Author Archives: Sarang Sheth

SwitchBot’s new smart lock opens with voice commands, fingerprints, passcodes, and even your Apple Watch

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It’s 2024 and if you’re bummed that you can start your EV with your mobile phone, but can’t open the door to your house with it, the folks at SwitchBot just designed the perfect little accessory. Designed to retrofit onto your existing deadbolt door lock, the SwitchBot Lock Pro has 15 different unlocking options, from letting you use your phone or Apple Watch, to voice commands, biometrics, numeric PINs, or hey, even your regular key if you’re feeling a little old-fashioned. Or maybe get it to unlock when you say “Open Sesame” if you’re feeling extra whimsical!

Designer: Switchbot

Click Here to Buy Now: $89.99 $119.99 (Use Coupon Code on the Site to get $30 off). Hurry, deal ends soon!

The Lock Pro follows in the footsteps of the original SwitchBot Lock, which retrofitted onto deadbolt locks to turn them into smart IoT locks. The new Pro variant still transforms deadbolt locks into smart ones, but comes with a sleeker design that integrates right into your door frame, a higher torque output that unlocks and locks doors with absolute ease, and even the inclusion of a number pad and biometric sensor that lets you unlock doors with a PIN or your fingerprint. There’s a minimal amount of assembly, the Lock Pro runs on replaceable AA batteries, and it also supports the Matter IoT protocol which means the Lock Pro can seamlessly communicate with all your other smart home devices, whether they’re from Google, Apple, Amazon, or any other third party company running on the Matter protocol.

Designed with both American and European markets in mind, this retrofit smart lock integrates seamlessly into existing hardware, supporting all common deadbolt locks. Installation is a breeze, taking a mere 5 minutes – for US deadbolts, SwitchBot Lock Pro comes equipped with tailored adapters that allow for effortless cylinder changes, while European users can opt for different mounting plates based on the protrusion of their cylinder. This ingenious design eliminates the need for complex DIY modifications, making the transition to a smart lock a minimal-effort experience without any specialist tools or even requiring calling a handyman. You visit SwitchBot’s website to check whether the Lock Pro is compatible with your door lock for the US or the EU.

At the core of the SwitchBot Lock Pro lies an upgraded motor that boasts an impressive 20 kgf/cm² of torque – more than double the force of its predecessor. This increased power ensures smooth operation, even with multiple locks, and faster unlocking times, providing effortless entry every time. Whether you’re a tenant, apartment resident, or a smart home enthusiast, the SwitchBot Lock Pro is a must-have addition to your connected living space.

Fingerprint Enabled

In essence, the Lock Pro builds on the sheer elegance of its predecessor, which allowed wireless locking and unlocking using Bluetooth devices like your phone or Apple Watch, or through smart home commands via the SwitchBot Hub. Retaining those existing features, the Lock Pro adds a few more for good measure, including a numeric keypad that sits on the outside, allowing residents (or any of your guests) to enter the house with a bespoke PIN code. Aside from the keypad, the SwitchBot Lock Pro sports a biometric sensor too, with a lightning-fast fingerprint recognition time of just 0.3 seconds. It can store up to 100 fingerprints and supports virtual passwords, emergency passwords, and fingerprints for enhanced security.

With up to 15 unlocking solutions available, including one-time passcodes, expiration passcodes, remote unlocking, voice unlocking, and Apple Watch unlocking, the SwitchBot Lock Pro offers a variety of usage methods that cater to pretty much all kinds of people whether they’re tech-savvy or tech-averse. Yes, you can still use your regular key, just in case you’re wondering! Support for Matter means your Lock Pro can also communicate with all your smart home devices, allowing you to remote lock/unlock your door or even set up routines (like automatically locking all doors after midnight). The Lock Pro, however, still requires the use of SwitchBot’s Hub to communicate via WiFi with other devices.

The SwitchBot Lock Pro runs on standard 4 x AA batteries, offering an impressive battery life of 6-9 months, 1.5 times longer than other retrofit smart locks. An optional SwitchBot Dual Power Pack offers an eco-friendly alternative to standard single-use batteries, with a rechargeable design and an ingenious relay power system that ensures uninterrupted use by letting you hot-swap one battery pack at a time while the Lock Pro runs solely on the second battery pack while one of them charges. Additionally, the Lock Pro features passive power supply unlocking, allowing access even if battery replacement is delayed.

