Plug-in Bluetooth speaker brings high-quality audio anywhere there’s a power socket

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Bluetooth speakers are convenient for letting almost anything connect to them without cables, but most of them still need at least one wire to connect to a power source. Battery-powered wireless speakers only give a few hours of freedom at most, and then you’re back to plugging it in, anyway. If you have plenty of power outlets within easy reach, then a better option is now available that will change the way you’ve been listening to audio at home or at work. With OC Acoustic’s new speaker, you can enjoy high-quality music, podcasts, and every enjoyable piece of audio content with a stylish speaker that plugs directly into a power socket, offering you even more freedom and flexibility than your typical wireless home speaker.

Designers: Kenji Kawaguchi & Tandem Product Design

Click Here to Buy Now: $67.99 $79.99 (15% off with Coupon Code “YANKO23” ). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

Wireless speakers have become quite popular in the past few years, and recent designs have made them stand out as beautiful pieces of home decoration. That’s almost by necessity, though, since these speakers have to take up space on tables, shelves, and countertops, space that could have otherwise been occupied by more essential or even more decorative things. What if, however, you could take out the middle man and cut off all the wires completely without worrying about battery life as well? That’s exactly what this ball-sized speaker brings to the table, or rather literally takes away from the table.

Simply put, the Newport Plug-in Bluetooth speaker is a highly accessible audio device that plugs directly into a power outlet, wherever that outlet may be. You don’t have to worry about any wires to hide because there aren’t any, and the speaker is always ready to reconnect to your device the moment you step within Bluetooth range. It hides in plain sight, but you also have the option to make it playfully stand out. Pick from four color choices to either match your decor or be a vibrant beacon of fun at parties.

Despite its size, the OC Acoustic Newport delivers powerful audio to accompany you while you do your work, get you pumped up during your workouts, or get the party going. Each speaker packs a 52mm full-range driver and a 5W RMS speaker, but if one isn’t enough, you can string as many as 50 of these together to really fill up the house. And you don’t need to feel like you’re losing a power outlet because the speaker has a built-in USB type A port to charge your phone or tablet at the same time.

You might think that you’ll be limiting yourself by having a speaker that needs to be on a power outlet directly, but those outlets don’t have to be on walls anyway. With the OC Acoustic Newport Plug-in Bluetooth Speaker, you actually have more freedom because you place it anywhere without it getting in the way. Whether you’re preparing coffee orders, running on the treadmill, or chopping veggies, you can have your music fix wherever you are, as long as there’s a socket nearby.

Click Here to Buy Now: $67.99 $79.99 (15% off with Coupon Code “YANKO23” ). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

The post Plug-in Bluetooth speaker brings high-quality audio anywhere there’s a power socket first appeared on Yanko Design.

Dreadnort POD is a capable multi-utility travel trailer, portable office with a gullwing door

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With the kind of creativity and engineering going into contemporary tiny homes in the US, one cannot have enough. A look around the inside and you marvel at how much comfort and convenience can be packed into such a small space. From the plush bedding to the fully-equipped kitchenette, within an equipped towable, you know, no matter where your adventures take you, you’ll always be safe and comfortable.

While the US already has existing infra and interesting caravans, New Zealand is only catching up with the likes of Dreadnort Boats creating multi-use portable structures that can be utilized as a mobile office, tiny home, or a camping trailer.

Designer: Dreadnort Boats

Case in point, the POD (Point of Difference in full), is a multi-utility structure that will put some of the more interesting options in the West to shame. Designed to be a tsunami shelter that doubles as a boat or a trailer, the POD, in its current stage, is not equipped for emergencies, owing to its door design and big panoramic windows.

Despite not being tsunami-proof as of yet the POD is a capable portable office with a gullwing door. Made from marine grade aluminum, the main body of the caravan rests almost 4in from the ground and it measures 5.1m x 2.5m x 2.5m, which renders it towable inside a 20-foot shipping container or behind a vehicle as a trailer.

The interesting aspect of the peculiar looking towable from Dreadnort Boats is V-shaped seating with a drop-down table that transforms into a sleeping area by night. Considering the multiple usages of the POD, it is customizable with 150-watt solar panels. The builders are working on several other layouts for the POD to make it useful as a food cart, kiosk, houseboat or anything the client wishes to use a mobile living unit for. A fully finished POD starts at about $60,000 (customization would cost extra).

The post Dreadnort POD is a capable multi-utility travel trailer, portable office with a gullwing door first appeared on Yanko Design.

This minimal white office pod can be folded down in three steps and stored away when not in use

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Honestly, in time I’ve really come to love office pods. Office pods have gotten supremely popular ever since COVID-19 hit, not only do they create little isolated spaces to work in, but they also provide a whole other level of privacy, that would have been otherwise unimaginable and completely unattainable in a commercial office. There are quite a few versatile options on the market when it comes to office pods, and a pretty neat one I recently came across is the Mono study pod.

