“Today we cancel the apocalypse.” With just five words, Idris Elba’s Stacker Pentecost became the rallying cry of a generation – the gruff, determined voice that turned Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim from a spectacular mecha-vs-kaiju brawl into something more: a tribute to human resilience, teamwork, and the unyielding belief that we’re stronger together. His speech before the final assault on the Breach remains one of the most quoted moments in modern sci-fi cinema, right up there with the Jaegers themselves – those towering mechanical defenders that became instant icons the moment they lit up the screen in 2013.
Now, nearly a decade later, one passionate LEGO builder is bringing the Jaeger program home. Din0Bricks’ stunning fan-made tribute to the film’s most iconic mechs – Gipsy Danger, Crimson Typhoon, and Cherno Alpha – has earned a coveted Staff Pick on LEGO Ideas, and with 661 supporters already rallied to the cause, these titans of engineering might just march onto store shelves. Featuring 2,218 pieces of screen-accurate detail, from retractable swords to rotating saw blades and support helicopters, this isn’t just a fan project – it’s a love letter to del Toro’s iconic film as well as the power of LEGO creativity. The question is: are you ready to suit up (or brick up) and help make it a reality?
Designer: Din0bricks
At first we’ve got Gipsy Danger, a personal favorite because honestly, if you’re going to lead with anything, it’s the Mark-3 American Jaeger that punched a Category 4 kaiju with a cargo ship. At 807 pieces and standing 8.8 inches tall, this blue beast captures everything that made the hero mech memorable. The broad shoulders, that distinctive head design with the yellow visor, the nuclear reactor core prominently displayed on the chest – Din0Bricks nailed the proportions.
It comes with its iconic retractable sword (which becomes a chain whip of sorts when expanded), but you could ditch the sword for the aforementioned cargo ship, which does come included in this MOC (My Own Creation!). The articulation appears robust too, with visible ball joints at the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. This thing can actually pose, which matters more than most people realize when you’re displaying an 800-piece mecha on your shelf.
Next meet the Crimson Typhoon. The Chinese Jaeger’s triple-arm configuration was always going to be the toughest to pull off in LEGO form, and at 630 pieces, this is actually the smallest of the three builds. That makes sense when you consider the original design philosophy: Crimson was built for speed and agility, not brute force. The red and black color blocking works beautifully here, and those rotating saw blade hands are exactly the kind of detail that separates a good fan build from something worth producing. The regular pincer hands are included too, and you can merely swap out weapons, which I personally love.
What impresses me most is how Din0Bricks managed to engineer three functional arms while maintaining structural integrity. Anyone who’s built complex LEGO mechanics knows that adding a third articulated limb to a bipedal figure is asking for stability problems. The fact that this thing can stand at 7.6 inches tall without looking like it’s about to collapse tells me the internal skeleton is solid.
Then there’s Cherno Alpha, the true underdog in the series. The Russian Jaeger always had that brutalist, Cold War aesthetic that screamed “Soviet engineering will outlast your fancy technology,” and this 781-piece build captures that perfectly. Standing 10.5 inches tall, it’s the biggest of the three, which tracks given Cherno’s status as the oldest and most heavily armored Mark-1 still in active service. The olive green and grey color palette gives it that military hardware vibe, and the boxy, industrial frame looks like something that was built to take a beating and keep swinging.
While the Cherno Alpha doesn’t come with external weapons (this thing was a spring-loaded punching machine), it does have optional helicopters that attach to its shoulders, as a call-back to how these jaegers were deployed on the battlefield. Sure, a jaeger could merely walk to the scene of the crime, but it’s faster (and honestly safer for the city) to have these massive bots deployed via air. Each jaeger would be carried by at least two copters, and unleashed into the waters (or on land) to exact revenge on the kaijus.
The beauty of this project existing on LEGO Ideas is that it actually has a shot at becoming real. For those unfamiliar with the platform, LEGO Ideas is basically crowdfunding meets product development. Fans submit their original designs, other fans vote by supporting the project, and if a submission hits 10,000 supporters, LEGO’s review board considers it for official production. Din0Bricks currently sits at 661 supporters with 405 days remaining to hit that 10K threshold. Given that the film’s been criminally underserved in the collectibles market compared to other genre properties, this feels like the moment to actually make something happen. If you’ve ever wanted to own a piece of the Jaeger program, head over to the LEGO Ideas website and throw your support behind this thing. Sometimes the apocalypse doesn’t cancel itself; sometimes you need 10,000 people and a lot of Danish plastic to get the job done.
The AirPods Max dropped in 2020, that’s 5 years ago, making it one of the oldest products to not see a single design iteration in a significant time. Yes, sure, Apple upgraded its Lightning-powered models to USB-C recently, and gave the AirPods Max some fresh new colors, but other than that, there’s been absolutely no change to the product in half a decade. It’s time we saw a few upgrades.
Not that there’s anything broken with the AirPods Max, but it could use a few key upgrades. Users complain often that it’s heavy, can often get uncomfortable, and early adopters noticed some weird condensate on the inside after sustained listening. While Apple hasn’t officially fixed any of these problems, Parker Ortolani decided to give the AirPods Max a refresh – with a few key visual changes that all lead to a better product (except for one detail which I personally dislike).
