Author Archives: Gaurav Sood

Galaxy Flip case with a built-in foldable tripod can transform your phone into the perfect camcorder

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I had literally forgotten about camcorders; I don’t even rightly remember the last time I used one. Since cameras on the smartphones have outdone handycams and reached near DSLR efficacy – at least with high-end models – there’s been a drastic slump in everyday usage of camcorders. Whether you want to capture family moments at home, record landscapes, or timelapse a sunset, mobile cameras are friendlier and convenient for doing it all. Chiefly because we have a smartphone on us 24/7 and an additional device is not necessary for taking pictures or recording videos.

This is why 90 Degree Instinct was an instant reminder for the moments of truth I have had with a Sony camcorder I now have lying dead in the vault. This guy is not another camcorder or a stark reminder for anyone like me that they existed. This is perhaps a utility accessory for anyone who loves capturing moments with their smartphone – especially the Samsung Galaxy Flip.

Designer: Ugly Duckling

Essentially a case for the Galaxy Flip foldable smartphone; the idea is to help home chefs, influencers, and everyday social media buffs to shoot more professional videos by transforming the smartphone into a capable camcorder. The designer has particularly chosen the foldable Samsung phone for his experimental case concept because when the Flip is placed at a “90 degrees” angle, “it resembles the shape of a… small camcorder.”

By transforming the ordinary Flip into a camcorder, user can maximize its usability for capturing videos. The case offers the phone a camcorder-esque grip for better handling, and integrates a tripod inside, to present exceptional stability without additional accessories.

The added weight of the case may be a point of contention for those who prefer a sleek device, but if you can bear the bulk – which of course is way lesser than towing a portable tripod along – you can be rest assured that the 90 Degre Instinct will not compromise portability of the phone despite the additional functions.

Designed in a range of colors, the solid case comes with point-and-shoot buttons and a tripod mount on one side, and a foldable tripod embedded on the top. The foldable tripod hinge is robust and stands out with its metallic look against the granite appearance otherwise. With the given features and their functionality, I’m impressed! Perhaps I don’t have a Flip, but if you do, you should expect the case to see the light of day.

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LEGO Polaroid OneStep SX-70 camera revives 70s photography nostalgia

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LEGO Ideas is the best thing that happened for the community of enthusiastic LEGO builders who can’t curtail their imagination when it comes to creating jaw-dropping builds. Now, yet another LEGO set brings back the nostalgia of photography just in time for the holiday season. Thanks to YouTuber Marc (Minibrick Productions YouTube channel) who shares his interesting ideas on Google’s invincible video-sharing platform.

Remember the Polaroid SX-70 fold-flat instant camera that rocked the early 1970s? Now this iconic shooter has got the LEGO treatment in the form of a 516-brick set. The creation is a result of Minibrick Productions’ submission of the idea that earlier debuted as a concept. It’s partially functional, so you can’t click real-time photographs with this camera. The LEGO Polaroid OneStep SX-70 is for yours to grab as it can be pre-ordered right away at a price tag of $80 with release slated for January 1, 2024. Certainly, that’s way cheaper than getting the original one that’s a prized collector’s item now.

Designer: LEGO Ideas

It’s a disappointment that this piece of retro-futurism cannot click actual photographs, still to keep the enthusiasts in the feels, there’s a Polaroid Time-Zero Land Film pack with three storable slides. Just slide one of these slides into the camera’s body and press the shutter button to eject the illustrated photograph. One of these photographic slides is that of Edwin H. Land, who invented the Polaroid camera.

To keep things authentic, the LEGO camera has the signature Color Spectrum of the Polaroid and the exposure compensation dial to a new 8×10 tile. As I said, it’s partially functional, so there working viewfinder and shutter button. To induce a bit of quirkiness, there’s the “photography-led” marketing that comes with the “NOT SHOT ON LEGO Polaroid Camera” sticker on the photos.

Piecing together this LEGO Polaroid camera is going to be a fun activity over the weekend and it’s going to induce the interest of onlookers who might mistake it for the real thing at first glance.

