Author Archives: Sarang Sheth

Top 10 3D-Printed Ornaments to Upgrade your Christmas Tree Decoration Game

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Instead of decking the halls with boughs of holly, deck them with rolls of filament instead! Sure, that doesn’t sound particularly festive at first thought, but it’ll make much more sense when you see these absolutely gorgeous 3D-printed Christmas ornaments we’ve hand-picked for you. We scoured the internet to find some of the most eye-catching 3D prints that perfectly capture the holiday spirit, from geometric snowflakes to some pretty beautiful-looking baubles. Ditch the boring old store-bought ornaments this year, fire up your 3D printer, and make your own (or rent a 3D printer for cheap). They’re sure to add a touch of individuality to your tree this year, they’ll print in mere hours instead of taking days to deliver, and you’ll definitely have people asking you where you got them!

1. Christmas Tree Ornament Set by Popandsicle

Popandsicle’s Christmas Tree Ornament Set is a brilliant way to give your tree a unique aesthetic that’ll have friends and family wondering where you got those ornaments from. The captivating spiral shape of the ornaments instantly catches your eye – even more so when printed in a metallic-colored or shiny filament. Quite literally putting a ‘twist’ on traditional holiday decorations, this set features a range of designs, each optimized for 3D printing in vase mode (or printing upside down). The collection comes in a set of 6 ornaments that print rather quickly, and are free to download off Prusa’s Printables website.

2. Christmas Village by FiveNights

Less for your treetop and more for the tabletop, this 3D-printed Christmas Village is just a glorious little project with a lot of intricate details that make it a nice challenge for the seasoned printing expert. Designed to look like a cosy hilltop village, the print comes with what presumably looks like a snowcapped terrain with roads, rails, houses, and trees galore. The entire print can be done without supports, says the maker, and you’ve got a hatch at the bottom for inserting an LED lamp or your smartphone flash. Once illuminated from the inside, the village really does come to life as light makes its way through the translucent body of the print and through the doors and windows of all the houses. The print files are available for free from Ultimaker’s Thingiverse website.

3. Baby Yoda Christmas Ornament by Psdwizzard

Nothing shows you have elevated eclectic tastes more than having a Baby Yoda bauble hanging from your Christmas tree. Sure, everyone opts for the spheres, lights, stars, and personal photographs, but there’s just something so perfect about your own personal Grogu dressed as Santa hanging from your tree. This decorated character from the Mandalorian comes with its own Santa robe and hat, is is pictured here holding a decorative orb. Printing it is relatively simple, although you will require supports. The entire thing prints in a single color and needs to be post-processed and painted by hand, which should be a fun activity if you’re a fan of the Star Wars universe, eh? The Baby Yoda Christmas Ornament is available to download for free on the Thingiverse website.

4. Christmas Ball by cunicode

The beauty of these Christmas ornaments from cunicode lies in A. the fact that their complex geometry can only be machine-made using 3D printing, and B. they’re large, eye-catching, but incredibly lightweight, so you can deck your tree with as many of them without them weighing your branches down. “Since 3D Printing costs are driven by volume and material used, I designed the geometry of these balls to use minimum material while keeping maximum strength,” cunicode says. The 3D STL file for the Christmas Ball is available for free on the Thingiverse Website.

5. Deer in the Mountains by jdormer9

Yet another tabletop accessory to bring the holiday spirit, this one gets props for its artistic flair. The Deer in the Mountains print from jdormer9 is an elegant 2D graphic of a deer against white mountains. Artistically, it gets full marks for its uniquely minimalist style, although functionally I would love to have seen a built-in card holder or something that adds a little more value to this piece. However, the beauty of 3D printing is that you can optimize designs to suit your own needs. Heck, add a card-holder at the back, turn the deer’s antlers into a keychain holder, go wild! The Deer in the Mountains 3D file is available for free on the Printables website.

6. Christmas Spiral Teardrop 2023 by Scott McClurg

Scott McClurg, who also goes by his internet moniker ‘dazus’ is a pretty big deal in the 3D-printed ornament space. McClurg’s works combine geometry with tradition, resulting in some of the most hypnotic, kaleidoscopic Christmas decorations your eyes will ever see. The 2023 Christmas Spiral Teardrop is remarkable to look at, especially given that it’s printed using a plastic filament with a silver-gold metallic finish. The ornament’s undulating interweaving surfaces catch light beautifully, creating wonderful contrasts that are further punctuated by the hollow spaces. Things get even more interesting when the ornaments spin, creating a hypnotic motion that’s difficult to look away from! The 2023 Christmas Spiral Teardrop, understandably, is one of the more tricky 3D prints to execute. The ornament needs quite a few supports, McClurg mentions, and there are a few more details to keep in mind while you run this print, which can be found on the Thingiverse website, along with the free 3D file for the ornament.