Designer: Parker Ortolani
Ortolani’s design retains the iconic shape of the AirPods Max earcups, but transforms a major part of its otherwise memorable silhouette. Most importantly, the band on top gets a revision, ditching the metal and tensile fabric for something more familiar. The new band gets made from the same material used on the Vision Pro, giving it flexibility within a much more lightweight and comfortable design. Sure, there has to be something inside providing structure, but the chances of it being stainless steel is low. That instantly cuts the AirPods Max 2’s headband weight while providing a wider surface for it to rest on the cranium, so you can wear the cups for longer without that strain.
A knob on the side lets you easily adjust the band’s design, lowering or raising the earcups so that they sit higher or lower (depending on how big your head is). The crown stays exactly where it is, but Ortolani adds buttons to the mix too, just to make intuitive control easier. The padded cups get upgraded to a cushion-like material, and for that weird condensation issue, vents at the bottom promote breathability, so you can worry about sweat accumulating inside the cups from listening for too long.
My only significant gripe is that Ortolani ditched the Lightning/USB-C port for a proprietary snap-on connector like the one found on the Vision Pro. To be fair, Ortolani did design this concept before the USB-C AirPods Max dropped, so it’s certainly an upgrade over the lightning port, but otherwise seems like bit of a drag. I’d personally change that, but barring this tiny little oversight, the AirPods Max 2 concept truly feels like an iterative improvement on its predecessor. The plastic bands flex so you can actually curl the headphones for easy carrying (and no more using that weird handbag).
Ortolani debuted his concept in a variety of subtle colors (barring that electric Project RED version), but I wouldn’t mind seeing a few vibrant options too. Hopefully Apple has plans to upgrade its flagship audio wearable next year, along with the AirTag, which has remained entirely unchanged in 4 full years!
Welcome to a new creative space at Yanko Design, where we explore the minds behind the products that shape our world. We are thrilled to introduce our new podcast, Design Mindset, your weekly dive into the philosophies and frameworks that drive modern innovation. Every Friday, host Radhika Seth sits down with leaders, creators, and thinkers who are redefining their industries. In our ninth episode, we explore a fascinating concept: the invisible grid. These are the seamless systems and technologies that, when designed perfectly, fade into the background, allowing pure creativity to flourish without constraint.
Our guest for this exploration is Edward Mao, a product design lead and the head of the integrated design department at Insta360. Edward brings a global perspective to his work, having studied and lived across the US, Sweden, and Schengen. He leads teams that build the very systems millions of creators depend on daily. Insta360 is known for its groundbreaking 360-degree cameras and action cameras, particularly its “invisible selfie stick” technology, which serves as a perfect metaphor for our conversation. The best systems, like the best tools, should empower the user to the point where they are no longer thinking about the tool itself, but only about what they want to create.
The Innovator’s Mindset: Redefining the Rules of the Game
What truly separates an innovator from a follower? According to Edward, it transcends simple risk-taking and digs deep into one’s fundamental mindset. An innovator is driven by a desire to establish entirely new rules, to create categories that never existed before, and to set the benchmarks that will define the market for years to come. Their focus is on impact and purpose, a relentless pursuit of a unique vision that pushes the entire industry forward. Edward explains that this path is inherently harder, but the reward is a profound sense of satisfaction that cannot be replicated. As he puts it, “innovating makes you unique… the payoff, you can get the sense of purpose, the sense of satisfaction, right? It’s way bigger than the comfort of staying safe.” It’s a conscious choice to author the next chapter rather than simply editing a page in someone else’s book.
Conversely, the follower’s path is often a strategic one, focused on efficiency and execution. They excel at optimizing proven formulas and competing on established metrics like price and features, a strategy that allows them to catch up quickly and capture market share. However, this approach has a natural limit. Edward notes that many successful creators and companies eventually hit a “growth ceiling,” a point where the old formulas no longer yield the same results. This is the critical juncture where the question shifts from “How can we do this better?” to “What’s next?” This moment of stagnation often becomes the catalyst for a radical shift in thinking, forcing even the most dedicated follower to consider the daunting but necessary leap into the unknown territory of innovation, where the potential for true differentiation lies.
The Disappearing Act: When Great Technology Becomes Invisible
The ultimate goal of great design is to render itself invisible. This is the central philosophy Edward champions, where technology becomes so intuitive and seamless that it dissolves into the background, leaving only the user and their creative vision. The tool ceases to be an object of focus and instead becomes a natural extension of the user’s intent. Insta360’s “invisible selfie stick” is the perfect embodiment of this principle. When a creator uses it, they are not thinking about the pole in their hand or the mechanics of the software erasing it. They are thinking about capturing an impossible, drone-like shot, fully immersed in the act of creation. This is the magic moment Edward strives for, when “the tech basically disappears and the creativity takes over… that’s when you know you have built something truly invisible.” The technology becomes a silent partner, empowering the user without ever demanding their attention.