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IKEA DAJLIEN exercise and fitness gear will fill your home gym with pastel hues in 2024

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Arguably, the COVID-19 pandemic has made some dramatic changes to our lifestyle. A prominent one, personally experienced, is the curtailed visits to the gym. In the post-pandemic era, therefore, there has been a tremendous rise in home gyms and the probable equipment to fill them up. To that accord, IKEA wants to pitch in. But the Swedish furniture giant has its own way of doing it. It doesn’t want you to have a separate room for your gym, in fact, every bit of the furniture and equipment humbly adjusts wherever you keep it.

Enter the pastel-colored DAJLIEN collection: A consortium of 19 compact and versatile gear you can use as part of your living and exercising routine. The equipment here is not extraordinary; each one of them is easily identifiable and usable, like the options we have had over the years. The only difference is, that the fantabulous collection includes stress relief and recovery gear.

Designer: IKEA

Made with the idea to help people live a more active lifestyle without the use of metal bars or drives to the gyms. The collection is making heads turn at the Art Basel Miami, where it is on showcase, before being available for purchase in January 2024. Before you head that way, be familiar with the expansive assortment of products on the list.

IKEA is offering equipment in a colorful blend of subtle green, yellow, and white, which allows it to gel naturally with the home and everyday environment. These include ring-shaped dumbbells, exercise mats, and step-up boards, which can all be stacked away when not in use. Interestingly, the collection has an air purifier, slippers, two distinct ponchos, a portable waterproof Bluetooth speaker for post-workout sessions, and kneepads, yoga straps, and more for recovery.

The highlight of the DAJLIEN is a wooden bench that doubles as storage. Designed to help with a range of bench exercises, it can allow the user to store the gear in the bench by lifting the lid. Beneath, the bench has a non-slip mat and it comes with a clean top so it can be used as a coffee table at home. All-in-all the collection, with all the gear, included, helps bridge the gap between home and active life and gives users another reason to invite IKEA into their homes.

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This autonomous robot scouts unfriendly terrain for dangerous land mines in warzone and post-conflict regions

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Wars bring with them massive destruction on the battlefield but the implications beyond wartime can be equally devastating in terms of mental, psychological and physical damage. The ongoing strangling in two of the most important regions in the world is a clear example of how conflicts can have devastating aftermaths. Land mines have long been one of the worst nemesis of post-war calamities, rendering fertile lands too risky to be cultivated.

Searching for these fatal buried hazards can be an arduous task even for the most potent military units and that’s where robotic land mine detectors make the task easier. This takes all the risk of human life away and also ensures the particular area of land is safely ridden of destructive land mines laid down by battling units in the past.

Designer: Subin Kim and JiHoon Park

Meet the Warden mine detector proposed as a concept design that safely takes care of identifying potential land mines and marks the area with red paint to keep everyone safe. This creates a quarantined zone for residents and outsiders about the potential threats. Working autonomously to scout any kind of terrain, the smart robotic minesweeper is connected to the cloud at all times to send the real-time data of identified mines, so that they can be updated in relevant online maps and public resources.

Looking like a rover moving forward on unknown lands, this robot has a high ride height to move swiftly on rocky terrain. The machine is loaded with advanced sensors and a surprising mowing attachment to remove any standing grass or weed. This makes the marked area visible even in the dark hours of the day. When not autonomous, the minesweeper robot can also be controlled by a soldier during wartime scouting.

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Range slide-in truck campers for all year round off-grid camping are built spaciously with every amenity onboard

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I don’t really have a thing for hard-top campers, they look overly bulky and have a more rigid approach to the idea of accessible camping. Wilderness Vans Range slide-in campers (R1 and R2) have a little bias going their way, chiefly because these are designed for all-year-round off-grid camping, and are built spaciously with all the amenities onboard. In fact, windows and skylights allow a constant flow of natural light and fresh air, preventing the occupants inside the Spacekap Diablo from feeling stuffy but have a pleasant interior to themselves.

