Author Archives: Aki Ukita

Sunglasses with real glass lenses deliver unparalleled clarity and protection

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It might sound like an oxymoron, but your run-of-the-mill sunglasses don’t actually use glass. To comply with certain legal regulations, “shades,” as we sometimes call them, have to use plastic or resin materials that are more resilient but have poorer optical quality. That’s true even for those expensive sunglasses, which will probably make you feel a bit cheated, especially when you notice how unclear your vision behind these plastics really is. Thankfully, the optics industry has reached a point where we can have the best of both worlds of durability and optical clarity, creating the industry’s first modern sunglasses made from actual glass, designed to deliver clarity, comfort, and protection to your eyes with an accessible price point.

Designer: Ilija Melentijevic, PhD (founder of Kolari Vision)

Click Here to Buy Now: $169. Hurry, offer ends soon!

These ‘plastic’ and ‘resin’ lenses come with a lot of responsibilities, given the fact that they’re tasked with protecting your eyesight. When you wear tinted sunglasses outdoors, your pupils dilate to let more light in – which effectively also exposes your eyes to more harmful rays… and while most lenses will block out UV rays, current sunglasses (even the expensive ones) aren’t designed to block infrared light from hitting your retina. It’s ironic that you can find IR-blocking lenses for your expensive cameras… but not for the most priceless camera we have: our eyes.

Enter Kolari Shades, a pair of sunglasses that is shaking up the market by bringing the highest-quality materials to a product you can actually afford. Harnessing more than a decade of experience in the photography space, Kolari brings a new kind of lens that is actually made of glass, providing the optical clarity that your eyes need all the time, whether you’re wearing sunglasses or not. But it’s not just plain glass, either, but the same ultra-strong Corning Gorilla Glass that has been protecting smartphone displays for years. And with 51 layers of anti-reflective and anti-smudge coating, your new premium specs are protected against scratches, dirt, dust, and more. Plus, it’s easy to clean the smudges off, too!

Kolari Shades are truly color-neutral and protect your eyes from all damaging wavelengths of light.

But while Kolari Shades’ glass lenses provide extra-clear vision, it doesn’t forget the protection that sunglasses are expected to bring. In fact, it levels up this aspect by blocking not only high-energy UV light but also low-energy infrared, both of which can be harmful to your sensitive eyes. It can even protect your privacy by blocking security cameras that use IR for face recognition. And it brings this superior protection without turning your world into a dreary shade of gray or brown. By using color-neutral coatings, you can stop worrying about those harmful and blinding rays and continue enjoying the world in full color.

Preserve your anonymity — Kolari Shades block infrared-based facial recognition systems.

Corning Gorilla Glass and titanium frames make the Kolari Shades extra tough.

The best part about the Kolari Shades is their affordable price tag, even though Kolari Shades are more costly to manufacture because of the premium materials used in the frames and lenses. It’s significantly less than luxury sunglasses that use plastic lenses, offer poorer optical quality, and strain your eyes in the long run. Why settle for plastic products that harm rather than protect your eyes when you can enjoy the optical quality that real glass lenses have to offer? With the Kolari Shades, you can enjoy durability, clarity, and protection in stylish sunglasses that don’t change the colors of your world.

Click Here to Buy Now: $169. Hurry, offer ends soon!

The post Sunglasses with real glass lenses deliver unparalleled clarity and protection first appeared on Yanko Design.

Tekto A3 Delta Tactical Knife with Forged Fiber Carbon Handle Exudes Power You Can Feel

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A well-designed tool needs to do more than just get the job done. It needs to be able to keep up with your needs and your lifestyle, whether it’s working on crafts or surviving the outdoors. That’s especially true for tactical knives that you need to cut through any problem at hand, not only staying sharp but also staying steadfast, safe, and strong under any conditions, especially rough ones. Tekto has always taken great pride in its growing family of powerful tactical knives, but its latest variant of the A3 Delta really ups the ante by introducing a handle made with exceptional strength and lightness and a serrated blade with enhanced cutting power, delivering the confidence you need to face any mission or task.

Designer: Tekto

Click Here to Buy Now: $152.99 $179.99 (15% off, use coupon code “A3YANKO”). Free FedEx 2-day shipping for orders in the US. Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

The Tekto A3 Delta automatic folding knife has always been a powerhouse in the brand’s arsenal. Inspired by the indomitable spirit of the US military, the knife’s design and features evoke a sense of unrelenting performance even in the most demanding situations. And yet it isn’t just some brute tool but also an exemplary work of fine craftsmanship, perfectly balancing power and style to bring a sharp tool that delivers both confidence and comfort in every cut.

With a new handle made from forged fiber carbon, the A3 Delta takes that experience to the next level, utilizing a material famed for its durability as well as its lightness. Together with specially designed contours and strategically positioned jimping, this new Tekto A3 Delta variant guarantees an unparalleled grip and exceptional comfort, no matter how you’re holding the knife. Plus, it looks stunningly handsome, even and especially with its rugged aesthetic.

Of course, this folding knife is more than just a handsome face. Thanks to a serrated blade, the A3 Delta Forged Fiber Carbon edition offers even more cutting power, while the same titanium-coated D2 material ensures longevity and reliability to weather any task. And this sharp blade can quickly jump into action each and every time, thanks to Tekto’s signature folding automatic mechanism that makes each deployment swift and smooth.

