Author Archives: Sarang Sheth

TCL’s Ultra-Slim 1.1 Inch NXTFRAME Smart TVs with AI Art Generation and Built-in Art Gallery

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If you still happen to have an NFT collection, TCL’s TV might just be the new way to display it.

It was probably Samsung that came up with the idea of transforming your TV into an ambient art frame when not in use, and I have to admit, it’s quite a stellar idea. The television is great when you’re watching something on it, but the minute you switch it off, it becomes an ugly black rectangle on your wall. Frame-inspired TVs are a great alternative, allowing you to turn your wall into home decor, and TCL’s jumped onto that trend with its NXTFRAME range of smart TVs. Measuring a mere 1.1 inches thick, the NXTFRAME televisions sit virtually flush against your wall, pretty much like a piece of framed art.

Designer: TCL

Ranging between 55 and 85 inches in size, the smart TVs blend right into your home seamlessly, with the QLED Pro screen mimicking the feeling of printed art really well thanks to its high contrast and clarity even in brightly lit rooms. The 4K TVs come with Google TV for watching all your streaming services, but the display’s beauty lies in TCL’s built-in curated art library as well as the ability to make and display AI-generated art. A gorgeous matte screen helps the art stand out well without any added glare from lights or nearby windows, and the TV even comes with wood-like veneers that attach onto the bezel, giving the NXTFRAME a bonafide outer frame.

As gorgeously slick as the NXTFRAME looks, its performance specs are equally impressive. With a refresh rate of up to 144Hz, it promises smooth and fluid visuals, whether you’re watching a high-action movie or playing the latest video games. The inclusion of Dolby Vision IQ ensures that the picture quality adapts to the lighting conditions in your room, offering the best possible image at all times. Additionally, the support for AMD FreeSync Premium makes it an excellent choice for gamers, reducing screen tearing and providing a more responsive gaming experience. Motion Rate 480 and MEMC motion smoothing technology further enhance the viewing experience by reducing motion blur and judder, making fast-moving scenes clear and crisp.

Under the hood, the NXTFRAME runs on Google TV, offering seamless integration with various streaming services and smart home devices. It supports Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2, making it easy to stream content from your devices. Voice control is also well catered for, with compatibility with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Home. For gamers, the TV comes equipped with Game Accelerator 240, Auto Game Mode, and AMD FreeSync Premium, ensuring an optimized gaming experience with minimal input lag and maximum visual clarity. The sound system is robust, featuring two built-in 20W speakers and support for advanced audio technologies like Dolby Atmos and DTS.

The Pro version of the NXTFRAME takes the audio experience a notch higher by including a wireless 3.1.2 soundbar and subwoofer, developed in partnership with the renowned audio company Bang & Olufsen. This combination promises an immersive audio experience, enhancing everything from dialogue clarity to the rumble of on-screen explosions. The TV also boasts four HDMI ports, including one with eARC support, allowing for easy connection of multiple devices and ensuring that audio signals remain high quality.

Pricing for the NXTFRAME series starts at $1,499.99 for the 55-inch model and goes up to $3,999.99 for the 85-inch version. The Pro versions, which include the enhanced audio system, start at $1,999.99 for the 55-inch model and reach $4,999.99 for the 85-inch model. These models are expected to be available in September 2024, along with accessories like the movable floor stand priced at $699.99 and matching table feet at $149.99. It’s unclear if the art library and GenAI art features are available along with the TV or incur an added subscription.

The post TCL’s Ultra-Slim 1.1 Inch NXTFRAME Smart TVs with AI Art Generation and Built-in Art Gallery first appeared on Yanko Design.

Celebrate International Cat Day with this Adorable Sleeping Cat-shaped TWS Earbuds Case!

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The TWS Earbuds case is perhaps the most fertile ground for design exploration. Companies have put screens on them, buttons on them, even shaped them like Deadpool or a Pokeball, and now Japan-based Radius Co., Ltd. is turning the humble earbuds case into a symbol of feline love. Dubbed the Neko Earbuds, these wearables come in a case that looks like a little cat snoozing in a cat basket. The case sports a variety of cat-themed colors, from white to beige and black, and flip the cat open and you see it casually warming your earbuds the way sometimes pets snooze on your slippers to keep them toasty!

Designer: Radius Co., Ltd.