Diablo only forms the foundation of the slide-in camper designed to snugly fit the bed of any heavy-duty truck. Given its unibody design, the camper can be removed easily when not required or you want to install it on a new ride. The excitement about the Range R1 (three-person model) starts at the exterior which has a UV-resistant SK gelcoat you can have painted in a choice of color you want. The 6-foot camper has a well-thought-out floor plan accommodating a sliding bed, dinette, galley and storage.

Designer: Wilderness Vans

The Range campers are fully insulated for all weather usage. It comes with natural fiber and wool installation in the walls and ceilings and the cushioned wood flooring is layered with cell foam for thermal performance in winter and to keep the interior cool during the summer months. A diesel air heater is also included as an option. Since ventilation is essential in truck campers for an enjoyable camping experience; the Range campers make provision for it with curved windows, matching the contour of your pick-up body, and skylights adding to light and ventilation.

The pull-out bed at one end of the camper turns the small space into a nice living quarter without hampering the living space. The headroom is limited on the bed because there is no pop-up option (I told you hard shells are not my thing), but the ventilation makes up so you don’t at any time feel cramped in there. Access into the Range campers is through the 40/60 back doors that lead you first up into the galley spruced with storage options everywhere.

In the cooking space itself is a gas stove and sink, a fridge/freezer, and pull-out countertop surfaces. Just across is the dinette for two that converts into a bed for one additional person in the R1. In the 8-foot Range R2, this dinette is bellowing the extending bed and is slightly bigger to transform into a double bed when required. The bench here can accommodate a portable toilet underneath it to make the camping experience less stressful. For its outdoor ability, the Range Campers come with a 200-watt solar charging station to take care of the power needs in off-grid locations. According to the information on Wilderness Vans website, the Range R1 with its gorgeous yellow interior is priced at CA$56,200 (approx. $42,000).

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This Japanese flat-pack fire pit sets up effortlessly and uses a dual combustion system to amplify heat

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When I say campfire, it would evoke a different emotion in each one of us. Time for self, chat with friends, searing meat for dinner; everything besides an ignited fire pit. One thing that remains constant though is the usual fuss of igniting the fire, tending to it, and ensuring it burns with less smoke and more heat. Finally, there may be a flat-packed fire pit that wants to ensure setting up fire is a breeze and you can control intensity and ambiance, thanks to its customizable metal plank design.

Designer: UM Design

Click Here to Buy Now: $225 $299 (25% off). Hurry, only 1/20 left, less than 48 hours to go!

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The user-friendly UM Fire Pit is a product of Japanese craftsmanship and immaculate metalwork. The design is pretty straightforward: you have a round base, that collects ash and has air vents to help in combustion as wood burns in the pit. The pit comprises eight similar-sized laser-cut and bent sheets of metal, which vertically fasten into the dedicated grooves in the base. You can choose to use a few or all of the planks, depending on whether you want to watch the fire burn when you’re sitting alone outside your tent, or want to barbecue steak for family dinner at the park next to your RV.

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Given its design, the UM Fire Pit disassembles and can fit – along with its grill grate – into the carrying bag the size of a laptop case. When you’re at the campsite, you can assemble the fire pit back up in under a minute and build an effective campfire with minimal hassle. Interestingly, the fire pit packed up for transportation weighs 13 lbs, so if you’re a backpacker, this may not be the best bet. But if you’re driving or riding into the wilderness, there cannot be a more utility fire pit companion for you.

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I say this not because the UM Fire Pit has a fancy design and appears trendy and everything. In fact, I base my argument on its dual combustion design. The air vents in the base generate airflow into the pit helping boost air circulation, which permits the wood to burn more efficiently with less smoke. The eight panels making an enclosed heat chamber create secondary combustion which allows the wood to burn well. A grill plate can be added to the top (covers half portion) of the vertically aligned planks to prepare a good, smoked meal made possible by the pit’s adjustable combustion system and optimized airflow.