Of course, with a powerful knife such as this, safety becomes an even more important consideration, and the Tekto A3 Delta definitely delivers. With a button lock and safety switch working in hand-in-hand, you can rest assured that the knife remains securely closed when you don’t need it. And when you see the crimson red indicator, you know that your trusty partner is ready to cut through your tasks in an instant. Strong, stylish, and safe, the Tekto A3 Delta with a new Forged Carbon Fiber handle raises the bar in what tactical knives can offer to bring not just the power you need but also the joy of having a well-designed tool in your hand.

Click Here to Buy Now: $152.99 $179.99 (15% off, use coupon code “A3YANKO”). Free FedEx 2-day shipping for orders in the US. Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

The post Tekto A3 Delta Tactical Knife with Forged Fiber Carbon Handle Exudes Power You Can Feel first appeared on Yanko Design.

Revopoint RANGE 2 3D scanner makes short work of scanning large objects

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3D scanning has traditionally been the domain of big production studios and companies because of the size of the equipment and their prohibitive costs. With the arrival of handheld scanners, however, the doors were thrown wide open for anyone in any field to make their own 3D models from real-world objects, whether it’s for fun, art, health, or profit.

Typical handheld 3D scanners work great when working with small objects that are no larger than the device itself. Of course, real-world objects like car parts, whole vehicles, and even human bodies are quite big and push these smaller scanners to the limit. Enter the new Revopont RANGE 2, the latest in a line of lightweight but powerful 3D scanners designed to handle large objects without breaking a sweat, making sure that your creativity and productivity aren’t limited by the size of your model.

Designer: Revopoint Team

Click Here to Buy Now: $656.10 $729 (10% off, use coupon code “YKD10”). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

Revopoint RANGE 2 is a portable handheld dual depth camera structured infrared light 3D scanner designed for capturing large objects like furniture, people, and vehicles.

Because handheld 3D scanners work by guiding the depth cameras across and around the target, the devices need to be able to capture a great amount of detail with great depth quickly and steadily with accuracy and precision. That’s a rather tall order for a small device, especially one that is made to be accessible to both amateurs and pros alike, but Revopoint’s expertise really shines through with the upgrades that its RANGE 2 3D scanner packs in a compact and portable form. For example, thanks to new depth cameras that have double the sensor size, the Revopoint RANGE 2 can work on a distance ranging from 400 mm to 1,300 mm, a 60% increase that makes it even faster to capture large objects compared to the previous generation, and can scan an area up to 860 x 1380 mm in size.

Scan of the body by Revopoint RANGE 2. Image credit: PUTV

Range isn’t the only thing that’s bigger and better on the RANGE 2, of course. Four flash LEDs banish shadows for a more uniform color capture, while an improved RGB camera with a bigger aperture is able to capture more color information, ensuring clear color capture with higher levels of detail for more accurate textures and realistic-looking 3D models. An upgraded tracking system utilizes the device’s built-in 9-axis IMU (Inertial Measuring Unit) to keep the scan steady even if your hands aren’t. Four Infrared LED fill lights also make it easier to recognize markers, resulting in more accurate frame stitching in marker mode.

Angel Candelabra scanned with Revopoint RANGE 2. Image credit: dfodaro

Thanks to these powerful features, the Revopoint RANGE 2 is even more versatile and as flexible as before. With Wi-Fi 6 and USB-C connections, you can be assured that transmitting critical data will be fast and stable. As before, the scanner is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices, functioning in handheld mode or set on a stand in front of a turntable. And with the Revo Scan 5 software, the scanning process couldn’t be easier, especially with post-processing features, such as frame editing, hole filling, overlap detection, etc, to enhance your workflow.

With the Revopoint RANGE 2 3D scanner, you have a whole new world of large objects you will be able to scan. You can easily scan car or mechanical parts, offering a cost-effective and high-performance way to study them through reverse engineering or produce replacements. Archaeologists, scientists, and museum creators can now also digitize artifacts to preserve them for posterity or turn them into XR experiences. And, of course, artists and creators now have a portable yet powerful tool to bring their ideas to life. Scanning big objects for your big projects will no longer be a problem with the new and improved Revopoint RANGE 2!

Click Here to Buy Now: $656.10 $729 (10% off, use coupon code “YKD10”). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

The post Revopoint RANGE 2 3D scanner makes short work of scanning large objects first appeared on Yanko Design.

What do these million-dollar crowdfunding campaigns have in common?

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They say that ideas never die, but unless a great concept turns into a great product, it really never lives up to its true potential. We’ve always believed ‘crowdfunding’ to be one of the most powerful design movements to emerge from the birth of the internet. Thousands of people rallying from around the world to support a great idea for a useful (or fun) product? What’s more beautiful than that?! Financial constraints become less of a problem for budding creators when people across the globe rally around their efforts, allowing young designers and small teams to still make a large impact without the millions of dollars that large companies channel into product development. Nothing encourages innovation more than fresh ideas getting support directly from the masses. It’s like casting your vote for the kind of designs you believe in, and we absolutely love that! So do the folks at The Crowdfunding Formula, who have helped hundreds of creators bring their designs and visions to life. Dubbed the world’s largest crowdfunding agency, The Crowdfunding Formula set a benchmark this year with as many as 5 of their projects hitting the million-dollar crowdfunding mark in just the past 6 months! For creators, that can be the difference between a concept and a product that’s changing the world, so we sat down with The Crowdfunding Formula to look at some of their most successful projects this year. Who knows, next year it could be your design too! If you’re sitting on an incredible idea but you just need the right catalyst to help turn it into a great product, let this be your inspiration. Here’s a ‘Yanko Design and The Crowdfunding Formula review’ of some of their most noteworthy projects of the year 2023.

