Remember the Apple AirPower? Back in September 2017, Apple announced a wireless charging device with the ability to simultaneously charge up to three devices, including Qi-compatible devices, at high speeds. It was cancelled before it ever saw production, but later on, a different (and equally ambitious) project came to life on the opposite side of the world: the Nothing Power (1) 65W portable wireless charger.
Nothing’s design for a high-speed, portable wireless power bank was a Swiss Army Knife of charging capability; even containing its own internal battery to charge several devices on the go. And yet, it flew a little too close to the sun. Like the AirPower preceding it, the Nothing Power (1) was cancelled internally before it ever saw the light of day.
In a sudden — and rather informative — interview between Nothing Head of Content Heru Prasetyo and Nothing CEO Carl Pei, published on October 24, we now know exactly what happened during the Nothing Power (1) development process that caused its downfall. For what it’s worth, we also now know that it existed in the first place (though some rumors floated around about it in 2021). It’s unfortunate, too, given how useful the translucent, uniquely-shaped charger would have been.
Creating a wireless charging mat and a high-powered 65W charger (like Nothing’s 65W GaN Charger) require two different design approaches; the former needs to be able to support the weight and size of several devices, while the latter needs a bit more bulk to charge at rapid speeds. The Nothing Power (1) tried to be both things at once, and as a result, the heavy plastic casing required to hold the device together became its point of breakage.
Around the halfway point of the interview, Pei explained Nothing’s ultimate decision with an easy-to-follow analogy: “Think about it this way: if you’re in a car, driving somewhere, and you realize you’ve put the wrong location in the GPS, would you keep driving a bit more just to get to your final destination, or would you just do a U-turn to get to where you actually need to be?”
According to Pei, dropping the device would cause it to crack, and the team ultimately decided it wasn’t worth putting more time, effort, and resources into making it work. Another major issue was pricing, as the CEO mentioned it was a challenge figuring out how to balance the cost of production with a price that consumers would pay for.
The admittedly less ambitious Nothing Phone (1) Power (45W) is still set to release on October 30 for an MSRP of $35, though it’s only designed to charge a single Nothing Phone (1) at one time, and it requires a wall outlet to deliver a charge, meaning it isn’t exactly portable. A 45W charger with the power to deliver a 65% charge in 30 minutes is still a win for Phone (1) owners, even though it’s more of an iterative win. It doesn’t sound like the product Nothing originally dreamed of putting into production, but it’s faster than Phone (1) owners are used to, so it’s still worth celebrating.
Highlighting the best parts of unique product designs requires exceptional product photography prowess, and that’s difficult to achieve if you don’t have the right equipment and the right environment to snap photos in. Most living environments aren’t exactly as clean as they appear in picture-perfect lifestyle photos, and in order to capture detailed product shots, you’re going to want a pristine and brightly-lit background — showing off every detail, right down to the pixel. If you’re interested in learning product photography for yourself, you’ll want to make sure you have a nice DSLR camera with a wide aperture, which can capture photos in RAW (this allows dynamic range for color correction and other tweaks in post-production).
That said, it’s one thing to vaguely send you off looking for a DSLR camera with no further advice, and it’s another to tell you exactly what you’ll need — right down to the lighting. That’s the purpose of this list, which should point you in the right direction as you shop for your in-home product photography setup. By the way, the best “DSLR camera” you can buy and begin snapping product shots today (if you aren’t already a skilled photographer with an investment in a proper $2,000 DSLR, lenses, and other fancy camera accessories) isn’t actually a DSLR at all; it’s a brand new smartphone, like a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra or an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Without further ado, here are my top 10 recommendations for the best tools and accessories you can buy for any home product photography area in 2023.
1. iPhone 15 Pro Max – best smartphone camera for color accuracy
As I mentioned earlier, the best DSLR camera alternative you can buy for product photography is a beefy new smartphone. If it’s time to upgrade anyway, you can’t beat the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s robust integrated software and swanky new camera features — like its 5x telephoto camera. Both the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max grapple for the title of “best smartphone camera of 2023”. The former has a 200 megapixel sensor with 10x optical zoom, which is phenomenal for capturing wide-angle photos and taking shots of faraway points of interest thanks to its vibrant color tone.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max camera, on the other hand, lacks the same raw horsepower — and for what it’s worth, a few users also had some issues with overheating, which was meant to be resolved in iOS 17.1 — but it takes the cake for capturing the most visually crisp close-up shots that simultaneously deliver the most true-to-life color accuracy. In product photography, you want to be able to reproduce the most realistic color tone, and that’s where the iPhone 15 Pro Max succeeds; meaning it’s the one I personally recommend over the two.
