nubia Music phone has two headphone jacks and a large speaker on its back

Once upon a time, music was played to be enjoyed by an audience. While that still happens today, most of the time we have become enclosed in our own little audio bubble thanks to smartphones. Earphones and earbuds keep the music to our ears, and smartphone speakers can’t get too loud without losing the music’s quality and clarity. Even worse, the venerable headphone jack that audiophiles use and love has been banished from mobile devices. In an effort to bring back that social listening experience, nubia is launching what could be its most distinctive smartphone yet, one that is a clear ode to a golden age of music that brings together features and design elements that will let you share your favorite tunes with ease.

Designer: Nubia

There may be no room for a thick 3.5mm port inside extremely thin phones, but what if thinness was never a problem in the first place? Aiming for a different priority, the nubia Music doesn’t just bring back the headphone jack but actually adds an extra one. Yes, there are two headphone jacks on this phone, and it’s a clear indication that this device is meant for listening to music. In fact, it’s designed to let you share that music with another person, a friend or a partner perhaps, provided they also have wired earphones.

There might be times you’ll want or even need to play music that everyone can hear. That’s where the nubia Music’s ultra-loud speaker comes in, promising 600% more volume without the distortion. That’s already a huge improvement over your typical smartphone loudspeaker, but what’s even more interesting about it is the way it’s added to the phone’s design.

As if dual headphone jacks weren’t odd enough, the nubia Music even has that ultra-loud speaker on its back. But rather than just simply slapping it on like what some other rugged phone manufacturer did, nubia opted to add a charming design to this unusual feature. The circular speaker and the two cameras are set opposite each other on a raised rectangle, recreating the appearance of a turntable that music lovers will be able to immediately identify. It’s a very nice touch that should tickle the hearts of audiophiles of all ages.

The entire phone is designed with that vibrant, lively, and youthful character, presenting a device that loves to party as much as you do. With mid-range specs and a price tag that starts at only $149, it is clearly targeting a younger crowd, though any music lover will surely find the nubia Music something worth looking at and, of course, listening to.

The post nubia Music phone has two headphone jacks and a large speaker on its back first appeared on Yanko Design.

Wooden headphone holder is also a magnificent piece of sculptural art

As the number of gear we use grows, so, too, the number of things littering our desks. Some, like phones or pieces of paper, are more transient, staying there only while you’re using the desk. Others take up more permanent residence, and therefore require a proper place to call home. That’s true not only for pens or stationery but even more so for device accessories like chargers, earbuds, and headphones. The latter often just get left lying around where you last laid them, which isn’t the best way to take care of them. There are quite a few headphone holders these days, but while some are just pieces of plastic or metal that hang headphones by their bands, this particular design is something you’d also be proud to show off on your desk, even without the headphones.

Designer: Carl Liu

Headphones are designed to be vertical, but that only works if they’re hanging on your head. When unused, they often lay on their sides, which isn’t visually appealing and could even ruin the coating of the headphones. Of course, it’s trivial to just hang them on some hook or stand, but if you’ll be displaying your favorite expensive pair, why not go all out and put them on something worthy of their stature?

That’s pretty much the rationale behind the origin of Figure EIGHT, a wooden headphone holder CNC milled from a single piece of North American walnut before being finished by hand. It gets its name from the two perpendicular holes that make up its core, basically two cylinders that hold different parts of the headphone. The top that faces forward creates a gentle ark for the headband. The bottom cylinder faces sideways, and their gently dipping curves are the perfect nooks for the ear pieces.

The design is an example of how form can follow function in a very elegant manner. There are even some extra hidden features, like how the space in between the ear cups could be used to hide the headphone cable, if it has one. The smooth surfaces and gentle curves of the holder’s form also means that there are no rough edges that could damaged the headphone material while it rests on its wooden bed.

Figure EIGHT’s biggest pull, however, is really its appearance, as it serves as a beautiful piece of decoration whether it’s in use or not. And while it is stylish in its own right, it also doesn’t pull your attention away from the headphones, making sure that your $600 pair is proudly on display in the best way.

The post Wooden headphone holder is also a magnificent piece of sculptural art first appeared on Yanko Design.

Yamaha YH-5000SE is a luxurious but lightweight pair of headphones for all-day wearing

There was a time during this pandemic when we had to plug in to our earphones and headphones almost the whole day due to various meetings and conferences. But now that a lot of companies and schools have gone back to in-person meetings and classes, there really isn’t a need to have devices that you can wear the whole day. Just in case you wanted to though, Yamaha has something for that purpose, provided you can afford its luxurious price tag.

