Author Archives: Ida Torres

Humanoid robot can make you coffee and eventually more

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It’s no secret that I’m still afraid that in the far future, robots will rise up against humans when they gain their own intelligence and realize that we’ve been treating them unfairly all these years. That probably comes from watching too much science fiction movies and series where robot overlords rule over the earth. But for now, we’re seeing amazing (sometimes scary) advancements when it comes to robotics and how they will eventually be able to work alongside humans.

Designer: Brett Adcock

The Figure-01 Humanoid Robot has been designed to help you handle some of the simple daily chores, powered by artificial intelligence. Aside from being able to do automated tasks, it is trained to be able to think, learn, and interact within human environments. It is also able to improve on its capabilities by learning from the previous tasks it is able to perform.

The humanoid robot uses some pretty powerful graphic processing units (GPU) to drive the AI learning and system, letting it process some of the complex algorithms needed to train them. The idea is for these robots to eventually fill in the gap in the labor market when it comes to things like warehouses, transportation, and retail. Of course the aim is not to replace humans but to be able to work alongside people and work within an environment with both other robots and humans.

They were able to demonstrate the current capabilities of the Figure-01 Humanoid Robot by showing how it was able to make coffee after 10 hours of training using end-to-end neural networks. I wouldn’t mind having someone else get my coffee ready in the morning by the time I wake up although I’d probably have nightmares of this humanoid robot eventually taking over my life.

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Samsung Music Frame turns your speaker into a work of art

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When you have a speaker in your house or in your office, it’s easy to see that you have a speaker. Most are designed to be aesthetically pleasing but still you know that they are speakers. But then there are also speakers that can masquerade as something else, in case you wanted something that would blend in with the look of your room. Samsung announced at the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show 2024 that they will be launching their newest “incognito” device, The Music Frame, which may soon be the latest addition to your wall.

Designer: Samsung

The Samsung Music Frame is a music speaker that can also camouflage as a picture frame for aesthetic purposes. It comes with a physical frame where you can place your photo or painting to hang on your wall and you can just surprise people that audio will be playing out of the frame. Unlike some of the similar products in the market, there is no digital part in the flame so the print that you’ll display is fully analog and can be changed whenever you want to since the notches that secure the print are easy to remove and attach.

The frame itself measures 12.9 x 12.9 inches but the space for the print is 8 x 8 inches. It is able to hide six speakers inside of its frame, including two woofers, two tweeters, and two midrange drivers. There are also waveguides included so the sound can be spread out in a bigger room. These speakers use intelligent audio processing so you get “premium audio experience”. If you pair it with Samsung TVs and soundbars, the Q-symphony technology will be able to give you surround sound. There is of course a thin power cable to connect it to an outlet but otherwise, there are no other wires needed as you connect it to your source device through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

This isn’t the first time that Samsung has brought a device that can double as decoration. They previously released the Frame TV which has customizable bezels, a matte screen, and artwork that can appear on the screen when you want to use it as a display. There are no other details released yet like release date or price range but already there is a lot of interest generated after the announcement and demo at CES 2024.

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Herman Miller’s OE1 furniture adapts to the hybrid working lifestyle

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Because of the pandemic, working conditions for most companies have changed. If before we were “forced” to have 5-day 8-hour work weeks, people and companies realized that there are some jobs that can actually be done remotely or you can have a hybrid kind of arrangement. This means also that work furniture will eventually evolve because of these options. The OE1 line which was initially launched in 2021 now has some new additions that have adapted to this new working lifestyle.

Designer: Herman Miller and Industrial Facility

One of the new pieces of furniture added to the OE1 line is a working table that you can use whether you’re sitting or standing. The height can be adjusted with a pedal so you don’t go through the hassle of manually adjusting it if you decide to switch environments while working. The sit-stand table is actually also pretty light so you can move it around your working space. This is one thing common with the new additions. They’re portable, aesthetically pleasing, but also doesn’t demand attention as it is simple and minimalist in design.