7. Open Lattice Christmas Bell by Scott McClurg

It was a pretty herculean task zeroing down on just one of McClurg’s ornaments, so here’s another one that we can’t stop admiring. With a similar interwoven hypnotic lattice-esque design like the Christmas Spiral Teardrop, the Open Lattice Christmas Bell is a gorgeous themed ornament that adds gravitas and pizzazz to your tree without adding any weight. Its complex design does present a few challenges while printing, but it’s nothing a seasoned 3D printing enthusiast can’t handle. We recommend using a metallic-finish filament to give the bell some shimmer! The Open Lattice Christmas Bell is free to download on the Thingiverse website.

8. Gimbal Christmas Ornament by Jouni Ahola

Complex 3D prints are great, but what about kinetic ones? This Gimbal Christmas Ornament isn’t the kind you’d just hang on your tree and forget about. With multiple joints, it’s the kind of ornament you’d want to fiddle with, adjusting, readjusting, and fidgeting just because it’s so much visual and tactile fun. Designed to be a single-print design, this marvel from Jouni Ahola prints flat, but can then be flipped around like a Rubik’s cube, or more accurately, a gimbal. Like the rest of the ornaments, this one too is free to download, and can be found on the Thingiverse website.

9. Merry Bird Christmas Ornament by Michiel Cornelissen

Call it an adorable ornament or a metaphor for a certain social media company, this bird-in-a-cage ornament is lightweight and exceedingly charming to look at, even though it’s literally a print of a bird trapped inside a Christmas ornament. It has all the hallmarks of a good 3D printed ornament, with its lightweight, hollow, yet intricate design. The bird is hinged, which means it swings to and fro inside its spherical cage, and although it isn’t available for free like any of the other ornaments, you can directly buy it from the Shapeways website and they’ll print it out and send the ready ornament directly to your doorstep!

10. Trippy Snowflake Kinetic Sculpture by JBV Creative

Less of an ornament and more of a kinetic toy, the Trippy Snowflake Kinetic Sculpture is something you’ll constantly find yourself reaching for, sort of like a snowglobe but more enchanting. The multi-part sculpture features a geared mechanism that causes two snowflakes to rotate in opposite directions when you crank the handle, creating a hypnotic, alluring optical illusion. Perhaps one of the most complex and lengthy builds in this collection, the sculpture has multiple parts and components that need to be printed separately (although if you have a large print bed you can print multiple parts at the same time). Given how detailed and thorough it is, this print isn’t available for free either, and the STL file will cost you $45, but the benefit is that once you buy the file, you can print as many of these as you want! Heck, gift them to friends as stocking stuffers too! You can buy the Trippy Snowflake Kinetic Sculpture 3D file on the JBV Creative website.

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This $149 gadget is a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ for livestreamers, gamers, and designers

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The Live S arrives as Loupedeck’s first product since its acquisition by Logitech. Designed to be the smallest of the company’s streaming consoles, the Loupedeck Live S is an affordable gadget for the on-the-go livestreamer or someone looking to dip their toe into streaming, content creation, or design. With 15 haptic display buttons, 4 RGB buttons, 2 rotary knobs, and a rather affordable $149 price tag, the customizable control center is perfect for multitaskers looking to boost their productivity, or streamers/podcasters who want everything right at their fingertips.

Designer: Loupedeck

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At its core, the Loupedeck Live S is a streamlined version of its predecessors, featuring two tactile analog knobs, four physical buttons, and 15 touch-sensitive LCD squares. These elements provide a tactile and responsive experience, allowing users to adjust settings like volume, switch scenes, and toggle functions with ease and precision. The touch-sensitive buttons, although lacking physical feedback, confirm every touch with haptic feedback, enhancing the user experience.

The device, slightly larger than a typical cellphone, is compact enough to fit comfortably on any desk. Its stand, snapping securely onto the back, props it up at a convenient angle for easy access. Buttons with individual displays dynamically light up to let you know which shortcut or application they’re assigned to. The display built into each button means easily being able to switch between applications, shortcuts, and environments and having the Loupedeck adapt to the moment.

Setting up the Live S is straightforward: plug in, install the software, and you’re ready to dive into its functionalities. The graphical user interface is simple yet powerful, allowing easy drag-and-drop customization. Users can set multiple profiles and workspaces, and the device seamlessly transitions between these based on the selected application. The Loupedeck Live S supports a plethora of native plugins for popular software like OBS, Twitch, Spotify, and a range of Adobe products. Beyond these, users can also create or import custom profiles and icons for virtually any application or game, making it a highly adaptable tool for a variety of tasks.

While its primary market is streamers and content creators, the Loupedeck Live S has proven its worth in other domains. It’s been lauded for its usefulness in enhancing productivity, especially in work-from-home setups, offering quick access to frequently used functions and applications. This versatility extends to gaming and other entertainment applications, with users able to tailor the device to their specific needs.

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Unique Book-mounted Reading Light lets you get a few chapters in without waking anyone

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Sitting atop your book sort of like a halo, the Bowio 2.0 is a genius reading light that illuminates your pages and not your entire room. The light, styled like a leather fashion accessory, clips onto the left and right sides of your book cover, while LEDs built into its strap cast a soft glow that’s powerful enough to let you read in the pitch dark.