TWS earbuds are literally a dime a dozen, and I’ll be honest, most of them have absolutely uninspiring designs. That’s where something like the Neko really catches the eye. The outer appearance is really a perfect playground for design intervention, and the folks at Ritual did an absolutely stand-up job. The Neko instantly catches the eye and melts the heart. The cat resting adorably in its cat-bed is a universal symbol of eternal cuteness. The cats come in 3 colors, the bed features fish-shaped LED battery indicators, and the inside of the case houses earbuds with a marbled plastic design, ensuring that no two earbuds look the same – sort of like how no two cats have the same personality.

Designed less to be carried in your pocket and more for WFH or tabletop audio requirements, the Neko TWS Earbuds feel almost like a desktop collectible than like tech. Sure, you can slip them right into your pocket or backpack if you want to travel, but given how adorable they look, they’re best suited kept on your table along with other toys and trinkets, etc.

As far as hardware goes, the Neko boasts pretty solid mid-level specs. You’ve got 6.1 mm dynamic drivers, a 20 Hz-20,000 Hz frequency response, Bluetooth 5.3 for up to 10 meters (33 feet) of wireless audio transmission, and IPX4 water resistance (just like cats, keep these earphones away from water). However, the product’s UX boasts a neat twist. Any announcements for calls are made in a feline voice, and tapping your earbuds 5 times activates the Neko’s ‘Purr Mode’, which gives you 3 glorious minutes of purring sounds playing directly in your ear.

The fish-shaped battery indicator is a beautiful touch, adding an easter-egg of sorts to the already adorable design. Speaking of battery, the earphones deliver a solid 3.5 hours of use, extendable to 17.5 hours when used with the charging case. Flip it over and a USB-C port on the back lets you nourish your cat-themed earphones.

The Neko TWS Earbuds were announced as a precursor to International Cat Day (on the 8th of August), for people who love to wear their feline love on their sleeve or in their ears. Priced at 8,822 Yen (around $60 USD), the earbuds garnered more than 10,000 pre-orders on the website following virality on social media (I totally understand the hype).  The earbuds are due to ship starting 8th August, and a portion of the sales are also going to be donated to a rescue organization for street cats in Japan.

The post Celebrate International Cat Day with this Adorable Sleeping Cat-shaped TWS Earbuds Case! first appeared on Yanko Design.

CNC-Machined Curved Design allows these Wood Boxes to stack perfectly without Joinery or Magnets

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Think of a box and every single one your mind imagines will probably be made of 6 flat surfaces, forming either a cube or cuboid. Studio Entrandan wanted to reimagine this box, this pixel of our everyday life, as something with a little more dynamism and visual vitality… not just for the sake of making a curved box, but for the sake of making a box that’s MORE useful.

To do so, the London-based product design studio looked to the golden rectangle, expanding the box, creating a proportionate ellipse, and carrying the curve to the top and the bottom of the box. The result is a box that still has flat walls, but boasts a curved base and top. Why, you ask? So that the boxes can naturally stack one on another without requiring lips and grooves or any extra details. Boxes dominate our lives because of their natural ability to stack without any dead space – with this set, Studio Entrandan celebrates that stackable property through a clean design, with a gorgeous visual twist. These boxes are a gorgeous combination of minimal design with clever detailing. Perfect for people who just want to have a wooden set of containers on their work desk or their dining table (or anywhere, really), the Box Set comes with 3 boxes of varying heights, and a lid that also serves as a nifty tray to store items like rings, other jewelry, or even stationery.

Designer: Studio Entrandan

Click Here to Buy Now: $151 $188.75 (20% off). Hurry, only a few left!

The idea of redesigning something as fundamental as your everyday box came from playing around with ellipses and having them overlap one another. As soon as the idea began taking shape, the folks at Studio Entrandan immediately mocked up a 3D model and printed it out to test its feasibility. However, their intention was never to make the final product out of plastic. Choosing wood instead, the boxes were given a distinct EDC appeal. Borrowing from Scandinavian design influences (and even from their timber), the boxes look gorgeous when kept on any tabletop surface. Their curved base is cleverly designed to still sit flat on flat surfaces… but the minute you stack them one above the other, they tuck into each other (think of how dinner plates stack on top of another).

The boxes measure 200mm x 80mm (7.8in x 3.1in) and have varying heights for storing different items. They’re perfect for stationery, cutlery, EDC, your bedside belongings, or even tech like cables, AirPods, etc. The set includes 3 boxes and a lid, all of which can either orient one on top of another, or be used independently. Their shape makes them uniquely eye-catching to anyone who has an appreciation of craftsmanship and good design… but ultimately, they’re minimalist pieces that blend into your decor.