Another addition is the Powerbox which lets you charge multiple devices. Basically it’s a portable trolley that can house four batteries that can hold around 1,000 watt-hours and is made from post-consumer plastic. The collection also has a freestanding curtain which can be used as a divider in case you need a physical division between your work space and your living space. There’s a more sturdy version called the curved screen. If you need something more portable, there’s the laptop hoodie which you can bring around with you so you get privacy when working in a public area.

The OE1 line now also has a work box where you can put your office supplies like pens and even keyboards and bring them around with you to wherever you are working. There is also a bigger version of the easel which was previously released. All of these will be useful for people who are working with a hybrid lifestyle now.

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“Smart” feng shui devices will release positive qi for this new year

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Feng shui has become popular in the Western world during the 20th century and beyond. Sometimes though, just like with a lot of things in our world, it has been commodified too much to the point that people are just buying things as an easier way to practice this ancient system. A new project is a satirical criticism of this commodification, although it has actually created products that will bring feng shui objects into your home and bring a “smart” aspect to it.

Designer: Yoojin Chung

Capturing Qi is a project that brings three feng-shui objects into the digital age by making them smart devices that you can control through an app to bring energy into your home. You get a crystal ball, a wind chime, and a water fountain were designed to look like scientific equipment and was inspired by the 18th century vacuum chambers. The crystal ball and water fountain have castor stands while the wind chime is a hanging piece.

All three have Arduino circuit boards that turns them into smart devices. You connect them to the smartphone app through Bluetooth and you use the ap to “activate” and release the qi into yuor home. So while the project is a commentary on the commercialism of feng shui, it can still be used to release the energy that you want especially now that it’s a new year.

Any of these three items would also be good conversation starters if you have them in your home. You either look like a mad scientist or someone with cool art pieces at home. Either way, if you believe in feng shui, you can have these smart versions in your home for all the good juju you need.

The post “Smart” feng shui devices will release positive qi for this new year first appeared on Yanko Design.

Nature-inspired pendant lamps add a minimalist and intricate aesthetic to your space

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One of the things that can make your space look more elegant, stylish, and beautiful is to have lamps that will complement and enhance the room. There are a lot of well-designed lamps, light fixtures, and chandeliers out there that you can choose from and there’s always room for more. If you’re looking for something a bit more minimalist but still will stand out when you place it in your room, here are a couple of pendant lamps from Claymango.

Designer: Gamini Rawal for Claymango

The Lily Pendant Lamp is of course inspired by the Lily flower and is designed to represent “love, devotion, and purity”. It streamlines the six petals into just three, achieving a minimalist and simple aesthetic. It also has an eco-friendly finish as it uses rattan as its main material. It can stand alone as just one pendant lamp or you can group it together with other lily lamps if you need something bigger. It can be used for both task and area lighting.

The Spiral Pendant Lamp meanwhile is inspired by the rhythmic movements that the fishes make when they’re looking for food in the ocean. Therefore you get some swirls and twisty forms but still with a minimalist aesthetic, using its bamboo weave design to blend with neutral and boho feels. The fixtures that are designed as a pair can serve both as pendant lamps and chandeliers with the light suspended through the cylindrical diffuser.

These pendant lamps are minimalist but also somehow slightly intricate in design. If you have an aesthetic that fits the lily concept or the spiral concept, these would be a pretty nice addition to the room (if ever they will come out of the concept stage) as they are both functional and decorative.

The post Nature-inspired pendant lamps add a minimalist and intricate aesthetic to your space first appeared on Yanko Design.

Ambient lamp can be controlled by touch or smartphone connection

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I don’t really think much about the aesthetics of lighting in my house. As long as I get the light that I need at different times of the day, I’m okay. But for those that like mood lighting, lamps are the best way to add more ambience to your room or space. Most of these lamps are well-designed but aren’t really built for a tactile experience. So if you’re looking for both, this concept for a “softer” lamp may be something to look forward to.

Designers: Pinar Aydogdu, Deniz Ozsuslu, Naren Yildirim

The Pofu Lamp is a concept for a lighting device that also doubles as a charging hub for your devices. But that in itself isn’t what makes it different from other lamps and chargers in one. Its selling point is that you can interact with it by squeezing and touching the lamp which is made from silicone material instead of plastic, giving it a softer and warmer touch. It also uses ABS plastic construction so you get a glossy finish and is able to support magnetic charging stations. You have the option to control it through touch or through your Bluetooth-connected smartphone.