In an era dominated by OLED displays, it’s refreshing to see a book-light like the Bowio make the kind of impact it’s making. Now in its second edition, the Bowio 2.0 builds upon the success of its predecessor which raised over half a million dollars from 7000 backers back in 2021. The world’s most funded book light is back for round two, with a few improvements to its design, craftsmanship, and functionality.

Designers: Anıl Ercan and SozumDogan

Click Here to Buy now: $59 $74 (20% off). Hurry, only 8/1140 left! Raised over $200,000.

The format of the Bowio 2.0 remains unchanged for the sole reason that it works so brilliantly. Sitting on your book like a golden arch, the Bowio 2.0 shines warm LED lights at your pages, allowing you to read, turn pages, and move around without having the light cause you or anyone discomfort. The Bowio 2.0 clips onto each end of your book (and is long enough to fit larger books or even board games like DnD), with multiple LEDs that cast a warm diffused glow that doesn’t cause any shadows, helping you read clearly. It attaches directly to your book, unlike other body-worn reading lights, which means you can adjust yourself without worrying about the light’s orientation going askew, and like its predecessor, the Bowio 2.0 has touch-sensitive brightness settings built in that let you adjust the LED brightness to suit your needs.

Bowio GameLight is specifically designed for Game Masters, it fits seamlessly with both carton and wooden screens.

Craftsmanship is one of Bowio 2.0’s highlights, with varieties spanning both vegan and genuine leather options. No matter which material you pick, the Bowio’s stitching and edge-finishing are impeccable, and the leather has just the right amount of stiffness to hold its shape no matter how you use it. Metal buckles on both ends separate the LED strip from the Bowio 2.0’s magnetic clip, and N52 neodymium magnets in the clips on each side help the Bowio 2.0 firmly grasp onto both paperback and hardbound books. High CRI LEDs offer better color rendering than regular LEDs, and draw power from a battery pack that gives it up to 95 hours (depending on the brightness setting) of use on a full charge. You can run your Bowio on 1.5V rechargeable batteries, charging them through a built-in USB-C port, or use disposable AAA batteries that are more readily available.

The Bowio 2.0 campaign is seeing a pretty good response right off the bat, which gives me hope for a human race that still prefers offline entertainment like reading and gaming (it even got an Honorable Mention at the 2023 LIT Lighting Design Awards). The self-proclaimed book light attaches onto board games too, allowing you to play in dimly lit environments, and each Bowio 2.0 ships with a tabletop standing accessory if you opt for its ‘Gamer’ edition. For the avid bookworm, the Bowio 2.0 is available in pastel or colorful vegan leather editions, along with an Alcantara synthetic leather variant. However, if you’re looking for something more au naturel, you’ve got variants made from cowhide in regular, suede, and even textured variants to resemble snake or croc leather… and finally a 24K gold gilded leather book light for elite bookworms. Each Bowio 2.0 comes packaged in a classy plastic-free kraft carton box that can easily be composted/recycled, and ships globally.

Click Here to Buy now: $59 $74 (20% off). Hurry, only 8/1140 left! Raised over $200,000.

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This $500 device lets you easily build your own Cloud Server instead of paying Google, Microsoft, or Amazon

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Back up your systems, store all your photos, run AI models, host websites, or even have your own free streaming service, the $500 ZimaCube gives you your personal (and secure) cloud server without those pesky monthly subscription fees.

Looking almost like a beefy CPU that sits on your desk, ZimaCube is a NAS (network-attached storage) device that brings cloud computing to your tabletop. Rather than relying on Google, Amazon, Microsoft, or Apple to store all your data remotely (where your data can be accessed by companies, advertisers, governments, or worse… hackers), ZimaCube is your own personal cloud server that stores all your data in the secure confines of your home or office, but still allows you to access it anywhere on the go. Powered by a 10-core 12th-gen Intel processor, the ZimaCube offers up to 64 GB of RAM and has 6 whopping HDD bays for storing up to 120 TB of data. This basically gives you a powerful cloud server that can take backups of all your devices, host websites, run your own personal streaming service using locally downloaded files (goodbye Netflix), or better still, run your own personal AI model or GPT by hooking up an external GPU. In a world plagued by governments snooping on private citizens, and by companies looking to make a quick buck by either charging you monthly fees to store your data or by selling them to advertisers, ZimaCube lets you take back ownership of your private information, whether it’s photos on your smartphone or all the work files on your laptop/desktop.

Designer: IceWhale Technology

Click Here to Buy Now: $499 $699 ($200 off). Hurry, only 717/1000 left! Raised over $1 million.

