Author Archives: Sarang Sheth

This gorgeous Umbrella-inspired lampshade can be opened or closed to adjust brightness

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A worthy winner of last year’s Tyvek Design Awards, the Wagasa Lamp has a beautiful design and an even more alluring interaction that lets you adjust the lamp’s brightness. Taking inspiration from the shape of an umbrella or parasol, the lamp comes with a shade made from flexible Tyvek fabric (developed by DuPont) attached to wooden rods. The lamp can be unfurled or shut like an umbrella, exposing or enclosing the empty space within, which increases or decreases the amount of light that makes its way out of the lamp. This unique interaction gives the Wagasa Lamp just one of those beautiful user experiences that makes it an instant crowd favorite – but even more importantly, the lamp’s innately Asian/Japanese aesthetic makes it a wonderful inclusion in any minimalist or oriental-themed home!

Designer: Solenn Roch

The Wagasa lamp’s design comprises just two materials outside the lamp’s bulb and electrical housing. You’ve got the Tyvek shade, made of two sheets of the synthetic paper-like material, and a wooden structure that holds the Tyvek shades up, allowing you to adjust their position. “The translucent Dupont Tyvek material diffuses light softly, creating a warm atmosphere,” mentions Swiss-based Solenn Roch.

The design is almost identical to the kind of umbrellas found in cocktails and drinks, and operates the same way too. Here, a threaded base lets you rotate a knob to adjust the open-ness or closed-ness of the umbrella, while the outer umbrella cone’s width helps determine the lamp’s brightness. When completely opened/horizontal, the lamp allows much more light to filter outwards from the top and bottom, diffusing wonderfully through the Tyvek shade. Close it, however, and the conical area decreases, also closing the empty space inside the lamp to create a smaller illuminating area. The controls aren’t precise, but they’re fun as heck, and you’ll find yourself constantly reaching for the rotating knob to show off the lamp to your guests!

The current prototype is made out of 3D-printed plastic parts, although Solenn hopes to make a version out of natural wood soon.

The beauty of the Wagasa lamp lies entirely in its simplicity and playfulness. In a lot of ways, principally, it works quite similar to the IKEA PS 2014 Pendant Lamp, but while that lamp allures with its uniquely faceted pattern, this one is just a call-back to a simpler time, coupled with a wonderfully Eastern-themed minimalist aesthetic.

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Meet the wall-mounted modular organizing system that’s even more flexible than IKEA’s pegboards

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There was a Seinfeld episode from back in the day where Jerry’s date (a wardrobe designer) proposed a radical idea for Jerry’s closet. Instead of shelves and rods, what if the entire closet was just hooks? Hundreds of hooks everywhere for you to hang all your clothes on – a radical concept when it comes to fashion, but practically speaking, just a wardrobe version of the popular pegboard. Pegboards gained popularity in the DIY community for people who wanted to mount their workshop tools on one vertical surface, having them accessible just when you needed them. The clever idea soon was converted into something more home-friendly by IKEA with their own version, named SKÅDIS. However, IKEA’s pegboard still had limitations – you could only use products from the IKEA ecosystem with the SKÅDIS, but moreover, the SKÅDIS wasn’t designed for every possible use-case. That’s where Wallwerx comes in. Wallwerks presents a pegboard-based system that can be used for pretty much everything, from holding workshop tools to jars of M&Ms. It’s modular, flexible, easy to use, and the best part, you don’t even need a pegboard – the Wallwerx attachments can even mount right into any wall. Use it in your kitchen, garage, living room, study, or even in the bathroom – if you need vertical storage, Wallwerx pretty much has you covered.

Designer: Mark Zalme

Click Here to Buy Now: $69 $119 ($50 off). Hurry, only 12/20 left!

Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast, a crafting maven, a culinary whiz, or a gaming aficionado, Wallwerx seamlessly integrates into your space. It was created by Mark Zalme, a DIY aficionado who found himself getting increasingly frustrated with not having his tools accessible while working in his garage. Realizing that pegboards were great but had their limitations, Zalme designed Wallwerx, a series of pegboard-compatible attachments designed to hold pretty much every object under the sun. What’s more? Unlike traditional pegboard attachments, the Wallwerx system is strong and secure, ensuring items stay put, yet can be easily relocated if desired. The best part, they worked with standard pegboards, but even if you didn’t have one, you could simply attach Wallwerx to any regular wall or drywall. Wallwerx brought a certain Seinfeld-level radical thinking to all types of storage, allowing you to turn practically any vertical surface into a storage area.

From the pantry + kitchen…

To the workspace!

Use it in your gameroom.

And your creative space.

Wallwerx can be split into its two crucial parts – a baseplate that plugs onto pegboards or attaches onto walls, and a series of attachments that mount onto the baseplate, giving you hooks/hangers/clips to store practically anything you need. Installing Wallwerx is a breeze, requiring just two simple steps. Attach the baseplate to your desired surface, twist on your preferred attachments, and voilà – your personalized organization system is ready to go. The Wallwerx baseplate is a cleverly designed little gizmo that plugs into standard pegboards, but even has the option of being drilled into concrete walls or drywalls. Once the baseplate’s been installed, simply twist on or off the attachment of your choice.

*Pegboard not required for assembly. Baseplates can be drilled into any wall or door. Just twist and remove the attachment, then relocate it to any baseplate.

The attachments are where Wallwerx’s flexibility gets put on display. Most traditional pegboards only let you hook stuff onto the pegboard’s perforations. Wallwerx comes with a series of storage attachments that make it perfect for the garage, workshop, closet, or even the kitchen. Hooks let you hang or rest objects, while looped holders give you the ability to secure other items. Wallwerx also offers a set of clips that let you plug in 4oz, 8oz, and 16oz jars, allowing you to store food like dry pasta/candy/spices, stationery like pencils/pens or tiny bits and bobs like screws/dowels/bolts. This flexibility makes Wallwerx perfect for pretty much any kind of room… and the fact that you can simply unplug an attachment means endless upgradability, modularity, and flexibility.

Wallwerx is designed and manufactured in the US using high-strength plastic that’s durable enough to hold all sorts of equipment. Given that pegboards are most commonly found in garages and workshops, the plastic baseplate and attachments are designed to be sturdy, secure, and failproof. They’re also easy to clean, making them perfect for greasy garages or even kitchens where things can get a tad messy sometimes. Designed for a variety of uses, Wallwerx is conveniently bundled in different kits, and can be customized with à la carte attachments. The Home Kit, featuring 168 different elements, is perfect for organizing a workbench or craft table. The Werxshop kit, with 256 pieces, is ideal for bringing order to your garage or entire craft room. You can even grab yourself a metal pegboard, just in case IKEA’s plastic pegboards aren’t your style.

Click Here to Buy Now: $69 $119 ($50 off). Hurry, only 12/20 left!

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This 11-in-1 Titanium EDC Multitool Also Transforms Into A Phone/Tablet Stand

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The term EDC broadly refers to a category of belongings referred to as ‘everyday carrys’. These could be everything from your watch, wallet, phone, to more obscure devices like pocket knives, multitools, flashlights, or even stationery. Most of the EDC we cover on this website falls within the tactical category, pocket blades, toolkits, Swiss-army multitools, etc. but the AceStand has a surprising feature that goes beyond your average set of features. Sure, it’ll open bottles and cans, tighten/loosen screws, and even help you start a fire outdoors… but it surprisingly also transforms into a tiny stand for your smartphone or tablet, making it uniquely useful enough that you’re sure to carry it everywhere with your phone and other belongings. It’s EDC for your EDC, simply put!

Designer: MeTool

Click Here to Buy Now: $59 $79 (25% off) Hurry! Only 16/480 units left!

