Tag Archives: Screen

This laptop accessory turns your portable workstation into a multi-screen monster

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Some office workers swear by having more than one computer monitor to boost their creativity. Others, on the other hand, believe it’s just a distraction disaster waiting to happen. For those working at home or on the go on their laptops, the debate is moot anyway since they are forced to use one and only one screen. There have been attempts to “fix” that situation, either with laptops with multiple screens or attachments that give laptops a hefty makeover. It’s easy enough to smirk at these attempts, especially because of how clunky and clumsy they can be, but one somewhat recent attempt does offer a bit of refinement and finesse to hopefully give mobile workers the productivity edge they’ve wished for.

Designer: Xebec

To be honest, there is really no way that a laptop with screens hanging off its sides won’t look unusual, to put it kindly. At least not by our current standards that have been weaned for decades to accept that laptops have only one monitor in front of the user. The future might hold a different attitude, but until people get used to seeing multi-screen laptops, some people are going to be laughed at. Then again, users of this kind of accessory probably won’t care as much about other people’s opinions as long as they end up a wiz at work.

Xebec’s latest design for its Tri-Screen accessory is admittedly rather smart. One of the biggest hindrances to attaching more monitors to a laptop is how they need to take into account different laptop sizes and designs. To solve this puzzle, the Tri-Screen 2 borrows a design from smartphone game controllers that use elastics and telescopic mechanisms to accommodate different phone sizes. With this, the base attachment can grip almost any laptop screen size and doesn’t require screws, adhesives, or magnets.

Two 10.1-inch Full HD screens slide out of this module and independently connect to the laptop, which does mean that the laptop needs to have enough ports to support two external displays. A small built-in kickstand keeps the laptop’s screen from falling backward from the weight, another inherent problem for accessories that add heavy screens and frames to a thin laptop lid. In order to keep the assembly lighter, however, the Tri-Screen 2 doesn’t pack its own battery and instead sucks from the laptop, another consideration to keep in mind when using it away from a power outlet.

It is, of course, arguable whether such a design will get in the way rather than help your productivity, but it’s definitely more convenient than one of those portable monitors you’d have to set down on a table. The expanding base is definitely a nice touch to be able to accommodate more laptops, but it remains to be seen how durable that elastic material will be and what effects the pressure might have on the laptop lid’s integrity. Like with the laptop itself, it’s always a matter of weighing pros and cons, and those who will grab this Tri-Screen 2 better see plenty of Pros to use something like it.

The post This laptop accessory turns your portable workstation into a multi-screen monster first appeared on Yanko Design.

This laptop accessory turns your portable workstation into a multi-screen monster

Posted on by

Some office workers swear by having more than one computer monitor to boost their creativity. Others, on the other hand, believe it’s just a distraction disaster waiting to happen. For those working at home or on the go on their laptops, the debate is moot anyway since they are forced to use one and only one screen. There have been attempts to “fix” that situation, either with laptops with multiple screens or attachments that give laptops a hefty makeover. It’s easy enough to smirk at these attempts, especially because of how clunky and clumsy they can be, but one somewhat recent attempt does offer a bit of refinement and finesse to hopefully give mobile workers the productivity edge they’ve wished for.

Designer: Xebec

To be honest, there is really no way that a laptop with screens hanging off its sides won’t look unusual, to put it kindly. At least not by our current standards that have been weaned for decades to accept that laptops have only one monitor in front of the user. The future might hold a different attitude, but until people get used to seeing multi-screen laptops, some people are going to be laughed at. Then again, users of this kind of accessory probably won’t care as much about other people’s opinions as long as they end up a wiz at work.

Xebec’s latest design for its Tri-Screen accessory is admittedly rather smart. One of the biggest hindrances to attaching more monitors to a laptop is how they need to take into account different laptop sizes and designs. To solve this puzzle, the Tri-Screen 2 borrows a design from smartphone game controllers that use elastics and telescopic mechanisms to accommodate different phone sizes. With this, the base attachment can grip almost any laptop screen size and doesn’t require screws, adhesives, or magnets.

Two 10.1-inch Full HD screens slide out of this module and independently connect to the laptop, which does mean that the laptop needs to have enough ports to support two external displays. A small built-in kickstand keeps the laptop’s screen from falling backward from the weight, another inherent problem for accessories that add heavy screens and frames to a thin laptop lid. In order to keep the assembly lighter, however, the Tri-Screen 2 doesn’t pack its own battery and instead sucks from the laptop, another consideration to keep in mind when using it away from a power outlet.