Click Here to Know More About The Crowd Funding Formula

01. GoChess: Most Powerful Chess Board Ever Invented

With over $2.6 million gathered from nearly 7,000 fans across the world, GoChess proves that old classics never die – they just need to be reinvented a little bit! This AI-powered chess-board isn’t like anything you’ve seen before. It houses magnets under the board’s surface that move the pieces so you can physically play against an AI opponent. Oh, did we mention, it has a built-in AI that can either play against you or teach you how to play the game. The board is design with back-lighting and squares illuminate to help guide your chess pieces to victory, teaching you valuable gameplay strategies. When you’re experienced enough to play on your own, either challenge GoChess’ AI bot, or play a virtual game against an online opponent anywhere in the world and the board moves their pieces for them! TCF utilized this to help build excitement within the massive chess community, helping raise $600k in just 24 hours. It’s no wonder that GoChess holds the title of the world’s most-funded chess game, and why it’s such a fascinating part of this TCF review.

02. FUELL Flluid: World’s Longest Range E-bike

Boasting a range of 225 miles or 350 kilometers, the Flluid grabbed eyeballs for being the e-bike with the world’s longest range. Keen readers may recognize the name FUELL, Eril Buell’s electric two-wheeler startup that’s been making waves for its electric motorcycles and bicycles. The Flluid debuted on crowdfunding platform Indiegogo, garnering support from nearly 600 enthusiasts who helped raise over $1.5 million for the e-bike, earning a solid spot in this TCF review. Erik Buell formed a core part of TCF’s outreach strategy, relying on his decades of expertise in the domain of running his motorcycle company Buell which he relinquished after selling the company to Harley-Davidson in 2003. Aside from that staggering 225-mile range (which can basically get you through a week’s worth of use), the FUELL Flluid also has a 28mph top speed thanks to a 750W motor, a 7-speed gearbox that automatically shifts gears for you, and smart connectivity that lets you check ride statistics as well as monitor your e-bike against theft.

03. FUELL Fllow: 150+ Mile Range and 30 Min Fast-Charging

Set your eyes on the Fllow and you’ll get flashbacks of the good-old Buell days. Designed to forward the legacy of Erik’s legendary cafe racers, the FUELL Fllow is an urban motorcycle with a new electric beating heart that gives it a 150+ mile range, a top speed of 85 mph, and a 0 to 60 mph acceleration of just 3.5 seconds… but all powered by clean energy in the form of a 35kW motor and a 10kWh battery. The Fllow’s design aesthetic indicated its future-forward vision too, with a broad aerodynamic fairing sporting a black and shiny silver colorway with just a hint of green to tell viewers that this wasn’t your average fuel-guzzling motorcycle. Designed by Erik Buell and Frédéric Vasseur, a Formula 1 Alfa Romeo principal engineer, the e-bike gathered a staggering $2 million in funding in just the first 24 hours, hitting a $4 million mark in just 3 weeks.

04. Duovox Ultra: Military-Grade Night Vision Monocular

Now tell me, who in their right mind would pass up an opportunity to crowdfund literal military-grade night-vision goggles?! Equipped with a Starvis CMOS sensor, a 7-piece lens, an IR illuminator, and a 10-hour battery, the Duovox Ultra offers full-color vision up to 1650 feet (500 meters) even in pitch darkness. It’s compact, weighing only 280 grams, and can be handheld or tripod-mounted and used alongside your smartphone which doubles as a viewfinder. With military-grade specs, including 5x optical and 10x digital zoom, 128GB storage, and hands-free smartphone operation, the Duovox Ultra was promoted as a great hobbyist tool, but more importantly, a valuable addition to your camping or survival gear, even providing vision in emergency scenarios and power outages… which explained why nearly 6,900 backers helped over $1.1 million to own this dream spy gadget, and why we just couldn’t resist including this in the YD x TCF review!

05. Oculis Lodge: Special Lodging Experience In Nature

This is a statistical rarity, but did you know architecture has a place in the crowdfunding world too?? Well, just like products, buildings require immense amounts of capital to create so for the folks behind the Oculis Lodge, it made absolute sense to rely on crowdfunding to help build their glamping lodge, partnering with The Crowdfunding Formula to raise more awareness and funding from enthusiastic travelers. Unlike with products where backers receive a final unit of the design, backers for the Oculis Lodge could pledge money and redeem it as a 1, 2, or even a 7-night stay at the property. The lodge, surrounded by 7 acres of pristine nature on the slopes of Mount Baker, was home to multiple domed rooms that could house up to 6 people inside. Each dome had its own skylight, a private patio, and was equipped with smart-home tech, while the lodge itself had every amenity one could ask for, from private saunas and jacuzzis to firepits and yoga spaces… and obviously a stunning view of the mountains set against the clearest skies the state of Washington could offer. Enticed by those spectacular views, more than 1,700 backers pledged $1.2 million to help bring the Oculis Lodge to life.

Click Here to Know More About The Crowd Funding Formula

The post What do these million-dollar crowdfunding campaigns have in common? first appeared on Yanko Design.