Designer: Yamaha

The YH-5000SE is boasting that it’s a pair of headphones that you’ll be able to wear the whole day because it is lightweight and in fact, “featherlight”. It is made from magnesium and weighs in at just 11.5 ounches. It has a dual-layered headband but the weight is evenly distributed so it will not feel that heavy if you need to have it on for long periods of time.

You have a choice as to what materials you want your ear cups to be, either you want the more textured suede or the possibly fluffier sheepskin. Of course as with headphones, sound quality is the most important. If you trust Yamaha’s technology, you’ll most likely enjoy its Orthodynamic drivers and its detachable OFC cables to bring you better sound quality when it comes to mids, highs, and deep lows. Because it’s lightweight, the sound distortion is also lessened.

Design-wise, it looks like your typical Yamaha headphones with a minimalist look and monochromatic colors. It does have a futuristic look so you would look pretty cool wearing it around. Now the price tag is something that would make most people pause as the pair costs $5,000. But if you could afford it and you need something pretty lightweight, the YH-5000SE sounds like a good option.

The post Yamaha YH-5000SE is a luxurious but lightweight pair of headphones for all-day wearing first appeared on Yanko Design.

Roland’s new mobile mixer aims at turning your smartphone into a full-fledged recording and production studio





The smartphone is already a capable content-creating beast… Roland just makes it better by allowing it to interface with the rest of your pro-recording and production gear.

You can’t plug your electric guitar or studio mic into your smartphone. Believe me, I’ve tried. I fancy myself a bit of a musician and I’ve always wanted to be able to record directly into my smartphone without relying on my phone’s third-grade microphone, but that isn’t possible for multiple reasons – one of them being the fact that tech companies hate putting ports on phones. That’s sort of where Roland comes in with its GO:MIXER PRO-X, a hardware interface that lets you hook multiple recording and musical instruments to your phone, turning it into the ultimate studio. Perfect for mobile-based content creation and impromptu live-streams (something that’s absolutely sparked amidst the pandemic thanks how easy TikTok has made it to be an overnight star), the Roland GO:MIXER PRO-X is a handy, pocket-sized portable mixer that lets you connect your phone to practically every music/performance instrument around you.

Roland GO:MIXER PRO-X Portable Smartphone Recording Studio

Designed to be compatible with iOS as well as Android smartphones, the GO:MIXER PRO-X is a nifty piece of hardware for musicians, performers, presenters, and even podcasters. Just plug it to your smartphone and you suddenly have an entire variety of ports and knobs for all your recording gear. The GO:MIXER PRO-X connects to your smartphone via its USB-C or Lightning-connector interface and supplies power to it too, keeping your phone juiced during your recording/performance. It has dedicated inputs for microphones, guitars, synths, bass, and even drums, while knobs on the top let you control their gain, balancing the audio to your liking.

Roland GO:MIXER PRO-X Portable Smartphone Recording Studio

If you cringe at the idea of having to host a proper professional livestream with AirPods in your ears, the GO:MIXER PRO-X brings back the familiar 3.5mm headphone line-in, allowing you to connect monitoring headphones in to listen to the audio feed going into your phone. You can use it solo, controlling and balancing your sound, or you could switch on your phone’s camera and position yourself in front of it, giving the mixing duties to a fellow colleague or sound-engineer. Instead of needing to have expensive audio/video recording, monitoring, and studio equipment, all you need are your instruments, your smartphone, and the GO:MIXER PRO-X. It’s perfect for musicians, podcasters, radio hosts, DJs, interviewers, and even teachers who conduct online classes. After all, your smartphone’s more-than-capable hardware/software shouldn’t get kneecapped by its inability to connect to pro-grade recording equipment, right?

Designer: Roland

Roland GO:MIXER PRO-X Portable Smartphone Recording Studio

Roland GO:MIXER PRO-X Portable Smartphone Recording Studio

Roland GO:MIXER PRO-X Portable Smartphone Recording Studio

These bone-conduction headphones for the hearing impaired lets them hear music fashionably!

Cochlear implants help people with profound single-sided or bilateral hearing loss get the sense of sound but come with an impending downside. The implanted user is unable to enjoy any music since the implant distorts the musical signature. Any audio frequency will sound very different/distorted and, at times, even horrible. The distortion leads to a “sense of loss,” as per Dr. Ben Oliver, Associate Professor in Composition at the University of Southampton. This problem prompted designer Woojin Jang, Jiwoo Son, and Junwoo Lim to design headphones tailored to deliver a musical experience across physical boundaries.