The Foldio360 Smart Dome (which Yanko Design covered while it was still in Kickstarter!) is a compact, dome-shaped structure, filled to the brim with LEDs that fill its non-reflective all-white interior with light — completely obliterating soft shadows. Its killer feature is the built-in turntable that uses light to indicate where your product is supposed to sit on top of the turntable surface, and once it’s all set up, it continuously rotates in a 360-degree radius. You can mount your phone onto the front opening with the included mounting kit for stable shooting, and then you can use the foldio360 app to remotely adjust color temperature and turntable speed as needed. This is a really convenient way to get your shots done in a snap, especially when you’re low on time and don’t have a ton of shooting space.
The Smart Dome can hold up to 6 lbs of weight, but if that’s not enough leeway, you can instead buy the sturdier Foldio360 Smart Turntable, which is optimal if the product you’d like to rotate weighs between 6 and 11 lbs. Just make sure you have other light sources and a white or green backdrop on hand.
3. eucos 62″ Phone Tripod – best smartphone tripod
There are many smartphone-compatible tripods on the web, but the eucos 62-inch phone tripod has a nice balance of form and function that make it an easy buy at its listing price of $29.99. First of all, its body (which is made of durable nylon) comes in two distinct color schemes that both look stylish: Inferno Mix Carbon Black, and Mineral White.
You can adjust the tripod’s height up to 62 inches, as the name suggests, but reviewers generally report the eucos 62-inch phone tripod remains stable even at such heights thanks to its aluminum locking mechanisms and grippy rubberized feet. It’s compatible with smartphones between 2 and 3.6 inches in width, which means you can use it with basically any modern smartphone. There’s also a cold-shoe expansion port to equip additional fill lighting, and you can use the nifty included Bluetooth remote trigger to capture photos while keeping your phone camera stable.
Solid-color acrylic display boards can sit on any surface, immediately turning your desk into an optimal product photography surface without needing to go out and set up an all-white table or all-white desk specifically for shooting product photos with. These 12 x 12 and 24 x 24 acrylic boards come in packs of two — one white board, and one black board. You can switch between the matte or glossy side based on your needs, and reviewers seem to agree that it’s a sturdy and well-designed product overall, albeit with some issues related to scratching on the surface. That seems to be a common problem with acrylic boards in general, so it’s best to take extra care when handling these.
5. Glendan Portable Photo Studio Light Box – best photo tent
This Glendan portable light box is a less expensive alternative to the Foldio360 I mentioned earlier. It surrounds the product with dimmable light from 112 LED light beads and provides an all-white background that’s perfect for taking product photos. It also does away with the strobe other light boxes use, and combined with its built-in light diffuser and internal light reflector, it highlights plenty of detail in soft light. Its portability and ease of setup make it a convenient way to show off a product without investing a ton into a clean or immaculately-designed shooting environment, and can be especially useful if your shooting space is on the smaller side.
6. Elgato Collapsible Green Screen – best backdrop
If you want to design a shooting environment with a specific style, it can be easier to set up your space with a green screen. This lets you digitally inject an environment into the background, making for a simple and easy approach to composing your shots. Elgato’s collapsible green screen backdrop is widely rated as the best-designed compact photography green screen thanks to its durable green fabric and its ability to deploy anywhere via a unique pneumatic collapsing mechanism. It only weighs 20.5 lbs when concealed, which makes it a low-profile item to carry around with you, despite its rather large impact on your shooting environment once fully deployed.
Getting your environmental light perfect can be challenging, which is why light reflector diffuser discs are an important tool — both for blocking certain light wavelengths, and enhancing others. Neewer’s 43-inch light reflector and diffuser discs are widely rated as the best you can buy for the price, and they come in white, black, gold, silver, and translucent coloring. They’re collapsible as well, making them easy to carry around.
8. Fovitec 3-Light Fluorescent Studio Lighting Kit – best fluorescent studio lighting kit
Fluorescent spot lighting is the quickest way to pour light into an underlit scene, and when capturing product photos in larger environments, these are extremely important to have around. Fovitec’s 3-light fluorescent studio lighting kit takes care of a lot of shopping — adjustable stands, boom arms, and a carrying case come included —and the lightboxes themselves, which can push up to 5500K color temps, are rated as some of the best you can buy for the price.
