Author Archives: Gaurav Sood

This cleverly designed flat-pack cardholder EDC lets you switch style in a jiffy

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Those who are always on the go love the compact holding capacity of a cardholder to stash their important stuff. Carrying credit cards, valuable IDs and cash in one small EDC has loads of advantages. So, why not level up from an ordinary cardholder that’ll in a few months seem boring?

That’s why the Clip Clop EDC Clip piqued my interest. The accessory designed for Gen-Z users comes with the flexibility of toggling the look, feel and utility. The cardholder flat packs into different modules including magnetic fasteners and five different face plates to make switching styles as easy as displaying your daily fashion statement.

Designer: Rice Mak

The EDC accessory combines the strength of magnets, fasteners and clever design to make the switch from one style to another ultra-easy. This also facilitates the opening and closing mechanism to be quite an addictive affair. When the cardholder is open the elastic bands retract within the housing without compromising the sleek and compact design. Clip Clop EDC comes with a capacity to store up to 10 cards in one go but the designer suggests using only 6 cards to maintain the elasticity of the clips for a longer time. The cards within the holder can be arranged efficiently in optimal order and accessed both from the top and bottom.

Unlike conventional cardholders, this one has a cutout secured by magnetic elastic bands, so that you can retrieve any card without opening the complete housing. If you are one of those who like to keep cash in the cardholder as well, the clip-on can be screwed to the back of the accessory. Given the level of freedom this cardholder EDC brings, you can match it to your daily style and mood to complete the look. As per Rice, Instead of simply combining traditional EDC toy elements with a cardholder, we have cleverly optimized and innovated on the original functions of the cardholder, creating a user experience that is both convenient, practical, and filled with joy.”

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This transparent Volkswagen ID 3 is born to rock Japanese night drifting scene

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It’s one thing seeing a transparent Nothing phone and completely another when it’s a car. Looking something straight out of the Marvel universe, this cool Volkswagen ID 3 EV is a custom sedan you don’t want to ride if you prefer privacy.

The car originally owned by a Chinese automobile influencer Dog Bro Fast Dog has been customized to have a see-through form achieved with modding that seems absolutely bonkers. It’s not every day that you come across a transparent car on the streets. To complete the distinct appeal of the VW ID 3, LED lighting has been put to good use.

Designer: Fast Dog

The Chinese automotive influencer draws his inspiration from the Nothing Phone (not surprising) which traversed normal conventions to create a mobile device that stands out from the crowd when it comes to pure form factor. The idea was good but executing it to achieve the desired look is another challenge altogether. Major sections of the vehicle were cut out including the door panels and plastic bumpers. They were replaced with vacuum-formed transparent plastic to achieve the see-through look of the clear acrylic panels.

The C-pillars and other structurally important parts of the frame were kept intact but etched with circuit boards and working computer fans to maintain the futuristic theme and aesthetics. Surprises don’t end there as the interiors are a cool little world on their own. The white theme carries the clean theme to the inside. There’s a racing seat for the driver and the passenger seat is replaced with a secondary battery for those extra 18 odd miles and feeding the power-hungry electronics.

The influencer has one more surprise in there, a PlayStation 5 console complete with a gaming setup including dual monitors, desks and an acrylic rack for all the peripherals in the rear section. The gaming setup is for real to enjoy as the influencer managed to fit a gaming chair in there too.

This is one of the craziest car modifications we’ve seen in a long time and the coolest without a doubt. A perfect show-stopper for the Japanese drifting scene in the dark hours!

The post This transparent Volkswagen ID 3 is born to rock Japanese night drifting scene first appeared on Yanko Design.

This transparent Volkswagen ID 3 is born to rock Japanese night drifting scene

Posted on by

It’s one thing seeing a transparent Nothing phone and completely another when it’s a car. Looking something straight out of the Marvel universe, this cool Volkswagen ID 3 EV is a custom sedan you don’t want to ride if you prefer privacy.

The car originally owned by a Chinese automobile influencer Dog Bro Fast Dog has been customized to have a see-through form achieved with modding that seems absolutely bonkers. It’s not every day that you come across a transparent car on the streets. To complete the distinct appeal of the VW ID 3, LED lighting has been put to good use.

Designer: Fast Dog

The Chinese automotive influencer draws his inspiration from the Nothing Phone (not surprising) which traversed normal conventions to create a mobile device that stands out from the crowd when it comes to pure form factor. The idea was good but executing it to achieve the desired look is another challenge altogether. Major sections of the vehicle were cut out including the door panels and plastic bumpers. They were replaced with vacuum-formed transparent plastic to achieve the see-through look of the clear acrylic panels.