What we personally love about the AceStand is the fact that it ticks all the right boxes when it comes to effective EDC design. It’s compact, rugged, versatile, and most importantly, it’s well-thought-out, with features you’ll appreciate almost immediately, and a few that you’ll come to love with time. It satisfies almost all EDC needs, whether it’s working with tools or repairing things, or opening items like bottles, cans, and envelopes. The fact that it’s made from titanium makes it rugged enough to pass down even to your great-grandchildren, although the built-in phone-stand may come handy now, but who’s to say if phones will even be a thing in the year 2100?!

The AceStand features a two-part body that pivots at one end, opening and closing somewhat like a clamshell. Magnets hold the device together when you need to keep the AceStand shut, providing a satisfying snap that lets you close the stand while not in need. However, opening the AceStand reveals the sheer wealth of tools integrated into the stand’s overall design. With as many as 11 different tools built-in, the AceStand becomes useful pretty much anywhere. Hex wrenches let you tighten and loosen bolts, square wrenches let you work with bicycle spokes, a standard hex bit sits sandwiched between two halves of the AceStand, and can be taken out and used for working with screws. One of the AceStand’s tip serves as a pry-bar for opening tins and prying apart nails, while the wedged design helps serve as a flint-scraper to start fires, or even a dull-enough edge to open boxes. The stand opens 180° into a flat 14-inch scale that’s perfect for drawing straight lines or even measuring, thanks to the inclusion of both metric and imperial units engraved into the top. A bottle opener can also be found in the stand’s design, letting you crack open a brewski while you’re in the middle of repairing, work, or outdoor exploration… and if a chilled beer isn’t much of a mood-lifter, the stand’s pièce de résistance is the fact that when opened at an acute angle, it lets you easily dock a phone or tablet into two cutouts on the top.

Working almost like an easel for your phone, the AceStand’s cutouts let you rest a smartphone or a tablet in both landscape and even portrait modes. The cutouts are fairly wide, working just as well with thick phone cases too, making the AceStand a rather handy tool to have for when you’re bored, when you quickly want to watch a YouTube tutorial while repairing something, or when you just want to keep your kid occupied at the dinner table at a restaurant.

Carefully placed magnets inside the AceStand let you dock a hex bit of your choice, while magnets at the tip help close the EDC when you’re done using it.

The AceStand measures roughly 7.5 inches when closed, and comes with a keychain slot that lets you easily string it along with your keys or even wear it across your neck like a modern dog tag. The fact that it weighs a paltry 53.3 grams (1.8 ounces) makes it an easy carry too. The entire stand comes machined from solid Grade-5 Titanium, making it durable, waterproof, corrosion-resistant, rust-proof, and incredibly reliable (don’t worry about it breaking while in use), and a clever inclusion of three tritium slots on the outside let you add glowing vials in your EDC, so that it’s visible even in the dark.

The AceStand starts at a discounted $59, ships globally, and should easily last decades even with sustained usage thanks to the titanium construction (even though the maker doesn’t explicitly provide a written guarantee).

Click Here to Buy Now: $59 $79 (25% off) Hurry! Only 16/480 units left!

Click Here to Buy Now: $59 $79 (25% off) Hurry! Only 16/480 units left!

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This Tiny Palm-Sized Drone is the Future of Battlefield Surveillance and Military Recon

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Quite reminiscent of the Hunter-seeker drones from the DUNE movie series, the Black Hornet 4 is shaping up to be an incredibly small yet exceptionally handy recon drone, capable of flying into areas unnoticed, and helping perform important surveillance required during military strategy and battle planning. This miniature marvel, weighing a mere 70 grams, packs a powerful array of features. Equipped with a 12-megapixel camera, superior low-light performance, and a high-resolution thermal imager, the Black Hornet 4 empowers soldiers with exceptional situational awareness on the ground.

