Author Archives: Sarang Sheth

Why Are Most AI Voices Female? Exploring the Reasons Behind Female AI Voice Dominance

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Siri, Alexa, Cortana, Google Voice ChatGPT 4o, it’s no coincidence that they all have female voices (and sometimes even names). In fact, Spike Jonze even literally called his dystopian AI-based film “Her” after the AI assistant Samantha from the movie. Played by Scarlett Johansson, the movie had a premise that sounded absurd 11 years ago but now feels all too realistic after OpenAI announced their voice-based AI model GPT 4o (omni). The announcement was also followed by an uproar from Johansson, who claimed the AI sounded a lot like her even though she hadn’t given OpenAI the permission to use her voice. Johansson mentioned that she was approached by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to be the voice of GPT 4o, but declined. Just days before GPT 4o was announced, Altman asked her once again to reconsider, but she still declined. GPT 4o was announced exactly 10 days ago on the 13th of May, and Johansson distinctly recognized the voice as one that sounded quite similar to her own. While there are many who say that the voices don’t sound similar, it’s undeniable that OpenAI was aiming for something that sounded like Samantha from Her rather than going for a more feminine yet mechanical voice like Siri or Google Voice. All this brings a few questions to mind – Why do most AI voice assistants have female voices? How do humans perceive these voices? Why don’t you see that many male AI voice assistants (and does mansplaining have a role to play here)? And finally, do female voice assistants actually help or harm real women and gender equality in the long run? (Hint: a little bit of both, but the latter seems more daunting)

AI Voice Assistants: A History

The history of AI voice assistants extends well before 2011 when Siri was first introduced to the world… however, a lot of these instances were fiction and pop-culture. Siri debuted as the first-ever voice assistant relying on AI, but you can’t really credit Siri with being the first automated female voice because for years, IVR dominated phone conversations. Do you remember the automated voices when you called a company’s service center like your bank, cable company or internet provider? Historically, a lot of times the voices were female, paving the way for Siri in 2011. In fact, this trend dates back to 1878, with Emma Nutt being the first woman telephone operator, ushering in an entirely female-dominated profession. Women operators then naturally set the stage for female-voiced IVR (Interactive Voice Response) calls. However, while IVR calls were predominantly just a set of pre-recorded responses, Siri didn’t blurt out template-ish pre-recorded sentences. She was trained on the voice of a real woman, and conversed with you (at least that time) like an actual human. The choice of a female voice for Siri was influenced by user studies and cultural factors, aiming to make the AI seem friendly and approachable. This decision was not an isolated case; it marked the beginning of a broader trend in the tech industry. In pop culture, however, the inverse was said to be true. Long before Siri in 2011, JARVIS took the stage in the 2008 movie Iron Man as a male voice assistant. Although somewhat robotic, JARVIS could do pretty much anything, like control every micro detail of Tony Stark’s house, suit, and life… and potentially even go rogue. However, that aside, studies show something very interesting about how humans perceive female voices.

JARVIS helping control Iron Man’s supersuit

Historically, Robots are Male, and Voice Assistants are Female

The predominance of female voices in AI systems is not a random occurrence. Several factors contribute to this trend:

  • User Preference: Research indicates that many users find female voices more soothing and pleasant. This preference often drives the design choices of AI developers who seek to create a comfortable user experience.
  • The Emotional Connection: Female voices are traditionally associated with helpful and nurturing roles. This aligns well with the purpose of many AI systems, which are designed to assist and support users in various tasks.
  • Market Research: Companies often rely on market research to determine the most effective ways to engage users. Female voices have consistently tested well in these studies, leading to their widespread adoption.
  • Cultural Influences: There are cultural and social influences that shape how voices are perceived. For instance, in many cultures, female voices are stereotypically associated with service roles (e.g., receptionists, customer service), which can influence design decisions.

These are but theories and studies, and the flip side is equally interesting. Physical robots are often built with male physiques and proportions given that their main job of lifting objects and moving cargo around is traditionally done by men too. Pop culture plays a massive role again, with Transformers being predominantly male, as well as Terminator, T-1000, Ultron, C3PO, Robocop, the list is endless.

What Do Studies Say on Female vs. Male AI Voices?

Numerous studies have analyzed the impact of gender in AI voices, revealing a variety of insights that help us understand user preferences and perceptions. Here’s what these studies reveal:

  • Likability: Research indicates that users generally find female voices more likable. This can enhance the effectiveness of AI in customer service and support roles, where user comfort and trust are paramount.
  • Comfort and Engagement: Female voices are often perceived as more comforting and engaging, which can improve user satisfaction and interaction quality. This is particularly important in applications like mental health support, where a soothing tone can make a significant difference.
  • Perceived Authority: Male voices are sometimes perceived as more authoritative, which can be advantageous in contexts where a strong, commanding presence is needed, such as navigation systems or emergency alerts. However, this perception can vary widely based on individual and cultural differences.
  • Task Appropriateness: The suitability of a voice can depend on the specific task or context. For example, users might prefer female voices for personal assistants who manage everyday tasks, while male voices might be preferred for financial or legal advice due to perceived authority.
  • Cognitive Load: Some research suggests that the perceived ease of understanding and clarity of female voices can reduce cognitive load, making interactions with AI less mentally taxing and more intuitive for users.
  • Mansplaining, A Problem: The concept of “mansplaining” — when a man explains something to someone, typically a woman, in a condescending or patronizing manner — can indirectly influence the preference for female AI voices. Male voices might be perceived as more authoritative, which can sometimes come across as condescending. A male AI voice disagreeing with you or telling you something you already know can feel much more unpleasant than a female voice doing the same thing.

The 2013 movie Her had such a major impact on society and culture that Hong Kong-based Ricky Ma even built a humanoid version of Scarlett Johansson

Do Female AI Voices Help Women Be Taken More Seriously in the Future?