9. Neewer Heavy Duty Light Stand with Casters – best all-purpose light stand
If you need to expand your lighting with additional stands, the Neewer heavy duty light stand has a wide range of potential uses. It’s an adjustable stainless steel tripod which can rise up to 10 ft in height. But you can throw pretty much any lighting equipment you want on top; whether you need to add extra lightboxes, ring lights, or even want to hang your light reflectors or diffusers up high. Reviewers love the build quality, calling it the “best industrial heavy duty tripod C stand” and saying they “should have bought this along (sic) time ago”.
10. Lume Cube Video Conference Lighting Kit LITE Edition – best budget surface lighting
If you’re shooting product photos on a desk surface and you want an extra light source in a pinch, the $49.99 Lume Cube LITE Edition laptop-friendly ring light is a quick and easy way to add such light to your shooting environment. It plugs into a power source via USB, and can be fully powered through any regular laptop, meaning you can also use it for other purposes — like conference calls. Reviewers love the amount of extra brightness it can add to any space, and it sounds like the build quality make it a winner. It’s dimmable as well, if you only need a certain amount of light in your environment.
The housing market isn’t in great shape right now, especially if you live in the United States — where home prices have stayed high in spite of relatively high interest rates. Other modern stresses, including climate destruction and skyrocketing living costs, have driven more and more people to live off-grid in eco-friendly homesteading arrangements that self-sustain to cut costs and contribute minimal carbon emissions. That’s why compact, mobile tiny homes — which cost only a fraction of the price of a full house, albeit at a fraction of the size — have grown in popularity over the last decade or so.
Nestron is one such designer of tiny homes, like the futuristic Cube One (C1), Cube Two (C2), and Cube Two X (C2X) homes that range anywhere from $42.2k to $126.6k, depending on the configuration you choose at Nestron’s online showroom. These sleek, futuristic prefab designs are aesthetically pleasing and highly customizable, and you can order them fully furnished with all the amenities you could possibly want, including solar electricity (or local electricity), heating, and a fully-equipped bathroom with a smart toilet.
They aren’t exactly spacious — the smallest prefab, the Cube One, only measures in at 254 square feet. Even if you go for the most expensive option, the Cube Two X with a double-bedroom layout, you’re still only getting about 398 square feet of space. That’s not a huge downside when you consider how much of the setup and decoration is done by Nestron itself.
According to an interview with Nestron founder Lawrence Xu (via Dwell), Nestron handles everything from logistics and transport to unloading, setting up utility connections, and even designing the exterior space around the property where the prefab is placed onto. It’s all pretty impressive when you consider just how much work and preparation is taken out of your hands, especially with consideration to complex HVAC and lighting systems — which are all handled by Nestron. All you need to do is customize the house online and order it.
Nestron’s custom interiors are gorgeous, and they’re not just for sci-fi fans who want a futuristic look for their frontier home. The Singapore-based tiny home designer also offers clean, modern-style tiny homes in the Legend series, which offer darker, more wooden tones and cozier interior decor in contrast to the Cube’s colder and more metallic tones.
You can reserve a tiny home on Nestron’s website today; it sounds like all orders from Texas, New York, California, Canada, and the U.K. will be fulfilled by the end of 2024.
The competitive fighting game community can be awfully particular about its controller preferences. This is because fighting games are so brutally intense that professional fighting game champions — those who play in tournaments like EVO Japan — often vie in favor of controllers called fight sticks that emulate the OG arcade cabinet design.
Almost completely out of left field, Razer smashed its way into the fighting game fight stick arena like Street Fighter’s Zangief going in for the finishing blow. The hitbox-like Razer Kitsune All-Button Arcade Controller, which launches on October 31 for $299.99, is compatible with both PlayStation 5 and PC via USB-C. And good lord, does it look fun to play fighting games with.
The Kitsune’s Razer Chroma RGB backlit, all-black aluminum design looks sort of like a keyboard rather than a joystick — this is thanks to the fact every stick and trigger function is relegated to a set of 12 round buttons on the front panel. Gamers who’ve gotten their hands on it are already singing its praises, with GameSpot’s Michael Higham calling it “the best fighting game controller, period.”