It is, of course, arguable whether such a design will get in the way rather than help your productivity, but it’s definitely more convenient than one of those portable monitors you’d have to set down on a table. The expanding base is definitely a nice touch to be able to accommodate more laptops, but it remains to be seen how durable that elastic material will be and what effects the pressure might have on the laptop lid’s integrity. Like with the laptop itself, it’s always a matter of weighing pros and cons, and those who will grab this Tri-Screen 2 better see plenty of Pros to use something like it.

The post This laptop accessory turns your portable workstation into a multi-screen monster first appeared on Yanko Design.

This laptop accessory turns your portable workstation into a multi-screen monster

Posted on by

Some office workers swear by having more than one computer monitor to boost their creativity. Others, on the other hand, believe it’s just a distraction disaster waiting to happen. For those working at home or on the go on their laptops, the debate is moot anyway since they are forced to use one and only one screen. There have been attempts to “fix” that situation, either with laptops with multiple screens or attachments that give laptops a hefty makeover. It’s easy enough to smirk at these attempts, especially because of how clunky and clumsy they can be, but one somewhat recent attempt does offer a bit of refinement and finesse to hopefully give mobile workers the productivity edge they’ve wished for.

Designer: Xebec

To be honest, there is really no way that a laptop with screens hanging off its sides won’t look unusual, to put it kindly. At least not by our current standards that have been weaned for decades to accept that laptops have only one monitor in front of the user. The future might hold a different attitude, but until people get used to seeing multi-screen laptops, some people are going to be laughed at. Then again, users of this kind of accessory probably won’t care as much about other people’s opinions as long as they end up a wiz at work.

Xebec’s latest design for its Tri-Screen accessory is admittedly rather smart. One of the biggest hindrances to attaching more monitors to a laptop is how they need to take into account different laptop sizes and designs. To solve this puzzle, the Tri-Screen 2 borrows a design from smartphone game controllers that use elastics and telescopic mechanisms to accommodate different phone sizes. With this, the base attachment can grip almost any laptop screen size and doesn’t require screws, adhesives, or magnets.

Two 10.1-inch Full HD screens slide out of this module and independently connect to the laptop, which does mean that the laptop needs to have enough ports to support two external displays. A small built-in kickstand keeps the laptop’s screen from falling backward from the weight, another inherent problem for accessories that add heavy screens and frames to a thin laptop lid. In order to keep the assembly lighter, however, the Tri-Screen 2 doesn’t pack its own battery and instead sucks from the laptop, another consideration to keep in mind when using it away from a power outlet.

It is, of course, arguable whether such a design will get in the way rather than help your productivity, but it’s definitely more convenient than one of those portable monitors you’d have to set down on a table. The expanding base is definitely a nice touch to be able to accommodate more laptops, but it remains to be seen how durable that elastic material will be and what effects the pressure might have on the laptop lid’s integrity. Like with the laptop itself, it’s always a matter of weighing pros and cons, and those who will grab this Tri-Screen 2 better see plenty of Pros to use something like it.

The post This laptop accessory turns your portable workstation into a multi-screen monster first appeared on Yanko Design.

This laptop accessory turns your portable workstation into a multi-screen monster

Posted on by

Some office workers swear by having more than one computer monitor to boost their creativity. Others, on the other hand, believe it’s just a distraction disaster waiting to happen. For those working at home or on the go on their laptops, the debate is moot anyway since they are forced to use one and only one screen. There have been attempts to “fix” that situation, either with laptops with multiple screens or attachments that give laptops a hefty makeover. It’s easy enough to smirk at these attempts, especially because of how clunky and clumsy they can be, but one somewhat recent attempt does offer a bit of refinement and finesse to hopefully give mobile workers the productivity edge they’ve wished for.

Designer: Xebec

To be honest, there is really no way that a laptop with screens hanging off its sides won’t look unusual, to put it kindly. At least not by our current standards that have been weaned for decades to accept that laptops have only one monitor in front of the user. The future might hold a different attitude, but until people get used to seeing multi-screen laptops, some people are going to be laughed at. Then again, users of this kind of accessory probably won’t care as much about other people’s opinions as long as they end up a wiz at work.

Xebec’s latest design for its Tri-Screen accessory is admittedly rather smart. One of the biggest hindrances to attaching more monitors to a laptop is how they need to take into account different laptop sizes and designs. To solve this puzzle, the Tri-Screen 2 borrows a design from smartphone game controllers that use elastics and telescopic mechanisms to accommodate different phone sizes. With this, the base attachment can grip almost any laptop screen size and doesn’t require screws, adhesives, or magnets.