20 years back, it was virtually impossible to determine how addictive and detrimental social media was going to be to our health. We’re at the point in the road where we should be thinking of the implications of AI. Sure, the obvious discussion is about how AI could replace us, flood the airwaves with potential misinformation, and make humans dumb and ineffective… but before that, let’s just focus on the social impact of these voices, and what they do for us and the generations to come. There are a few positive impacts to this trend:

  • Normalization of Female Authority: Regular exposure to female voices in authoritative and knowledgeable roles can help normalize the idea of women in leadership positions. This can contribute to greater acceptance of women in such roles across various sectors.
  • Shifting Perceptions: Hearing female voices associated with expertise and assistance can subtly shift societal perceptions, challenging stereotypes and reducing gender biases.
  • Role Models: AI systems with confident and competent female voices can serve as virtual role models, demonstrating that these traits are not exclusive to men and can be embodied by women as well.

However, the impact of this trend depends on the quality and neutrality of the AI’s responses, which is doubtful at best. If female-voiced AI systems consistently deliver accurate and helpful information, they can enhance the credibility of women in technology and authoritative roles… but what about the opposite?

Female AI Voices Running on Male-biased Databases

The obvious problem, however, is that these AI assistants are still, more often than not, coded by men who may bring their own subtle (or obvious) biases into how these AI bots operate. Moreover, a vast corpus of databases fed into these AI LLMs (Large Language Models) is created by men. Historically, culture, literature, politics, and science, have all been dominated by men for centuries, with women only very recently playing a larger and more visible role in contributing to these fields. All this has a distinct and noticeable effect on how the AI thinks and operates. Having a female voice doesn’t change that – it actually has a more unintended negative effect.

There’s really no problem when the AI is working with hard facts… but it becomes an issue when the AI needs to share opinions. Biases can undermine an AI’s credibility, can cause problems by not accurately representing the women it’s supposed to, can promote wrong stereotypes, and even reinforce biases. We’re already noticing the massive spike in the usage of words like ‘delve’ and ‘testament’ because of how often AI LLMs use them – think about all the stuff we CAN’T see, and how it may affect life and society a decade from now.

In 2014, Alex Garland’s Ex Machina showed how a lifelike female robot passed the Turing Test and won the heart of a young engineer

The Future of AI Voice Assistants

I’m no coder/engineer, but here’s where AI voice assistants should be headed and what steps should be taken:

  • Diverse Training Data: Ensuring that training data is diverse and inclusive can help mitigate biases. This involves sourcing data from a wide range of contexts and ensuring a balanced representation of different genders and perspectives.
  • Bias Detection and Mitigation: Implementing robust mechanisms for detecting and mitigating bias in AI systems is crucial. This includes using algorithms designed to identify and correct biases in training data and outputs.
  • Inclusive Design: Involving diverse teams in the design and development of AI systems can help ensure that different perspectives are considered, leading to more balanced and fair AI systems.
  • Continuous Monitoring: AI systems should be continuously monitored and updated to address any emerging biases. This requires ongoing evaluation and refinement of both the training data and the AI algorithms.
  • User Feedback: Incorporating user feedback can help identify biases and areas for improvement. Users can provide valuable insights into how the AI is perceived and where it might be falling short in terms of fairness and inclusivity.

AI assistants aren’t going anywhere. There was a time not too long ago when it seemed that AI assistants were dead. In the end of 2022, Amazon announced that Alexa had racked up $10 billion in debt and seemed like a failed endeavor – that same month, ChatGPT made its debut. Cut to today and AI assistants have suddenly become mainstream again. Mainstream in a way that almost every company and startup is looking for ways to integrate AI into their products and services. Siri and GPT 4o are just the beginning of this new female voice-led frontier… it’s important we understand the pitfalls and avoid them before it’s too late. After all, if you remember in the movie Terminator Salvation, Skynet was a female too…

The post Why Are Most AI Voices Female? Exploring the Reasons Behind Female AI Voice Dominance first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sony’s new BRAVIA speakers are like wearing a home theater around your neck

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No it isn’t a neck pillow, and it isn’t even one of those wearable air conditioners, the BRAVIA Theater U is – wait for it… a neckphone. Sort of like a headphone but not placed on your head, the Theater U is Sony’s alternative to booming soundbars and complicated home theater setups. If speakers are for human ears to listen to, why not just directly place them near your ears to begin with? The Theater U immerses you in 360° spatial sound without immersing your entire house. Wear it around your neck, pair it with a device using either a cable or Bluetooth, and the Theater U brings great audio to your ears without blocking the entire world out. Moreover, you can pair multiple neck-speakers to the same playback device like your TV, so that more than one person can listen to a movie or TV show at any given point in time.

Designer: Sony

This isn’t the first attempt at a neckband speaker, but Sony is incorporating its latest tech to create a compelling option. The key feature is Sony’s X-Balanced speaker unit, housed in a lightweight and flexible design. This unit promises clear acoustics and powerful sound pressure for a rich and satisfying listening experience.

But the real magic lies in the 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer. This tech, combined with compatible BRAVIA TVs, creates a customized Dolby Atmos experience. Essentially, the speaker tailors the sound to your unique head shape for a truly immersive effect. It’s like having a personal mini home theater draped around your neck. Given its proximity to your ears, you don’t need to crank up the volume to hear sounds the way you would an actual speaker system – this means fairly personal listening that won’t disturb anyone else beyond a certain radius.

The BRAVIA Theater U’s versatility extends well beyond movie nights. With an IPX4 splash-proof rating, you can wear it worry-free during light workouts or even take it poolside (just be mindful of splashes). Built-in voice pickup technology ensures clear communication during calls, making it a handy companion for work-from-home video conferences.