Designer: Teledyne FLIR

However, its true potential lies in its ability to excel in challenging environments. Boasting a flight time exceeding 30 minutes, a range surpassing 2 kilometers, and the capability to withstand strong winds, the Black Hornet 4 navigates even the most demanding situations with ease. Additionally, its low visual and audible signature makes it ideal for covert operations, allowing for discreet deployment and data collection. The system’s ability to function in GPS-denied environments adds another layer of versatility, ensuring reliable operation regardless of external factors.

This innovative technology has already seen significant global adoption, with over 20,000 units deployed. The recent contract awarded by the U.S. Army for additional systems further underscores the Black Hornet 4’s impact. This tiny tech marvel represents a significant leap forward in the realm of personal reconnaissance, offering soldiers unprecedented capabilities and operational flexibility.

Beyond its military applications, the potential of the Black Hornet 4 extends to various civilian sectors. Search and rescue operations in disaster zones, environmental monitoring in remote areas, and even industrial inspections in hazardous environments could all benefit from the capabilities of this miniature marvel. As the technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see the Black Hornet 4, or similar systems, playing an increasingly crucial role in diverse fields, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of miniaturized aerial technology.

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Samsung’s Rollable Phones Will Be Able To Measure Air Quality, Thanks To A New Patent

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Representational Image

Your phone is an absolute jungle of sensors – it can measure temperature changes, pressure changes, touch input, voice input, environment brightness, gyroscopic tilt, movement, among quite a few other things… and now Samsung wants it to measure the air quality around you too. It might seem odd at first (I felt so too), but this feature ties in with the broader approach at making your phone or any other wearable a health-focused device. If your watch can tell you that you’re in a high-noise environment and you should consider protecting your hearing, why not have a phone tell you if the air you’re breathing is polluted or contaminated? A patent uncovered by Twitter user @xleaks7 and tech blog Pigtou highlights the integration of an air quality sensor into Samsung’s upcoming Rollable Smartphones. This effectively helps your phone constantly measure the air quality on a hyper-local level, letting you know if you need to ventilate your kitchen or living room, or if the area you’re in has bad air, prompting you to leave or put on a mask.

Designer: Samsung

Representational Image

Imagine a phone that unfurls to reveal a sensor, discreetly tucked away when not in use. This is the essence of Samsung’s patent. The phone’s rollable display transforms into a gateway for external air, allowing the sensor to take accurate readings without compromising the phone’s sleek design. This eliminates the need for bulky external components, a common drawback of conventional air quality monitors.

But what makes air quality monitoring so important? Air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5), poses a significant health risk. By integrating sensors into everyday devices, Samsung offers a solution for convenient, on-the-go air quality monitoring. This empowers users to make informed decisions about their health and well-being, especially when spending time outdoors or in unfamiliar environments.

Here are a few features highlighted in the patent:

  • Adjustable Housing Concept: Tailors the display size and regulates airflow for precise sensor functionality.
  • Flexible Display Technology: Adapts seamlessly to varying screen dimensions, maintaining device portability.
  • Innovative Airflow System: Channels external air directly to the air quality sensor, enhancing measurement accuracy and speed.
  • Intelligent Opening and Closing Mechanism: Seamlessly integrated with the housing, optimizing sensor performance by managing air intake.
  • Improved Sensor Response Time: Facilitates swift sensor reaction to air quality fluctuations, ensuring timely feedback to users.
  • Built-in Sensor Protection: Shields the sensor from internal contaminants, guaranteeing consistent air quality assessments.
  • Streamlined Design: Maximizes space utilization, keeping the device sleek without compromising functionality.

The implications extend beyond personal health. This technology has the potential to foster a more environmentally conscious society. By raising awareness of air quality fluctuations, users can be prompted to take action, such as using public transport on high-pollution days. This collective effort can contribute to cleaner air and a greener future.

Patent via USPTO

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Hilarious-looking Bicycle Helmet Gives You Bullet-like Aerodynamics… But Is It Worth it??