At its core, the ZimaCube offers a massive storage capacity of up to 164 terabytes, with a unique 6+1 bay design accommodating a mix of six hard disk drives (HDDs) and four solid-state drives (SSDs). This blend ensures ample storage space for large files and speedy access to frequently used data, striking a balance between vast storage and fast performance. This makes it ideal for storing everything from important documents to extensive collections of digital assets like photos and videos, all securely in one place and accessible from anywhere.

ZimaCube provides a centralized hub of up to 164 TB for storing and cataloging all your project files, media assets, and documents. Its unique 6+1 bay design provides extra flexibility by offering HDD, SSHD, and SSD storage options.

Aside from storing backups of your selfies and videos (after all, the ZimaCube is capable of so much more), you additionally have the option of storing work files and data dumps, and directly editing them over the cloud instead of needing to download them to your device. Powering the ZimaCube is a 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, ensuring efficient data management, particularly for tasks requiring substantial computing power like video editing. This is complemented by cutting-edge connectivity options, including Thunderbolt 4 and 2.5GbE networking ports, facilitating rapid data transfer and smooth workflow management. For professionals relying on demanding applications, the ZimaCube’s extensive storage capacity, robust processor, and advanced connectivity make it perfect for content creators and multimedia experts who require a reliable storage solution that can keep pace with their workload.

Files stored on the ZimaCube can be accessed through a multitude of ways, enabling storage, retrieval, sharing, and even collaboration. The ZimaOS provides a clean, intuitive way to manage your data, but it goes above and beyond by also being a one-stop management dashboard for your data stored on DropBox, Google Drive, etc. All your files find a home within the ZimaOS dashboard, so you don’t have to hunt across multiple accounts and devices to find files. The ‘ZSync’ feature synchronizes file versions across all devices (so any edits made to a file update everywhere), and automatic backups take the hassle out of remembering to manually backup all your data. Want to share data with team members, clients, and stakeholders? The ZimaCube’s PeerDrop feature allows you to share files with anyone through an encrypted gateway, bypassing the public cloud entirely. It also supports various tools like Nextcloud and Seafile, allowing you to share and collaborate on files with ease. You can create shared folders, set permissions, and even generate public links. This is a boon for remotely located teams and groups who need to work together on projects, regardless of their geographical locations.

Harness the desktop-class performance of NVIDIA® Quadro® and AMD Radeon™ Pro eGPUs for professional graphics output. With Thunderbolt 4, you can daisy chain up to six external RAID arrays together and get a jaw-dropping 1PB to your ZimaCube.

Going beyond just traditional data storage, you can even run your own private AI models directly on the ZimaCube. PCIe Gen 4 ports and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity allow you to hook up powerful external GPUs to host and run your own AI models like Stable Diffusion without splurging big bucks on a GPU farm or buying GPU credits online. Moreover, the folks behind the ZimaCube also boast the ability to privately run a GPT on your own data, allowing you to effectively ‘chat’ with your own documents to retrieve information, find files, and get an overview on lengthy run-downs without as much as opening them. The AI runs entirely locally and privately, with no data ever leaving your device.

All those technical capabilities sit in the ZimaCube’s black-box-esque design that’s crafted with a predominantly metal construction, providing robustness and efficient heat dissipation. It features a magnetic attachment system for the front-mounted panel and a durable design with multiple ventilation panels, crucial for maintaining optimal temperature​. On the inside, modules plug in with LEGO-like configurability. The ZimaCube lets you customize your own server, adding modules such as a WiFi module, additional interfaces, high-speed drives, and even RAID arrays. It’s not just the hardware that’s customizable – with software options like ZimaOS, TrueNAS, and unRAID, and a community-driven range of apps and plugins, you’ve got digital flexibility too.

The ZimaCube presents two distinct variants tailored to different user needs: the Standard and Pro models. The Standard version is powered by the Intel Alder Lake-N100 processor, a competent choice for general storage and computing needs. It’s like a reliable sedan, efficient for daily tasks. On the other hand, the Pro model shifts gears with the robust 12th Gen i5-1235U core processor, akin to a sports car in the processor world, offering enhanced performance and handling more demanding tasks with ease. Both models champion significant storage capacity and connectivity options, but the Pro model stands out with its higher RAM support and processing power, making it suitable for power users who need that extra bit of computational muscle. The ZimaCube Standard starts at an early-bird price of $499 (VAT-free), while the Pro is similarly discounted with a $900 price tag (the HDDs need to be purchased separately). It ships globally with a 19V 220W power adapter, universal plugs to fit a variety of international power sockets, and a 1-year warranty.

Click Here to Buy Now: $499 $699 ($200 off). Hurry, only 717/1000 left! Raised over $1 million.

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The Eames Lounge Chair gets reinvented as a dual-tone skateboard with a similar iconic aesthetic

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Even outside the design world, the Eames Lounge Chair remains an absolute furniture icon. Designed in 1956 by Ray and Charles Eames, the chair’s aesthetic was defined by its use of bent plywood paneling and plush leather cushioning, resulting in a multi-part seat that looked as interesting as it was comfortable. In an audacious blend of design heritage and contemporary street culture, Globe Skateboards has unveiled a stunning homage to Charles and Ray Eames, revered icons of mid-century modern furniture design. This unique collaboration marries the adventurous spirit of skateboarding with the timeless elegance of Eames’ design principles, resulting in a collection that’s both a nod to the past and a ride into the future.