The speaker boasts Bluetooth connectivity for seamless pairing with various devices, not just your BRAVIA TV. Think laptops, tablets, and smartphones – you can use it for gaming, listening to music, or watching videos on the go. And for those who want to share the immersive experience, the Speaker Add function lets you connect another BRAVIA Theater U for a synchronized audio experience with a friend.

Battery life is a respectable 12 hours on a single charge, with a quick-charge function that delivers an hour of playback with just a 10-minute plug-in. This makes it ideal for extended movie marathons or long commutes.

The Sony BRAVIA Theater U Wireless Neckband Speaker is available for pre-order now for $299.99, fairly decent considering it’s replacing soundbars which are priced in the same range, but giving you the benefit of portability. While it might not be for everyone, it offers a unique and innovative way to experience immersive audio without disturbing those around you.

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Want a quick power nap at work? This clever chair will help you catch a few winks

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Exhaustion is an epidemic. A staggering 62% of adults worldwide struggle with sleep deprivation, leading to a domino effect on health and productivity. Enter the Power Nap Chair, a revolutionary furniture design that tackles this challenge head-on.

Designed by Martin Tsankov, the idea of the Power Nap Chair came from his friend and business partner Milen Kisov, who discovered that power naps helped significantly boost his productivity at work. Scientifically proven to enhance cognitive function, memory, and cardiovascular health, short 15-30 minute naps are a game-changer. But finding a suitable space for napping at work has traditionally been a hurdle. Existing solutions like sleeping pods are bulky and expensive (not to mention that most offices don’t have them), and napping at your desk isn’t just uncomfortable, it’s also frowned upon… but the Power Nap chair offers a slick, cozy, and effective alternative.

Designers: Martin Tsankov & Milen Kisov

Sort of like a lounge chair meets a baby stroller, the Power Nap Chair comes with a relaxing design that you can lay down in, and a hood that cocoons you in your own personal private bubble. Simplicity reigns supreme – the chair is free of distracting technology, fostering complete disconnection. This makes it perfect for both open-plan offices and compact workspaces. Sustainability is woven into the very fabric of the chair. Carefully chosen, fully recyclable materials are used throughout, minimizing environmental impact.

The Power Nap Chair is built with three core components: a metal frame, an upholstered wooden body, and a foldable hood. The frame is crafted from machine-bent and powder-coated carbon steel profiles, echoing the chair’s triangular design for a sturdy foundation. The body is constructed from 104 individual CNC-milled birch plywood triangles, meticulously hand-sanded, and finished with non-toxic linseed oil. Each triangle is then encased in flame-resistant, biodegradable memory foam before being upholstered in a comfortable woolen fabric. The hood, made from the same fabric, is specially designed to fold for easy storage while providing essential privacy for napping users.

“Our main challenge is reversing societal stigma around resting in the workplace by creating a product fit for a modern lifestyle where relaxation and productivity intersect,” says designer Martin Tsankov, who won an A’ Design Award this year for the Power Nap Chair. The chair looks inviting, comfortable, and has a unique low-poly aesthetic that your eyes are sure to fall in love with right before they shut for your quick nap. The chair holds a design patent, although it isn’t in production just yet. A final prototype was, however, exhibited at the Stockholm Furniture Fair in February 2024.

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This Smart Rolling Ruler needs to be a part of every Designer, Architect, and Engineer’s tool kit

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We’ve got AI practically inserting itself in every aspect of our lives and we’re still using old-fashioned measuring tapes and metal/plastic/wooden rulers to measure distances? That, I can’t tolerate.

Meet the NeoRulerGO, a tinier version of Hozo Design’s NeoRuler smart measuring device from last year. Having practically pioneered the concept of a rolling ruler powered by a smart chipset, Hozo Design’s earlier devices could measure curved surfaces, linear distances, random undulating lines, and even scale up or down measurements, converting units on the go. The only problem, if there ever was one, was that the gadgets weren’t really as small as a bundle of measuring tape. The NeoRulerGO, on the other hand, is roughly the size of a car’s keyfob, but can measure everything from millimeters to miles with stunning accuracy. Just roll the NeoRulerGO from point A to B, and distances get captured on its tiny display. You can then convert them, scale them, or send them to the MEAZOR app, which then lets you turn measurements into technical drawings in seconds.

Designer: Tiancheng Liang

Click Here to Buy Now: $49 $69 (30% off). Hurry, only a few left! Raised over $91,000.

The NeoRulerGO is pocket-friendly in more ways than one. It costs a mere $49, weighs an ounce and a half, and is small enough to fit around a keychain, or even be attached to your belt loop to carry around. The compact size, however, doesn’t take away from how handy it is when it comes to measuring surfaces. Hold it the way you’d hold a keyfob, and roll it along straight or curved lines, or even between two corners. A laser guide helps you stay in line with 1mm accuracy, a screen helps you see how far you’ve come, and an app captures all your measurements for you to refer back to later.

Line

Curve

Irregular

The rolling ruler design makes the NeoRulerGO perfect for a whole variety of measurements. You can use it like a scale, measuring linear distances, or like a tape, measuring curved profiles. The roller allows you to keep going without running out of tape or exhausting the length of your scale, which means you could practically go on for yards and meters in one single movement. Meanwhile, a laser guide lets you know your start and end points, so you can measure even in tight spaces, from one corner to another, or even across complicated surfaces without losing your way or going off course. The laser line also improves your accuracy, allowing you to roll in a straight linear movement for perfect measuring. 93 built-in scales let you measure in both metric and imperial units, gathering distances and even calculating areas. Measuring a blueprint for a house? The NeoRulerGO can scale up your measurements, turning inches into feet, or giving you the ability to determine a scale of your choosing.