Squeezing the lamp once will turn it on or off while a long squeeze will start the Bluetooth connection. When you do a double spin, you can remove the top and then turn the charging base into a charging hub. The lamp also gives two different modes depending on what you need the light for and maybe your mood as well. You get the usual warm yellow light which you can use at any time of the day and then you get the well-being mode which will adapt the color tones depending on the time of the day like with morning, noon, and evening.

The lamp itself has a triangular dome-like appearance and looks a bit softer compared to other lamps, at least from the product renders we’re seeing. The fact that it has a more tactile approach to controlling it while also having the option to still have a smartphone to control things like power, mode, and device connections. No word yet if this concept will eventually see the light of day.

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Xbox Series S toaster is now a real thing that can toast your bread

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You probably know a gamer or two (or more) who live and breathe playing games on their console of choice, to the point that they tend to skip things like talking to other people and even eating. There are also probably gamers who see their game graphics everywhere, even on their food. Well, this can happen literally now, at least for Xbox fans as you can now imprint the logo on your bread.

Designer: Microsoft

The Xbox Series S toaster is now available to make all your Xbox toast dreams come true. It may seem like a joke item but it’s a real product that you can buy at Walmart and you can use as you toast your loaf bread, waffle, bagel, or whatever else piece of bread that you want to have the Xbox logo on before you actually eat and consume it. It doesn’t serve any other purpose except to put that logo on your bread and for Microsoft to have that image of having fun at their own expense.

This is actually born out of the memes that populated social media sites when the Xbox Series S first came out, comparing it with, you guessed it, a toaster. It has a digital countdown timer and you can even choose the shade setting for the xbox logo to be imprinted on your bread. The design of the toaster itself is similar to the Xbox Series S so you might have to be careful or you could start playing games in your kitchen or you might put a piece of bread into your actual Xbox.

This isn’t the first time they created an actual appliance based on people making fun of their console designs. The Xbox Series X mini fridge came out previously and we wouldn’t be surprised if they will eventually lean into this and create other kitchen appliances with the Xbox branding like a microwave, cutlery, plates, and even other products not related to the kitchen or eating. But for now, enjoy having the Xbox logo on your toast as you play games while eating.

The post Xbox Series S toaster is now a real thing that can toast your bread first appeared on Yanko Design.

Heavy duty laptop with 64-core CPU set to make its (expensive) debut

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Compared to a decade ago, there are a lot of laptops now that are pretty powerful and can even go toe-to-toe with some of the desktops available in the market. But there’s still a lot of room for improvement especially when it comes to raw power. Of course having such a powerful device would mean sacrificing on the design and price elements but if you’re looking for something that’s extremely powerful, this latest device from a Chinese laptop company may be the one you’re looking for.

Designer: Zhanjiang Xinjuneng

The REV-9 can be considered to be one of the most powerful laptop out there with its 64-core AMD Epyc CPU and a desktop class RTX 4080 card. There are two configurations offered with one a Zen 3-based Epyc 7713 CPU and the other a Zen 4 Epyc 9554. Since these are pretty heavy specifications, it comes with a built-in split liquid cooling system as well as a high-pressure water pump and water tank. It also has a large copper radiator so the cooling system seems to be working as it has a Cinebench R23 result of 49,000.

It has a 17.3-inch 2.5K screen with a 240Hz efresh rate but you also have an option for a 4K 120Hz display. With all of these hardware and built-in features, you probably won’t be able to lug the REV-9 around wherever you want. It is 16.5 x 12.79 x 1.8 inches and that doesn’t even include the weight. But looking at the photos, it will most likely not be light at all. Design-wise, you also can’t expect something sleek and pretty but it does come in different colors including gold, silver, rose gold, blue, purple, and red.