Each of the boxes are CNC machined out of a single block of wood, giving them the accuracy you’d probably expect from metal or plastic containers. Curves on the bottom and the top of the boxes are precision-machined to match into each other, allowing the boxes to stack naturally one on another the way plates do. The curves nest into each other in a way that’s appealing to the eye, allowing you to organize your boxes without joineries, magnets, or anything else. “Before production, we usually let our timber rest and acclimate for two weeks,” Huang mentions. “However, because timber is an organic material, it is constantly changing. Factors such as humidity, temperature, and sunlight can alter its shape.” This adds a unique natural touch to your boxes (think of it as a patina), although the makers recommend that if your boxes wobble a little too much because their tolerances no longer match, a little sandpaper does the trick. Followed by a coating of wood oil to restore their waterproofing.

The set of 3 boxes and a lid start at $151 and ship globally. Each box is CNC-machined out of a single block of wood, and Studio Entrandan offers a choice between Black Walnut, Cherry, and White Oak. You can buy multiple sets, or even individual containers to add to your collection.

Click Here to Buy Now: $151 $188.75 (20% off). Hurry, only a few left!

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Teenage Engineering debuts new $300 Sampler… but it’s only Medieval Sounds and Gregorian Chants

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Medieval-themed Teenage Engineering Audio Gear was definitely not on my Bingo card this year.

Building on the success of its EP-133 K.O.II sampler from not too long ago, the quirky audio-tech company just debuted the EP-1230, a variant of the K.O.II with a medieval twist. Featuring old-timey instruments like the hurdy-gurdy and the bowed harp, sound effects like swords clashing or even a dragon roar, along with 9 original songs, and a bunch of effects (there’s even a Torture Chamber Reverb setting), this biblically accurate sampler is perfect for people looking to experiment with their sonic portfolio, making audio for medieval-themed games like your Dungeons & Dragons sessions, or perhaps trying to emulate the musical genres of a certain Woodkid.

Designer: Teenage Engineering

The EP-1230 is almost exactly like its predecessor in format, except for the ye-olde overhaul. It sports a rather beige color scheme, with medieval fonts on the keys as well as a medieval typeface on the seven-segment screen. Switch it on and you’ve got hundreds of sounds to choose from, featuring everything from old instruments to audio loops, original songs, and even SFX or foley sounds. You may find navigating the settings a bit of a learning curve because even the language on the keys is in Latin, but that’s all a part of the charm I guess.

Beyond its extensive sound library, the EP-1320 is a fully functional instrument. Its intuitive interface features pressure-sensitive pads for triggering samples, a built-in sequencer for arranging musical ideas, and a suite of effects processors to add depth and character to sounds. The device also invites you to build on its capabilities by recording your own sounds through its built-in microphone and line input. Whether it’s capturing the rhythmic hammering of a blacksmith’s forge or the haunting melody of a traditional instrument, the EP-1320 empowers musicians to infuse their creations with a personal touch. The sampler’s compact size and battery-powered operation make it a versatile tool for both studio and on-the-go music making.

The overall design of the EP-1230 is interesting, as it literally applies a medieval skin onto what’s ostensibly a very quirky contemporary-looking sampler. That fusion isn’t something most companies can pull off (it’s giving Medieval Winamp skin), but I guess if I had to trust a company with doing a good job, it would probably be Teenage Engineering. That being said, the market for a medieval-themed sampler could possibly be a lot slimmer than one for the company’s other products. The EP-1230 is up on Teenage Engineering’s website for $300 (the same as the EP-133 K.O.II), and enthusiasts can even grab themselves a medieval quilt bag, leather keychain, or tee shirt to complete the ‘look’.

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Tabletop Wind Tunnel lets you Run Aerodynamic Tests on your entire Die-Cast Toy Car Collection

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Ever seen those behind-the-scenes videos of car design where they show the vehicle prototype in a wind tunnel test? These tunnels blast streams of smoke towards a car, and engineers analyze how the smoke lines contour and travel down the car’s body – it’s a phenomenal way of accurately analyzing literal air movement or aerodynamism… and there’s a company that’s now selling a scaled-down version of the wind tunnel that is small enough to place on your desk. Starting at just $159, the Windsible is a desk toy that lets you scale down and mimic automotive wind tunnel tests that usually require infrastructure worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Designed to be used with your die-cast car collection (Hot Wheels, Maisto, Fastlane, Matchbox, etc.) or even your small-scale LEGO Technic builds, the Windsible turns your static car into a kinetic art installation, allowing you to actually capture the beauty of wind tunnel tests on a scale compact enough to sit on your workspace tabletop!