What makes the NeoRulerGO even more of a must-have for creatives is the fact that it comes with a snap-on stationery case. Given its compact form factor, the folks at Hozo Design decided to turn the device modular, allowing it to easily snap onto the NeoPencil Case. The long-ish case holds a NeoPencil Mini, but also serves as an ergonomic handle for the ruler, allowing you to roll/measure while holding comfortably. In between measurements, open the case and you’ll find a compact NeoPencil Mini inside. The pencil sports a classy aluminum alloy body, with an attachable graphite tip that can be replaced when dull or used up. The case’s lid holds 4 extra replaceable graphite tips, allowing you to sketch, edit, measure, and mark-up all in one device.

The NeoRulerGO is a tiny device that’s a mere 12mm (0.5 inches) thick and weighs just 45 grams or 1.5 ounces. A built-in battery gives it 90 days worth of use on a full charge, and for what it’s worth, the entire device is IP54 water and dust-resistant. The NeoRulerGO starts at a discounted $49, and for $109 you can upgrade to the premium bundle which includes the NeoPencil Case, a NeoPencil Mini, as well as other Hozo Design products like the NeoPencil Classic, and NeoStands with both color and black graphite nibs for the pencil.

Click Here to Buy Now: $49 $69 (30% off). Hurry, only a few left! Raised over $91,000.

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Leaks suggest a Cheaper $249 version of the Nothing (2a) Smartphone under its CMF sub-brand

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Nothing’s sub-brand, CMF, has carved a niche for itself in the tech world with various accessories. But it seems they’re about to step outside their comfort zone and enter the smartphone arena. Leaks suggest their first phone, the CMF Phone (1), might be a budget-friendly alternative to the recently released Nothing Phone (2a). According to reliable leaker and developer MlgmXyysd, the CMF Phone (1) borrows heavily from the Nothing Phone (2a)’s core specifications. It notably, however, comes in the signature CMF colors of black, white, or its iconic orange, and sports an alleged $249 price tag, undercutting the Nothing Phone (2a) by $100.

Designer: CMF by Nothing

Just like the (2a), the CMF Phone (1) is rumored to pack a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 chipset, a capable processor for everyday tasks. It’ll also likely share the same 5000 mAh battery capacity, offering long-lasting power on a single charge. However, the CMF Phone (1) might compromise a bit on fast charging capabilities. While the Nothing Phone (2a) supports 45W fast charging, the CMF Phone (1) is tipped for 33W. This translates to slightly longer charging times, but hey, the phone costs less than some GaN chargers!

The display seems identical on both phones – a generous 6.67-inch OLED panel with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. This offers a clear and vibrant viewing experience, along with butter-smooth scrolling. The camera department on the CMF Phone (1) is still under wraps, with rumors suggesting a dual-camera system with a 50MP main sensor.

One key difference between the two phones could be in design. The CMF Phone (1) is expected to have a replaceable plastic back, a departure from the Nothing Phone 2a’s unique transparent design with integrated LED lighting elements. This plastic back might make the CMF Phone (1) more affordable to produce and potentially more durable for users who are prone to accidental drops.

The leaks also mention a “Nothing Lock” feature, which could be related to exclusive CMF accessories that snap onto the phone’s back using the replaceable cover. Storage options are said to range up to 256GB, paired with 8GB of RAM, offering ample space for apps and files for most users.

The CMF Phone (1) is expected to be a budget-conscious option, with a starting price rumored to be rather low, and although leaked images say €149, tipsters have suggested a price range of $249 to $279 USD. It is likely to come in a variety of colors, including Black, Green, Blue, and an India-exclusive Orange.

Leaked image of the alleged CMF Phone (1)

While it might not boast the same eye-catching design as the Nothing Phone (2a), the CMF Phone (1) could be Nothing’s Nord or Poco Phone moment, allowing it to become accessible to an even larger audience. With a large display, a capable processor, and a long-lasting battery, the CMF Phone (1) might shake up the budget smartphone market if these leaks hold true.

Image Credits: Sarang Sheth

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The Worst and Best Ways to Sharpen your EDC Pocket Knife

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Everyday carry (EDC) knives are a trusty companion for many, whether you’re navigating the great outdoors or handling day-to-day tasks in the city. A sharp knife isn’t just a matter of convenience; it’s a crucial aspect of safety and functionality (you really don’t want to be stuck with a blunt knife in an emergency situation). However, maintaining that sharp edge can be a challenge, especially with the myriad of sharpening techniques and tools available. Some methods can enhance your blade’s performance, while others can cause more harm than good. Here, we delve into the worst and best ways to sharpen your EDC knife. Although these methods practically apply to knives of all kinds (like kitchen knives, etc.), we’re looking through the lens of maintaining EDC blades in particular, which people often spend hundreds of dollars on. An EDC knife might first and foremost be a knife, but for many, it’s also a work of art worth marveling at and collecting. Many of these knives are designed by experts and enthusiasts, requiring decades of skill, precise machinery (or sometimes even handcrafted mastery), and high-quality materials. Improperly caring for or sharpening such knives feels like a crime, doesn’t it? Let’s take a look at the worst, and the best ways to care for your EDC knife collection.

The Worst Ways to Sharpen an EDC Knife

1. Using a Glass Surface or Ceramic Mug

It might seem like a clever hack to use the unglazed bottom of a ceramic mug or a glass surface to sharpen your knife. After all, it’s often depicted in survival movies and touted in emergency preparedness forums (and guilty as charged, I’ve used this hack too). However, this technique is far from ideal for maintaining your EDC knife to perfection. The problem lies in the inconsistent abrasiveness of these surfaces. Ceramic mugs, while somewhat effective in a pinch, lack the uniform grit needed for a precise edge. The surface can be too coarse or too fine, leading to an uneven sharpening job. Moreover, using glass can cause the knife to slip, posing a safety hazard and potentially leading to a chipped blade. Sure, it’s a lovely hack that even Serious Eats recommends for home-chefs who don’t have their own honing rod or whetstone… but if you truly care about your EDC collection, the bottom of a mug isn’t the best place to be sharpening your prized knives.