And when you want more visibility of the fire and don’t want to use the grilling option, you can remove a few panels and create the balance of warmth and visibility you want. The ash collected in the base of the UM Fire Pit is easy clean up, while the corrosion-resistant stainless interior of the base and the metal planks assure durability and years of usage. The exterior black color of these panels exudes a rustic charm made possible with mill scale coating instead of paint. The fire pit is currently being crowdfunded, it has already reached the funding goal and should be in line with its estimated shipping time of January 2024. The UM Fire Pit will retail for $299 but is for now available at a discount of $225. The product is made and will be shipped from Japan, so overseas customers will have to bear shipping and customs fees.

Click Here to Buy Now: $225 $299 (25% off). Hurry, only 1/20 left, less than 48 hours to go!

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This utilitarian electric scooter is economical and faster way to move cargo in urban locales

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As businesses are shifting focus from more polluting and space-consuming cargo vans and cars to cargo-hauling bikes for the last-mile approach, there is a huge demand for better options. Tapping on the opportunity, a Vancouver-based startup is designing what it calls the Scootility – precisely a portmanteau of scooter and utility. A reasonable and compact alternative for last-mile delivery; the cargo-hauling Scootility is for now in the prototype stage with production to begin in the next 12 months.

Given its unique design, the Scootility is not another electric bike. In fact, it draws design inspiration from a segway with a column handle for maneuvering it. By virtue, however, it is an electric scooter that allows the rider to stand up and ride while the cargo remains intact in the covered box right in front of the eyes.

Designer: Scootility

In the design then, a lockable cargo box with a standard load-bearing capacity of 140 liters is the biggest takeaway. This weatherproof box becomes even more beneficial for the delivery guy with the swappable feature. The cargo box can be taken off and replaced with a swappable option on the fly minimizing time between pickup and delivery.

The e-scooter with its compact size and narrow footprint in the traffic, can also be used for delivering medication or supplies in affected areas where access to other forms of transport may be hindered. Interestingly, Scootility has full suspension and wheels measuring 16-inches on the front and 13-inches on the back. The smaller wheel size allows more space for a cargo box on this scooter with utility as its basis over a simple mode of commutation.

For the safety of the rider, it’s installed with LED lighting and has a small turning radius, the manufacturer claims. A foldable leg rest of the Scootility can double as a glove compartment, and the long steering column and handle can fold down for easy storage. Powered by a swappable lithium battery offering a 100 km range in the standard variant, the Scootility is easier to ride (no license needed) and more economical (as opposed to cargo e-bikes on the market).

Since Scootility is only raising funding for its utility scooter at the moment, there is no definite word on the retail price. Given its benefits of minimum parking space requirement, swappable cargo box and battery, and substantial drive range, we are sure many businesses already have their eyes out for the Scootility.

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This companion robot motivates socially inactive youth to venture out with mood-based conversations and persuasive activities

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With the advent of social media, most of us have found long-lost friends or made new meaningful contacts. This movement in technology has helped shape our personality; in some cases, however, it is threatening the fabric of social interaction with people closer and more physically available, leading to social phobia. The fear of venturing out or being social can have a significant impact on the “occupational” and “educational” attainment of many reclusive, leaving them with fewer friends, a pessimistic viewpoint about self, and a lifestyle confined to the four walls of their living quarters.

Staying inclusive to the pretext, enters Mori: A robotic buddy for the younger generation dealing with social anxiety disorder. Studies on the behavior of seniors – recovering from dementia – with companion robots show that the elderly prefer “soft, furry, interactive animals” as partners. There is a considerable difference in favor of robotic pets that can simulate real-life animal in terms of eye contact and order-obeying ability. To that accord, “Joy for All” or “Paro,” companion bots have fine-tined the relationship between humans and technology. Now Mori, with a gadget-esque, interactive approach wants to help the youth by being that partner they can confide with and catapult out of the anxiety of being socially inactive.