Dubbed Ordi, the stylish wearable gadget aims towards lifting the self-esteem of people with cochlear implants. The idea takes inspiration from the bone conduction headphones that transmit the sound by vibrating the head and jawbones. This tech bypasses the need to relay the sound to the eardrum and the inner ear. The designers combined the bone conduction technology and the features of the cochlear implant into a sound processor for a musical experience shared via smartphones or any other portable audio device. Unlike standard headphones, the Ordi is designed to automatically adjust the left and right ear balance by placing sound processing transmitters on both sides.

The result is fabulous headphones designed to sit right behind the ear for a stylish look. Much attention has been invested in the aesthetics of these unique headphones for people with a cochlear implant – allowing them to wear and share the device with pride. Plus, the fact that they enable hearing to go beyond words into a piece of soothing music experience is a feat on its own. Ordi is definitely a stylish wearable concept design that deserves to see the light of day – the world needs to be a place for every individual to experience the wonder of music.

Designer: Woojin Jang, Jiwoo Son, and Junwoo Lim

Ten products that showcase the Pantone 2019 Color of the Year in full CMF glory!

pantone_living_coral_products_layout

Named as Pantone color of the year for 2019, Living Coral is an animating and life-affirming coral hue that signifies light-heartedness and positivity. The color is the kind that instantly makes one happy, with its touch of vibrance and warmth, and the minute you add it to a product, it stands out. Companies have, for long, used the coral color to make products look and feel youthful, and to make them add a splash of color to a space. Living Coral’s beauty especially lies in the fact that it goes well in any domain, fashion, interiors, consumer electronics, or even appliances. Heck, I’d wager that a Ferrari with a Living Coral paint job would look absolutely dope too. Almost a month into 2019, we’re here to take a look at ten of our favorite products that have wholeheartedly embraced Coral as a hue, using it wholly, or in part, to create a product that stands out, and looks great while doing so!
__

01. Apple Watch Series 4 Nectarine Sports Loop
The Nectarine Sports Loop (along with the Watch Series 4) came just weeks before Pantone debuted their color of the year, and it’s almost as if Apple either knew, or they had some spectacular CMF Designers who just happened to feel that the color absolutely did justice to the Watch. There’s a silicone version of the Nectarine band too, but we prefer this woven nylon loop that’s breathable yet sweat-resistant. And it’s compatible with all versions of the Apple Watch!

Click Here to Buy Now

pantone_living_coral_products_1

pantone_living_coral_products_2

02. Google Home & Home Mini (Living Coral Edition)
The coral version of Google’s smart speakers were released shortly after Pantone announced the color of 2019. While the Mini comes completely coated in the Living Coral hue (with a rather remarkable contrast between the woven texture on top and the hard plastic at the bottom), the Google Home does a dual-tone, with white on top, and the addition of a detachable coral fabric grille at the bottom. Don’t make me pick favorites. I like them both.

Click Here to Buy Now (Coral Google Home Mini)
Click Here to Buy Now (Coral Base for Google Home)

pantone_living_coral_products_3

pantone_living_coral_products_4

pantone_living_coral_products_5

03. Urbanears Plattan Coral On Ear Headphones
The tragedy of these headphones is that Urbanears only produced the Coral edition as a limited run. I still maintain that the Plattan headphones look absolutely heavenly in their coral color, treading a fine line between sporty and fashionable with a color that isn’t as red as the Beats headphones, but is the perfect hue to look absolutely dapper. Yes, dapper’s the word.

pantone_living_coral_products_6

04. Retroduck Q Wireless Charging Dock
Unlike its previous, wired version, the Retroduck Q comes with two changes. Firstly, the dock works wirelessly, charging your phones simply by placing them on the retro TV-esque stand… and secondly, the Retroduck Q ditches its ancestor’s more orange-heavy color for a delightful coral version, or as they call it, Carmine Red. The Retroduck Q just finished its round of crowdfunding and is still under development at the time of writing this article. We’ll be sure to drop a link when they’re ready to buy online!

pantone_living_coral_products_7

pantone_living_coral_products_8

05. Kvell Pop Clock
Rather strangely titled Pop, the Kvell clock actually comes in a single color, making it quite the opposite of pop… but it makes up for that with the use of such an incredibly rich hue that I’m sure it’ll pop off any wall you mount it on. I’d recommend a white or light teal colored backdrop for this beauty. Even a light blue would work, given that corals are originally found against a backdrop of oceanic blue.