Designers: Globe Brand & Eames Office

Globe’s skateboards intricately mirror the materials and aesthetics of the iconic lounge chair and ottoman. The series includes a 30-inch cruiser in white ash wood, a 32-inch cruiser hewn from walnut, and a 38-inch longboard carved out of black oak. Each skateboard is a tribute to the Eames’ pioneering spirit, capturing the essence of their design legacy. The attention to detail is meticulous, with elements like the paint dip and laser-etched finish on the wood veneer of the skateboards precisely emulating the Eames Lounge Chairs and Ottoman.

Eames Lounge 30-inch Cruiser in Ash Wood and White

Eames Lounge 38-inch Longboard

The core of this venture is the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, a staple of 20th-century design. Renowned for its innovative use of molded plywood and premium veneers, the Lounge Chair reimagined the classic 19th-century English club chair into a modern marvel. Its distinct form and replaceable components have allowed it to transcend generations, standing as a symbol of enduring design.

Close-up of the 32-inch Walnut Cruiser against the iconic Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman

The homage doesn’t stop at mere visual replication. Globe’s collaboration with the Eames Office can be seen in the smaller details too, such as custom-embedded metal Eames Office + Globe badges and Eames logo deck bolts, enriching the skateboards. Even the underside of the boards feature a laser-carved Eames Office logo, a subtle yet significant mark of this unique partnership.

The skateboards come packaged in heavyweight canvas board bags that double as carry-all totes, signaling Globe’s commitment to practicality and style. Although the walnut cruiser has already sold out, indicating the collection’s popularity, other models, including the Eames La Chaise Box Set, remain available for enthusiasts and collectors.

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Minimalist Utility Knife with built-in Scale is every Stationery Lover’s Dream EDC

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The Utility Knife gets major props for how simple and sophisticated it looks, but how it cleverly masks functional details into its minimalist design. Styled like your everyday paper cutter, the knife comes with a gorgeous all-metal body, coupled with a textured knob that lets you deploy and lock the blade. The metal handle is weighted and grippy enough for a comfortable, accident-free cutting experience, and also hides within it a slick metal scale that you can detach and use independently to either cut/draw straight lines or measure linear distances.

Click Here to Buy Now: $67 $79 (15% off at checkout). Hurry, Holiday Sale ends in 24 hours!

OLFA Snap Knife – Using the wide blade from OLFA, it’s easier to perform the cutting, slicing and trimming with top safety and solid control.

The Utility Knife sports a CNC-machined metal body that’s 8mm thick, and long enough to hold your standard OLFA blade. The CNC-machined handle ensures a kind of perfection you wouldn’t get from most paper cutters made of plastic. The blade’s enclosure and opening are all machined to absolute perfection, allowing the blade to slide through with zero difficulty and be operated without any of that wobble you’d find in imperfectly manufactured plastic-handled cutters.

A metal slider knob controls the blade itself. Rotate the slider to tighten or loosen the blade, before sliding it in or out. The experience is satisfyingly smooth thanks to the metal-on-metal interaction, giving you a cutter that feels vastly more enjoyable to use than something you’d use in school as a kid.

The knife’s opening sports a 45° chamfered edge that allows the blade to safely exit through, making it visible so you don’t end up hurting yourself. The 45° slant also allows you to use the knife to open boxes easily while resting it on that surface, so you don’t risk cutting too deep into the box and damaging what’s inside.

However, the story doesn’t end there! The knife’s back surface is designed to be magnetic, making it easy to stick onto magnetic boards, fridges, and metal cupboards, but more notably, it’s the docking point for the Utility Knife’s companion – its metal scale. The scale snaps satisfyingly into place, docking onto the knife so it’s always conveniently within reach.

15° Curvature Ruler – Prevent your finger from being cut when cutting and you’ll be able to pick it up easily from any surface.

Blade Snapper – Snap off the blade with the special design in the tip of the ruler.

Its all-metal design means you can use it alongside the knife to cut straight lines (without worrying of damage as you would with a plastic or wooden scale). The scale comes with both imperial and metric measurements, and has a slightly tilted edge that makes it easy to grip and lift off flat surfaces. Finally, a slit in the top of the scale serves as a blade-breaker, allowing you to snap off blunt parts of the OLFA blade to reveal a fresh sharper edge.

Together, the knife and scale make a surprisingly handy combo. Although designed for stationery-adjacent use, the knife serves EDC-based roles rather well too, and the scale is perfect for tiny measurements on the fly. The fact that the Utility Knife uses OLFA blades means you’ve always got a sharp edge at hand, and you don’t need to worry about manually sharpening blades like you would with regular EDC. The only thing missing is a nice lanyard hole or a leather carrying strap, but hey, maybe I’m being pedantic…

Click Here to Buy Now: $67 $79 (15% off at checkout). Hurry, Holiday Sale ends in 24 hours!