2. Power Tools Like Bench Grinders

Power tools such as bench grinders might seem like a quick and easy solution to sharpen your knife, but they are more suited for heavy-duty tasks like reshaping tools rather than fine-tuning delicate knife edges. The primary issue with using a bench grinder for your EDC knife is the excessive heat generated during the grinding process. This heat can cause the steel to lose its temper, resulting in a blade that is brittle and prone to breaking.

Additionally, bench grinders remove material VERY quickly, which can lead to an uneven edge and significant wear on your blade. The aggressive nature of these tools makes it challenging to control the sharpening process, increasing the risk of creating an uneven bevel or completely ruining the knife. For those who value precision and the longevity of their knife, bench grinders are best avoided for routine sharpening tasks.

3. Cheap, Coarse Pull-Through Sharpeners

Pull-through sharpeners are widely available and often marketed for their convenience and ease of use. However, a cheap one off AliExpress or Temu will do you much more harm than good. The problem with pull-through sharpeners is that they use fixed abrasive materials that can remove too much metal from your blade unevenly. This aggressive removal process can damage the edge, leading to a shorter lifespan for your knife.

Moreover, these sharpeners usually set a fixed angle that may not match the original bevel of your knife, resulting in a less efficient cutting edge. The convenience of pull-through sharpeners comes at the cost of precision and control, which are crucial for maintaining a high-quality edge on your EDC knife. Instead of opting for these quick fixes, consider more controlled methods that allow you to maintain the knife’s intended geometry and sharpness.

4. Improvised Rock Sharpening

While it might be tempting to use natural rocks as makeshift sharpeners, especially in a survival situation, this method is highly inconsistent and can cause significant damage to your knife. Rocks found in nature vary widely in their abrasiveness and can introduce grit or contaminants that scratch and dull the blade rather than sharpen it. The uneven surface of a rock can also lead to an inconsistent edge, making your knife less reliable.

In emergency situations where no other options are available, using a rock might be your only choice. However, it should not be a regular practice for maintaining your EDC knife. For routine sharpening, it’s best to stick to purpose-made tools that provide a consistent and controlled sharpening experience, ensuring your knife stays in top condition.

The Best Ways to Sharpen an EDC Knife

1. Whetstones

Whetstones are the gold standard for sharpening knives, offering a controlled and precise method for maintaining your blade. They come in various grits, typically ranging from coarse to fine, allowing you to handle everything from reshaping a damaged edge to polishing a razor-sharp finish. Using a whetstone requires some practice and patience, but the results are well worth the effort.

Start by soaking the whetstone in water (if it’s a water stone) to ensure smooth sharpening. Place the stone on a stable surface and hold your knife at a consistent angle, typically around 15-20 degrees. Begin by using the coarse side of the stone, moving the blade in a smooth, sweeping motion across the stone to establish a new edge. Once you have a burr (a slight ridge of metal along the edge), switch to the finer side of the stone to refine and polish the edge.

Whetstones allow for a high level of control over the sharpening process, ensuring that you can maintain the original bevel and achieve a razor-sharp edge. The investment in a good set of whetstones pays off in the quality and longevity of your knife’s edge, making it a must-have for serious knife enthusiasts.

2. Diamond Stones

Diamond stones are another excellent option for sharpening EDC knives. They are composed of small, industrial-grade diamonds embedded in a metal plate, making them extremely durable and effective at quickly sharpening a blade. Unlike whetstones, diamond stones do not require soaking, and they can be used dry or with a little water for lubrication.

One of the significant advantages of diamond stones is their consistency and speed. They can remove material more efficiently than traditional whetstones, making them ideal for quick touch-ups or more substantial sharpening tasks. To use a diamond stone, follow a similar process to whetstone sharpening: maintain a consistent angle and use smooth, controlled strokes to sharpen the blade.

Diamond stones come in various grits, allowing you to perform coarse sharpening and fine-honing with the same tool. Their durability and ease of use make them a favorite among knife enthusiasts who want a reliable and efficient sharpening solution.

3. Ceramic Rods

Ceramic rods are excellent for honing, which is the process of maintaining an already sharp edge rather than performing a full sharpening. These rods are typically used after sharpening with whetstones or diamond stones to refine the edge and keep it in top condition between more intensive sharpening sessions.

Using ceramic rods is straightforward. Hold the rod vertically or at a slight angle and draw the knife blade down the rod, maintaining a consistent angle. Repeat this process on both sides of the blade, ensuring even honing. Ceramic rods are gentle on the knife’s edge and help maintain its sharpness without removing significant material.

For EDC knife users who want to keep their blades in peak condition with minimal effort, ceramic rods are an excellent tool for regular maintenance. They are compact, easy to use, and effective at keeping your knife sharp and ready for action.

4. Stropping

Stropping is the final step in achieving a razor-sharp edge and involves using a leather strop to polish and refine the blade. A strop is typically a piece of leather mounted on a flat surface or a hanging strip, and it may be used with or without a stropping compound to enhance its effectiveness.

To strop your knife, hold the blade at a consistent angle and draw it backward along the leather, moving away from the edge to avoid cutting into the strop. Repeat this process on both sides of the blade. Stropping removes any remaining burr from the sharpening process and polishes the edge to a mirror finish.

This step is essential for achieving the highest level of sharpness and ensuring the blade cuts smoothly and effortlessly. Stropping is an easy and effective way to maintain your knife’s edge, especially when combined with regular sharpening and honing.

5. Professional Sharpening Services

Sometimes, leaving the sharpening to the professionals is the best choice, especially if your knife is very dull or damaged. Professional sharpening services use a combination of techniques and tools to restore your blade to its optimal sharpness without risking its integrity.

Professionals typically use high-quality whetstones, diamond stones, and other precision tools to achieve a perfect edge. They have the experience and skill to handle various blade types and steels, ensuring that your knife is sharpened correctly and efficiently.