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“When you see how fast it is, you won’t laugh anymore,” says Jonas Vingegaard, who can be seen adorning the Aerohead II helmet. However, those gains in speed do have a trade-off… you end up looking as if someone designed a Daft Punk helmet for unicorns. And that’s me being very charitable.

Professional cycling, much like any competitive sport, is a constant dance between innovation and tradition. While aesthetics often hold a certain allure, function reigns supreme, which is why we have that viral video of a man who lays down stomach-first on his bicycle and cruises past all his opponents. Here, every component, from the frame and wheels to the rider’s clothing and even posture, is meticulously optimized to shave off precious seconds in the pursuit of victory. Helmets, however, have traditionally occupied a somewhat unique space, balancing safety with aerodynamics and maintaining a familiar, rounded form. The Aerohead II, however, pushes the limits of aerodynamics so far, that it’s worth discussing on a design blog. The one-of-a-kind design focuses solely on reducing wind resistance and redefines the future of time trial helmets.

Designers: Giro and Team Visma

Developed in collaboration with the Dutch racing team Team Visma/Lease a Bike, the Aerohead II looks like it materialized from a futuristic vision board. The most striking feature is the undeniably unconventional, long, wedge-shaped “nose cone” (yeah sure) that extends far ahead of the rider’s head. This design choice, coupled with a tapered tail section, aims to create a smooth, aerodynamic profile, minimizing the drag caused by the rider’s head and neck.

While the helmet’s appearance might bewilder some and inspire some nasty memes, its purpose is undeniable. Time trials are races against the clock, where even the slightest reduction in drag can translate to significant time savings. Unlike traditional helmets designed for everyday riding or commuting, the Aerohead II prioritizes pure speed, making it a specialist tool specifically crafted for the unique demands of time trialing.

It’s worth noting that the Aerohead II isn’t the first foray into aerodynamic headwear for cyclists. Back in 1986, Giro’s original Aerohead, designed for cyclist Greg LeMond, helped him secure victory in the Tour de France. However, the Aerohead II takes things a step further, adopting a more extreme design and incorporating a wider, wraparound visor for improved visibility when the rider is in the low, tucked position crucial for optimal aerodynamics.

The helmet has already undergone extensive testing and made its competitive debut in the opening time trial of the prestigious Tirreno-Adriatico race in Italy. While some riders might have been initially surprised by the unconventional design, Team Visma/Lease a Bike’s head of performance, Mathieu Heijboer, reports that the focus on performance quickly won them over. Heijboer states, “The riders did look up a bit when they first saw the helmet, but in the end that didn’t last long. After a few tests and seeing the gains, everyone was quickly convinced.”

Beyond its immediate impact on the world of professional cycling, the Aerohead II also raises interesting questions about the future of helmet design in general. Could similar aerodynamic principles be incorporated into everyday cycling helmets, offering marginal gains for recreational riders? Or will the focus on pure speed remain exclusive to the high-performance realm of time trialing? Only time will tell, but until then, let’s spend some more time figuring out how to design this helmet so that it makes its wearer look less like a phallus-head?

The post Hilarious-looking Bicycle Helmet Gives You Bullet-like Aerodynamics… But Is It Worth it?? first appeared on Yanko Design.

Wireless Keyboard Inside An Altoids Tin Is Perfect For People Missing Their Blackberry Phones

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Remember the Clicks Keyboard from earlier this year? What if you could somehow build your own and carry it around in an Altoids tin??

YouTuber ‘Flurples’ decided the Altoids tin was honestly the perfect vehicle for this miniature keyboard. It was roughly the width of your standard Blackberry phone, which means the keys would be perfectly thumb-sized, and it had the added benefit of coming with its own metal case and lid that made carrying it around incredibly easy. The only thing left was to actually build the keyboard.

Designer: Flurples

Dubbed the Mint Board, this tiny keyboard is quite the tactile dream come true. It fits in your pocket, has an on/off switch, and wirelessly connects to any Bluetooth-capable device to turn into a keyboard. While it’s incredibly small, it’s perfectly usable (even more so than those godawful touchscreen keyboards) although most people will sorely miss the presence of a number row on top. The Mint Board also charges via USB-C, although Flurples didn’t mention what the battery life of the keyboard is on a full charge.