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This Multi-Lens Camera Shoots Digital 3D Pictures and Captures GIFs

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For hundreds of years, photographs have been the dominant way of capturing memories. Whether of historic events or family gatherings, it’s almost a ritual to take out a camera and snap a picture, freezing a memory in time… but there’s one thing these pictures seem to miss – depth. In fact, Apple addressed this exact shortfall when they announced Spatial videos on their Vision Pro device (and even the latest iPhone 15 Pro), but there’s really no need to spend upwards of $3000 to capture memories more immersively. Multi-lens cameras with 3D shooting capabilities have existed for a while now (the Nishika N8000 or the Kodak Stereo Camera come to mind), but the Moment 3D Camera reinvents and reinvigorates the category. While previous cameras shot 3D images on film, the Moment 3D Camera does it digitally, relying on a linear array of 4 lenses that simultaneously take photographs to capture parallax, which our brain perceives as depth.

Designer: Olga Orel

Simply put, the Moment camera freezes a moment in time, capturing 4 different angles to make it look more immersive, and frankly a lot more cooler than a regular photograph. A series of 38mm lenses work in tandem to take photos at the exact same time, which are then presented on the camera’s viewfinder display. The images are showcased as GIF files,panning from left to right to create a trippy sense of depth. Bet your Polaroid can’t do that…

“I discovered old cameras such as Nishika N8000 and Nimslo from the 1980s made by various companies with the same idea of stereography. They were quadrascopic (four lenses) cameras designed to produce four half-frame images from a click of the shutters. Lenticular prints could be made from the negatives,” says Olga Orel, the designer behind the Moment 3D Camera. “Unfortunately, the demand for these products was low due to people losing interest while waiting for the prints, which could take weeks and by some accounts, months to return to the consumer. You have to understand, these cameras were introduced BEFORE we knew anything about GIFs or JPEG files!”

Designed to look and function like a regular camera, the Moment’s multi-lens system gives you a new way to shoot photos without really having to learn anything. Point, look into the viewfinder, and hit the shutter button and the camera does the rest. A viewfinder lets you compose your shot, although there’s also a touchscreen display you can look at. The camera has zoom functionality, a flash, and the ability to toggle between modes, letting you choose whether you’re shooting humans, sceneries, or even macro shots of objects up-close.

Notably, images get captured in a vertical portrait orientation only. The photos you capture are displayed on a vertical touchscreen interface where you can crop and edit media, as well as view photos/GIFs clicked previously. You can even set timers for selfies, and a tripod mount on the bottom proves exceptionally handy when you want to click photos hands-free.

Images get saved onto an SD card, although you can directly hook your Moment 3D camera to an external display through its HDMI port too. Moreover, a USB-C port lets you connect your camera to devices like your laptop, tablet, or phone, and even lets you charge your camera too. Meanwhile, like any handheld shooter, the Moment 3D Camera has a removable battery on its base that you can hot-swap like most photographers would, giving you the ability to freely and confidently shoot 3D images and GIFs as you would regular photos!

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This Colorful Kindergarten gives young children the feeling of being inside a Kaleidoscope

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If you were driving through the small provincial town of Tianshui, China, you wouldn’t be wrong to stop dead in your tracks as you passed the Tianshui Kindergarten, a school designed to capture and captivate the fancy and whimsy of its young occupants. Designed by SAKO Architects, the kindergarten stands out with its incredible kaleidoscope-inspired design that looks just as impressive on the inside as it does from the outside, boasting an impressive 438 pieces of colored glass that are sure to have children wanting to spend more time in school than ever before!

Designer: SAKO Architects

The kindergarten’s design philosophy revolves around stimulating children’s imagination and creativity. During the day, sunlight filters through the colored glass, casting a vibrant tapestry of lights and shadows across classrooms, invoking a sense of play and discovery. At night, the scene transforms as the building’s interior lights emit a beautiful glow, creating a stunning visual spectacle from the outside.

A central feature of the design is the three-story open atrium, crowned with a massive glass ceiling. This space is multifunctional, suitable for activities throughout the year, thanks to its floor heating and air conditioning systems. Moreover, windows around the atrium can be opened for ventilation during summer or closed to retain heat in the colder months​​​.

The heart of the building is its atrium, where sunlight, refracted by colored glass, dances across the interior, creating an ever-changing kaleidoscopic effect. The glass, applied to handrails and windows, forms colored shadows in various shapes that morph throughout the day as the sun’s angle changes. This dynamic interplay of light and color makes the space an engaging and stimulating environment for the young minds it nurtures​​​​.

Architecturally, the kindergarten pays homage to the local heritage. The use of arched openings throughout the building draws inspiration from the traditional cave-like dwellings of the Loess Plateau, on which Tianshui City is situated. These arched windows, varying in size and scattered across the building, give it a whimsical appearance, reminiscent of a birthday cake​​​.