Using a professional service can be particularly beneficial for those who lack the time or confidence to sharpen their knives themselves. It’s an investment in the longevity and performance of your EDC knife, providing peace of mind that your blade is in expert hands.

6. Guided Sharpening Systems

Guided sharpening systems are designed to make the sharpening process foolproof by providing preset angles and multiple sharpening options. These systems often include ceramic stones, diamond plates, and strops, offering a comprehensive solution for maintaining your knife’s edge.

Using a guided system is straightforward. The knife is clamped into the device, and the sharpening stones are guided along the blade at a consistent angle. This setup ensures that even beginners can achieve a precise and consistent edge without the guesswork involved in freehand sharpening.

Guided sharpening systems are an excellent choice for those who want a reliable and user-friendly way to keep their EDC knives sharp. They take the complexity out of the sharpening process, making it accessible to everyone, regardless of skill level.

 

Maintaining a sharp edge on your EDC knife is essential for its performance and safety. While there are many methods to sharpen a knife, not all are created equal. Techniques like using a ceramic mug, power tools, and cheap pull-through sharpeners can cause more harm than good, leading to a damaged or dull blade. On the other hand, investing in quality tools like whetstones, diamond stones, ceramic rods, and guided sharpening systems ensures a sharp, reliable edge.

For those who prefer a professional touch, professional sharpening services offer an expert solution,

while stropping provides the final polish to achieve a razor-sharp finish. By choosing the right sharpening methods and tools, you can keep your EDC knife in top condition, ready to tackle any task with ease and precision.

So, the next time you consider sharpening your knife, skip the makeshift methods and opt for techniques that will enhance your blade’s performance and longevity. After all, a well-maintained knife is a cut above the rest, ready to slice through your daily challenges without a hitch. Just remember, keep the dishwasher for your dishes and the bench grinder for your tools—your knife deserves better.

The post The Worst and Best Ways to Sharpen your EDC Pocket Knife first appeared on Yanko Design.

These Absurd TWS On-Ear Headphones are like if someone combined the AirPods and AirPods Max

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Although most people would call these headphones an abomination, I kind of think the ADV. Spider TWS on-ear headphones are the good kind of weird. They come with drivers as big as the ones you’d see on headphones, but are designed to be individual earpieces like most TWS earbuds. The result is almost Princess Leia-ish, with two cans attached to each ear, giving you a TWS earbud experience but with the power-packed audio punch of much bigger headphones. And the headband on top? Well, that’s extinct now, just like the headphone jack…

Designer: ADV.

TWS earbuds offer a distinct benefit – they’re ridiculously compact, and don’t have wires or cables that get tangled or broken. However, they don’t match the sound output of larger headphones. On the flipside, larger headphones have MUCH better audio output, but they’re significantly bulkier than TWS earbuds. ADV.’s Spider headphones try to create a bizarre but funky compromise. In what I can only describe as subtractive design at its best, these TWS on-ear headphones remove the one thing giving wireless headphones their bulk – the headband. By making large earpieces with ear-stems (like the kind you see on hearing aids or spectacles) , the Spider TWS on-ear headphones let you strap great audio directly to your ears. No headband, no bulk, no problem. Plus, these headphones don’t need a case either the way TWS earbuds do. Just slip them into your pocket or bag and you’re good to go. With TWS earbuds, the case does three distinct jobs – charging the earbuds, protecting the earbuds, and allowing you to quickly differentiate between the left and right earpiece. The lack of a case with the Spider headphones means it becomes slightly more difficult to tell the left and right wearables apart… but a clever design detail fixes that. A red ear stem on the right earpiece lets you quickly identify which headphone is which, letting you quickly and correctly wear your TWS headphones every single time.

Channeling the retro vibes of classic Sony or Koss headphones, the Spiders sport a familiar aesthetic. But under the hood, they’re packed with modern tech. At the heart of the sound experience lies a 30-millimeter dynamic driver, a well-regarded size for delivering clear and balanced audio across genres. The 30mm drivers deliver a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz (encompassing the full range of human hearing), and an impedance of 32 ohms, which means they should work well with most devices without needing a dedicated headphone amplifier. It’s worth noting that the headphones currently only support the SBC Bluetooth codec, a widely compatible option, but not the highest fidelity one. The headphones boast an impressive sensitivity of 105 decibels, ensuring they can get plenty loud without distortion.

Connectivity is handled by Bluetooth 5.2, ensuring seamless pairing with most smartphones, laptops, and tablets. Gamers will appreciate the inclusion of a low-latency mode, which minimizes audio delay for a more responsive experience. Perhaps the most compelling feature for everyday users is the lengthy battery life (which is another benefit of that large size). ADV. claims the Spider TWS can deliver up to 28 hours of listening on a single charge, making them ideal for long commutes, workdays, or travel adventures.

What’s most bizarre about the ADV. Spider headphones, however, is its price tag. You’d expect it to be in AirPod Pro or AirPod Max territory, given its size and novelty, but the TWS on-ear headphones start at just $35, which is quite the steal. The headphones are currently available for preorder on Drop.com’s website, with shipping estimated in July.

The post These Absurd TWS On-Ear Headphones are like if someone combined the AirPods and AirPods Max first appeared on Yanko Design.

LARQ just casually designed the world’s smartest self-cleaning water bottle

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Let’s face it. Water is good, but single-use plastic isn’t. The folks at LARQ want to bridge that gap by making hydration easy for you and the planet. After working on a “self-cleaning” pitcher and bottle in the past, the company is back with the LARQ Bottle PureVis 2, or what just happens to be the most cutting-edge bottle we’ve seen. LARQ calls it the “ultimate hydration companion — which by all accounts appears to be true, with UV purification, filtration, hydration reminders, and app connectivity all rolled up in a neat well-designed package. The larger of the two sizes of bottles holds 1 liter of water, and periodically sanitizes using a UV light built into the bottle’s cap. Dubbed the “PureVis technology”, this system eliminates up to 99.9999% of bio-contaminants. Then, proprietary Nano Zero filters remove chlorine and PFOA/PFOS from your drinking water with each sip, ensuring your water is pure and tastes great. Each bottle is also accompanied by a hydration tracking system via the LARQ app which sets reminders to help you achieve your hydration goals. It’s a complex system that’s all designed with a singular goal — to help you drink more water without any of those single-use plastics making their way into our landfills and our Earth.