Achieving this level of invisibility is not a matter of adding more features, but of ruthless simplification and a return to first principles. Instead of asking how to build a better version of an existing product, the innovator asks what the user’s ultimate goal is and what the absolute, unchangeable constraints are. This approach fundamentally reframes the problem, steering the design process away from incremental improvements and toward breakthrough solutions that address the core need. By focusing on the “why” behind the user’s actions, designers can build tools that anticipate needs and remove friction points before they are even noticed. This frees the creator’s mind from the burden of technical problem-solving, allowing them to dedicate all their cognitive energy to what truly matters: storytelling, expression, and bringing their unique vision to life.
Paying the ‘Tuition’: The Unseen Investment of a Pioneer
Embarking on a path of true innovation is an expensive education, and as Edward suggests, the early struggles are the “tuition” paid for a future advantage that cannot be bought. Pioneering is a slow, arduous process, much like pushing a heavy flywheel. The initial effort is immense, with little visible momentum to show for it. These early phases are filled with setbacks, costly mistakes, and the constant feeling of pushing against inertia. However, this upfront investment in learning, testing, and overcoming unforeseen obstacles builds a deep well of experience-based knowledge. This hard-won wisdom becomes a strategic moat, a defensible asset that late-coming competitors cannot easily replicate. They may be able to copy the final product, but they cannot copy the years of struggle and learning that made it possible.
This pioneering journey is fueled by more than just resilience; it is powered by profound empathy. Edward emphasizes that the most insightful innovators are often their own most demanding users. They relentlessly stress-test their own creations in the messy, unpredictable real world, uncovering failure points and latent needs that would never surface in a controlled lab or a market research report. This hands-on process builds an intuitive understanding of the user experience. Furthermore, this journey requires a pragmatic acceptance of imperfection. The goal is not to launch a flawless product from day one. Instead, the strategy is to release a solid, valuable minimum viable product and then iterate relentlessly with the market. As Edward advises, “perfection comes later iteration by iteration i think it’s less scary that way.” In this model, the community of users becomes a collaborative partner in the design process, their feedback shaping the product’s evolution.
Beyond the Product: Why Sustainable Innovation Lives in Ecosystems
In today’s hyper-competitive market, a single breakthrough product is no longer enough to guarantee long-term success. A brilliant feature can be copied, a clever design can be replicated. True, durable advantage, as Edward argues, comes from building a comprehensive ecosystem around the product. This system of interconnected value is far more difficult for competitors to duplicate. For a company like Insta360, this means the camera itself is just the beginning. The real strength lies in the surrounding ecosystem: the intuitive editing software that simplifies complex workflows, the active user communities that provide support and inspiration, the extensive library of tutorials that flatten the learning curve, and the wide array of accessories that expand the product’s capabilities. This holistic approach creates a sticky, high-friction-to-exit experience that compounds the product’s value over time, turning customers into loyal advocates.
This powerful principle of ecosystem thinking is not just for large corporations; it is equally critical for individual creators striving to build a sustainable career. A viral video or a popular design is fleeting, easily lost in the endless stream of digital content. A career built on an ecosystem, however, is enduring. Edward advises creators to think beyond the next piece of content and instead focus on building systems around their work. This could manifest as developing mentorship programs to nurture emerging talent, creating collaborative workflows with other artists to cross-pollinate audiences, or productizing their expertise through workshops and digital assets. By building a network of value around their core creative output, they transform their work from a series of replaceable artifacts into a resilient, interconnected enterprise that can withstand the unpredictable shifts of trends and algorithms.
From Follower to Leader: A Practical Guide to Making the Leap
The transition from a follower to an innovator can feel like a terrifying leap into the abyss, especially when a proven formula is already paying the bills. The fear of abandoning what works is a powerful deterrent. However, Edward’s advice demystifies this process, transforming the reckless gamble into a series of calculated, manageable steps. The core principle is to de-risk innovation by starting small. Instead of betting the entire farm on an unproven idea, he advocates for experimenting on the periphery with “low-stakes side projects.” This approach allows a creator or a company to explore new technologies, test radical ideas, and build new skills without jeopardizing their main source of income or alienating their core audience. As he simply states, “start small always start small.” It’s a strategy of quiet evolution, building the future in the background while continuing to deliver consistency in the foreground.
To guide this process, Edward offers a practical three-part test to determine if an innovative idea is worth pursuing. First, can the concept be explained in a single, simple sentence? This is a test of clarity and focus, ensuring the idea isn’t convoluted. Second, does it create a unique experience that nothing else currently offers? This validates its potential for true market differentiation. And third, does it address common user complaints? This is the most crucial test, as it confirms that the innovation is solving a real, pre-existing problem, signaling a clear and unmet demand. By using this framework, innovation shifts from being a blind bet to a strategic, evidence-based pursuit. It encourages prototyping, running small user tests, and co-creating with the community, allowing the audience to help guide the direction of progress and ensuring that when you do finally push the boundaries, you bring them along with you.
To hear more about Edward’s work and his systematic approach to creativity, you can follow him at “designer mr mao” on red note and tiktok, or go check out how Insta360 is revolutionizing how we capture our world. Be sure to tune in to Design Mindset next Friday for another look into the minds shaping our creative world.