Brew Perfect Cold-Brew Coffee in Your Fridge with This Gorgeous All-in-One Glass Carafe

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Making cold-brew just became less annoying, messy, and time-consuming. Shelbru’s carafe design lets you make and serve cold coffee right inside it without those annoying filter bags dripping all over the place. Each carafe makes enough coffee concentrate for 3 jugs of cold-brew, with a dual-layer metal filtration system that does the job of a disposable coffee filter without creating single-use waste. Store, Sift, Brew, and Serve. Shelbru’s brewing carafe is accompanied by its family of containers that manage the entire coffee process from bean to brew. In the end, you’re left with the easiest, smoothest cold-brew concentrate that you can either pour over ice, into milk, or add to a hot cup of water for a luxurious-tasting Americano without those burnt coffee notes.

Designer: Shelbru

Click Here to Buy Now: $39 $80 (51% off) Grab yours now!

The cold-brew process seems easy – just chuck coffee in water and leave it in the fridge – but it’s a process that can get annoyingly messy without the right technique or equipment. Sure, you could add your coffee grounds in a bottle of water, but you’d still have to drip-filter it, which can add hours more to an already long brewing process. Alternatively, just chuck a ‘cold brew’ bag of coffee into your water and let it infuse over a period of 12-24 hours, but then you need to fish the bag out, making sure it doesn’t drip all over your kitchen, before throwing it in the trash. To solve for this, the folks at Shelbru designed a simple system that takes you from start to end of your cold-brew process. The Shelbru System features a series of containers for effectively storing beans and grounds, for brewing coffee in the fridge, and then enjoying in all its golden caffeinated glory later. All the containers come made from heat-resistant borosilicate glass, and are designed as a family of products with universal interchangeable lids that make them incredibly easy to use.

The system starts with Shelbru’s Smart Canister, a container with an active vacuum-sealing lid that stores your coffee beans in a pristine air-free environment to prevent them from oxidizing and developing any off flavors. The beans stay the freshest they can possibly be for longer… and yes, you can use the Smart Canister to store other perishables too, from cookies to cornflakes and beyond. The Smart Canister’s lid has a single-button interface that activates the vacuum, expelling air and moisture from inside the container. Moreover, a sensor in the lid actively monitors the container’s internal pressure too, and a simple push of the button again releases the vacuum, letting you open the canister with ease.

If you fancy yourself to be a bit of a coffee wonk, the Shelbru Sifter lets you quickly sift your coffee grounds so that you’re left with a uniform batch of coffee for brewing. The Sifter features a shorter glass container with a sieve built into its lid. The sieve lets you quickly separate the larger coffee particles from the smaller ones, ensuring your brew (either hot or cold) has a uniform taste. The Sifter comes with two interchangeable filters – 500µm and 800µm – that let you adjust the consistency of your grind based on whether you’re priming it for an espresso machine or a French press.

Shelbru’s Brewer and Carafe are perhaps the two heroes in the picture here, making the entire cold-brew process as simple as waiting and pouring. This dynamic duo allow you to use your own coffee grounds to create cold-brew right in your fridge, without any extra effort or hassle. The Brewer features Shelbru’s standard borosilicate outer vessel, along with a dual-filter metal insert that holds your coffee grounds and water. Attach the insert to the Brewer’s vessel and fill it up with your coffee before topping it off with water. Close the Brewer with a lid and place it on your kitchen counter or in the fridge, and the water gets infused with the mellow flavors of the coffee that are signature to the cold-brew experience.

The insert features a double filter lining, comprising an inner 600 wire mesh and an outer 500µm filter. These replace your disposable paper filter, allowing the water to get infused with the coffee flavor before filtering out into the borosilicate vessel. Once your brew is ready, pop off the lid, take the insert out and place it on the upturned lid which acts as a coaster to collect any dripping liquid. Empty out the coffee grounds and rinse the insert and it’s as good as new. Simultaneously, you’re left with a jar of coffee that you can either store in the fridge for later, or enjoy by transforming the jar into a Carafe.

A Carafe Lid attaches onto your borosilicate jar, giving you a perfect pour without making a mess anywhere. Perfect for elegantly measuring and pouring your brew, the Carafe lid is Shelbru’s final step in giving you that perfect cold brew every time. Conversely, pop that lid from earlier back on and your cold-brew can last for up to two weeks in the fridge.

Shelbru’s entire family of products help you on your coffee-making journey, ensuring an expert brew whether you’re a novice or expert. The Smart Canister and Sifter are ideal for storing and sifting your coffee before hot/cold brewing cycles, and the Brewer (which can also transform into the Carafe) is perhaps the simplest, easiest, and most sustainable way to make cold-brew right in your fridge. No more disposable coffee filters, and definitely no more going to a café for what you can make at home!

Click Here to Buy Now: $39 $80 (51% off) Grab yours now!

The post Brew Perfect Cold-Brew Coffee in Your Fridge with This Gorgeous All-in-One Glass Carafe first appeared on Yanko Design.

Stay Fresh Anytime, Anywhere with Stylish Wearable Aroma Diffuser Pins

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The sense of smell is easily taken for granted compared to sight and even hearing, but odors and scents actually have an often subtle yet significant effect on our moods and even our health. Bad smells can throw us off our equilibrium, while aromatic scents can either soothe or energize us. Unfortunately, we have little to no control over what we smell or even how we smell during the day, not unless we carry a bottle of perfume with us all the time. A more practical solution would be to have a tiny amount of your favorite fragrance on or near you throughout the day, which is what this ingenious pin offers in an inconspicuous button-shaped design.