Designer: LARQ

Click here to Buy Now: $79 $119 ($40 off). Hurry, only 27/345 left! Raised over $528,000.

The LARQ Bottle PureVis 2 is an elegant upgrade to the company’s Bottle PureVis from 2017. The bottle keeps its flagship technology, PureVis™ to clean drinking water by killing bacteria and microorganisms like E.coli and Salmonella in seconds. In this second iteration, LARQ has added several nifty upgrades that we’ve all been waiting for. For the first time ever, LARQ Bottle PureVis 2 now has purification and filtration in one.

The two stages include a UV-purification stage that carries over from the PureVis Pitcher, a fan favorite for the home. The UV light kicks in automatically every two hours, or can be activated simply by pressing the button on top of the bottle’s lid, giving your water (as well as the bottle itself) a round of disinfection to obliterate 99.9999% of bio-contaminants. Sure, that’s a whole lot of 9s, but any math or science buff can tell you that it’s impossible to achieve 100% certainty. While the PureVis system works periodically, the bottle’s sipper comes outfitted with LARQ’s Nano Zero filters which remove harmful contaminants like Chlorine, Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), chemicals that are often found in drinking water that are known to be bad for you. The Nano Zero filters trap these contaminants, ensuring your drinking water is pure beyond EPA standards for consumption.

Track: Set your goals to improve hydration. Remind: Customize reminders to elevate your hydration game. Insights: Turn insights into action and stay on top of your goals.

Clean water, however, as LARQ founder Justin Wang will tell you, isn’t the biggest problem when it comes to drinking adequate amounts of water — it’s that people simply forget to drink water. You can lead a horse to the river, as they say… but it takes that extra push to motivate you to drink enough water. That’s why LARQ is building a companion app that will integrate seamlessly with Bottle PureVis 2, which includes hydration tracking and reminders which connect to sensors in the Bottle PureVis 2 cap to light up when it’s time to take another sip. The app tracks your hydration, measures it against your goals, sends push notifications, and even ties in with your fitness app for an overall health analysis. If that somehow seems like technological overkill to you, the bottle even has a reminder LED ring around the lid that will tell you when it’s time to drink more water – a simpler way to get you hydrated more often.

Download the LARQ App: Track, monitor, and manage your LARQ Bottle PureVis™ 2

The entire purification system and hydration tracking tech fits perfectly into the LARQ Bottle PureVis 2’s elegant design. A double-wall insulated outer shell ensures your water stays at the temperature you want, a removable handle makes it easy to carry your bottle around with you, and the bottle’s lid encourages both sipping and swigging, catering to both kinds of drinking styles. A USB-C port on the lid helps charge your LARQ Bottle PureVis 2 with ease, one charge lasts 2-3 weeks of use. The bottle will come in 4 colors and two sizes – 680ml (23 oz) and 1 liter (34 oz), both of which are perfect for taking on the go. Pre-order now for up to $40 off the retail price.

Click here to Buy Now: $79 $119 ($40 off). Hurry, only 27/345 left! Raised over $528,000.

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Tiny yet Mighty Titanium + Carbon Fiber Pocket Knife is Smaller and Lighter than your House Key

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It doesn’t get smaller than this, lighter than this, or more viciously sharp than this. Measuring a mere 57mm (2.5 inches) when shut and weighing just 5.6 grams (0.19 ounces), the WaspArmor Micro Folding Scalpel floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee… or a wasp, as its name would suggest. Its titanium and carbon fiber body gives it a classy-yet-durable build, and the replaceable scalpel blade means never having to sharpen your knife ever again. Quite impressive for a blade tiny enough to attach to your keychain.

Designer: AlloyX

Click Here to Buy Now: $39 $55 (29% off) Hurry! Only 15 left of 560 units.

Smaller than even your index finger when closed, the WaspArmor is like the chihuahua of pocket knives, tiny yet so audacious and aggressive you’re bound to take it seriously. The knife comes with a few clever tricks up its sleeve, but it all starts with the titanium and carbon fiber construction. Both materials are known for their incredible strength-to-weight ratio, which made them the perfect selection for the WaspArmor knife. The Titanium body gives the knife its durability, resilience, and ability to withstand corrosion, etc. Three carbon fiber inserts on the sides of the handle give the WaspArmor a unique aesthetic while providing a mildly textured grip that makes holding and maneuvering the scalpel easy.

A simple fold-out arm reveals the WaspArmor’s small but seriously sharp blade. While most pocket knives come with their own built-in blades, the WaspArmor relies on standard Scalpel blades that clip right into the knife’s design. The reason for this is three-fold – for starters, scalpel blades are deadly sharp. They glide right through pretty much anything, making them perfect for opening boxes, piercing packets, whittling wood, or even slicing tough paracord. The pointed tip and sharp edge make the scalpel blade a formidable piece of hardware, and these blades are readily available, which means you can simply buy a pack of them (they even come in different designs) for replacing whenever.

The second reason is that instead of sharpening/maintaining your WaspArmor, you can simply ditch an old blade for a new one, saving energy and time, while keeping your knife fresh and usable for decades. The third reason is that a knife with a removable blade is invariably TSA-safe. In case you happen to have the WaspArmor on you while entering an airport, you can simply ditch the blade and carry the rest of the knife with you. Removing and replacing the blade on your WaspArmor is easy but not too easy that the blade comes apart on its own. The blade can only be removed when the knife is open at a 120° angle, ensuring it never comes undone by accident.