The EDC community loves two things: innovation and overkill (in the best possible way). The Lumitwin DL700 delivers both. Imagine a flashlight so powerful it throws light 2 kilometers into the distance. That’s 1.24 miles of beam reach, which is frankly absurd for something you can clip to your bag with a carabiner. This isn’t your grandfather’s Maglite. With dual independently-controlled barrels, laser-excited phosphor modules instead of LEDs, and swappable color filters for different outdoor scenarios, the DL700 reads like a wishlist from r/flashlight brought to life. At 1,032 grams, it’s substantial but purposeful – machined from aerospace aluminum and built to survive everything from torrential rain (IP68 rated) to rough handling.
Every outdoor enthusiast has been there: you’re on a night hike, and your phone’s flashlight dies. Or you’re searching for a trail marker, squinting into the darkness as your standard LED flashlight’s beam dissolves into useless scatter. The Lumitwin DL700 was born from exactly these frustrations – designed by explorers who wanted more than just bright; they wanted far, focused, and adaptable. The DL700 delivers 2,000 meters of throw distance with interchangeable red, green, and flood filters for hunting, search-and-rescue, or tactical situations. Machined from a single aluminum block and rated for 1-meter drops and IP68 waterproofing, it’s the kind of tool you grab when even your purpose-built EDC flashlight won’t cut it.
LEDs have dominated flashlight design for decades, but the Lumitwin DL700 is betting on a different light source entirely. Each barrel houses a Blue Lake NT2 laser-excited phosphor module. This is the same technology that powers high-end automotive laser headlights, where a laser excites a phosphor layer to generate intensely focused light. You’re not shooting laser beams at things (important safety distinction), but you are getting illumination characteristics that conventional LEDs simply cannot match. Traditional LED flashlights scatter their beams, losing intensity rapidly over distance. The DL700’s LEP technology creates a collimated beam that maintains coherence over extreme distances. When both barrels fire simultaneously, you get 1,100 lumens with a combined candela rating of 958,000 cd and that 2,000-meter throw distance. Switch to single-barrel alternating mode and you’re looking at 500 lumens on high with 479,000 cd, which still reaches 1,300 meters.
The dual-barrel setup isn’t just aesthetic mimicry of binoculars, though the form factor does borrow that ergonomic hollow-center grip. Each barrel operates completely independently with its own switch and brightness control. You can run both at full power for maximum illumination, use them separately to extend battery life, or set different configurations on each barrel for specific tasks. Thread-on filters for each barrel include red, green, and light-diffusing flood options. Red light preserves night vision for hunting or astronomy. Green cuts through fog and provides better contrast in dense vegetation. The flood filter transforms the focused laser beam into wider area illumination for close-up camp work or search and rescue scenarios where you need to illuminate a broader field. This modular approach gives you essentially six different flashlights in one package, and you can mix configurations. One barrel with red filter for navigation, one with standard white laser for distance spotting.
Each barrel gets its own 6,000mAh 21700 lithium-ion cell, totaling 12,000mAh across the entire unit. This explains why the alternating single-barrel mode delivers such impressive runtime. On high output with alternating barrels, you get eight hours. Drop to low output and you’re looking at 16 hours of continuous operation. Both barrels simultaneously at maximum output drain things faster at four hours on high, but that’s still respectable given the performance output. USB-C charging on both batteries means you’re not hunting for proprietary cables or dealing with annoying charging cradles.
Each unit is machined from a solid block of 6061 aerospace aluminum (the same alloy used in aircraft components and high-end bike frames) which explains both the premium feel and the 1,032-gram weight. IP68 waterproofing means submersion to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes, which translates to “drop it in a river and you’re fine.” The specs list 10-meter drop resistance, which is more than you can claim for most smartphones. The body includes integrated cooling fins and an intelligent temperature control system to maintain stable brightness without thermal throttling, which is crucial for sustained high-output use.
Dimensions come in at 7.2 inches long, 3.15 inches wide, and 1.57 inches tall. This puts it firmly in the “substantial EDC” category rather than pocket-friendly territory. You’re carrying this on a belt loop, in a bag, or via the included braided wrist strap and carabiner setup. The included hard-shell case keeps everything organized and protected during transport. For context on use cases, this level of performance targets search and rescue operations, serious hunting and expedition work, tactical applications, and outdoor enthusiasts who need reliable long-distance illumination. You’re not using this to find your keys in the dark. You’re using this to spot trail markers from a mountain ridge or illuminate a distant shoreline during night navigation.
Double the barrels but halve the price is what I imagine the folks at Lumitwin said when they launched their Kickstarter. The MSRP on the DL700 starts at an eye-watering $950, but a whopping 65% discount brings its price down to $329 for a limited time while the project accrues backers on Kickstarter. For that price you get an entire hard-shell case with the flashlight itself, two 6000mAh batteries, two floodlight filters, a red light filter, a green light filter, two replacement silicone buttons, a braided cord and carabiner for easy carrying, and finally 4 waterproof rings. The DL700 begins shipping globally starting December this year, so grab yours now and you should get it in time for Christmas, or maybe your holiday camping trip as the new year rolls in.
What happens when one of Germany’s most storied automakers goes off script and jumps headlong into the future? The answer is the Audi 20quattro Vision GT: a concept racer that looks as if it’s escaped from a sci-fi film and landed straight into the world of Gran Turismo. More than just a design study, it’s a bold experiment that explores how Audi’s DNA translates into a world where the only limits are those of imagination.