Designer: Cement Produce Design

Click Here to Buy Now: $41 $49 (15% off at checkout). Hurry, Holiday Sale ends in 24 hours!

Aromatic oil diffusers have become quite fashionable these days, coming in all shapes, sizes, and features. All of them, however, are confined to being used in rooms, often placed on a flat surface like a table or shelf. You could bring a small bottle of your favorite oil with you, but those oils are quite strong if you don’t find a way to diffuse the scent, which is what a diffuser is made for. Portable aroma diffusers are, unfortunately, still bulky and inconvenient to use, especially when you still have to take them out of your bag or purse and put them down on some surface.

The ALMA aroma pin is a simple yet elegant solution that lets you enjoy the gentle fragrance of your aromatic oils without lifting a finger. The pins are actually tiny containers that can hold a pinch of cotton where you drop some of that oil. This effectively diffuses the scent and spreads it around the button automatically; no need to put a container down or hold it in your hand. It’s like your own personal bubble of fragrance that follows you everywhere.

The pins are shaped like rather thick buttons, so it’s actually easy to disguise them and pin them on any soft material, including clothes, hats, bags, and more. Each piece is carved out of a single block of aluminum and is handmade by skilled craftsmen pouring hours of attention and love into each and every single pin. The pins are then dyed using “alumite” which gives them their lustrous colors. This process results in variations in color depending on the production lot, which gives each pin somewhat of a unique visual personality, in turn.

Thanks to their discreet, button-shaped design, these pins can be just as subtle as the scents they diffuse. Whether you want to walk around smelling fragrant all day, want to always smell your favorite oils wherever you go, or make sure your apparel and accessories don’t pick up bad odors, these stylish pins will make your day. With just a drop or two of essential oil, the aroma diffuser pin will let you carry your own bubble of fragrance whenever and wherever you go.

Click Here to Buy Now: $41 $49 (15% off at checkout). Hurry, Holiday Sale ends in 24 hours!

The post Stay Fresh Anytime, Anywhere with Stylish Wearable Aroma Diffuser Pins first appeared on Yanko Design.

iQOO 12 Review: Checking Most of the Right Boxes, No More, No Less

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PROS:


  • Impressive camera output

  • Outstanding hardware performance

  • Distinctive BMW "Legend" Edition design (not the review unit)

CONS:


  • Low IP64 water resistance

  • Mediocre 16MP front camera

  • Limited global availability

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

Designed for mobile photography and games, the iQOO 12 delivers a solid performance without much fuss or fanfare.

The year is almost over, but it’s never too late to announce new flagship smartphones, especially when there’s a new mobile processor available. Riding on Qualcomm’s momentum, a few phone makers have almost simultaneously revealed their newest wares in a race to be the first and the best. Of course, just because you’re using the latest hardware available in the market doesn’t immediately mean you’re able to deliver the best overall user experience. There are a lot of ingredients that make up the perfect smartphone dish, so we’re taking the new iQOO 12 for a taste test to see if it managed to get the perfect mix or if it just had too much on its plate to leave a positive impression.

Designer: iQOO

Aesthetics

The moment you see the iQOO 12, you will immediately appreciate its elegant design. After that first impression, however, you might suddenly feel like you’ve seen it before, especially with the black “Alpha” edition that we received for this review. Aside from the large and unconventional camera island, the phone’s Fluorite AG glass is quite common. Yes, it has a sandblasted finish that makes it sparkle when viewed from certain angles, but that, too, has been done before. It’s pretty, yes, but nothing to write home about.

On the other hand, the BMW “Legend” Edition is a bit more interesting from a design perspective. It uses a Porcelain Enamel Glass that gives it a unique texture, while the clean white motif endows it with a stylish classic appearance. The engraved signature BMW M Motorsport stripes are tastefully done, clearly marking its identity without being flashy. It has the right balance of branding and minimalism that paints a picture of a truly special design.

Although almost opposite in their appearances, both Alpha and Legend editions share a common design element that you won’t find on any other smartphone. Rather than a square or a circle, the iQOO 12 employs a “squircle” shape that the company describes as a nod to ship portholes that let light in and give a dramatic view of the outside world from within a ship. Of course, it stretches the camera metaphor quite a bit, but its unusual shape still gives the phone a distinctive appearance.

The iQOO 12 Alpha carries a simple and elegant design that gives it an air of being a premium phone. Unfortunately, that doesn’t exactly help it stand out from its peers, especially if you find the “porthole” camera design less appealing. The design won’t win fans, but it probably won’t attract haters either.

Ergonomics

Fluorite AG glass has become a favorite material for smartphones because of how it’s able to avoid smudges. Some are even able to pull off matte textures using it, or at least some semblance of matte texture. In practice, however, it’s still glass and the iQOO 12 feels quite slippery in the hand, regardless of what the marketing material tells you. If you’re not confident with your grip, you’ll probably want to put on the included clear case just for peace of mind.