Of course another consideration for such a powerful device would be the price. The Epyc 9554 alone is already around $9,000 so you can expect a lot of zeroes for this laptop. It was supposed to be available on Taobao by December 19 but we couldn’t find any traces of it. Either the release was delayed or there were a lot of rich people who bought it already and now it’s sold out.

The post Heavy duty laptop with 64-core CPU set to make its (expensive) debut first appeared on Yanko Design.

Heavy duty laptop with 64-core CPU set to make its (expensive) debut

Posted on by

Compared to a decade ago, there are a lot of laptops now that are pretty powerful and can even go toe-to-toe with some of the desktops available in the market. But there’s still a lot of room for improvement especially when it comes to raw power. Of course having such a powerful device would mean sacrificing on the design and price elements but if you’re looking for something that’s extremely powerful, this latest device from a Chinese laptop company may be the one you’re looking for.

Designer: Zhanjiang Xinjuneng

The REV-9 can be considered to be one of the most powerful laptop out there with its 64-core AMD Epyc CPU and a desktop class RTX 4080 card. There are two configurations offered with one a Zen 3-based Epyc 7713 CPU and the other a Zen 4 Epyc 9554. Since these are pretty heavy specifications, it comes with a built-in split liquid cooling system as well as a high-pressure water pump and water tank. It also has a large copper radiator so the cooling system seems to be working as it has a Cinebench R23 result of 49,000.

It has a 17.3-inch 2.5K screen with a 240Hz efresh rate but you also have an option for a 4K 120Hz display. With all of these hardware and built-in features, you probably won’t be able to lug the REV-9 around wherever you want. It is 16.5 x 12.79 x 1.8 inches and that doesn’t even include the weight. But looking at the photos, it will most likely not be light at all. Design-wise, you also can’t expect something sleek and pretty but it does come in different colors including gold, silver, rose gold, blue, purple, and red.

Of course another consideration for such a powerful device would be the price. The Epyc 9554 alone is already around $9,000 so you can expect a lot of zeroes for this laptop. It was supposed to be available on Taobao by December 19 but we couldn’t find any traces of it. Either the release was delayed or there were a lot of rich people who bought it already and now it’s sold out.

The post Heavy duty laptop with 64-core CPU set to make its (expensive) debut first appeared on Yanko Design.

Heavy duty laptop with 64-core CPU set to make its (expensive) debut

Posted on by

Compared to a decade ago, there are a lot of laptops now that are pretty powerful and can even go toe-to-toe with some of the desktops available in the market. But there’s still a lot of room for improvement especially when it comes to raw power. Of course having such a powerful device would mean sacrificing on the design and price elements but if you’re looking for something that’s extremely powerful, this latest device from a Chinese laptop company may be the one you’re looking for.

Designer: Zhanjiang Xinjuneng

The REV-9 can be considered to be one of the most powerful laptop out there with its 64-core AMD Epyc CPU and a desktop class RTX 4080 card. There are two configurations offered with one a Zen 3-based Epyc 7713 CPU and the other a Zen 4 Epyc 9554. Since these are pretty heavy specifications, it comes with a built-in split liquid cooling system as well as a high-pressure water pump and water tank. It also has a large copper radiator so the cooling system seems to be working as it has a Cinebench R23 result of 49,000.

It has a 17.3-inch 2.5K screen with a 240Hz efresh rate but you also have an option for a 4K 120Hz display. With all of these hardware and built-in features, you probably won’t be able to lug the REV-9 around wherever you want. It is 16.5 x 12.79 x 1.8 inches and that doesn’t even include the weight. But looking at the photos, it will most likely not be light at all. Design-wise, you also can’t expect something sleek and pretty but it does come in different colors including gold, silver, rose gold, blue, purple, and red.

Of course another consideration for such a powerful device would be the price. The Epyc 9554 alone is already around $9,000 so you can expect a lot of zeroes for this laptop. It was supposed to be available on Taobao by December 19 but we couldn’t find any traces of it. Either the release was delayed or there were a lot of rich people who bought it already and now it’s sold out.

The post Heavy duty laptop with 64-core CPU set to make its (expensive) debut first appeared on Yanko Design.