Now, before you start searching for this in the latest Gran Turismo update, it’s crucial to know that this isn’t an official release from Ingolstadt. This stunning piece of digital sculpture is the work of independent designer Gabriel Naretto, a personal project that serves as a powerful “what if” scenario. He’s taken the core tenets of Audi’s design philosophy and motorsport heritage, plugged them into an amplifier, and cranked the volume to eleven. The result is something that feels authentically Audi, yet completely untethered from the constraints of reality, a digital ghost of a race car we all wish was real.
Designer: Gabriel Naretto
The car’s form language is an exercise in geometric aggression, a clear evolution of the sharp, technical lines championed by Audi’s current design chief, Marc Lichte. Naretto has stripped away any hint of superfluous curvature, leaving behind a surface composed of taut, flat planes and brutally sharp creases that look like they were carved from a single block of metal. Its low, impossibly wide stance and cab-forward canopy are direct descendants of modern Le Mans prototypes, particularly Audi’s own R18 e-tron. This machine is designed to look like it’s slicing through the air even when standing still, a pure expression of aerodynamic intent.
Naretto clearly spent as much time thinking about airflow as he did about aesthetics. The entire body is a functional aerodynamic device, from the massive front splitter that channels air under the car to the multi-layered rear wing and colossal rear diffuser. The deep venturi tunnels running along the sides are designed to generate immense downforce, effectively sucking the car onto the pavement at speed. Even the enclosed wheel designs, with their turbine-like fins, suggest a meticulous focus on managing turbulent air and cooling the brakes. Every vent, every winglet, every cutout serves a purpose, giving the design a layer of engineering credibility that makes the fantasy feel plausible.
That “quattro” badge on the rear isn’t just for show, either. The entire concept is a hat tip to Audi’s most mythic era: the Group B rally monsters of the 1980s. You can see the DNA of the original Sport Quattro S1 E2 in the squared-off, box-flare wheel arches and the car’s overall defiant posture. Naretto has masterfully translated that iconic, almost brutish functionality into a futuristic context. It evokes a feeling of raw, untamed power, a reminder that before Audi became known for sophisticated luxury sedans, it built all-wheel-drive terrors that dominated the world’s most dangerous rally stages.
This is where the “Vision Gran Turismo” moniker becomes so fitting, even unofficially. Digital platforms are the perfect canvas for such an uncompromising vision, free from the pesky realities of production costs, safety regulations, and pedestrian impact standards. One can only speculate on the powertrain, but a concept this forward-thinking screams all-electric. Imagine a quad-motor setup, one for each wheel, delivering instantaneous torque vectoring and a combined output somewhere north of 1,200 horsepower. In the virtual world, such figures are not just possible; they are expected, and Naretto’s design provides the perfect shell for that kind of imaginary performance.
Of course, a machine that looks this fast needs some theoretical firepower to back it up. While Naretto hasn’t published a spec sheet, one can imagine a fully electric powertrain in line with Audi’s e-tron direction. A quad-motor setup, one for each wheel, would be the only logical choice for a vehicle bearing the quattro name in the 2040s. We could be talking about a combined output of over 1,400 horsepower and an instantaneous torque vectoring system so advanced it would make current systems feel archaic. Not that such specs exist, but why stop dreaming, right?
The budget laptop market has long been dominated by Chromebooks and entry-level Windows machines, but Apple may be about to crash the party. Reports indicate the tech giant is preparing to launch a $599 MacBook featuring the A18 Pro chip, offering desktop-class macOS performance at a price point that directly challenges competitors. If true, this could be Apple’s biggest strategic shift in the laptop space in over a decade.
The rumored device would mark a dramatic departure from Apple’s traditional pricing strategy, which has kept MacBooks firmly in premium territory. But with Chromebooks capturing the education market and budget Windows laptops satisfying casual users, Apple has watched from the sidelines as millions of potential customers chose competitors simply because the price of entry was too high. This move could change that calculus entirely.
Designer: Apple
The laptops could sport a colorful design, helping differentiate it from the more capable Air and Pro models.
The A18 Pro chip is the same processor that powers the iPhone 16 Pro, and Apple claims it delivers performance comparable to the M1 MacBook Air. That’s a legitimately capable chip for everyday computing tasks like web browsing, document editing, video streaming, and light photo work. You’re looking at a 12.9-inch display housed in what’s described as an ultra-thin, lightweight frame, with color options including silver, blue, pink, and yellow. The base model comes with 8GB of RAM, though there’s reportedly an option to upgrade to 16GB. It runs full macOS, which means you get access to the entire Apple ecosystem and software library, something Chromebooks fundamentally cannot offer.
But here’s where things get interesting, and where Apple’s compromises become obvious. No Thunderbolt ports. Limited external display support. That base 8GB of RAM is going to struggle with anything beyond basic multitasking. This machine is clearly designed for a specific user: students writing papers, casual users checking email and browsing the web, first-time Mac buyers who want to dip their toes into the ecosystem without dropping two grand. Apple isn’t trying to replace the MacBook Air or Pro with this device. They’re creating an entirely new category within their lineup, one that prioritizes accessibility over capability.