Designers: Jayden Han and Jarvis Jiang

Click Here to Buy Now: $159 $239 (33% off). Hurry, only a few left! Raised over $260,000.

Miniaturized Wind Tunnel for Your Die-Cast Collection

Perhaps the most exciting way to display your car collection, the Windsible also lets you perform the same tests that engineers did on real cars before they were released. The tabletop gizmo comes in 3 sizes, depending on the scale of your toy cars. The smallest 1:64 scale is perfect for tiny Hot Wheels and matchbox cars, while the mid-size 1:24 scale and large 1:18 scale are for bigger car models.

A fogger on the front generates smoke, allowing you to visualize aerodynamic drag in real-time, while lights on the back of the Windsible turn bright red, paying a hat-tip to car taillights. A knob lets you turn the Windsible on and adjust the wind intensity (while a display tells you the wind speed), and the transparent casing gives you a glorious view of the wind tunnel test in action from both the side as well as the top.

Visualize Aerodynamics in Action

The Windsible generates airflow using a series of fans that are precisely calibrated to simulate the real-world conditions of a life-size wind tunnel. Modular smoke cartridges produce a fine mist, which can be adjusted and calibrated to get different shapes and patterns. A knob on the outside lets you adjust wind speed, while LEDs inside the tunnel’s main chamber illuminate both your car as well as the smoke lines, allowing you to observe fluid dynamics in action.

The fogger and fog fluid are designed to be easy to use and maintain, ensuring that the device remains operational with minimal effort. A mild, non-toxic oil-based fog fluid also prevents your expensive car collection from being damaged by mist or water vapor contact.

More Than Just a Toy: A Learning Tool for Enthusiasts and Professionals

Depending on its size, the Windsible accepts die-cast cars or even 3D-printed models. A linear chamber allows you to place any design of your choice in, and test aerodynamics. Designed to be silent, odorless, and incredibly precise, the Windsible is perfect for analyzing the drag coefficient of your favorite cars or even your design prototypes. The smoke glides seamlessly down smooth surfaces, pooling around at corners and edges to help you visualize how your car would cut through air as it moved down the road. Adjust the wind speed and you can see the tunnel’s results exaggerate further, depicting accurately what it would be like, driving at high speeds – and whether the car’s aerodynamic design actually translates to fuel efficiency. Different car designs exhibit vastly different results, allowing you to understand exactly how automotive surface design works.

The Windsible was conceptualized at Cranfield University by Steven, an engineer with a passion for aviation and vehicles. Steven’s expertise in aviation and vehicle design laid the groundwork for the product. Joining forces with Axia, a vehicle engineering expert from Politecnico di Torino, and Jayden, a skilled vehicle designer, the team combined their talents to create a Windsible that was not only technically sound but also visually striking and extremely user-friendly.

Bring Your Collection to Life: A Breathtaking Display Piece

The entire miniature wind tunnel runs on a DC power supply, which provides juice to the fogger system, the aerial LEDs, the display on the front, and the edge-lit futuristic taillights at the back. The Windsible’s build is fairly robust, which means you can even use it to display your rare and expensive car miniature models. Whether you’re a designer, a collector, an enthusiast with a penchant for cool objects, or even a technical professional who would like to perform small-scale tests on their models, the Windsible makes for an incredibly eye-catching and breathtaking tabletop gizmo. The smallest model starts at $159, while the medium and large variants are priced at $199 and $289 respectively, which includes a 1-year warranty along with global shipping. No matter which size you go for, each Windsible comes with a DC power adapter, 2 modular smoke cartridges, a fogger, a bottle of fog fluid, a cleaning cloth for keeping your Windsible spotless, and a user manual.

Click Here to Buy Now: $159 $239 (33% off). Hurry, only a few left! Raised over $260,000.

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The Gorgeous Dunkirk Watch pays tribute to the Boats that rescued British Soldiers during WW2

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The year was 1940. Thousands of Allied soldiers were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk, France. The enemy was closing in fast. Panic spread as the soldiers looked out to sea, hoping for rescue ships. With every tick of the clock, their chances of escape grew slimmer. The Germans were quickly advancing to the shores, effectively surrounding thousands of soldiers and trapping them in what could only be viewed as certain death. That was until nearly 700 boats started appearing on the horizon. Sailing over from the UK, these boats gave the Allied soldiers the escape route they needed. Among them, a British fireboat called the Massey Shaw was responsible for saving as many as 600 soldiers.