The iQOO 12 is by no means a thin phone at 8.1mm, nor is it that lightweight at almost 204g. It’s a large slab of metal and glass and you can definitely feel it the moment you hold it in your hand. That means you’ll have to try and grip it harder to ensure a more stable hold, but that also means putting more strain on your hand in the long run. The phone is also a bit top-heavy, which isn’t surprising considering all the parts located there, though that means the position of the fingerprint scanner near the bottom of the screen makes it a little bit precarious to hold.

Performance

The iQOO 12 definitely has all the makings of a high-end smartphone. It is one of if not the first to launch with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, and that is paired with fast 16GB LPDDR5X memory and an equally fast 512GB UFS 4.0 storage. Those alone already mean that it can handle any task you throw at it with aplomb. The bright and vibrant 6.78-inch 2800×1260 AMOLED screen with 144Hz refresh rate is great for viewing moving content, both videos as well as games. It’s an all-around powerful workhorse, but it also has a trick up its sleeve.

While some brands have custom processors for photography or AI, iQOO’s Supercomputing Chip Q1 focuses on enhancing display performance without taxing the main Qualcomm processor. Its biggest achievement is boosting frame rates to 144fps to match the screen’s native 144Hz refresh rate for a smoother and more fluid visual experience. Even under all the stress, the phone gets only lightly warm and never too hot, all thanks to a new four-zone vapor cooling chamber.

On the software side, the iQOO 12 runs the latest FuntouchOS 14 that’s already based on the current Android 14 release, and it’s promised to still get three years of Android updates. There is surprisingly little bloatware, although it still exists, and the user experience almost resembles vanilla Android while still offering plenty of customization options. The UI is smooth and responsive, though that should be expected given all the hardware driving it.

1x

1x Night

10x

The phone’s triple camera system is living proof that you shouldn’t judge hardware by their brand. Eschewing the usual Samsung or Sony sensors (except for one), the iQOO 12 was made in collaboration with and showcases the best of what OmniVision has to offer, particularly with the 50MP OV50H main camera and 64MP OV64B telephoto camera with a periscope-style lens. The latter is able to achieve 3x optical zoom and 10x lossless zoom, though iQOO is advertising a 100x digital zoom that, in practice, isn’t really going to wow anyone. The third camera is a 50MP Samsung sensor for ultra-wide shots.

1x

1x Portrait

1x Portrait

10x Night

What all these translate to in practice are impressive images, both during the day and at night. Details are rich and colors are quite vibrant, though they tend to be a bit more saturated by default, as expected. The 10x lossless (a.k.a. hybrid) zoom is surprisingly good, though with the expected loss of detail. Combined with Night Mode, it even makes decent nighttime photos, though that largely depends on the subject as well. Thanks to that same periscope telephoto camera, bokeh or Portrait Mode comes out with pleasing blurs and accurate separation of foreground and background elements. All in all, the iQOO 12 delivers an excellent mobile photography experience, except for the 16MP front camera that brings only the bare minimum to the table.

Ultrawide

1x

3x

10x

Sustainability

The iQOO 12, unfortunately, doesn’t grade well when it comes to sustainable design and longevity. It has your usual assortment of unsustainable materials, and the brand isn’t as aggressive in promoting its eco-friendly strategies as its rivals (unless you consider its parent company, vivo). The phone is also only IP64 rated, which means it has very weak defenses against water and other liquids. Sure, it’s better than nothing, but you’d expect a much better guarantee from a premium phone such as this.

Value

From a holistic perspective, the iQOO 12 is quite a splendid high-end phone. It has the chops to cater to both photography and gaming enthusiasts and has a design that, while simple, is still stylish enough to not look cheap or dated. But no phone exists in isolation, and the iQOO 12’s value will largely depend on the competition.

At the moment, there are very few phones running on the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, but that’s about to change in a month’s time or so. But even now, those few devices, the iQOO 12 included, have very limited availability in the first place. The $600 price tag is tempting but pointless if you can’t buy one that is 100% guaranteed to work on your country’s cellular networks. There’s also the fact that the design, while pleasant, doesn’t have enough pull to make it stand out from the crowd unless you’re able to get the BMW Legend Edition. It’s definitely a strong contender, but not one that might leave a strong, lasting impression.

Verdict

The iQOO 12 feels like it has almost everything. It has the latest specs that breeze through the toughest demands, especially gaming. The cameras are generally impressive under the majority of situations, except for that disappointing 16MP selfie cam. It’s clearly iQOO’s best work yet, but it also feels like it lacks that final punch to knock everyone else out of the ring.

Despite its pleasant minimalist aesthetic, the Alpha Edition’s design is honestly a bit underwhelming. The porthole-inspired camera bump is new to our eyes and ears, but it’s simply just another take on the same old design. In terms of both style and materials, the BMW Legend Edition is far more interesting, though possibly also more limited in supply. Then again, not everyone will be buying phones just for their looks, and the iQOO 12 does make an enticing offer, but soon there will be others that will easily grab the spotlight from it.

The post iQOO 12 Review: Checking Most of the Right Boxes, No More, No Less first appeared on Yanko Design.

0.25 oz Spork Perfect for Outdoor Enthusiasts Seeking Lightweight Gear

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It has become trendier these days to pack your meals when you’re going out, whether to eat lunch in the office or to enjoy a brief excursion. It’s not always a positive experience, though, and not just because of the food preparation but also because of the tableware you have to bring. There’s a specific class of utensils designed to be carried around, but many of them are either too heavy or even too flimsy. And then there’s the fact that most of these come as a set that you bring with you all the time, and if you lose one, the rest become almost unusable. The 0.25 oz Aero Spork was designed precisely to address those concerns, combining an innovative design and expert craftsmanship to deliver the one cutlery to rule them all.