Click Here to Buy Now

pantone_living_coral_products_9

06. Dot&Bo Coral Pantone Clock
While most products embrace a hue, Dot&Bo’s Coral Pantone Clock embraces the entire shade card! With multiple hues arranged around the face of the clock, Dot&Bo’s timepiece is much more subtle than Kvell’s Pop Clock. After all, in-your-face vibrant decor isn’t for all homes.

pantone_living_coral_products_10

07. Vespa Coral Visor 2.0 Helmet
Vespa, the brand, stands on two pillars. Retro-Italian design, and an absolutely delicious color palette. The Visor 2.0 helmet has its share of both. Designed to pair perfectly with the adorable Italian legend-of-a-scooter, the Visor 2.0 Coral helmet will protect your brain and will blow the brains of pedestrians as they catch a glimpse of the Coral-colored helmet blurring past. Pairs well with a coral colored Vespa and the Italian countryside. Both sold separately.

Click Here to Buy Now

pantone_living_coral_products_16

08. Hip Bottle by Karim Rashid
Rashid was using vibrant hues like Coral long before Pantone named it the color of the year. A major part of Karim Rashid’s design legacy is his use of CMF as an absolute weapon. Take the Hip Bottle for instance. Add any other pastel color to the Hip Bottle and chances are it probably won’t stand out. Its form is simple, and the bottle isn’t as edgy as most sports bottles out there… but carefully drop the Coral hue on it and the Hip looks stunning. Also available in 5 other colors that don’t match up to the sheer beauty of the Coral variant.

Click Here to Buy Now

pantone_living_coral_products_11

09. Bird of Paradise (2018) by KitchenAid
I could totally imagine myself walking into a kitchen with a tropical teal wallpaper with pineapple graphics on it, and surrounded by KitchenAid’s coral-colored appliances. Kitchenaid, in fact, began its own Color of the Year series last year, and believe it or not, Coral was their color of the year for 2018. Titled the Bird of Paradise, the entire collection of kitchen appliances sports the beautiful coral hue, right from the range of blenders to the stand mixer that I personally love most, probably because of its distinctive design, and my obsession for meringues (what, I’m human).

Click Here to Visit Store

pantone_living_coral_products_13

pantone_living_coral_products_14

10. Pantone Color of the Year Mug (2019)
I’d be remiss if I didn’t include a product from Pantone’s own catalog. Every year, along with their announcement of the COTY (Color of the Year), Pantone also releases their own merchandise, from notebooks to thumb drives to mugs, that feature the Color of the Year in its Pantone-branded color accuracy. The mugs, however, are a standout because notebooks are too basic and thumb drives are practically obsolete. Besides, look at that mug and tell me it isn’t simply the most eye-catching mug ever.

Click Here to Buy Now

pantone_living_coral_products_15

A Speaker and Headphones in Coexistence

plus_nest_audio_device_layout

An evolution of this original design by Deepanjan Sinha, the Plus/Nest 2019 makes the switch from headphones to speaker a seamless experience. Imagine that you’re just getting home from work and in the middle of your favorite song or tuned in to breaking news on your headphones. You want to change out of your work clothes but don’t want to miss anything by removing your headphones. Well, now you don’t have to! As soon as you get home, simply toss your headphone on the Nest and your audio will automatically transition to the speaker, ensuring you never skip a beat.

Designer: Deepanjan Sinha

plus_nest_audio_device_01

plus_nest_audio_device_02

plus_nest_audio_device_03

plus_nest_audio_device_04

plusnest_05

Plus and Nest advertises a way to easily switch between 2 audio devices by negating the involvement of a phone. With the simple gesture of throwing in the earphones into the speaker, you can now seamlessly switch from a “Private” music listening to a more “Public” music listening experience.

plusnest_13

plus_nest_audio_device_05

2 magnetically attaching earbuds also allow you to easily turn on/off the device without the use of annoying and awkward long presses. This ensures a more “gesture” inclusive way of controlling your earphones.

plus_nest_audio_device_06

A controller on the earphone with a convex and concave surface gives a sense of tactility allowing you to “feel” what you’re pressing without really looking at it.

plusnest_14

plusnest_09

plusnest_16

The enclosure on the earphone houses a wireless coil and a battery and acts as a “wireless” link between the speaker and earphones. When dropped into the speaker tray, the music instantly switches to the Nest Speakers….

plusnest_03

plusnest_02

plusnest_01

The Tray on the Nest speakers also double as a wireless charger for your Plus earphones, giving it a designated space in your home to store them when not in use.

plusnest_11

The grooves on the Nest and Plus lightly grip each other, allowing for a better alignment to successfully charge wirelessly.

plusnest_07

plusnest_04

Plus and Nest are designed to work for and with each other. The pair are also sold together, making it a unique, one of a kind audio package for both your private and public music listening experience.

Qualcomm wants to help build more Alexa-powered Bluetooth earbuds

When it comes to adding a voice assistant to a speaker or a pair of headphones, Amazon's Alexa has become the default choice for many OEMs, likely due to the openness and high adoption rate of the platform. Never one to miss a money-making opportunit...