The Mint Board works with an iPad, allowing you to type on a tactile surface and have the letters appear on screen

Initially conceptualized as a 60% layout keyboard, the Mint Board’s design journey was marked by meticulous planning and adaptation to spatial constraints, ultimately settling for a 40% layout that would only feature the essential Qwerty and special keys (no numbers either). Key spacing and switch selection were pivotal considerations when it came to choosing this layout, ensuring optimal utilization of the limited space within the tin.

At the core of the Mint Board lies a meticulously crafted PCB, meticulously designed to accommodate switches, diodes, a microcontroller, and an on/off switch. Firmware development was a strategic endeavor, with Flurples opting for a Nice Nano microcontroller and ZMK firmware to enable Bluetooth connectivity. Despite the transition from the familiar QMK firmware, Flurples found solace in the shared conceptual framework, facilitating a seamless integration process. The assembly process proved to be both a challenge and a triumph, as Flurples meticulously soldered each component, including the microcontroller and battery, with precision and finesse. However, unforeseen challenges arose, such as tight keycaps, prompting Flurples to undertake a redesign.

Once the inner workings were ready, Flurples built the outer housing, relying on a 3D printer to make the upper and lower halves of the keyboard body, as well as the 41 individual keys. The keyboard was secured together using four screws that sandwiched the PCB in between the plastic components, and glued into the Altoids tin, whose sides had cutouts made to coincide with the ports and switches on the Mint Board’s PCB.

Yet, the true pièce de résistance of the Mint Board lies in its personalized keycaps, each painstakingly crafted with legends created in Illustrator, cut using a Cricut Machine, and finished with a layer of clear-coat resin to give it its signature domed shape. Using the keyboard proved to be gorgeously tactile too, with satisfying click sounds that most Blackberry users will fondly remember. The best part, the entire keyboard could wirelessly connect to pretty much any device, giving you a familiar typing experience on everything from your smartphone to even your iPad.

Flurples should seriously consider building a screen into the lid and turning this into a miniature laptop!

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LEGO Godzilla might be smaller than its living counterpart, but it’s just as ferocious

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It’s strange that we’ve got probably around ten or more Godzilla movies, but no Godzilla LEGO set yet. Hoping to change that, LEGO Builder Matthew Esposito decided to make a small-scale brick version of everyone’s favorite city-smashing reptile. Modeled after the ‘King of Monsters’ Godzilla (from the 2019 movie), this tiny terror stands merely a few inches tall, but encapsulates every inch of its original form’s grandeur, with its hefty body, incredibly long tail, and the ability to blow blue flames in any direction, razing cities down in mere minutes with zero regret.

Designer: Matthew Esposito

“I was really blown away by the new look of the Godzilla in these newer movies. I was fascinated by how this new iteration of Godzilla was designed, and I thought that this new look would translate incredibly well into LEGO,” says LEGO builder Matthew Esposito. “This model would make a great LEGO set because I believe that, with the new movie coming soon into theaters and onto streaming services, I believe that many people would be hyped and excited to watch this new movie, as well as have their own buildable Godzilla at hand to play with.”

Esposito doesn’t mention how many bricks his build uses, but it’s probably in the ~500 ballpark (I could be completely wrong). The Godzilla features multiple moving parts, including opposable hands and fingers, a moving jaw, adjustable legs, and even an adjustable tail (which does need its own separate support given the Godzilla’s strange CG). Esposito employs the use of grey bricks, which lends itself well to the iconic monster, and even uses bricks with cracks at certain intervals, highlighting Godzilla’s imperfect skin. The LEGO brick bumps are visible across the body too, almost acting like scales!

This build also comes with its own rich blue fireball that fits right in Godzilla’s mouth, making it look like it’s shooting flames at a building or a nearby helicopter.