It’s estimated that over 300,000 British and French soldiers were rescued that day from an impending German massacre. To pay tribute to the boats that ventured out to rescue the soldiers, and the Massey Shaw fireboat in particular, William Wood designed the Dunkirk Watch. Inspired by the boat’s engine order telegraph, the Dunkirk Watch has a face featuring various commands that the captain would trigger while commandeering the boat’s engine.

Designer: William Wood

The Dunkirk Watch is perfect for history buffs and steamboat nerds who like wearing a relic of marine exploration on their wrists. The watch’s face gorgeously captures the details of the engine order telegraph seen on almost all boats from that time. The telegraph would have a handle that you could rotate to select one of multiple commands, allowing your boat to stay still or move ahead. The handle would have a hollow window, allowing you to ‘highlight’ an option on the telegraph – so to celebrate that, the watch boasts hollow outline-shaped hour and minute hands.

On the side of the watch, two red pipes reference the Massey Shaw’s firefighting system, comprised of multiple red pipes that pumped water to help douse fires. Inside, a Sellita SW200 movement powers the timepiece. The watch also comes with luminous markings on the dial and straps made from military leather as well as fabric from firefighter suits. Flip the watch over and you’re greeted with artwork on the back, capturing the tense scene of Operation Dynamo which rescued roughly 338,000 soldiers from the shores of Dunkirk. In the center of the artpiece is a small metal fragment pulled from the engine of the Massey Shaw, putting literal history on your wrist. The watch also has the message “We Will Remember Them” inscribed on the back, along with a serial number unique to each timepiece.

The Massey Shaw played a pivotal role in Britain’s history through the years. While it was best remembered for its role in Operation Dynamo, the London Fire Brigade Fireboat also helped save St. Paul’s Cathedral in London during the German Blitz. It’s said that planes dropped as many as 28 bombs on the cathedral in December of 1940, but the Massey Shaw continuously pumped water from the Thames, keeping the cathedral standing even after an intense bombing campaign. In 1947, the fireboat was one of many secret meeting locations that helped form what we know today as Britain’s NHS or National Health Service.

The Massey Shaw was retired from service in 1971, and now sits on London’s harbor, with a scheduled visit to Dunkirk in 2025 to mark the event’s 80-year anniversary. Aside from making the watch, William Wood also donated £10,000 to help repair and restore the Massey Shaw. The first 600 people to purchase the Dunkirk Watch will also receive a commemorative limited-edition Operation Dynamo coin, and will even have their names engraved on a plaque installed within the Massey Shaw.

The Dunkirk Watch starts at £3,995.00 GBP ($5100 USD approx), and delivers in November 2024. You can order yours on William Wood’s website.

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Mini-PC the size of a Mac Studio comes with a Ryzen 9 Chipset and a 7-inch Touchscreen

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Imagine if your iPad Mini had ports, a powerful computer, and the ability to work alongside your main machine as a perfect productivity sidekick. That’s what the Miniproca is aiming to be.

Slightly wider than a Mac Studio (thanks to its rectangular design), the Miniproca is a mini PC with the attitude of a conventional desktop. Equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor, this mini-PC delivers robust performance capable of handling demanding tasks with ease. Complementing the processor are Radeon RX 680M graphics, which ensure smooth visuals for gaming, video editing, and other graphically intensive applications. However, the mini PC also packs a 7-inch touchscreen on the top that folds outwards to face you, turning it into what I can only describe is the opposite of a laptop. The tiny touchscreen display becomes the Miniproca’s visual unit, allowing you to use your PC in a variety of ways. Sure, you could use it as a secondary display while you connect a larger monitor to the Miniproca, or the touchscreen could become your dashboard or widget center, acting as a place to display other core information, whether it’s stock prices for traders, gaming stats for gamers, hotkeys for streamers, or just YouTube or Netflix on the side while you work for most people.

Designer: Miniproca

Click Here to Buy Now: $699 $1259 (44% off) Hurry, only 9 days left.

The Miniproca really tries to create a new category of computing by combining two existing categories – the mini tablet, and the mini PC. Tablets are great because they’re touch-sensitive and portable… but they’re not powerful. A mini PC on the other hand packs power, but without a screen. In comes the Miniproca, hitting two birds with the same stone. The integrated touchscreen transforms the device into a versatile computing solution. The touchscreen can be positioned in various angles, from flat to a 90-degree upright position, offering flexibility for different use cases. As a secondary monitor, it can enhance productivity by providing additional workspace for applications, communication tools, or reference materials. For those seeking a more portable setup, the Miniproca can serve as a standalone device, with the touchscreen providing a convenient interface for various tasks.