Spring 2026 puts this launch alongside the M5 MacBook Air, which will undoubtedly carry a higher price tag and more robust specs. Apple gets to segment their market cleanly: budget buyers get the A18 Pro MacBook, mainstream users get the M5 Air, and professionals stick with the Pro and Max configurations. Analysts are predicting this could boost MacBook shipments by up to 40 percent, which would be massive for a company that’s watched competitors dominate the sub-$700 laptop space for years.
There’s a real risk here that Apple cannibalizes their own iPad sales. Why would someone buy an iPad in the same price range when they could get a full laptop with macOS instead? The value proposition shifts dramatically when you’re comparing a tablet with accessories that cost more than this MacBook to an actual laptop with a keyboard included. Apple clearly thinks the trade-off is worth it, betting that bringing more people into the Mac ecosystem will pay dividends down the line when those users eventually upgrade to pricier models.
Every power strip you’ve ever bought was designed for someone else. Too many USB-A ports when you need USB-C. No wireless charging. Or it has wireless charging but not enough wired ports. You’re stuck buying what manufacturers think you need, not what you actually need. TobenOne flips that script entirely. It’s a modular magnetic charging hub you build yourself. Snap on the modules you want, skip the ones you don’t. Need more USB-C? Add a module. Upgrade your setup later? Swap it out. It’s your desk, your devices, your rules.
The concept sounds almost embarrassingly obvious once you see it. A sleek aluminum rail serves as your base, and four circular magnetic modules snap onto it in whatever configuration makes sense for your setup. One module handles Qi wireless charging for your phone. Another packs three USB-C ports. There’s a USB-A 2.0 module for legacy gear and a hybrid USB-A 3.0 plus USB-C module for high-speed data transfer (I’ll dive into this later). The whole thing connects to your laptop via a single cable, and from there you can rearrange the modules however you want. It’s like someone finally asked “what if power strips worked like LEGO?” and actually followed through.
Most of us have been through this cycle multiple times. You buy a hub or power strip based on your current gear. Six months later you upgrade your phone or laptop or tablet, and suddenly the thing you bought has the wrong port mix. Maybe you needed more USB-C than you thought. Maybe that wireless charging pad you bought separately is now just another piece of desk clutter taking up space. The traditional solution is to buy another hub, add to your desk clutter like another Jenga block along with other power strips/bricks/dongles, and pretend your cable management isn’t spiraling into chaos.
TobenOne’s approach means you buy a system once and just shape-shift it based on your current or future needs. The modules are independent of the strip itself, so when USB-C becomes even more dominant than it already is, you don’t trash your entire hub. You just swap out one module for another. It’s a small shift in thinking that has surprisingly large implications for how we manage our tech ecosystems. And this doesn’t just mean convenience, it’s a much more sustainable approach too. E-waste from obsolete charging gear is a legitimate problem, and modular design that lets you replace components instead of entire devices is one of the few practical ways to address it without requiring everyone to become minimalist monks who own three possessions.
The execution is incredibly clean – the modules themselves are incredibly sleek, all brushed metal sides and matte black tops with minimal branding. When you snap them onto the base, they sit flush and lock in with what appears to be strong enough magnetic force to stay put during normal use. There’s even a volume control module that lets you adjust your computer’s audio directly from the hub, which feels like the kind of small quality-of-life feature that gives your power strip some power-user features. No more fumbling with software volume sliders or keyboard shortcuts. Just twist the module. Clever, no?
The modules attach to the front, but two USB-C ports on the side deliver power input and output. Plug the TobenOne into a power source and it’s good to go… plug the other USB-C end into your laptop and it becomes a passthrough charger while also giving those modules data connectivity to your laptop. That means you can use USB-A ports not just for charging devices, but also for connecting thumb drives, hard disks, etc. for high-speed data transfer. Suddenly your power strip is capable of so much more. And you could choose to keep the TobenOne on your table, or even wall-mount it so that you can attach your phone to its MagSafe module directly to the wall. That gives you full control without all the desk clutter. It’s a power strip, but it’s also a dongle, but it’s also a convenient companion that doesn’t get in the way of your minimalist desk setup.
And the LEGO meets IKEA meets MagSafe meets every tech user’s needs approach is just sheer genius (I honestly wonder why nobody built this before). You’re literally building your own charging solution the way you’d build with blocks, except these blocks and the arrangements you make have actual utility beyond satisfying your inner child. It’s personal, just the way your IKEA furniture feels personal because you made it ‘for yourself’. The magnetic attachment system borrows from Apple’s MagSafe philosophy. That satisfying click when things snap into place, the alignment guides that make sure everything sits correctly, the ease of detachment when you need to reconfigure. There’s no complex assembly. No configuration software. No firmware updates to manage. You literally just snap things together and they work. That balance is harder to strike than it sounds, and most modular tech products fail by skewing too far in one direction or the other.
The modular design gives you a whopping eleven total ports and charging options across all four modules when fully loaded. That’s wireless charging plus ten wired connections, which should be more than enough for most desk setups unless you’re running a home server farm. The base model at roughly $89 USD feels extremely value-forward for what’s being offered, but early bird Kickstarter pricing always provide discounts to attract early adopters. Expect the retail price to land somewhere around $179 once this actually ships. Even at that price point, the value proposition holds up when you consider you’re replacing multiple separate chargers, hubs, and wireless charging pads with a single integrated system.