Designers: YeEun Kim, Taewan Kim

Designed to help young adults deal with mental and physical health issues, Mori benefits by assisting them overcome these challenges offering consistent support to reclaim the lost zeal. Whether the person is dealing with lifestyle-related problems or social anxiety, Mori provides a solution with mood-based conversations and designs achievement activities to motivate individuals to venture out.

The robot itself comes in a two-part design. The base comprises a control unit with a speaker and volume rockers and cradles within a spherical device that can crack open in half to convert into over-ear headphones. The user can put on the headset to communicate with the integrated AI assistant that guides through activities to rekindle the person to resume outdoor activities.

The positive motivation would work best in favor of the socially inactive, who are cocooned in the nexus of the virtual world, frame their life’s objectives and routines based on the opinions of online friends and lifestyle of the influencers. Mori embedded with an emotion recognition sensor immediately identifies the mood of the user and initiates conversation to build rapport with positive empathy. Mori as a unit is powered by a rechargeable battery: you dock the headset in the cradle base, which wirelessly charges it, while drawing its power through a USB-C port in its rear.

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Stussy’s special edition Beats Studio Pro headphones boast a retro elemental design

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If you are looking for a stylish and versatile pair of ANC headphones, then Apple-owned Beats Studio Pro could be your choice. The cans go neck and neck with the Sony WH-1000XM5, and just edge over in design and ergonomic comfort. Even though the Studio Pro dives in the same waters as the AirPods Max, they don’t impede on the prospective buyer base of Apple’s headphones.

Released in July 2023, the cans have a new design profile as Apple has collaborated with streetwear brand Stussy for a limited-edition version of the Studio Pro. The Apple-owned label has joined forces with other big names like Olive & June and Kim Kardashian in the past for special edition versions of their products, and this one is yet another example.

Designer: Beats by Dre and Stussy

The design of this special edition Studio Pro is inspired by the 1990s culture of owning electronics. The warm beige color and deep blue hues along with the inline logo get its design cues from the urethane skateboard wheels. The sublime finish is reminiscent of the resin and fiberglass material used in surfboard manufacturing. The cans come with the same hardware as that in the stock Studio Pro – the 40mm driving unit and the signature acoustic performance. This is complemented well by the adaptive Active Noise Cancellation, transparency mode, spatial audio (with dynamic head tracking) and a battery life of 40 hours.

The Stussy Beats Studio Pro headphones are going to be up for grabs from the Stussy online store, select Dover Street Market locations and select Stussy chapter stores from December 15. Priced exactly as the stock Studio Pro’s available already at $350, the special edition headphones will surely be out of stock before one can blink an eye.

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The James Brand’s sharp Christmas tree ornament doubles as a tactical Ninja Star

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There are Christmas ornaments and then there is The James Brand Throwflake. This ninja star (or Shuriken star to be precise) is designed to be ready this Christmas for Home Alone action in case those buggers slide down the chimney with bad intentions.

You are going to get a lot of questions asked about this one hanging from your tree though. That said, it’s always better to safe rather than sorry. Yes, you can use this collectible by TJB as your make-shift defense weapon to catch goons off guard. Don’t let your kids anywhere near this one and hang it up high on the Christmas tree, because you know, kids can be unpredictable!

Designer: The James Brand

The Oregon-based everyday tool maker wants to give modern explorers a reason to sit back for a while and enjoy the Holiday spirit with loved ones. They even give a warning for keen buyers not to use this as a weapon post the Christmas celebrations since it has “6 very sharp” points. That signals the ninja star could be as good as a knife, good enough to cut through objects like wood or even tin cans. This could also double as a defense tool out in the wild where anything handy in the pocket is critical.

The snowflake-shaped EDC cum ornament comes with a lanyard to hand onto the tree and it does impress with its sheen. Off the holiday tree and this becomes your secret weapon or tool in uncharted territory. For a price tag of $40, The Throwflake is hard to miss and TJB sure knows how to keep up with the holiday fun. So, are you going to get this one for your Christmas tree?

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