The Razer Kitsune’s design is actually way more modular than it first appears. Not only can you remove the aluminum top plate to refit the exterior with special vinyl wraps (like the Chun-Li Edition vinyl wrap), it looks like the low-profile linear optical switches underneath the buttons allow you to customize the buttons themselves… in theory. The real draw is their smoothness and quick response time, which, combined with their convenient layout and the Kitsune’s accompanying tournament lock switch — which turns off certain buttons and secures the cable in place when activated — makes them arguably more precise than any standard gaming controller.
Even if you aren’t a fighting game fan — though if you are, it sounds like the Razer Kitsune is a no-brainer purchase, especially if you play a lot of Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, or Melty Blood — the arcade-style layout looks like a delightful way to play action-heavy 2D games like bullet hell shooters. You could probably even justify the purchase if you’re using it to play older SNES-era games (like older JRPGs, for instance) that are less action-heavy, like Chrono Trigger.
The $299.99 price tag is a bit much for most gamers outside of the fighting game community who may not need as much additional performance, but it’s definitely one of the coolest-looking controllers we’ve seen go into full production. If only it was compatible with the Nintendo Switch.
DJI is usually known for producing top-tier camera drones like the DJI Mini 4 Pro. It also makes the DJI Osmo Pocket, a mini action cam built into a gimbal you can fit in your pocket (as the name suggests). On October 25, the DJI team officially released its newest Osmo Pocket 3 camera, catering to vloggers on the move with a 1 inch CMOS that can do some pretty wild things in a relatively tiny package. The most immediate draw is its ability to record 1080p footage at 280 frames per second and 4k footage at 120 frames per second in slow motion mode, or record 10-bit HDR footage at 4k60. Those two features mean it can expertly capture intense action in one shot, and then capture sweeping vistas in the next shot with eye-watering color depth.
It also has a 2 inch OLED touchscreen that rotates between landscape and portrait mode, letting you switch between widescreen and vertical aspect ratios. PCMag mentioned those touch controls are responsive and easy to find, letting the reviewer easily set up face tracking mode and switch between zoom modes. In general, reviews skew positive, with The Verge singing the new device’s praises despite a $170 price hike over its predecessor. To be clear: the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 comes in at an MSRP of $519, but it sounds like its sizable upgrades plus its compact form factor make it worth that price.
DJI itself had a few interesting comparisons to make between the Osmo Pocket 3 and earlier versions. For instance, the company claims it can charge to 80% in 16 minutes, versus the Osmo Pocket 2, which evidently took about 48 minutes to reach the same level of charge. TechRadar corroborated this figure, saying, “The recharge speed is unbelievably quick, with a full charge achieved in only 32 minutes, less than half the time of the Pocket 2. This is even more impressive considering that 80% battery is reached in just 16 minutes.”
However, the new gimbal camera isn’t perfect. It sounds like it struggles with minor overheating issues during filming, and it may not be rugged enough to withstand the adventures its small size suggests it would be optimal for. This is due to its vented design (which is supposed to offset overheating) according to PCMag’s Jim Fisher, who noted that it isn’t weatherproofed and thus probably wouldn’t be great to take into a large body of water or to a particularly dusty location.
Still, it’s an exciting new toy for videographers and — like DJI recommends — vloggers who want to take high-quality footage on the go.
Rumors have been floating around throughout October about the potential sudden release of new M3-based Macintosh computers. Just take it from Digital Trends’ Alex Blake, who spoke a little too soon (but not before providing an excellent explanation of why the M3 chip is so important to Mac users), saying, “An event doesn’t seem to be in the cards (no one has heard anything about invites), so a launch via press release seems likely at this stage.”
Fortunately for everyone both inside and outside of the press, there will indeed be an Apple event on October 30, 2023; and better yet, it will be entirely virtual. You’ll get to watch it straight from your couch (right here) on Apple’s official YouTube channel.
The only catch? Unlike regular Apple events which begin in the morning (at least over here on the west coast of the United States) this one is at 5 PM PT. That’s great for me, but probably not so great if you live outside of the United States, in which case you may end up staying up late into the spooky Halloween evening to catch Apple’s “scary fast” Mac reveals.
Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most respected Apple analysts on the web, took to X on October 24 with a valuable insight about what we can expect from the upcoming Apple event: “I believe M3 series MacBook Pro will be Oct 30th media event’s focus. I previously predicted a launch this year is unlikely due to limited 4Q23 shipments (less than 400-500k units in total). If new MBPs launch in Nov-Dec, tight supply will last into 1Q24 unless demand weakens.”