Esposito originally built this LEGO version of Godzilla back in 2021, gaining massive support from the LEGO Ideas community who rushed to give him the 10,000 votes he needed to enter the review stage of the LEGO Ideas process. Sadly, the internal team at LEGO rejected the submission at the time, but Esposito resubmitted his MOC (My Own Creation) to the forum again this year, already garnering over 3,400 votes. If you want to see the LEGO Godzilla turn into a retail box set, head down to the LEGO Ideas website and give Esposito your vote!

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Logitech’s Latest MX Brio Webcam Has 4K Output, A Privacy Shutter, and Apple-style ‘Desk View’

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While the Brio line isn’t new, Logitech’s new MX Brio marks the first time their MX Series gets its own webcam. Tuned for creatives, professionals, and anyone who needs an online presence for their work, the webcam comes with top-notch hardware, infinitely adjustable software, a focus on privacy, and a little feature called ‘Show Mode’ that lets you capture your desk setup quite similar to Apple’s Desk View feature from 2022.

Designer: Logitech

This is the first time Logitech’s MX Master Series gets its own webcam. The Brio webcam line has been around for long enough (and has shot in 4K since as early as 2017), but the MX Brio is quite literally a different beast. It comes after an extensive survey of nearly 2200 individuals across both WFH and office-based setups that found that users weren’t just looking for high-res video, they wanted other features like image adjustability, better performance in low light and backlight scenarios, accurate color representation for different skin types, compatibility across popular meeting apps, privacy focus, and hi-res audio.

The MX Brio boasts a slew of impressive features, starting with its video quality. Capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30 frames per second and 1080p at up to 60 frames per second, it sets a new standard for clarity and fluidity in video calls and content creation. This leap in quality is supported by an advanced sensor and Logitech’s custom lens design, ensuring that users enjoy a wide field of view without sacrificing image precision. In challenging lighting conditions, the MX Brio shines—literally. Its back-illuminated Sony sensor excels in low light, making sure you’re seen clearly regardless of your environment. Coupled with its innovative autofocus system and face-based exposure adjustment, the webcam offers unparalleled image quality that automatically adapts to maintain natural skin tones and balanced lighting.

Beyond video, the MX Brio takes audio seriously too. It features dual-integrated microphones that utilize beamforming technology to focus on your voice while filtering out background noise, ensuring that you’re heard as clearly as you’re seen.

The MX Brio’s Design is a classic example of Logitech going down the ‘Form Follows Function’ route. It tries not to reinvent the wheel, but sticks to the most effective format, with a lens in the center and two beam-forming microphones on each side. Given its MX status, the webcam gets an upgrade with an anodized aluminum body (available in pale gray, graphite, and black), and features the universal monitor clamp that lets you attach your webcam to a desktop or even a laptop. The webcam now sits on a hinge that lets you angle it on the vertical axis, facing either directly at you, or even downwards. Angle it down and you can access Logitech’s new Show Mode, which does some image processing to capture a perfect birds-eye view of your desk. Quite similar to Apple’s Desk View mode that they introduced with their Continuity Camera feature, the Show View is a great way to record your notes, sketches, or just a wonderful way to capture your PoV as you work. Like every good webcam, the MX Brio also comes with a privacy shutter that covers the lens when you twist the webcam’s outer ring.

Sustainability is another cornerstone of the MX Brio’s design. Logitech has made a concerted effort to reduce the webcam’s environmental impact, utilizing low-carbon aluminum, post-industrial recycled aluminum, and up to 82% post-consumer recycled plastic in its construction. The packaging further reflects this commitment, being made from FSC-certified paper.

Being a part of the MX Series, the MX Brio is fully integrated with Logitech’s software ecosystem, including Options Plus and G HUB, allowing users to tweak settings for optimal performance across various lighting conditions and applications. Whether for professional use in Microsoft Teams and Zoom or streaming on platforms like Twitch, the MX Brio adapts to your specific needs, and can even be controlled using dedicated keys on Logitech’s other MX devices like the keyboard and mouse.