I spent all of 2025 touting how GaN chargers were the future of tech (because of how tiny and powerful they are)… the TobenOne fleshes out an alternate reality in which the power strip isn’t ‘dead’, it’s replaced by something more shape-shifting, more modular, more ‘you’. Want to JUST have plug points? Go ahead. Maybe want to swap them ALL for USB ports? That’s allowed too. Can sacrifice one idle module? Take it out and add a MagSafe charger for your phone… or better still, the volume knob that lets you control your desktop/laptop’s system volume. The power strip suddenly becomes a hub… and stops being the archaic device that never really changed in all these decades. Pretty cool, isn’t it?
The most I’ve ever heard of a car being recalled is probably 2014 Jeep Cherokee, or the 2021 Chevy Silverado. Both cars (if I’m not mistaken), were famous for hitting as many as 7-9 recalls, but Tesla‘s Cybertruck is cruising past that number with its 12th recall since the car began rolling out to customers in November 2023. Issued just today, this latest round of recalls affects 6,197 vehicles, about 10 percent of all Cybertrucks sold. The problem? A Light Bar accessory that sits on the top of the car. Although optional, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is warning drivers that this off-road accessory (officially sold by Tesla) could detach and fall off, creating a road hazard for other drivers. The culprit? Weak glue.
I have to preface that a recall doesn’t imply a car is ‘bad’, it usually involves points of failures that can make driving dangerous if unchecked. Some of them are fairly benign, like this past week’s recall because the headlights were 20% too bright according to regulations (this got fixed with a mere software patch), but others are absolutely lethal, like the Cybertruck’s accelerator pedal getting stuck, which could turn your car into a speeding metallic meteor, threatening not just your life, but also the lives of others around you.
Designer: Tesla
That being said, 12 recalls is certainly worth noticing. In just under 2 years, the Cybertruck’s faced problems with the motor controlling the windshield wiper, the exterior stainless steel sheet literally peeling off because of weak glue, errors within the Tire Pressure Monitoring System, software and firmware issues, interior trim parts affecting the accelerator pedal, the headlights being too bright, the light bar accessory having faulty lighting, and even the bar itself not being glued on properly. Apart from the countless recalls, the Cybertruck’s also been plagued by problems like rust accumulating on its exterior panels. With its over-a-trillion-dollar valuation, you don’t expect the EV pioneer to operate with these ‘startup growth pains’.
That being said, Tesla will inspect the accessory and will either install an additional mechanical attachment or replace the old light bar with a new one using tape to adhere it to the windshield along with the necessary mechanical attachment, free of charge, according to the NHTSA. Owners should receive a mailed notification about the recall sometime after December 26.
Would you trust AI to drive your child across town without you? Toyota is betting some parents will. At the Japan Mobility Show 2025, the automotive giant introduced Mobi, a fully autonomous electric bubble car that transports children on their own, with no adult supervision required. The pint-sized vehicle relies entirely on AI for navigation and safety, marking a radical departure from traditional ideas about child transportation.
This is the kind of concept that makes you simultaneously excited about the future and somewhat uncomfortable about it. The Mobi sits on display at the show between October 30th and November 9th, looking like someone crossbred a Pixar character with actual transportation infrastructure. And honestly, that seems intentional. Toyota positioned this as part of their “Mobility for All” project, which sounds noble until you realize they’re proposing to put elementary schoolers in autonomous pods and send them off into traffic.
Designer: Toyota
The design language here is fascinating because it has to do something incredibly difficult: make a vehicle feel safe enough for parents to trust while simultaneously feeling fun enough that kids actually want to use it. That bubble canopy swings upward like a gullwing door, revealing a single seat covered in fuzzy material that looks lifted straight from a particularly cozy bean bag chair. The exterior comes in aggressively cheerful colorways, lime green with black accents or blue-purple with orange trim, both loud enough to make sure nobody’s running this thing over in a parking lot. And then there are the LED eyes at the front, two circular lights that blink and animate to give the vehicle an almost sentient personality. It’s cute bordering on manipulative, which is probably exactly the emotional response Toyota wants from both kids and their hesitant parents. Up top, two ‘ears’ serve as the car’s advanced sensor array, allowing the EV to be spatially aware as it transports its tiny passenger around.
The AI system does all the heavy lifting here. Direction, speed, traffic navigation, obstacle detection, it’s all handled by the onboard intelligence while the kid just sits there like a particularly small passenger on the world’s shortest Uber ride. Toyota has equipped the Mobi with an AI assistant called UX Friend, which is either a stroke of genius or the beginning of a Black Mirror episode depending on your tolerance for letting algorithms raise your children. This virtual companion talks to kids throughout the journey, gives them instructions on how to “drive” the autonomous pod (which is really just letting them feel involved), and presumably keeps them entertained so they don’t try to open the door mid-trip. The system uses sensors and cameras positioned around the vehicle to detect motion and obstacles, creating a protective bubble of awareness that theoretically keeps the child safe from the chaos of real-world traffic.