Employing AES-128-CTR encryption at the software level, the Lock Pro provides robust protection against potential virtual threats. On the hardware front, the lock sports an auto-lock feature that utilizes a magnetic sensor, ensuring heightened safety and reliability by automatically securing the door based on its open/closed state, and surpassing the effectiveness of timer locks. Users can stay informed with real-time updates on lock and door statuses via their phones, and receive automatic reminders, ensuring peace of mind with every exit.

This isn’t SwitchBot’s first IoT rodeo – the company’s product roster features both standard as well as creative IoT devices like their award-winning curtain-opening robot, the button-pusher that turns regular switches into smart ones, and the Meter – a temperature and humidity sensor that lets you ensure every room in your house is at the right environment setting. The Lock Pro is a perfect addition to SwitchBot’s ecosystem, advancing their existing Lock product with newer features and more unlocking methods including keypad and fingerprint-based input. Whether you’re a family seeking convenience and security, an Airbnb host managing guest access, a fitness enthusiast with hands full of groceries, or a smart home aficionado seeking seamless integration, the SwitchBot Lock Pro offers a tailored solution. From fingerprint unlocking for family members to remote guest access for hosts, quick access for post-workout arrivals, and automated routines for smart home enthusiasts, the Lock Pro quite literally ‘unlocks’ a whole world of possibilities!

Click Here to Buy Now: $89.99 $119.99 (Use Coupon Code on the Site to get $30 off). Hurry, deal ends soon!

The post SwitchBot’s new smart lock opens with voice commands, fingerprints, passcodes, and even your Apple Watch first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Kershaw Iridium is a highly-dependable pocket knife with a classic design and a sub-$100 price tag

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If there ever was an emoji for a pocket knife, it would probably look like the Kershaw Iridium. Designed with an aesthetic that I can only describe as a modern classic, the Iridium ticks all the boxes with its clean aesthetic, grippy aluminum handle, more-than-capable D2 steel blade with a spear-point profile, and Kershaw’s new DuraLock technology that secures the blade in its open position while it’s in use. The Iridium is dependable, ambidextrous, and folds down to a 4.5-inch form factor that weighs a mere 3.3 ounces and fits right in your pocket after use.

Designer: Kershaw

Click Here to Buy Now

The Iridium boasts a comfortable 6061-T6 aluminum handle with a gray anodized finish. Its ambidextrous DuraLock mechanism ensures secure blade lockup, while the reversible deep-carry pocket clip makes it convenient for both left and right-handed users. The entire build uses black-oxide hardware for a sleek look and added durability.

At 7.9 inches overall and a weight of 3.3 ounces, the Iridium finds a comfortable balance between pocketability and functionality. The 4.5-inch closed length makes it easy to carry daily, while the 8-inch overall length tackles various EDC and outdoor tasks.

The Iridium’s crown jewel is its 3.4-inch D2 high-carbon tool steel blade. D2 steel offers excellent edge retention and wear resistance, making it ideal for everyday cutting chores. The blade features a utilitarian drop-point profile and a thickness of 0.107 inches, providing enough strength for tougher jobs. Jimping at the base of the spine enhances grip during precise cuts.

Deployment is smooth and effortless thanks to the KVT ball-bearing pivot system. The blade can be opened using dual thumb studs or a simple flick of the wrist with the DuraLock mechanism engaged. Kershaw backs the Iridium with a lifetime warranty, giving the EDC an heirloom quality so you can pass it down to your children.

The Kershaw Iridium is a compelling choice for those seeking a full-size, well-built EDC knife without breaking the bank. It boasts high-performance materials, a comfortable design, and a versatile blade profile – all at an accessible price tag. The Iridium is also available in a blacked-out version and a reverse tanto blade variant for people looking for something a little more edgy and unconventional.

Click Here to Buy Now

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Gorgeous hardwood Headphone Stand brings a classy minimalism to your tech setup

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Crafted out of either walnut or ash wood, the Arch headphone stand rests majestically on your desk, allowing you to place headphones on its gently arched top. The stepped design in the wood feels reminiscent of Bauhaus-style architecture, and adds an understated beauty to your table with how it creates bands of light and shadow. Designed for people serious about maintaining a theme around their workspace, the Arch is an alternative to those rather industrial-looking hooks and metal headphone stands. If you’re a fan of Grovemade‘s stuff, this one might just be perfect for you.

Designer: The Hrdwood Ltd.