The MX Brio comes in three colors – Pale Gray, Graphite, and Black, with a $199 price tag. Enterprise users can opt for the MX Brio 705 For Business, which also has the same price tag, compatibility with Tune and Sync, and comes with Logitech’s RightSight Autoframing. A purchase of the MX Brio also gets you a 1-month subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud’s ‘All Apps’ plan, or a 2-month subscription to the ‘Photography Plan’ along with 20GB Creative Cloud storage.

The post Logitech’s Latest MX Brio Webcam Has 4K Output, A Privacy Shutter, and Apple-style ‘Desk View’ first appeared on Yanko Design.

YouTuber Turns Tesla’s Cybertruck Into A Full-Blown Snowmobile With Tracks Instead Of Wheels

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We’ve seen the Cybertruck handle off-road tasks with the ease of a machete cutting through soft butter… Whether it’s asphalt, gravel, sand-dunes, or even a shallow riverbed, it seems like Cybertruck drivers have managed to push the electric pickup truck to its limits to have it conquer those surfaces, but what about snow? YouTuber Heavy D Sparks decided to test the truck’s off-road abilities by having it run on one of the trickiest surfaces for any vehicle, snow-capped hills. Except, he wasn’t planning on just taking the Cybertruck as is, no… Heavy D Sparks decided to build the world’s first (and only) Cybertrack – a truck/snowmobile hybrid with treads instead of wheels. Borrowing a Cybertruck from fellow YouTuber Supercar Ron, Heavy D Sparks (also known as Heavy Diesel) decided to give the truck its biggest hardware upgrade ever.

Designer: Heavy D Sparks

The aim was to outfit the Cybertruck with “hell tracks,” a modification promising unparalleled off-road prowess. This endeavor was not without its hurdles, though; given the Cybertruck’s sheer weight and output, multiple parts and brackets ended up needing reinforcements because of how heavy the truck was. Parts would break, fold like cardboard, or even completely disengage, causing the truck to lose control or stop working entirely.

The truck was sourced from Supercar Ron, who happened to have an early Founder’s Edition of the Cybertruck, and very graciously gifted it to the Diesel Brothers team to modify however they saw fit. The journey of modification was a meticulous process involving the creation of custom parts such as bumpers and the addition of extra batteries in the back to support the massive lights installed on the top and the front courtesy Baja Designs. Finally, the truck got a custom wrap featuring a unique camouflage pattern that mimicked the Cybertruck’s angular design.

Testing the modified vehicle revealed a stark duality of success and challenge. On one hand, the Cybertruck demonstrated enhanced stability and performance, a direct result of the thoughtful modifications. On the other, the project was met with significant mechanical setbacks, including a broken spindle—a clear indicator of the factory parts’ limitations under rigorous testing conditions.

However, when the Cybertrack DID work on snow, Heavy D (who was piloting the vehicle) pointed out that the truck was handling the snow incredibly smoothly. “It feels so stable,” he mentioned. “I would feel totally comfortable loading this thing full of skiers and going to the top of any ski resort around, like the steepest runs.” The truck could comfortably cruise around at 40 to 50mph on snow, although there’s a fair discrepancy between what the speedometer says versus your actual ground speed. The speedometer outputs nearly double of what your actual ground speed is (because of how the treads rotate and how that translates to actual ground movement). It held its own on steep inclines too, but there was a bit of a malfunction right towards the end of the video.

Unexpectedly, the project received an encouraging nod from Tesla, an acknowledgment that perhaps was not anticipated. This support not only underscored Tesla’s openness to seeing its vehicles pushed to new boundaries but also cemented a deeper appreciation for the brand and its leadership, marking a positive shift in perception among the project team.

There’s a Part 2 video coming soon, with probably more repairs and modifications to the Cybertrack. You can follow Heavy D Sparks on YouTube for more.

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