Two 10.1-inch Full HD screens slide out of this module and independently connect to the laptop, which does mean that the laptop needs to have enough ports to support two external displays. A small built-in kickstand keeps the laptop’s screen from falling backward from the weight, another inherent problem for accessories that add heavy screens and frames to a thin laptop lid. In order to keep the assembly lighter, however, the Tri-Screen 2 doesn’t pack its own battery and instead sucks from the laptop, another consideration to keep in mind when using it away from a power outlet.

It is, of course, arguable whether such a design will get in the way rather than help your productivity, but it’s definitely more convenient than one of those portable monitors you’d have to set down on a table. The expanding base is definitely a nice touch to be able to accommodate more laptops, but it remains to be seen how durable that elastic material will be and what effects the pressure might have on the laptop lid’s integrity. Like with the laptop itself, it’s always a matter of weighing pros and cons, and those who will grab this Tri-Screen 2 better see plenty of Pros to use something like it.

The post This laptop accessory turns your portable workstation into a multi-screen monster first appeared on Yanko Design.

LG stretchable display could lay the foundations for a very weird future

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Ever heard of those fashion shows where designers try to make a statement by including some sort of display or screen on accessories or the dresses themselves? While those eccentric designs are limited to runways, for now, they could also be a preview of our near future. Some companies would paint a future that revolves around the metaverse, but it’s more likely that we will live in a world filled with screens everywhere. Not just on billboards or walls, mind, but on almost everything that can hold a display panel. And if stretchable displays like LG’s ever become commonplace, you can bet it will only be a matter of time before you’ll see patches of screens on clothes as well.

Designer: LG

Display makers like LG have been playing around with screens that don’t necessarily have to lay flat all the time. Even though it has exited the mobile market, LG has been investing heavily in flexible screens for use in electronics like rollable TVs and foldable devices. But while those can bend and roll, they actually don’t change their overall shape or dimensions. Those are pretty much fixed, which makes them unsuitable for certain applications that require screens to be deformable as well.

That’s exactly the kind of screen that LG’s display-making arm just showed off. Without getting into the messy technical details, what it revealed was a 12-inch screen that can be pulled and stretched to cover the same area as a 14-inch screen. The screen has a pixel density of 100dpi, which is far below what you might be used to on smartphones today. The fact that it can even have that level of quality when you twist and stretch the screen is already quite the feat.

It might sound like yet another crazy invention that’s looking for a problem to solve, but it admittedly has more flexible applications, pardon the pun, beyond foldable laptops and rollable TVs. Because of the way these displays can stretch even for just a little bit, they’re perfect for use in industries such as textile, automotive, fashion, mobility, furniture, and the like. You can imagine clothes that can display not just logos but animation, which sounds both cool and dystopian at the same time, well in line with the start of a cyberpunk era.

At the same time, however, that also means that there will be an even greater amount of information overload and distractions in our foreseeable future. It will be a sweet opportunity for advertisers, with all the concerns that it would entail. That said, this LG stretchable display is still at an early stage, so it’s too early to tell whether it will become a standard artifact of our near-future.

The post LG stretchable display could lay the foundations for a very weird future first appeared on Yanko Design.

This ASRock DIY kit puts a second screen on the side of your desktop PC tower

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The jury is still out, but many people already swear by having more than one monitor to boost their productivity. This is probably more applicable to people that need to have a lot of content displayed on the screen at the same time. These can be a mix of references, monitoring tools, communication applications, and the actual work that needs to be done. Given how much of today’s office and creative work revolves around those, that case is more common than not. Not everyone, however, might have enough desk space for a second monitor, especially if their desktop PC is already taking up space. Taking that into consideration, this kit tries to make use of that fact and turns your desktop’s towering case into a second monitor, albeit with a few critical requirements.

Designer: ASRock

There are plenty of ultra-wide or ultra-large computer monitors these days, but many people already have a decently big screen on their desks. It could be more effective to add a second monitor rather than buying a new and bigger one, but some desks aren’t big enough to accommodate those. That’s especially true if the PC itself is standing right next to the monitor rather instead of being hidden from view, a setup that is quite common both in offices and in homes.

Motherboard manufacturer ASRock seems to have stumbled upon the idea of using the desktop PC case as a second screen to avoid having to put another monitor on your desk. The ASRock Side Panel Kit practically mounts a 13.3-inch display panel on the inside of that case. It might actually sound like an ingenious solution to save space, but the conditions needed to be met make it a little bit more trouble than it’s worth.

For one, your PC case must have transparent side panels because this screen doesn’t replace those panels and mounts from the inside rather than the outside. It also works with a specific motherboard feature that isn’t exactly widely available on many desktop computers. Of course, ASRock sells motherboards that meet the requirements, which is possibly a strategy to get interested buyers to also invest in one of those.