Design-wise, the Miniproca adopts a minimalist aesthetic that complements modern workspaces. Its aluminum alloy chassis exudes durability while maintaining a sleek profile. The standout feature is the integrated 7-inch touchscreen, which flips up to reveal a multi-touch display. This innovative design offers flexibility in usage, allowing it to function as a standalone device, a secondary monitor, or even a digital photo frame. The inclusion of anti-slip pads on the base ensures stability on various surfaces.

Under the hood, the Miniproca packs a powerful punch. At its core lies an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor, delivering robust performance for demanding tasks such as video editing, content creation, and gaming. Complementing the CPU is Radeon RX 680M graphics, capable of handling visually intensive applications with ease. Users can further enhance performance by opting for up to 32GB of DDR5 memory and a spacious 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.

Connectivity is a crucial aspect of any modern computing device, and the Miniproca doesn’t disappoint. The device boasts a comprehensive array of ports, including HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and a mix of USB 2.0, 3.2, and Type-C options (in theory, you can connect as many as 3 monitors to the Miniproca, giving you a multi-display setup). Dual Ethernet LAN ports cater to users who prioritize wired connections for stability. Wireless connectivity is ensured through Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E, allowing seamless integration with other devices.

The Miniproca measures 175 x 137 x 55 mm and weighs 855g, making it highly portable and a great complementary machine to a laptop or existing peripherals. The Miniproca is currently available for pre-order on Kickstarter. Pricing starts at US$699 for the base model with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, while the top-tier configuration with 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage is priced at US$919.

Click Here to Buy Now: $699 $1259 (44% off) Hurry, only 9 days left.

The post Mini-PC the size of a Mac Studio comes with a Ryzen 9 Chipset and a 7-inch Touchscreen first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Tiny Titanium Screwdriver with 8 Interchangeable Bits is Compact Enough to Fit on your Keychain

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A little larger than your average AA battery, the Otacle D1 is a toolkit small enough to fit on your keychain. Made from a titanium outer body, the Otacle D1 opens up to reveal not one but four double-sided hex bits that fit into the handle-shaped cylindrical outer body. Dock a bit in either at the front for a regular driving experience, or at the back for a high-torque screwdriver and the world is literally your oyster. You can assemble, disassemble, repair, or even tinker with objects around you without needing to fish out your massive screwdriver kit.

Designer: OKNIFE

Click Here to Buy Now

Designed by the folks at OKNIFE, the Otacle D1 is all about practicality. It’s compact enough to hang out with your keys on your keychain, but has a flap that opens to reveal a crawl-space for storing 4 double-sided hex bits. The Otacle D1’s body is machined from Titanium, a common material found in the EDC industry these days, which also vastly increases its durability while allowing it to be fairly lightweight at just 1.5 oz (42.5 g).

The entire device measures under 3 inches long, while being broad enough to offer a sturdy grip. The rounded square cross-section enhances the grip too, allowing you to twist and turn with confidence. Just in case the screws you’re working with are on the stiffer side, the Otacle D1 offers high-torque operation too. Instead of mounting the bit on front, you can mount it sideways using a hole at the back (shown above), which allows you to apply more turning pressure to loosen tight screws. It also lets you work in tighter spaces where the screwdriver won’t fit in a linear manner.

The Otacle D1 comes in silver and titanium-blue variants, although there’s also a brass version with the graphic of a crack on it if you want something a little edgy. The D1 comes with 4 S2 steel bits included, tucked away in the magnetic holder inside the D1’s hidden compartment. There’s also a lanyard hole at the back (aside from the bit-mounting hole) for stringing a cord or attaching a keyring, so you can carry your toolkit in your pocket or around your neck!

Click Here to Buy Now

The post This Tiny Titanium Screwdriver with 8 Interchangeable Bits is Compact Enough to Fit on your Keychain first appeared on Yanko Design.

World’s Lightest and Thinnest Smart Ring from RingConn boasts 12-day Battery and AI-health tracking

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Before you go out on a limb buying a Galaxy or Oura ring, the RingConn Gen 2 already holds the title for being the thinnest/lightest smart ring. It still manages to also boast of a 2-week-long battery life, the ability to track your health and sleep with AI-powered insights, IP68 water resistance, and here’s the kicker… a subscription-less smartphone app that gives you all your health data without hiding behind a paywall. With not one but TWO design awards under its belt, the RingConn Gen 2 boasts a $209 starting price – less than half of what its competitor’s smart rings go for. Here’s everything the Gen 2 can do…

Designer: RingConn

Click Here to Buy Now: $209 $299 (30% off). Hurry, only 742/5800 left! Raised over $1.3 million.