The Hrdwood Arch is perfect for desk setups dominated by earthy tones and the use of wooden elements. The stand can be placed anywhere on your desk (although we recommend placing a cloth below to prevent it from scratching your table). Each stand is meticulously crafted from three wood panels joint together, creating a beautiful wood grain that almost follows the arch around its bend.

At its narrowest point, the Arch is just above an inch wide (1.18 inches to be precise), and therefore accepts pretty much any headphone. The wooden grain provides just the right amount of friction to ensure the headphones don’t go sliding off, and the solid wood stand is heavy enough to not lift upwards when you try to take the headphones off.

The stand comes in two variants – one made from a darker walnut wood, while another employs a lighter ashwood construction. Both have their own distinct flavors, so to speak, and fit in well with different kinds of decor. The ashwood blends seamlessly with bamboo-based furniture, while the walnut works supremely well with darker wood or black anodized metal. Both pair perfectly with glass tables too… and that tiny space underneath the arch is sort of perfect for storing your AirPods Pro case just on the off-chance you happen to have those too.

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Some Apple Vision Pros are cracking down the center. To understand why, look at the shape of the KitKat bar.

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Feel free to call it the “Spatial KitKat Hypothesis”…

The Apple Vision Pro wasn’t designed to bend, but when you’ve got two straps pulling on the massive headset from either side with a human head in the middle acting as a wedge of sorts, the headset’s bound to feel some stress at its weakest point. Theoretically, that weakest point lies at the nose bridge, or the narrowest part of the Vision Pro’s design. If you imagine the Vision Pro to be a massive KitKat, or a Toblerone, or any bar of chocolate for that matter, it’s usually the narrowest part that’s designed to snap, resulting in a perfectly broken piece of chocolate. The problem here, however, is that this particular ‘chocolate’ is a cutting-edge spatial computer that costs upwards of $3500.

It seems like Apple products don’t really have great luck when it comes to structural soundness. If you remember exactly 10 years ago, #BendGate was plaguing the 2014 iPhone 6, a scandal that arose after people found their iPhones bending in their pockets when they sat down. Sure, Apple worked hard to fix the iPhone 6’s flimsy design (in part because people were just walking into Apple Stores and folding iPhones in half), but #bendgate still lives on in infamy, especially through its latest avatar, or what people are calling #CrackGate. Multiple users are reporting that the Vision Pro’s glass is cracking almost perfectly down the center, for no apparent reason. The crack runs almost perfectly symmetrically, going from the nose upwards, causing an extremely visible fault line right down the center. While it doesn’t seem to affect the Vision Pro’s actual functionality, it’s just like getting a scratch right down the side of your Lamborghini, emotionally gut-wrenching.

The reason, however, isn’t really clear (in part because Apple hasn’t officially addressed the issue or offered repairs), but multiple users have their own theories. Some sleuths noticed that the crack almost always emerges right near the LiDAR sensor, causing speculations that the invisible light from the sensor may be weakening the glass. Others claim it’s a heat-related issue, caused by the fact that most people don’t turn their Vision Pros off after using it for the day, causing it to heat up and the aluminum frame to expand, cracking the glass. The latter theory makes much more sense than the former, but there’s yet another issue that could just contribute to the glass’ structural weakness, and its most simple explanation lies in the shape of a KitKat bar.

Unless you’re an absolute psychopath who chomps right into the KitKat bar, chances are you follow the protocol of breaking it down its linear ridge, creating individual KitKat fingers that you can easily eat. The bar’s practically designed for this interaction, allowing you to snap off individual ‘batons’ that you can either share or eat on your own. The physics behind this design is as simple as it gets. The individual fingers are connected by a small valley of chocolate, which can easily be snapped with little pressure. The reason the KitKat always breaks at this ridge is because it’s easily the most vulnerable part of the chocolate bar. Similarly, the Vision Pro has the same problem. The ‘nose bridge’ on the front is where the Vision Pro’s glass panel is at its narrowest. Apply enough stress to the area and chances are, just like a KitKat bar, it’ll break there first.

Heat could be a contributing factor to this structural weakness, but let’s not forget, the Vision Pro comes with a headband that’s secured to its sides. Wear the Vision Pro on your face, and the headbands tug on the headset from the left and right, while your face being the solid mass it is, applies forward pressure. The rest of the Vision Pro is made from Aluminum, a material famous for being able to bend easily (no points for guessing what the iPhone 6 was made of), but glass – especially curved and hardened glass like the one on the front of the Vision Pro – isn’t really susceptible to bending. The result? A crack at its weakest point, caused by people wearing the headset too tight, coupled with the obvious heat issues because people don’t turn their Vision Pro off every night.