Click Here to Buy Now: $17 $20 (15% off at checkout). Hurry, deal ends in 24 hours!

Although most indoor cutlery is made from metal, there is a wider variety of those that are designed to travel with you, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Plastic utensils are lightweight but easy to break, while metal is durable but heavy. Some try to have very thin bodies to offset that weight, but they end up making your hands feel cramped after a while. They also mostly come as a set, at most a pair of a spoon and a fork, but you’ll be left at a disadvantage when you lose one or the other. Of course, sporks exist to combine those two into one, but the vast majority of them are more cumbersome to use than they’re worth.

This lightweight metal spork, in contrast, was meticulously designed to give your hands a break while you’re taking your lunch break. At only 0.25oz (7g), you can hardly feel its weight so your hand won’t feel strained the more you enjoy your meal. Being lightweight, however, doesn’t mean it’s fragile. With a special anodized aluminum exoskeleton, it remains tough as nails and ready to scoop up or pierce through food.

The spork’s design might strike one as odd, but it wasn’t made on a whim nor is it purely aesthetic. Inspired by the curved plate structure used in architecture like the Sydney Opera House, the spork gains a body that is both lightweight and surprisingly strong. The wide and curved handle is also designed for ergonomics, allowing your finger to rest more comfortably inside the curve. Even the shape of the head itself is different from the norm. Instead of trying to copy the rounded shape of spoons, it tapers a bit towards the tip to make it easier to twirl noodles like pasta around it.

Sporks were invented to have both a spoon and a fork in one for practical convenience, but their designs haven’t exactly been comfortable to use, long-lasting, and visually appealing. In other words, they’re not considered the best cutlery to use. Made by expert metalworkers from Tsubame City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, this innovative metal spork shatters those misconceptions with a lightweight yet durable body, a unique yet practical design, and a beautiful minimalist aesthetic that makes each bite a joy.

Click Here to Buy Now: $17 $20 (15% off at checkout). Hurry, deal ends in 24 hours!

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iQOO 12 Legend Edition design brings the BMW M Motorsport racing spirit to smartphones

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There are very few things that can make your heart stop with their speed, and motorsport race cars are one of those. The suspense, tension, and adrenaline you feel as these four-wheeled demons pass by is enough to put people on the edge of their seats, literally. There seems to be an innate human fascination for speed and power, and race cars have long been the symbol of those aspirations. Of course, such qualities can also be found in other things, like the impressive pieces of technology that we call smartphones. It’s not surprising, then, that these two very different worlds would eventually meet, such as in the iQOO 12 Legend Edition that embodies the BMW M Motorsport spirit through its power and style.

Designer: iQOO x BMW M Motorsport

This isn’t the first time you might have heard of an automotive brand lending its clout to a smartphone, whether in name or in design. In fact, the partnership between iQOO and BMW M started way back in 2019, resulting in the gaming-oriented iQOO 7 BMW M edition as well as an iQOO-branded BMW DTM car during the 24 Hours of Nürburgring race. This year, that partnership was again witnessed at the 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship, and 2024 will see iQOO’s presence on a BMW M Hybrid V8 Hypercar at the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Of course, BMW M Motorsport is also leaving its own mark on the iQOO 12, specifically the special Legend Edition that will bear that exclusive branding. This year’s design, however, is a bit different and actually a little more subtle. The overall motif is still predominantly white, of course, just like many race cars. But instead of tall stripes in BMW M’s iconic blue, black, and red colors, the tiny stripes are actually embossed in a Clous de Paris pattern and located off the right side instead. In a way, the BMW M Motorsport is less in-your-face, subtler, and more elegant, allowing viewers to draw the associations between the two brands through the smartphone’s own prowess.

The iQOO 12, after all, is definitely a speedster, being one of the first phones to be powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. It has a large and powerful camera system that is designed in the likeness of ship portholes, conveying the spirit of exploration. It isn’t just for show either, boasting a team that includes an Astrography Camera with an ultra-large main sensor, a periscope telephoto lens, and a wide-angle shooter. Despite the power it holds inside, the iQOO 12 Legend Edition still exudes beauty, grace, and comfort with its ergonomic contoured glass and nano-textured finishes. The flat edges and flat display perfectly complement each other, giving the phone a contemporary aesthetic that belies its nature a smartphone equivalent of a performance car.

With first-class features and a striking design, the iQOO 12 Legend Edition perfectly embodies BMW M Motorsport’s mantra of “Fascination Meets Innovation.” It delivers the performance to satisfy users’ need for speed while subtly capturing the visual and spiritual essence of a roaring race car. Already available in China, the iQOO 12 Legend Edition is slated to launch globally by the end of this year.

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Good Design Award 2023 Crowns its ‘Grand Award Winner’ – Here are the Top 5 Finalists

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Established in 1957, the Good Design Award, also known as the G Mark, has served as a beacon of excellence, shining a spotlight on outstanding designs that push boundaries, enhance daily life, and contribute to the betterment of society for over 6 decades. From industrial products and architecture to communication design and digital media, this illustrious award covers a wide spectrum of design categories.