That said, while this ASRock Side Panel Kit does look useful and space efficient, its ergonomics might be questionable. Having a screen off to the side and perpendicular to your main monitor might strain your neck in the long run. It might be useful for almost static content that you rarely check, but you might as well just have a single monitor where you can switch to those apps from time to time instead.

The post This ASRock DIY kit puts a second screen on the side of your desktop PC tower first appeared on Yanko Design.

ASUS Zenfone 9 could be the mini flagship you’ve been waiting for

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They were ridiculed at first, especially by those from Apple’s camp, but the gigantic phones previously known as “phablets” have become the norm today. Naturally, there are now people wishing for the old days, with phones that don’t like they want to jump out of your hand and drop to the ground. These compact or mini phones are becoming rare, especially among the more premium smartphone models. Once in a while, however, there does come something that bucks the trend and offers something that seems to answer those cries. Based on an accidental leak from the manufacturer itself, the ASUS Zenfone 9 could very well be that blast from the past that you’ve been waiting to happen for a very long time.

Designer: ASUS

Smartphone design has always been a matter of making compromises. After all, you can’t throw everything, including the kitchen sink, inside a device that should still fit in your pocket. Today’s breed of smartphones almost make that impossible with their extra-large screens, and foldable phones were conceived as another form of compromise. Of course, one could just adopt a slightly smaller screen, and ASUS seems to be going old-school with its next high-end flagship.

Granted, 5.9 inches is hardly small compared to iPhones before the 2019 iPhone 11, but it’s significantly smaller compared to today’s premium devices. While it does mean that it has a more compact and handier size, it also means there’s less space to view content, especially with rather sizable bezels around the screen. To some extent, ASUS is prioritizing ergonomics over functionality, which seems to go in line with its vision of using the Zenfone 9 as a sports action camera with the right accessories.

The phone also has a headphone jack, something that has become almost extinct in smartphone designs. Even the modular and repairable Fairphone 4 has eschewed this connection in favor of a single USB-C port for both charging and audio output. With the Zenfone 9, however, you won’t have to ignore your wired audio equipment or spend for an adapter that you will often lose. It’s a subtle yet important feature for those who aren’t in the market to buy new speakers or headphones. And despite that gaping hole, the phone still boasts the highest dust and water resistance rating for its kind.

Unfortunately, the compact size of the Zenfone 9 makes the two cameras look even bigger than they would normally be, like two bulging eyes peeking from the phone’s back. As mentioned, ASUS seems to be aiming for practicality and ergonomics rather than aesthetics, and the Zenfone 9 won’t be a looker, at least not in a good way. In exchange, however, the phone’s main camera is being promoted to have 6-axis stabilization, which makes it a good tool for recording sports or active scenes. Given its smaller size, it would give you a better grip to make that happen as well.

Since the promotional video was taken down, it’s not entirely certain whether this is the final form of the ASUS Zenfone 9 or just an early concept. Given the mainline Zenfone’s history, it’s not that far from reality and could be the real deal. It’s definitely an outlier in the smartphone market, so it’s good that consumers still have a choice when looking for these rare features. Hopefully, next year’s Zenfone will be able to deliver the same things but in a more aesthetically pleasing package.

The post ASUS Zenfone 9 could be the mini flagship you’ve been waiting for first appeared on Yanko Design.

Motorola wrap-around display phone concept is pretty but also pretty impractical

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A phone that’s almost 100% screen has some benefits, but the ergonomic and practical concerns could outweigh those.

Most of the time we spend on our smartphones is, of course, spent on the screen. It is, after all, the primary point of interaction and feedback on modern mobile devices. Despite its importance, the screen actually covers less than half of a phone’s surface, which some might consider being a waste of space. Unsurprisingly, phone makers have been trying to come up with ways to take advantage of all the places where you can put a display on the phone, and Motorola’s patent reveals how that beautiful but unusual design can actually become useful.

Designer: Parvez Khan (Technizo Concept) for LetsGoDigital

Phones with displays that wrap around the body and leave almost nothing uncovered are right up there with foldable phones, transparent displays, and holograms that spark people’s imaginations. Given how small phones are compared to laptops or even tablets, it’s understandable that manufacturers and consumers will want to take advantage of every piece of real estate available on the pocketable device. Motorola is hardly the first to try, but it is one of the few to go the extra mile and explain why you might want to have an all-display phone.