Designer: Philip Bogaerts and René Vullings for Bogaerts

Designers Philip Bogaerts and René Vullings designed the Mono study pod for the office furniture brand.  The Mono study pod functions as a sound-dampened workspace that can be folded and stored away. The designers designed the Mono pod to be a flexible and mobile furniture piece, that can be folded down in three simple steps. The minimal white study pod features a high back and is available in an option of single or double-sized seat which has been neatly integrated into the back wall.

“Mono is ideal for usage in spaces where temporary extra working settings are needed or it can be installed permanently. By using the integrated linking system, the Monos can be placed facing the front or front and back to create a more individual setting,” said Bogaerts. The Mono pod also comes in different variations, for example, the T version has a fold-out table and has been amped with optional wheels for easy transportation. Whereas the Mono Desk and the Mono Phonebooth versions feature desks on the back wall – at both seated and standing heights.

The pods have been constructed from plywood and recycled PET felt which provides them with their sound absorption quality. The various individual pods can be linked and connected together to create a unified workspace configuration. The Mono pod has the ability to provide employees with their own private workspace, allowing them to veer away from workplace distractions. However, at the same time, since the pods can be linked together, it does create a unified sense of space, where employees have their own personal space, while staying connected with the rest of the office.

The post This minimal white office pod can be folded down in three steps and stored away when not in use first appeared on Yanko Design.

Japan joins US-led effort to restrict China’s access to chipmaking equipment

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Japan is officially moving forward with restrictions aimed at limiting China’s access to advanced chipmaking machinery. As CNN reports, the country announced Friday it would tighten export controls on 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Once the new rules take effect in July, companies like Nikon and Tokyo Electron will need to obtain approval from Japan’s trade ministry if they want to sell their tools in some 160 territories across the world. A Japanese government spokesperson told CNN the restrictions aren’t designed to target a specific nation. However, Japan’s east asian rival is among the nations on the restricted list.

“We will fulfill our responsibilities in the international community as a technology-owning country and contribute to maintaining international peace and security,” Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japan’s minister of economy, trade and industry, told reporters.

The restrictions follow the US and Netherlands enacting similar export controls. At the start of the year, the three countries reportedly reached an agreement to limit China’s access to western-made lithography machines. In March, the Netherlands made good on the deal, announcing it would restrict overseas sales of semiconductor technology in the interest of its national security. Those restrictions will affect ASML. As of last year, the Dutch firm was the only company in the world producing the extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machines chipmakers need to make the 5nm and 3nm semiconductors that power the latest phones and computers.

China has homegrown firms capable of making up some of the shortfall the country’s tech industry will experience from the lack of access to western-made lithography equipment. However, it may take some time before those companies match the capacity of their American, Japanese and European rivals. According to research from Reuters, Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment (SMEE), China’s only producer of lithography equipment, makes machines capable of printing 90nm node semiconductors. More promising is the work of SMIC, the country’s leading semiconductor manufacturer. Last summer, it began volume production of 14nm chips and began making 7nm chips without access to foreign-made equipment.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/japan-joins-us-led-effort-to-restrict-chinas-access-to-chipmaking-equipment-214602553.html?src=rss

Court rules Elon Musk broke federal labor law with 2018 tweet

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Elon Musk broke US labor law in 2018 when he tweeted Tesla factory workers would forgo stock options if they chose to unionize, according to a federal appeals court. On Friday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, in a decision spotted by Business Insider, upheld a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling that found Musk made unlawful threats around employee compensation.

In May 2018, a Twitter user asked Musk about his stance on unions. “Nothing stopping Tesla team at our car plant from voting union. Could do so tmrw if they wanted,” he tweeted in response. “But why pay union dues & give up stock options for nothing? Our safety record is 2X better than when plant was UAW & everybody already gets healthcare.”

The tweet immediately drew the attention of labor activists, and in 2021, the NLRB, responding to a complaint from the United Auto Workers union, found Musk had threatened employees. Tesla has argued the tweet was Musk’s way of pointing out that workers at other automakers don’t receive stock options. NLRB chair Wilma Liebman saw it differently. "The employee is going to hear it as, 'If I vote to unionize, stock options will no longer be an option,'" she told Bloomberg in 2018.

After reviewing the decision, the Fifth Circuit Court sided with the NLRB. "Because stock options are part of Tesla's employees' compensation, and nothing in the tweet suggested that Tesla would be forced to end stock options or that the UAW would be the cause of giving up stock options, substantial evidence supports the NLRB's conclusion that the tweet is as an implied threat to end stock options as retaliation for unionization," the panel wrote.

The court ordered Musk to delete the tweet. As of the writing of this article, the message is still live. The Fifth Circuit Court also upheld an order from the NLRB that Tesla reinstates Richard Ortiz, a worker the automaker fired for organizing employees at its Fremont factory in California.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/court-rules-elon-musk-broke-federal-labor-law-with-2018-tweet-195420903.html?src=rss

Air purifier doubles up as a lighting fixture in your space with this 2-in-1 appliance

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For people who love their homes or spaces to have a certain aesthetic, products that are both functional and decorative are very much welcome. If you have a small space, you would of course not want to have all sorts of decorations clutter it up (well, unless you’re a maximalist) if they do not serve any other purpose other than just be pretty. So if you find something that beauties up your place and at the same time performs a useful function, then you got yourself a winner.