Winning the Good Design Award is highly regarded and can significantly boost the reputation and marketability of a product or design. The recipients are granted the right to display the ‘G Mark’ logo on their winning products, indicating their commitment to quality and design excellence.

The selection process for the Good Design Award is rigorous and involves a panel of experts from various design fields. They evaluate entries based on criteria such as innovation, functionality, aesthetics, environmental impact, and user experience. The award is not limited to Japanese companies or designers; it is open to international submissions as well.

The Award revealed its 5 finalists, of which one of them was crowned the ‘Good Design Grand Award’ winner (Long House Senior Daycare Center by ALL FOR ONE Co., Ltd.). In addition to the main award, the Good Design Best 100 and Good Design Long Life Design awards are also presented. The Best 100 recognizes the top 100 designs of the year, while the Long Life Design Award honors products that have maintained their high design quality over an extended period. Scroll below to see the Top 5 Finalists for the 2023 Good Design Award.

Click Here to View the Good Design Best 100 winners for the year 2023

Long House Senior Daycare Center by ALL FOR ONE Co., Ltd. (Grand Award Winner)

This welfare facility is specifically created to cater to the needs of the elderly. Its design draws inspiration from the traditional Japanese porch known as “Engawa,” which encourages locals to visit in a relaxed and informal manner. Moreover, it serves as a community hub for welfare, fostering a sense of togetherness among the elderly, children, and local residents, who can rely on each other for support during challenging times. The town-like architecture of the center emphasizes a state of independence, allowing the occupants to be more inclined to help each other and live out their lives rather than relying on a ‘system’… however, bathing, toileting, and eating are provided as routine services. The community fosters a spirit of humanity within it, relying on altruistic acts of kindness that help it be a model society for its occupants. People are encouraged to visit their family, help out with their daily lives, while children are taught the importance of servitude by being encouraged to help perform duties like watering the garden.

Panasonic Lamdash PALM Electric Shaver by Panasonic Corporation

It’s common for grooming devices to have a hyper-ergonomic design. Look at razor handles or the shape of beard trimmers, for starters. The truth is this isn’t purely ergonomics, it’s also something called a ‘category code’. People are more likely to recognize a product by its shape, so if all beard trimmers have the same overall design, they’re clubbed into the same category, making it more effortless for users to understand and buy. The Panasonic Lamdash PALM, on the other hand, goes a different route. Inspired by the grippy design of a well-rounded pebble, this compact shaver is interesting to look at while also being reliable to hold onto and maneuver across your jaw. The five-blade linear motor shaver sports a hyper-compact design that lets it cut down on large, unnecessary parts, helping save materials by as much as 30% and lower the shaver’s overall production impact without sacrificing function. This hyper-compact design also makes it perfect for traveling with!

Prius Passenger Vehicle by Toyota Motor Corporation

The Prius remains an absolute icon in its impact on the transportation industry as well as pop culture for how rapidly popular and ubiquitous it became with hybrid cars. However, as more and more cars are switching to alternate powertrains like hybrids and EVs, the Prius is finding itself competing against many more companies. Faced with this challenge, Toyota decided to design the newer models of the Prius keeping two things in mind – “A design inspiring love at first sight” and a “captivating driving performance” that doesn’t just focus on environmental impact, it focuses on the thrill of being behind the wheel too. Conceptually referred to by Toyota as “Hybrid Reborn”, the new Prius focuses on an exterior that resonates with modern sensibilities, evoking the feeling of love at first sight, and an interior that combines a functional layout with an emphasis on operability and extensive safety equipment in a space with a high-quality feel.

NHK Citizen Lab Social Platform by NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)

Designed as a response to the pandemic, the NHK Citizen Lab hopes to build a new information platform that connects researchers and the public to facilitate citizen science activities that yield discoveries through collective knowledge. With the spread of smartphones and other devices, data such as photos and videos can be easily sent anytime and from anywhere, creating a haven of consumer-driven data that can be analyzed for the betterment of humanity. Meanwhile, there are many researchers who are unable to conduct large-scale studies because they are unable to secure sufficient research funds. The Citizen Lab, created by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, helps create a bridge between these researchers and the public. “We devised a plan to create a win-win relationship by leveraging the dissemination, appeal, and reporting power of the public media NHK to convey researchers’ thoughts to citizens in an easy-to-understand manner,” says the team at NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation).

Kamiyama Marugoto College of Design, Engineering, and Entrepreneurship by
KAMIYAMA Educational Institute

The national and global spotlight is currently shining on “Technical Colleges” as a potential source of clues to address Japan’s pressing issues, including a declining birthrate and aging population, regional depopulation, economic stagnation known as the lost 30 years, and the frequent occurrence of severe disasters. Located in the Tokushima Prefecture, the Kamiyama Marugoto College of Design, Engineering, and Entrepreneurship’s vision is to establish a cutting-edge technical college in a beautiful natural setting, where students can develop specialized skills that combine the arts and sciences in technology, design, and entrepreneurship. Its unique approach allows students to pursue their education for a five-year period without the pressure of university entrance exams. “We firmly believe that by increasing the number of individuals in Japan who possess the ability to create and possess an entrepreneurial mindset, we can shape the future of our country,” says the College’s spokesperson. “Furthermore, we recognize the significance of progress, even if we ourselves and our organization are still a work in progress.”

Click Here to View the Good Design Best 100 winners for the year 2023

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