The C-pillars and other structurally important parts of the frame were kept intact but etched with circuit boards and working computer fans to maintain the futuristic theme and aesthetics. Surprises don’t end there as the interiors are a cool little world on their own. The white theme carries the clean theme to the inside. There’s a racing seat for the driver and the passenger seat is replaced with a secondary battery for those extra 18 odd miles and feeding the power-hungry electronics.

The influencer has one more surprise in there, a PlayStation 5 console complete with a gaming setup including dual monitors, desks and an acrylic rack for all the peripherals in the rear section. The gaming setup is for real to enjoy as the influencer managed to fit a gaming chair in there too.

This is one of the craziest car modifications we’ve seen in a long time and the coolest without a doubt. A perfect show-stopper for the Japanese drifting scene in the dark hours!

The post This transparent Volkswagen ID 3 is born to rock Japanese night drifting scene first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Wheel-less Bicycle replaces the Rubber Tire with multiple Sandals and the results are… surprising

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Sergii Gordieiev is well known for his unique creations, showcasing his DIYs on the YouTube channel ‘The Q’ for people who love things out of the box. The wheel-less bicycle and square-wheeled ride are the prime examples. His love for customizing an ordinary bicycle is not going to fade away soon, as the slipper bicycle proves it all right.

As weird as it sounds, wait until you see the full video transcript. Sergii manages to slap the tarmac with this unusual ride one slipper at a time and that trippy sound is so irritatingly addictive. Everything apart, the level of detail and the amount of creative intent that the DIYer brings to each of his DIYs is worth appreciating. What next is he going to do with a bicycle is anybody’s guess, but for now, enjoy this one.

Designer: Sergii Gordieiev

On first look, it seems the slippers will wear out from all the spanking on the road but there are 14 metal cutouts to take all the weight and contact force when the bicycle is paddled forward. These metal cutouts become the base for an outrageous-looking set of wheels for an adult bike. Both the wheel frames are designed from scratch with meticulous cutting and molding of the metal. Thereafter the wheels are attached to the bicycle frame.

The final step involves sliding on the rubber slippers onto each of these metal struts. Sergii fits each of the wheels with 12 yellow slippers and two black slippers to create a contrasting look when the wheels turn. The best thing about his creations is that no matter how much non-functional the bikes look, they glide on the road beyond anyone’s expectations. This one is no different as he takes a casual ride in the park to onlookers’ amazement.

 

The post This Wheel-less Bicycle replaces the Rubber Tire with multiple Sandals and the results are… surprising first appeared on Yanko Design.

JLab Flex Open earbuds match Bose Ultra Open for a fraction of a price

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The earbuds’ answer to open-ear headphones is the clip-on style that doesn’t sit deep in the ear canal, therefore less chance of permanent hearing damage if you listen to music at high levels. Bose Ultra Open earbuds created quite the buzz at CES 2024 for this new earbuds design but a price tag of $300 only attracted enthusiasts.

Now JLab has come up with a similar open clip style design called Flex Open earbuds. The pair offers most of what the high-end earbuds offer and that too at a fraction of a price. Being only $50 makes this open-ear accessory worth the try if you are eager to try out new audio accessories.

Designer: JLab

For those who want to be aware of the ambient sounds around them, the open-ear design is perfect. That’s where the Flex Open excels for a sixth of the price offered by the best in the industry. They even manage to beat the Bose’s earbuds with an IP55 rating and multipoint connectivity right out of the box. Battery life is also impressive at seven hours on a single charge and 21 more hours on the charging case. Compare that to the Ultra Open which lasts a couple of hours less in real-life testing. While you cannot expect the audio quality to be anywhere close to Bose, still the 12mm drivers deliver a thumping sound.

The only thing you can complain about is the lack of spatial audio with head tracking, but most people like me don’t bother much. Call quality in noisy environments can be a bit of a hit-and-miss with these, but if you’re using them majorly for music listening, they are a bang for the buck. After all for that price, how much wrong can these go? One thing that’ll make you ditch these earbuds is the lack of the latest lossless Bluetooth codec from Qualcomm if you care about those things.

The companion app for the Flex Open lets you toggle the sound signature to stay close to the preferred curve. In a way, these earbuds tick all the right boxes if you are on a budget and want to try out this new open-ear earbuds trend for once without breaking the bank.

The post JLab Flex Open earbuds match Bose Ultra Open for a fraction of a price first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Crystal Fragment turns everything you see into 8-bit Pixel Art, and it’s FASCINATING

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There is no denying that modern graphic resolutions have reached unachievable heights. Yet, there are many with an emotional connect to pixelated style: an art form that rekindles memories of early computers and video game graphics. If you’re one of them, who rejoices the blurring the lines between analog and digital, you can (when available) lay hands on the Pixel Mirror that creates an inverted pixel image of what’s behind it.