Designer: Hanyoung Lee, Eunji Ko

This concept for an air purifier is just one of those designs that are both functional and decorative. Abell’s main purpose is as a device to help purify the air inside your room or house. But instead of just standing there in the room, it is actually a lighting device. It will not take up space on your floor or on your table but it can be hung up wherever you want and it will give you cleaner air and also light up the room. And if you’re into the minimalist, monochromatic look, then it can also serve as an aesthetic addition to your room.

If it’s not hanging up there, it looks like your ordinary air purifier with a mushroom-like design. You probably can also use it as a table or shelf-top purifier although it’s unclear if it will light up as well. But if the bulb is under there as the product renders seem to indicate, then the lighting function may be useless if you don’t put it up there. Now when you use it as both a purifier and a lighting fixture, there is a controller attached to it so you can adjust how much light it emits.

It would be interesting to find out some more details about the air purifying aspect of the device. During the pandemic and even now when we’re getting back to whatever constitutes as normal, breathing fresh air even when indoors is an important part of our living. So the quality of air purifying that Abell can give is an important aspect of whether or not someone would buy it, if it becomes a product eventually.

The post Air purifier doubles up as a lighting fixture in your space with this 2-in-1 appliance first appeared on Yanko Design.

Kingston FURY Unveils New DDR5 Lineup with RGB Lighting

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Kingston FURY, a division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., has announced the addition of white heat spreaders to its line of DDR5 memory modules. This addition provides more options for those looking to build a system that stands out, in and out of the game. The new white heat spreaders have a low-profile design that combines outstanding cooling functionality with bold styling. Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 modules have double the banks and burst length, providing superior speed advancements that take your experience to the next level of performance. Users can easily upgrade with Plug N Play at 4800MT/s or match…

The post Kingston FURY Unveils New DDR5 Lineup with RGB Lighting first appeared on Trendy Gadget.

Apple’s MacBook Air M2 is on sale for $1,000 right now

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If you’re in the market for a new ultraportable laptop, one of the best you can buy is on sale right now. While supplies last, you can get the base model M2 MacBook Air – in either Silver or Space Grey – for $1,000. That’s $200 off the MacBook Air’s current $1,200 starting price. It’s also an all-time low for the 2022 model. If interested in the new MacBook Air, we recommend acting fast on this deal.

Engadget Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar awarded the M2 MacBook Air a score of 96 last year. Since then, the ultraportable has sat atop our best laptops list, and for good reason. The M2 Air offers a compelling mix of performance, portability and ease of use. It also has a lovely 13.6-inch display and a powerful set of four speakers. What’s more, it’s possible to regularly get more than 16 hours of battery life out of the Air. Many will also appreciate that it only weighs 2.7 pounds and is less than 12 millimeters thick. Outside of a web camera that could be better and a modest 256GB of storage on the base model, there’s very little about the M2 Air that’s not compelling.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-macbook-air-m2-is-on-sale-for-1000-right-now-171756338.html?src=rss

Apple wins appeal against UK antitrust probe into mobile browser dominance

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Apple has handed the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority a major setback in its effort to regulate the tech giant. On Friday, the company won an appeal against an investigation the antitrust watchdog launched last fall. As a refresher, the CMA opened a full market probe into Apple and Google in November. At the time, the regulator said that many UK businesses felt restricted by the “stranglehold” the two tech giants had on mobile browsing. The probe also sought to determine if Apple was restricting the cloud gaming market through its App Store rules.

Per Reuters, Apple successfully argued the regulator had “no power” to investigate its position in the mobile browser market. The company said the CMA should have opened the probe at the same time it first published its report on mobile ecosystems last June. The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), the court that oversees CMA cases, agreed with Apple, saying the regulator gave notice of its investigation too late.

Apple said it was “pleased” with the CAT’s decision, adding it would “continue working to deliver support for developers and a safe and secure experience for users.” Naturally, the CMA was less thrilled with the case’s outcome.

“We are disappointed with today’s judgment. We made this market investigation reference to make sure that UK consumers get a better choice of mobile internet services and that UK developers can invest in innovative new apps. Our concerns, and the reasons why we launched our market investigation, were not challenged by Apple,” the regulator said in a statement. "Given the importance of today's judgment, we will be considering our options including seeking permission to appeal."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-wins-appeal-against-uk-antitrust-probe-into-mobile-browser-dominance-163706177.html?src=rss

Nintendo Unveils OLED Model of the Switch, Bundled with Exclusive Zelda Content

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Nintendo is set to launch its new OLED model of the popular Nintendo Switch gaming console on April 28. The new model will feature a larger OLED screen, improved audio quality, and a sleek new design. Additionally, it will be bundled with a special edition of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game, titled The Legend of Zelda – Tears of the Kingdom Edition. The OLED screen is a significant improvement over the current LCD screen, offering higher contrast and more vibrant colors. The improved audio quality will be a welcome addition for players who value immersive sound…

The post Nintendo Unveils OLED Model of the Switch, Bundled with Exclusive Zelda Content first appeared on Trendy Gadget.