting you seamlessly back up, restore, and transfer files between multiple devices. Although with that much storage, comes a pretty major responsibility… transfer speed. It’s a good thing though that the ECLLPSE boasts of reading/write speeds that reach as high as 550MB/s, allowing you to transfer 8K videos in mere minutes

The Ice Mouse comes with a bamboo upper that promotes breathability, making sure your palms don’t work up a sweat with hours of use. The bamboo component is CNC machined from a layered block of bamboo plies, doing a pretty remarkable job of showcasing the wood-grain while remaining entirely unique in its grain pattern. Some may say it almost reflects the uniqueness of the fingers and palm that rest on it! Sitting underneath it is the aluminum base, giving your fingers a metallic surface to hug and sort of complementing the feeling of typing on an aluminum-constructed MacBook.

The Mouzen, and I find it weird even saying this, is a portable armrest. Why would you need one? Because it’s designed specifically to support your arm as you work on a computer. Think of it as one of those padded mousepads, but less of an afterthought, and more of an actually useful product. What makes the Mouzen pretty innovative is that it mounts on your table, leveling your arms at the correct height, unlike the armrests on your chair that are placed at arbitrary heights… that’s if your chair even HAS armrests. The Mouzen cantilevers right off your table, giving your forearm a place to rest comfortably, instead of hovering in space. The platform retrofits easily onto the edge of any table and takes not more than 10 seconds to fasten. The platform comes with a freely moving armrest that sits on top of it.

This key-shaped intriguing product ‘Saint Antoine’ goes beyond any ordinary USB key. Deemed as common everyday products, due to their nimble size and consistent usage, pen drives are easily misplaced. However, Saint Antoine has been equipped with a crisp ‘UDP chip’. Now, what’s so special about this chip? After thorough calculations and necessary trial runs, the chip was customized to fit perfectly between the keys of a laptop/computer keyboard, ensuring it will be tightly fixed to it at all times. The grooved edges and branch-like structure of the pen drive allow it to sneakily merge into the crevices of the keyboard, without destroying the screen once the laptop is shut.

I’ve long said that this pandemic will push production in-house, and that’s precisely what the Snapmaker 2.0 hopes to do. In its second, more expansive, open, and fine-tuned iteration, the folks at Snapmaker have put together an absolute prototyping powerhouse that fits within a 350x320x330mm framework, and on a budget that’s about as much as your work laptop. The modular device can be built to run as a 3D Printer, a Laser Engraver/Cutter, and even a 3 or even 4 Axis CNC Machine. The Snapmaker 2.0 doesn’t just combine printing, engraving, machining into a single device, it scales it down to a budget-friendly consumer appliance that’s easy to use, and brings powerful fabrication tools right into your home, letting you prototype your own designs right at home, without dealing with external vendors, partnering with FabLabs, or stepping out to prototype your designs at the nearest workshop… all within a budget of roughly $1500.

The PC and Switch have their own merits and control fineness, but trust me, there is nothing more soothing than hitting a combo or landing a punch using classic buttons and joysticks say of the 8BitDo Arcade Stick. Modern and feature-packed, the arcade stick has a classic appeal and it is designed to work seamlessly with both the Switch and PC. If you already use an arcade stick to play Street Fighter V and Mortal Kombat on PC, you still have your reasons to go wireless with the 8BitDo arcade stick. There are three ways to connect to the PC or Switch – you can either connect via Bluetooth, patch through a wired USB-C, or even sync the controller wirelessly –2.4G receiver is concealed safely within the compartment. What really works wonders in favor of this arcade-style controller is the Ultimate Software, which gives users the option to customize mapping, alter joystick sensitivity, and create macros with any button combination.

Taking a detour from the usual elongated form that follows the natural curve of the hand (mostly right-handed aesthetics), the Ball Mouse by Osay Imarhiagbe has a spherical design for comfort while using for long hours. It’s more or less like a round ball (as the name suggests) that should be the aptest for people who like to clench at their mouse and have more of a hawk-like grip on the mouse. The elevated position means that the pressure on hand is relieved especially while working on a desk. Going with the circular theme the bumper is also contoured and the symmetrical design means it is equally good for both left and right-handed people. Osay has designed the mouse to come in a variety of color options keeping in mind the young users, and also the personal preference of users.

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Cube is a modular desktop PC case that safeguards your motherboards while making it easy to customize and upgrade. The model features two variations, “Slim” and “Bold,” that are built to house the Intel NUC board computer and full-size ATX motherboards respectively. Using standard components, it’s also easy to upgrade. The minimalist, monolithic shell features a frosted exterior that allows the inner workings to peek through. As an added bonus, a wireless charging lid allows users to simultaneously charge their phone simply by placing it on the top surface.

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This little cube is the smallest 720p laser projector in the world! It sits right in your hand, giving you the feeling of wielding something rather powerful. It pairs seamlessly with iOS/Android phones, even tablets, and also your PC! Carry it around anywhere and impress your home-boys with their new way of watching football, or the Superbowl, or even lip-sync challenge (we don’t really judge). The Smart Beam (as it’s called) is as small as your phone and can project 720p video to a size of 150 inches. Now while that doesn’t seem too big, remember that you can always hold the projector further from the screen and get a larger projection, albeit at a slightly lower resolution, but that’s a trade-off most people would be willing to make!