The WaspArmor’s compact design still has enough room for clever detailing. A hidden back-lock lets the blade snap into its open position, so the blade doesn’t accidentally shut while in use. The handle’s small design is still ergonomic to hold and use, which is quite a functional win for anyone who’s serious about buying and using this knife on a daily basis. The compact handle still has enough space for a cutout that you can slide a lanyard/carabiner through or even your keychain ring. The knife is small and light enough to sit among your keys, being accessible in a split second, whenever you need a cutting instrument.

That small, accessible size is what makes the WaspArmor so incredible. You could use it to open Amazon parcels, sharpen pencils, cut tiny twigs/branches outdoors, scrape a flint to start a fire, slice through a paracord, cut a seatbelt to get out of a messy situation, or even defend yourself with a tough, sharp blade that will never disappoint.

Each WaspArmor features a CNC-machined Titanium handle, with those Carbon Fiber inserts that give the overall knife its distinct character. Even though it’s a tiny piece of EDC, it’s designed to be reliably safe, with the blade holding its position, and the swinging arm locking in both open and closed modes, so your knife doesn’t accidentally disassemble or worse… hurt anyone. The WaspArmor Micro Folding Scalpel starts at a discounted $39, which includes the WaspArmor itself, along with 10 replaceable scalpel blades (you can buy more at any medical or stationery store), a titanium keyring, and free global shipping.

Click Here to Buy Now: $39 $55 (29% off) Hurry! Only 15 left of 560 units.

The post Tiny yet Mighty Titanium + Carbon Fiber Pocket Knife is Smaller and Lighter than your House Key first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Actually Playable LEGO Tetris Set Celebrates the Digital Game’s 40th Anniversary

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Not only does this LEGO set let you slide bricks into place, it comes with a randomized brick generator, and even a scoreboard to capture your score!

A perfect tribute to one of the world’s most influential digital games (with perhaps the most riveting backstory of any game ever), this LEGO Ideas set comes from the mind of LEGO Builder ‘victorvey300’ who wanted to pay a hat-tip to Tetris on its 40th anniversary which first made its appearance in Russian game circles back in the early 80s, finally finding its way to Nintendo’s first Game Boy in 1985. The LEGO set comes in the form of a box with a lid that doubles as the game’s screen. Bricks sit in a container below, controls can be found on the bottom right, and the top right acts as a leaderboard. When all’s done, the box closes shut, ensuring that bricks don’t get lost.

Designer: victorvey300

Not to spoil the AppleTV+ movie for you, but the Tetris game has one of the most nail-biting backstories of all time. Developed by Alexey Pajitnov, a resident of the Soviet Republic in the 80s, Tetris was circulated heavily within the USSR on bootlegged floppy disks and finally made its way to an American sales representative for a gaming company. What ensued was literally Cold War espionage at its best. Henk Rogers, the American rep who discovered Tetris tried to buy the rights to the game on behalf of Nintendo, which was working on the first Game Boy handheld console. Tetris was to be a part of this revolutionary portable gaming device, but the Soviets weren’t ready to sell Tetris to any outsider without putting up a fight (all hardware and software sales outside the Union were controlled/authorized by a government agency). In the end, Pajitnov managed to escape Russia and also ended up selling the rights to Tetris, which featured on the first Game Boy, becoming the global sensation it is today. As a tribute to this story and to Alexey himself, the LEGO Ideas kit also comes with a minifigure of Pajitnov standing beside an old-school computer!

The beauty of this LEGO build lies in just how much attention to detail it has. The vault-shaped kit has Tetris graphics on the outside (with branding), and the inside is simply filled with features and details that allow as many as 6 players to actually play a full game of Tetris, complete with brick generators that tell you what the next brick should be.

Playing the game is delightfully simple. Bricks sit in a bin at the bottom, the playable area or the matrix grid is right in front with vertical channels to slide bricks down, and a treadmill-shaped panel on the bottom right lets you scroll to see what your next brick should be. Scroll with your right hand, find the corresponding brick with your left and drop it down the channel of your choice. It slides down instantly, landing in place just the way it would in a game. The only real difference is that you need to choose each brick’s orientation and position before you drop it into the channel. Pieces don’t rotate or move once they’ve been slid in.

A game of digital Tetris can go on for HOURS because every time you complete a row, it disappears, helping clear out a part of the screen for more gameplay. That feature doesn’t exist in this LEGO version, which makes for a fairly shorter game… but calculating scores is much easier, allowing you to correspond the uppermost complete row to the line on the scoreboard right beside it. You can, however, reset the entire game in a flash by hitting the red Reset button on the left side of the matrix grid and have all the bricks drop down into the bin below. The alternative would be to manually lift each brick out of the lid, which sounds a little too problematic…

The Tetris bricks are referred to as tetrominoes, and come in 7 shapes that correspond with letters of the alphabet (I, O, T, J, L, S, and Z). The bricks are color-coded to make things easier to understand (after all, we recognize colors MUCH faster than we do shapes) for all people, and the game allows as many as 6 players, with colorful studs that you can press into the scoreboard to mark your highest scores.

This LEGO kit comes from the mind of independent builder victorvey300, who put his passion for LEGO and his love for Tetris together to create this incredibly comprehensive MOC (my own creation). Victor’s submission is a part of LEGO’s Ideas forum, a community-driven site where passionate LEGO creators build their own structures and users vote for their favorite ones. With over 5000 votes, this LEGO Tetris set is cruising comfortably to hit the 10,000 vote mark, which is then followed by LEGO’s own internal team reviewing the submission before turning it into a retail set. If you want, you can vote for the LEGO Ideas Tetris set too simply by visiting the LEGO Ideas website here.

The post This Actually Playable LEGO Tetris Set Celebrates the Digital Game’s 40th Anniversary first appeared on Yanko Design.