The Tianshui Kindergarten’s architecture focuses on sustainability too, with the strategic use of natural light significantly reducing the reliance on artificial illumination. Additionally, the building’s design includes adaptive features like windows that can be opened for ventilation in summer or sealed to conserve heat in winter, demonstrating a keen awareness of the local climate. This thoughtful integration of sustainable practices ensures that the kindergarten’s architecture is a broader lesson for its occupants too, allowing them to appreciate how sustainability is seen less as a compromise and more as a wonderful design direction!

Lastly, the rooftop playground offers a safe and enjoyable space for children, providing panoramic views of Tianshui City. This feature ensures that as the children grow, they will carry with them memories of a unique and inspiring learning environment, fostering a deep sense of pride in their hometown.

The post This Colorful Kindergarten gives young children the feeling of being inside a Kaleidoscope first appeared on Yanko Design.

I didn’t know how desperately I needed a Knock Box for my Espresso Machine

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Diving into the world of coffee is a slippery slope because it’s a never-ending void of products and processes that can improve your brew. The last time I checked, people were recommending using a frozen metal ball in the espresso pouring process to help preserve more delicate flavor profiles. The point is, coffee aficionados will stop at nothing to make sure they’re brewing the best coffee possible… and for the most part, the products they use are absolutely unnecessary (I’m looking at you, coffee needle distributors), but the second I lay my eyes on the Olympus Knock Box, I knew there was something different about it. Designed as a practical addition to your coffee brewing setup, the Olympus Knock Box is a two-part accessory that serves as a tamping station as well as a bin for your coffee after it’s been brewed. Made from molded cork, powder-coated steel, and silicone, the Olympus helps you brew your coffee efficiently (and cleanly too). The tamping station lets you quickly tamp your portafilter, while the knock box itself lets you whack out that puck of coffee after it’s been brewed and extracted. Unlike extracting your espresso over a frozen metal orb, the Olympus Knock Box is just one of those devices that makes the brewing process more convenient, cleaner, and just more effective, whether you’re a home-brewer or a barista at an artisanal cafe.

Designer: Bron Davis

Click Here to Buy Now: $99 $125 (20% off). Hurry, only 7/70 left!

Knock Boxes have been around for a while, but haven’t really gained much prominence and I think it’s time we change that. Having a knock box with your coffee machine is just about as sensible as wearing an apron while cooking. Just like you wouldn’t want to get your clothes dirty while making food, you wouldn’t want to have your counter or floor a mess while you’re tamping your coffee or knocking the espresso puck out into a bin after extraction. The Olympus provides a nifty station for you to do both activities, keeping your kitchen clean while looking like an elegant little container worthy of adorning your countertop.

Olympus’ knock box design does away with the traditional knock bar, instead utilizing a central rubber silicone pad. This way you can empty out your portafilter with just one clean mess-free hit – perfect for the home coffee bar (that might be doubling as a counter).

The Olympus has a gorgeously simple-looking design that relies on a winning combination of minimalism and a brown/black color palette. The Olympus’ base is made from a molded cork composite that uses micro-granules of cork bound with a natural binding agent that’s nature-friendly, toxin-free, and has zero plastics. It has the appeal of engineered wood, which goes rather well with the black components that sit on top. Nested into this cork base is the powder-coated steel bin that holds as many as 6 espresso pucks in its receptacle.

Once filled, you can merely empty the bin into your trash or add it to your compost pile or kitchen garden. Finally, upon the steel tray sits the Olympus’ tamping station, made out of stiff-yet-flexible silicone. The station has a unique design that accepts portafilters of various sizes, ranging from 51mm to as big as 58mm. The filter snugly fits in, getting secured by a set of silicone fins that prevent it from slipping as you firmly tamp your coffee grounds. Once you’re done, the rim of the tamping station is the perfect point to knock your filter, causing the puck of coffee to fall out in the bin. The silicone is stiff enough to provide a reliable knock without any loud clacking sound.

Designed for homes and tiny hideout cafes, the Olympus has a compact form factor that occupies a mere 6.75″x5.6″ rectangle on your countertop (with a 4″ vertical). Although our hearts are overwhelmingly set on the brown and black variant, there’s another one with a brown base and a white tray and tamping station (although you’ll probably notice dirt faster on it). For coffee enthusiasts looking to own a perfect knock box, the Olympus starts at a 20% discounted price of $99 and ships globally starting Jan-Feb 2024.

Click Here to Buy Now: $99 $125 (20% off). Hurry, only 7/70 left!

The post I didn’t know how desperately I needed a Knock Box for my Espresso Machine first appeared on Yanko Design.