Flexibility will be the name of the game for a phone where there is practically no front or back. No matter how you pull it out from your pocket or your back, that side facing you will always be the front, and the software will adjust the elements on the screen to match. You might not even have to fully pull out the phone, as long as you can see a small part of the screen. Again, the software could adjust the user interface elements, so you can immediately see who’s calling and swipe to reject or accept the call, even if only the “bottom” part of the phone is visible from your pocket.

Such a phone with a wrap-around display will have to do more work than most phones to pull this off. For one, it will need to use a variety of sensors to determine which direction the phone is facing in a pocket. The software running on the phone needs to be especially dynamic, as it needs to shift UI elements around to match the position and orientation of the phone. There are no physical volume controls, for example, and the phone will have to know on which side to place those depending on how a person is holding it.

Those might be easier to pull off than resolving some usability and ergonomic concerns that an all-screen phone might introduce. Phones whose screens curve off to the sides are sometimes criticized for accidental taps from palms for fingers. An all-screen phone might not have room for cameras either, and the current state of under-display cameras still leaves a lot to be desired. And then there’s the problem that dropping the phone on any side can actually damage the screen, knocking scores off its repairability and sustainability.

The post Motorola wrap-around display phone concept is pretty but also pretty impractical first appeared on Yanko Design.

Samsung’s future vision is filled with screens that fold and bend

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We’ll be seeing displays everywhere in the future, but some of them might be more than meets the eye.

We are already living in a screen-centric world. We do our work on computers, get our entertainment from TVs, and connect with other people through our smartphones. Even activities like reading books, listening to music, and staying healthy have become connected with devices like eBook readers, portable media players, and smartwatches. It probably won’t be a surprise if we one day wake up to a world filled with screens left and right, but Samsung is working to make those displays more interesting and, more importantly, more eco-friendly.

Designer: Samsung Display

Samsung is perhaps best known around the world for its smartphones and its TVs, and the company has been pushing the boundaries of its display technology for those consumer tech products over the past years. The most famous and most recent examples are perhaps the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, currently considered the standard for foldable phones. Unsurprisingly, the company won’t be stopping there and will be bending and folding every display it can for almost any device.

On the mobile device side, Samsung showed off what it calls “Flex G” and “Flex S” displays that would allow an even bigger, tablet-sized screen to fold down to the size of a smartphone. Samsung will also be targeting laptops with its “Flex Note” screen, where a 17.3-inch display can fold in the middle to form a laptop with two 13-inch screens. The goal of these foldable displays, aside from boasting of the company’s prowess, is to increase people’s mobility without hampering their productivity, letting them bring along their work and entertainment anywhere.

You might have actually seen these before if you’ve been keeping tabs on unique and interesting display devices in the past years, but Samsung also brought something completely new to CES 2022. It showed off a smart speaker that seemed to have a cylindrical screen wrapped around it. But at the tap of a button on a paired smartphone, that screen unfurls and turns into a regular flat-screen panel, turning the smart speaker into a smart TV.

With LG’s vision of transparent screens and Samsung’s future shape-changing displays, we can probably expect our world to soon be littered with these bright surfaces in whatever form they may come in. That, however, might also mean an overall increase in power usage and carbon footprint, something that Samsung is thankfully aware of. Part of the company’s big spiel this year is on sustainability through its entire pipeline, from production to packaging.

For example, it is pushing its Eco2 OLED technology that reduces power consumption by removing unnecessary components. It recently also revealed a remote control that charges via Wi-Fi waves instead of electricity. With these, Samsung is trying to promise a future that is not only all about displays but, hopefully, also green.

The post Samsung’s future vision is filled with screens that fold and bend first appeared on Yanko Design.

Finally, a book designed to help you stop doomscrolling on your phone

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A quick Google Trends search will show you that the first instance of the term ‘Doomscrolling’ dates back to April 2020. The word was coined at the starting of the global lockdown following the pandemic, to mean “the act of consuming a large quantity of negative online news, typically without pause, to the detriment of the mental health of the person consuming it.”

It’s no secret that smartphones are designed to be addictive and bad for your mental health. Couple this with lockdowns, confinement, and isolation, and you’ve got a pretty bad combination on your hands… quite literally on your hands! Goodbye Phone, Hello World was published to help take that device from out of your hands and give you back control of your happiness and overall mental health. The book, which combines beautiful illustrations and bite-sized pieces of text (for an easy transition), is filled with ‘ideas, wit, and wisdom to help you break away from technology and get back to living’. Within its covers lie 60 different exercises to help you find happiness, inner peace, and break away from the addictive activity that is staring at your phone. Yes, I get the irony behind you probably reading this on your phone..!

Author: Paul Greenberg

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