Lighter than an AirPod, Thinner than a Credit Card

I’ve long proclaimed the superiority of smart rings to smartwatches. They’re ultimately a bunch of sensors hooked together – but the smart ring does offer a much more efficient format. It’s minimalist, can be worn alongside other rings (you can’t wear two watches), and all your data goes to your smartphone so your ring doesn’t need to worry about having its own display. This translates to a MUCH longer battery life, and the absence of a second display to get addicted to or to have inundate you with notifications. Smart rings are almost ALWAYS designed to be entirely waterproof so you can even swim with them, and they usually last a week or more on a full charge, making them vastly more superior to smartwatches.

Weighing between 2-3 grams, the RingConn’s Gen 2 is lighter than a single AirPod (which weighs 4 grams), and with a cross-section that’s 2mm wide, the ring is also about as thin as your average credit card. That lightweight and sleek form factor makes it perfect for wearing all-day every day because chances are within a few hours of slipping it on, you’ll forget you’re wearing it. Meanwhile, the ring will be hard at work, tracking your sleep, fitness/activity, heart rate, body temperature, stress levels, sleep apnea, and even acting as your period calendar (for women wearers).

Comprehensive AI-powered Sleep + Health Tracking

The RingConn Gen 2 does everything any wrist-worn health tracker does, but better. Its upgraded photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors can measure heart rate, heart rate variability, and blood oxygen levels with great accuracy. These sensors are embedded in a design that takes advantage of the finger’s unique anatomy, which allows for MUCH more precise readings compared to wrist-based devices. The temperature sensor gauges your temperature levels as well as fluctuations, pairing it with your heart rate data to get a sense of your stress levels or even if you’re on your period. Combine all three with the accelerometer and the Gen 2 captures all your steps and other physical activity, tracking various sports from running to cycling, soccer, swimming, and a bunch more.

At the end of your day, the ring also tracks your sleep using AI. In 2024, RingConn unveiled its first transformer-based deep learning model for sleep apnea detection – the ring uses this AI-based learning model to identify sleep risk events that could be affecting your health – something other smart rings currently cannot because they haven’t built out such AI models. The more you wear the ring, the more it learns and the more personalized it becomes, getting better at tracking and identifying your quality of sleep and even detecting any drops in blood oxygen caused by apnea events and obstructed breathing (snoring, etc.)

Fitness Insights without a Monthly Subscription

I can’t stress this enough but your health should never be behind a paywall. It really doesn’t make sense to buy a fitness tracker only to then have an app that gates pro-level health tracking metrics behind a subscription model. To that end, the RingConn Gen 2 makes a pretty bold claim of not hiding behind any sort of freemium or premium business model. The RingConn app, available for Android and iOS devices, is free to use, and locally backs up all your health data. This allows you to monitor your health even when your smartphone isn’t connected to the internet. Picture yourself trekking in the wilderness with no cellular service but still being able to track your metrics in real-time.

Your health data is also compatible with leading fitness apps such as Apple Health and Google Health Connect, allowing you to comprehensively track workouts, sports, and all other activities within one singular dashboard. For specific insights, the RingConn app is still your go-to destination… and its sleep-tracking feature gives you a holistic look at your body’s metrics through your entire sleep journey, allowing you to catch any potential concerning events immediately. The app also analyzes data throughout the day to provide a detailed stress index and ratio, helping you gain a clear understanding of your stress levels. Additionally, the RingConn Gen 2 features comprehensive menstrual health tracking right within the app, allowing users to monitor cycles, predict ovulation, and track symptoms for deeper insights into their health patterns.

Sleek Metal Design with 12-day Battery Life

The RingConn sports a hypoallergenic aerospace-grade titanium alloy exterior, while the inside of the ring has a medical-grade epoxy coating that allows the sensors to work accurately when in contact against the skin. Between these two layers lie all the hardware and sensors that power the Gen 2, along with a best-in-class battery. Lasting a stunning 5 more days than even the Galaxy and Oura rings, the RingConn Gen 2 boasts a 12-day battery life. It’s rather impressive considering exactly how small and thin the Gen 2 ring is. When the ring runs low on charge, it comes with its own charging case that begins working the second you slip the ring into its cylindrical platform. A simple 2-hour charge brings the Gen 2 ring’s battery to 100%, lasting nearly 2 weeks… and the case houses its own 500mAh battery so you can charge your ring without necessarily having the case plugged in.