ViewSonic’s latest RGB projector comes in a portable design and delivers Harman Kardon audio

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – televisions are yesterday’s news. Projectors have been steadily gaining popularity over the years and sure, it’s easier to find an affordable 4K TV than it is to find a 4K projector… but weigh out the pros and cons. It’s easier to travel with a projector (especially given how many portable ones there are on the market), projectors can cast displays as massive as 200 inches, reflective screens are easier on the eyes than staring at OLED displays, and finally, once a projector is switched off, it doesn’t occupy any visual space on your wall the way the TV does with that unavoidable, absurdly large black rectangle. Projectors are the next big thing, and the folks at ViewSonic seem to be echoing pretty much the same sentiment with their latest projector, the M10 – an ultra-compact RGB Projector that you can travel with from room to room (or even to a friend’s place to watch movies, matches, or the upcoming streaming debut of the Eras Tour film), plugging and playing media of your choice. Despite its compact size, the M10 has a few impressive features, like instant auto-focus, wireless as well as USB-C streaming from any device, digital zooming, angle adjustment including ceiling-facing projection, and the cherry on this rather compact cake, a 7W speaker from Harman Kardon.

Designer: ViewSonic

The M10 doesn’t look like your average projector, partly because projection technology has seen so much innovation in the past couple of years. You’d expect a compact, portable projector to be a more vertical-standing unit (sort of like the XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro for example), but the M10 takes on a more horizontal approach, resembling more of a boombox with a lens on the front. This unique visual format is the result of the M10’s Harman Kardon audio unit on the inside, along with ample venting that allows air to pass through the sides, so you don’t hear any direct noise if you’re sitting in front of or behind the projector. As far as the projector itself goes, it’s a compact little beast, measuring just 7.9 x 6.5 x 3.6 inches in size and weighing a paltry 3 pounds. A stepless stand at the base lets you angle-adjust your projector to face it anywhere (even the ceiling), and the M10 boasts connectivity through both wired and wireless means, letting you watch content off the internet, through a smartphone/tablet, or even streamed directly from a gaming console.

Watch movies in bed directly on your ceiling

The ViewSonic M10 projector, while packed with advanced visual and audio features, does not come with a built-in smart TV platform, which means it lacks an operating system for directly installing popular streaming apps like Netflix or Hulu. However, this doesn’t limit your entertainment options. The M10 compensates for this with its extensive connectivity options, including HDMI 2.0, USB Type-C, and 5G Wi-Fi, which provide ample opportunity to connect to a variety of external devices. This flexibility allows users to easily connect streaming devices such as Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, or even a laptop or smartphone, to access their favorite streaming services. Furthermore, the M10’s Wi-Fi connectivity facilitates seamless content casting from smart devices, enabling users to wirelessly stream content directly to the projector. This approach to connectivity not only maintains the M10’s compact and portable design but also ensures that it remains adaptable and user-friendly for a wide range of multimedia applications, from binge-watching the latest series to presenting professional slideshows.

At the heart of the M10 lies its triple laser light source, a revolutionary step away from conventional single-laser projectors. This approach, encompassing individual red, green, and blue lasers, allows the M10 to cover an impressive 100% of the BT.2020 color gamut. This not only surpasses cinema-grade standards set by DCI-P3 but also ensures more vibrant and lifelike colors for a truly cinematic experience at home. Its native 1080p resolution, coupled with a high brightness of 2,200 lumens, ensures clear and vivid visuals even in well-lit rooms. Moreover, the projector boasts a contrast ratio of 3000000:1 (yes you read that right), enhancing depth and clarity in every scene, and supporting a color display of 1.07 billion colors for an immersive viewing experience.

With a throw ratio of 1.2 and a projection offset of 100% +/- 5%, the projector can display images ranging from 40″ to a massive 180″, adaptable to various room sizes and setups. Its digital zoom capability (ranging from 0.8x to 1.0x) lets you adjust your screen size without having to physically move the projector. The M10 is also equipped with time-of-flight (ToF) and keystone-correction sensors that enable instant auto-focus, so you spend less time adjusting your image and more time enjoying content.

Connectivity options on the M10 are abundant. It includes HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2 support, USB Type C, USB Type A (USB2.0 Reader), and 5G Wi-Fi, providing seamless connections to a variety of devices. The projector also supports resolutions from VGA (640 x 480) to 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), ensuring compatibility with a wide range of media sources. Meanwhile, each M10 comes with a remote control, while also letting you operate the projector with your smartphone using the vCastSender app.

On the audio front, the integrated 7-Watt Harman Kardon Cube speaker delivers a crisp, well-balanced sound, creating an all-encompassing audiovisual experience. Additionally, it supports Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, allowing for wireless headphone pairing or use as a standalone Bluetooth speaker.

While the M10 lacks a built-in battery, necessitating proximity to a power source, this slight limitation is overshadowed by its impressive array of features and performance capabilities. As of now, ViewSonic has not disclosed pricing or availability details for the M10 projector. However, the current details suggest that it is shaping up to be a compelling choice for those seeking a high-performance, versatile projection solution in a compact, user-friendly package.

The post ViewSonic’s latest RGB projector comes in a portable design and delivers Harman Kardon audio first appeared on Yanko Design.