The wearable Pixel Mirror, developed by Hakusi Katei aka Monoli, a Japanese material designer and Ph.D. in engineering, is a crystal that reduces the resolution of what’s behind it – regardless of distance and movement – leaving you with a pixel art of what you are looking at.

Designer: Monoli

Made from light-colored transparent crystal in forest green, gray, and colorless variant, the Pixel Mirror is designed for use in bright environments. While for some of us, it’s only a gimmicky wearable (more on the aspect later) it might have real utility for artists and painters, who can leverage from the immediate, readable fat swatches of the scene behind the prism you’re looking through.

The Pixel Mirror measures 16mm x 16mm x 10mm, which means it’s small enough to be worn as a pendant in a necklace. Monoli’s series of wearable and handheld prisms are all handmade, and because of the nature of polishing natural stones, they are not perfect square “pixels”. They are handmade to suit the condition of the available stone.

After the Pixel Mirror, Monoli now has the Pixel Window in works, which as the artist puts it, “the lens minecrafts scenery without electricity.”  Pixel Mirror is on sale in Japan for ¥ 19,800 (roughly $120). If you’re outside of Japan, you’ll want to keep an eye on Monoli’s tweets for information on international availability.

The post This Crystal Fragment turns everything you see into 8-bit Pixel Art, and it’s FASCINATING first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Chinese dual screen business laptop is first horizontally foldable 360-degree laptop ever

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Dual screen laptops are still in their infancy. Whether there are takers for such a technology, doesn’t matter; OEMs are constantly developing laptops with multiple screens. Chinese company Acemagic is the latest entrant in the category. After having surprised us with a gaming router-esque mini-PC previously, Acemagic has now announced the X1 laptop: considered the world’s only horizontally foldable 360-degree laptop.

It was back at the Computex 2024 in Taiwan when Acemagic first revealed its dual screen laptop. It was then called the Z1A, but eventually now, when it was launched, it was called the X1 and it is meant for consuming different content simultaneously, working on different screens, or multitasking work without switching between screens – as I end up doing all day, with a 27-inch monitor attached to my usual single screen laptop.

Designer: Acemagic

The Acemagic X1 is a usual laptop with another screen attached horizontally, which can swivel all the way back, flush against the primary display. Comprising two 14-inch 1080p displays, the laptop allows users to fold the screens down over the keyboard for use in tablet mode with one screen. Whatever the use case you choose, the 360-degree rotation and folding dual screen laptop is meant for business and productivity usage.

So, you can during work, swivel the second screen backward and present the slides to your team sitting across the table from you. Or maybe, when your little one is disturbing you while working; you can swing the additional screen all the way back to play their favorite cartoon while you continue working unhindered. There are a lot of use case possibilities, but it’s not the most powerful machine for your needs.

Under the hood, the Acemagic X1 dual screen laptop runs a two-year-old Intel Core i7 1255U processor. It’s paired with 1 TB 3.0 SSD for onboard storage and features 16GB DDR4 RAM.  For connectivity, the laptop supports up to 5Gbps of transfer speeds and has a USB-A, 2 USB-C (one only for charging), and an HDMI 2.0 ports. With its distinctive appeal, the laptop will make a buzz but for now, we don’t have a price or its release date to share.

The post This Chinese dual screen business laptop is first horizontally foldable 360-degree laptop ever first appeared on Yanko Design.

Pure x McLaren Special Edition e-scooter stylizes the future of e-mobility

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McLaren is currently in an intense dog fight on the track and on the paddock with Red Bull as tensions are rising between star drivers Max and Lando. You as a fan, have the opportunity to own a special edition electric scooter to root for the underdog. Yes, we are talking of an official McLaren edition e-scooter developed by Pure Electric.

The Britan-based company founded in 2018 is in hot pursuit of building the best electric scooter on the planet is owned by Adam Norris (Lando’s father) and the collab is not surprising. Coming on the back of another successful venture between the two brands, this e-scooter is based on the popular Advance+ model.

Designer: Pure Electric and McLaren

Pure Electric is 100 percent focused on just one goal, which is to build an e-scooter that changes the complexion of urban transport for good. The foldable commuter gets a bump up in electric motor power and a better range for this special edition version in the signature papaya color and the deep black finish. The e-scooter delivers 710 watts of peak power for better acceleration and much better performance on ascending hills. The range of 31 miles on a single full charge is reassuring if you’ll commute the city in one go.

The all-weather-proof ride comes with an IP65 rating and has 10-inch puncture-proof tires to complement the sturdy frame. Just like the Pure Advance+ model, the Pure x McLaren Special Edition has a natural forward-facing stance for a stable and comfortable riding experience. McLaren’s expertise comes from the valued design approach that’s honed by sharp aesthetics and a deeper knowledge of how hybrid powertrains work.