The RingConn Gen 2 boasts a starting price of $209, which includes the ring itself, the charging case, and free global shipping. Upgrading to the $239 package also gives you a clear silicone ring protector and a separate bedside charging dock. The RingConn Gen 2 comes in 3 colors – Future Silver, Royal Gold, and Matte Black, across 9 sizes, ranging from a size #6 to a size #14 depending on your index finger’s diameter.

Click Here to Buy Now: $209 $299 (30% off). Hurry, only 742/5800 left! Raised over $1.3 million.

The post World’s Lightest and Thinnest Smart Ring from RingConn boasts 12-day Battery and AI-health tracking first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Urwerk-inspired Watch has a Stunning Custom Linear Movement within its Titanium Watch Body

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For the Urwerk and MB&F fans on a budget, the MS1001-Ti does what those brands do best – it challenges the very archetype of a wristwatch on every level… but does so on a $319 price tag.

Take one glance at the MS1001-Ti watch from MECEXP and I guarantee you’ll be compelled to look again and again. The watch’s avant-garde design goes beyond its chiseled shape. Instead of one watch face, it sports two – in the form of linear windows on the left and right, with moving arrows that point at the hours and minutes respectively. The windows are separated by a metal channel that serves as branding, but also provides cover for the watch’s unique backlight, giving the entire timetelling experience a modern facelift. The watch itself boasts a titanium alloy outer casing, complete with sapphire crystals on the front… and on the inside, the entire watch runs on MECEXP’s own self-developed movement, drawing power from a lithium-ion battery that recharges using a contact-point charger like the ones you get with smartwatches. In short, there’s nothing conventional about the MS1001-Ti and that’s precisely what makes it so incredible.

Designer: MECEXP

Click Here to Buy Now: $319

I know it’s an overused metaphor but the MS1001-Ti does share a lot spiritually with the Cybertruck. It challenges existing norms, comes with a uniquely geometric design and a highly durable construction, and runs on a lithium battery. In short, it’s electric on the inside, and unconventionally edgy on the outside. The watch itself sports a machined titanium-alloy body, known for being both hypoallergenic and hyper-durable. The oddly appealing low-poly design puts the watch in a visual class of its own, while its linear time-telling experience instantly turns it into an iconic wristwatch.

The time-telling UX is a masterclass in its own right. The watch doesn’t come with rotating hands or a digital screen. Instead, it uses a screw-based linear flyback movement and a traveling arrow to help tell the time. This unorthodox experience doesn’t require a learning curve – simply put, the hour is indicated on the left, and the minutes on the right. CNC motors operate the rotating screw, which allows the arrow to travel up and down the hour or minute window. It’s an experience that just as satisfying to watch as it is easy to read. Clear, large, 3D numbers on either side make the time easy to read in broad daylight… and if you want some added flair, pressing the crown on the side triggers the watch’s blue backlight, allowing you to read the time at night too.

A lithium-ion battery powers the entire experience bridging the gap between horology and technology. The MS1001-Ti replaces the conventional spring with CNC motors, which utilize digital programming and digital tracking for time calibration. “The complicated mechanical movement of the watch is achieved through algorithmic programming, perfectly integrating modern intelligence with mechanical timekeeping,” say the folks at MECEXP. In short, this timepiece isn’t for traditionalists or purists.

The MS1001-Ti bases itself on the company’s MS1001 design from not too long ago. The upgraded variant now sports a titanium outer shell, making it more durable but simultaneously lighter than its predecessor, weighing a mere 86 grams or 3 ounces, while also boasting a marginally larger dial and display window. The display window is capped with anti-scratch sapphire crystal which also gives the watch up to 30 meters or 3ATM of water resistance. Meanwhile, fluoro rubber straps offer a classic yet sporty aesthetic with the added benefit of being water/weather resistant. The inner 270mAh battery lasts a respectable 35 days on a full charge, and a contact-based charging cable lets you recharge your watch in a jiffy.

Despite its groundbreakingly different design and movement, the MS1001-Ti starts at an affordable $319, which includes a classy packaging box, a charging cable, 2 years of warranty, and free global shipping.

Click Here to Buy Now: $319

The post This Urwerk-inspired Watch has a Stunning Custom Linear Movement within its Titanium Watch Body first appeared on Yanko Design.