There are two solutions to this problem – the first comes from MKBHD and a bunch of other tech experts, who recommend turning the Vision Pro off after use and disconnecting the battery pack every night so the headset doesn’t keep running and heat up. The second solution is much more obvious, and is an indication of Apple’s hubris. In the pursuit of creating ‘the greatest spatial device ever seen’, Apple’s premium choice of materials is biting them in their backside. The Vision Pro’s aluminum structure is notoriously heavy, causing neck fatigue for people wearing it for long hours… but more importantly, the use of glass on the front seemed highly unnecessary. A well-polished plastic facade on the front would have worked just as fine, even if it didn’t line up with Apple’s ‘luxury’ image. It would have been stronger, easier to produce, and would probably have helped Apple cut costs and boost profits – to the benefit of the consumer. Instead, Apple’s being predictably silent while multiple users are fuming at the prospect of having a difficult-to-ignore crack on their rather expensive $3500 headset.

The post Some Apple Vision Pros are cracking down the center. To understand why, look at the shape of the KitKat bar. first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Electric Delivery Scooter’s base-mounted batteries can be automatically changed by robots

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Electric vehicles are increasingly becoming preferred over gas-driven vehicles, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that EVs still have two psychological barriers they need to overcome – range anxiety, and long charging periods. Even with supercharging networks, you still need to wait multiple minutes to boost your batteries as compared to a gas station where you’ve filled your tank in probably under a minute. Electric cars and bikes are still working around trying to find a more tenable solution, but Hanoi-based Carota Design has a clever alternative. The D05 Electric Delivery Scooter concept comes with batteries located in the bottom, but what’s interesting is that they’re only detachable from the bottom too (you can’t lift them out through the top). As a result, the D05 also comes with a unique servicing platform that automatically detaches and replaces battery packs. All you need to do is drive onto the platform and park your electric scooter and an automated setup in the platform takes over the rest, detaching your old battery and inputting a new one, quite like a factory line. The process takes under a minute, is much safer than having humans remove and replace batteries, and is virtually theft and tamper-proof too, since you’d have to tip the entire scooter over onto its side if you wanted to manually take the battery out yourself. Sure, it’s just a concept for the time-being, but even on paper, it completely checks out.

Designer: Carota Design

The e-scooter has a rather utilitarian design, given its function. Made for last-mile commutes for deliveries, the scooter adopts a blockish form factor, highlighting its inner components and the two storage areas (one on the front, and one on the side). The D05 seats just one, has a low-hanging form factor that’s made further stable by the base-mounted heavy Li-ion batteries, and even though it’s fairly utilitarian, comes with a rather slick design featuring an interplay between silver and black parts, a clever use of lime green giving the e-scooter a splash of color, and hubless wheels that contribute to the D05’s future-forward design.

The battery-changing platform is pretty simple schematically, but does require a fair bit of technical expertise. The scooter needs to be parked perfectly on the platform for the arm to extend outwards, grab the old battery, disengage it, and replace it with a new battery. It’s rather similar to Tesla’s self-plugging charging snake from nearly a decade ago (2015 to be precise) but doesn’t require to be that calibrated. The battery modules move upwards and downwards, and one single platform can store as many as 7 battery packs (as per the schematic shown above), or even more if you detail it further. The process takes roughly a minute, quite like changing batteries on a TV remote, and once your new batteries are in, the scooter is ready to go.

That being said, having a replaceable battery system, no matter how convenient, does have its concerns. For starters, you need to produce MANY more batteries than EVs, since your battery network will have to account for availability, shortages, etc. That itself is a strain on the environment, but more so, the consumer faces a unique problem too – you don’t know whether the new, charged battery being put in your EV has 100% battery health. The freshly charged battery being added to your e-scooter at the charging platform could be 5-10 years old and therefore offer less range than a brand-new one. Moreover, older batteries could offer vulnerabilities, making the overall system slightly unsafe if they’re not monitored and taken out of circulation. In the broader scheme of things, having a charging network makes more sense because you can simply plug your e-scooter into any power outlet to be on the safe side instead of swapping out your batteries. Hopefully, EV companies could design a hybrid system of charging and battery replacement, making the adoption of EVs much smoother. Older batteries could eventually be recycled too, reducing strain on the environment in the longer run.

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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!

The post This 11-in-1 Titanium EDC Multitool Also Transforms Into A Phone/Tablet Stand first appeared on Yanko Design.

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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