According to Adam who’s set the company on a success path, the partnership further cements the future of e-mobility, reflecting the engineering and design ethos. Pure x McLaren Special Edition scooters are all set to be available on July 4 in the aforementioned color options. Also, keep in mind, that there’s an Ayrton Senna anniversary edition e-scooter draped in the Brazilian flag skin released just a few months ago.

 

The post Pure x McLaren Special Edition e-scooter stylizes the future of e-mobility first appeared on Yanko Design.

Nocs Monolith Aluminium is a minimalistic yet classy wireless speaker for purists

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Nocs Design is known for its intricately crafted audio accessories that hone minimalism. Purely focused on the acoustic signature and the build quality, the Sweden-based studio has revealed its new wireless speaker as a follow-up to the popular hand-crafted Monolith speaker.

This is the Nocs Monolith Aluminium speaker designed for audiophiles who give high weightage to minimalism in their lifestyle. The material choice for this wireless speaker is a deep research exercise for eliminating recycled plastics. According to Founder Daniel Alms, the result is a single block of aluminum CNC machined to achieve a classy look. Most of all the speaker is fully recyclable, making it the ideal choice when it comes to sustainability that the brand is highly conscious of.

Designer: Nocs Design

According to Daniel, a lot of time and effort was put into crafting the perfect symmetry for driver positioning inside the anodized aluminum housing. Unlike any other product design, minimalism isn’t just a fancy word here. Nocs refrains from using any logos, highlighting the sleek appearance of the solid aluminum form. This speaker is well positioned in the lineup, right between the Mini and the Monolith. To top it all, the ‘cradle-to-cradle consumer product’ is fully repairable and boasts easily replaceable parts.

Those grilles lie just above the five drivers are precisely positioned to deliver a rich and wide sound in any room. Alm has tuned the sound signature in collaboration with musicians and DJs which speaks highly about the speaker’s capability when it comes to satisfying audiophiles. The idea behind this distinction is to foster a “deep connection between the artist and the audience.”

Nocs Monolith Aluminium speaker is all set to be delivered to interested buyers in November 2024. Along with the classic aluminum option, you can also choose the more muted yet classy matte black finish. The price tag of $1,000 is on the steeper side but it’s all worth for purists who known what Nocs stands for.

 

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Modified Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van doubles into a 5-Person Camper with Bunk Beds

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If you have been wanting a custom-built van home for your journeys around the US, Beachside Custom Vans has delivered 2024 AWD Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based Fam Van: a van home for a family of five to travel together. A van that can accommodate five people seems a cramped-up idea that no one would want to invest in. At least, that was my perception in the beginning. But the way the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, comprising a 170″ wheelbase, has been configured, I have a different take. When you reach the end of this article, I’m sure you will have a revised perception as well.

Atlantic Beach, Florida-based Beachside Custom Vans is known for designing van homes that rival tiny houses. The vans are custom-built for people, in a manner they want, to make life on the road smooth, comfortable, and feature-packed. These Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based vans, including the Fam Van, are designed with accessories inside and an exterior that catches the eye at first glimpse.

Designer: Beachside Custom Vans

Offering seating and sleeping space for five people, along with a full kitchen, toilet, and enough storage sections; the Beachside Custom Vans’ Fam Van is a superior option for any adventure family. The exterior of the van is delivered in ceramic-coated gray and blue dual-tone. Its suspensions and wheel rims along with all-terrain tires facilitate off-the-road travel.

Even when the Sprinter is custom-designed for adventures off the road. It is not entirely off-grid. The van home is provided with 200 Ah batteries, a 3,000 W inverter, but there are no solar panels (presumably you should get it as an addon, if you may). Inside, the Fam Van is pretty spacious and open with oak plywood cabinetry marine vinyl flooring, grey upholstered wall paneling, and white ceiling with strip LED lights.

The front portion of the van home has seating for the family comprising the driving seat and a bench for other passengers. Overhead is a shelf featuring the van’s heater control panel and a touchscreen monitor. Moving back on the passenger side is the kitchen that features a white countertop, white subway-tiled backsplash, a countertop with a fold-away table, sink, fridge compartment, a pull-out pantry, and under-sink and overhead cabinets for storage.

The water of the Beachside Custom Vans family van home is managed by a 28-gallon freshwater tank and a 5-gallon graywater storage, which can be emptied appropriately on the press of a button. Opposite the kitchen are two large closets for storage along with a slide-out section for the dry-flush toilet. If you’re thinking of how to wash up and bathe; opening the two rear doors you can access an outdoor shower. Here a large drawer also slides out which you can use for various requirements, including keeping your gear.

When the day is over and the family wants to dine and retire, there is a dinette with a pair of benches and tables that can transform into a bed. The main queen-size bed hangs down from the ceiling, leaving good headroom for the sleepers on the couch below. The entire van home conversion is possible for $75,000.

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