The specs are still murky because Toyota hasn’t released the full technical breakdown yet. What we know is the outer shell likely uses lightweight plastic or composite materials to keep the weight down and the safety up. The vehicle is almost comically small, with a footprint that makes a Smart car look like an SUV. Single occupancy only, which makes sense given the target demographic isn’t carpooling to corporate meetings. The interior is deliberately spacious enough for a child to sit comfortably without feeling claustrophobic, and that textured seat material isn’t just aesthetic, it’s tactical design meant to make the space feel less like a vehicle and more like a safe cocoon. Toyota knows that if kids associate this thing with discomfort or fear, the whole concept dies on arrival.
Here’s where it gets interesting though. This isn’t a production vehicle, it’s a concept with a working prototype, and Toyota has been notably silent about when or if they plan to conduct real-world road tests with actual children inside. That’s a massive gap between “look at this cool thing we built” and “you can actually use this to send your kid to soccer practice.” The regulatory hurdles alone are staggering. What jurisdiction is going to greenlight unsupervised minors in autonomous vehicles? What happens when the AI encounters an edge case it wasn’t trained for? Who’s liable when something inevitably goes wrong? Toyota is playing in a sandbox that doesn’t have rules yet, and while that’s exciting from an innovation standpoint, it’s also deeply complicated from a practical one. The Mobi might be a genuine glimpse at future mobility, or it might be an elaborate design exercise that never leaves the auto show circuit. Only time will tell…
The lines between form and function have never been blurrier, or more beautiful, than they are in today’s best home tech. The BSTY Dual-Action Cordless Floor Washer is a testament to this evolution, offering a singular device that manages to look as sharp as it performs. Its seamless integration of vacuuming, steam mopping, and self-cleaning mechanisms is tailored for those who want their spaces immaculate, but never at the expense of visual serenity. This is not merely another entry in the crowded floor-care market; it’s a thoughtfully considered piece of hardware that addresses the entire life cycle of a chore, from start to finish.
Let’s be honest, the way we clean floors is broken. It’s a clumsy, multi-stage process that often feels like you’re just moving dirt around. You start with the vacuum, wrestling with a cord or racing against a dying battery to suck up the crumbs, the pet hair, and the dust. Then comes the second act: the mop. You’re either sloshing a dirty string-mop around in a bucket of increasingly murky water, or you’re using a fancy hybrid cleaner that often just turns dry debris into a wet, gritty paste. It solves one problem by creating another. The BSTY project seems to have started with a deep, almost obsessive, understanding of this frustration.
The solution begins with a simple, elegant workflow that is physically built into the machine. As you push the BSTY forward, it’s a dedicated dry vacuum. The front of the cleaning head houses a system that delivers a full 20,000Pa of suction, a figure that puts it in the upper echelon of cordless stick vacuums. That’s enough power to lift embedded dirt from grout lines and grab pet hair without just rolling over it. All that dry debris is whisked away into its own separate container. Then, on the pull-back motion, the mopping system engages. A fresh stream of water, which can be heated up to a steamy 100°C in the tank, wets a microfiber roller that scrubs the floor. The dirty water is immediately lifted off the roller and funneled into a second, completely separate dirty water tank. This clever little feature is a fundamental re-engineering of the hybrid cleaner, ensuring that dirty water never gets a second chance to touch your clean floor.
Beyond just using hot water for mopping, the BSTY integrates a true 180°C steam function. This is a significant leap beyond the boiling point, generating a dry, high-temperature steam that can sanitize surfaces and break down greasy, stuck-on messes without a drop of chemical cleaner. It’s a feature that will appeal to anyone with kids, pets, or just a healthy aversion to chemical residues. This focus on thermal cleaning creates a more effective, hygienic result. And it manages to pack this technology into a cordless body that delivers a solid 40 minutes of runtime, all while operating at a reported 50 decibels in its quiet mode, which is about the level of a calm conversation. The physical design is just as considered. The entire unit can pivot to lay completely flat, a 180-degree articulation that finally allows a machine this powerful to slide all the way under a low-profile sofa or media console.
But the most insightful piece of design might be what happens after the cleaning is done. Anyone who owns a current-generation floor washer knows the secret shame of the post-clean cleanup: rinsing a filthy roller, scrubbing a grimy water tank, and leaving the parts to air-dry, hoping they don’t develop a funky, mildewed smell. The BSTY’s docking station is designed to eliminate this final, frustrating step. When you dock the machine, it automatically begins a self-cleaning cycle, flushing the roller and internal tubing with clean water. But then it initiates the real game-changer: a high-temperature drying cycle. It circulates hot air through the brush head, leaving the roller completely dry, clean, and free of the moisture that breeds bacteria and odor. This isn’t just about convenience; it’s about making the entire ownership experience better. It ensures the machine is genuinely ready for its next use, not waiting for you to reassemble its damp components.
The early-bird pricing is set at $399, which is a considerable discount from the planned $599 retail price, positioning it as an aggressive play for early adopters who are tired of the status quo. For that price, the package appears to be comprehensive. The box includes the main BSTY unit, the crucial self-cleaning and charging dock that completes the automated experience, a power adapter, a spare roller brush for good measure, a small cleaning tool for any manual maintenance, and a 1-year warranty. The campaign is targeting a global shipping window around March of next year, aiming to bring this thoughtful approach to floor care into homes just in time for spring cleaning!