Granted, all we really have right now is speculation, and despite having an excellent track record for predicting Apple’s next move amid the constant whirlwind of hype and uncertainty often attributed to Apple’s somewhat erratic movements – like the sudden (though not entirely unexpected) announcement of the Apple Pencil USB-C – even Ming-Chi Kuo has been wrong in the past. That means, until we witness an official reveal unfolding in front of our own eyes, everything you see on the internet about this upcoming event on October 30 is still speculation. Still, speculators across the web seem hopeful that we’ll see new M3-powered Apple computers arrive in stores globally before the holiday rush goes into full effect in late November.
AR and XR sunglasses represent a growing market, offering alternatives to VR headsets equipped with mixed-reality pass-through (like the Meta Quest 2 and 3). One of the selling points is style; since they’re smaller and lighter, and since they look like actual sunglasses, you can theoretically wear them outside of your house without catching weird looks. And they usually have at least a few unique features and applications that make them worth using out in public, for instance, blowing up your handheld gaming device into a virtual home theatre while sitting on the bus.
Xreal, formerly Nreal, just announced its newest pair of XR glasses, the Air 2 and Air 2 Pro. They’re not scheduled to officially release until next month; they come ship out in the United States, Britain, and key parts of Europe in late November at $399 and $449, respectively. But reviews are already rolling in, with interesting insights about the Xreal Air 2’s usability and cost performance.
TechRadar seemed to love its “comfortable, lightweight design” while warning potential buyers to steer clear if they don’t travel around with one of the few compatible devices, like a gaming PC. But it sounds like the real use case for the Xreal glasses is taking mixed-reality passthrough with you on the go, meaning it’s best-designed for owners of the Steam Deck or the ASUS ROG Ally.
Both glasses come with 1080p Sony Micro OLED displays capable of displaying 500 nits of brightness through a 46-degree field of view, which is optimal for playing “flat” games on a static screen rather than engaging in full 6DoF VR or MR gameplay. They also seem to run fast – up to 120 Hz, which is also great for gaming. Its built-in “cinematic audio” speakers are also getting a bump from the original Air glasses as well, and are advertised as being specially designed to reduce audio leakage.
The Air Pro 2 seems like the real star of the show, using its dimming control to reduce outside light sources down to 0%, making for a far more immersive experience while playing games and watching movies in home theatre mode. Though it does indeed work with PCs, it seems to underwhelm (according to reviewers) when compared to far more versatile VR headsets like the Quest 2/3 and Valve Index, but strangely enough, the hype cycle surround the Apple Vision Pro drove sales for Xreal in July 2023.
Xreal Air 2 and Air 2 Pro are set to officially release for $399 and $449 in late November 2023.
You may read the title of this article and think to yourself, “wait a second, isn’t Siri already an AI?” Well, yes and no. Back in the early 2010s, “AI” was a popular buzzword among big tech companies, who described their virtual assistant services as AI companions – which was technically true, due to their reliance on natural language processing to interpret voice commands and output rote responses.
When tech corps talk about AI today, they’re primarily referring to chatbots using generative AI models like ChatGPT, which are vastly more advanced – and costly to operate. These have far more agency to “guess” correct information – even if you only provide limited input – thanks to sweeping advancements in machine learning. If you’re used to talking to Siri, Alexa, Cortana, or Google Assistant, you probably know there’s only so much these assistants can do… without a reasonable amount of extra programming to make them speak to far more advanced AI software like ChatGPT.
Throughout 2023, generative AI has dominated the entire conversation about artificial intelligence, and for that reason, a large chunk of software has been retrofitted to include some form of generative AI to help users navigate faster. Now, according to a Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman, Apple is racing to implement a similar model into Siri in iOS devices as soon as next year – with the release of iOS 18. That’s exciting on paper, if not for the fact it feels like Apple is putting the cart before the horse; chasing flashy new features while letting its most loyal users deal with quality control issues.
iPhone 15 Pro models are still overheating
You can’t really escape the fact that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max overheating issue happened. Period. More importantly, it’s still happening. The iOS 17.1 update that Apple promised would fix the overheating issue – which caused everything from periods of system instability to OLED burn-in – isn’t even fully released yet, as of the writing of this article. What it does include, however, is a large number of fixes that should have launched with the $999+ iPhone 15 Pro and $1,199+ iPhone 15 Pro Max to begin with, nearly one month ago.
On one hand, this whole situation feels like it was caused by a simple quality control error. The fact it’s evidently simple enough to fix over a couple of smaller software updates and one larger update, one month on, still raises questions on an organizational level. But in any case, adding a generative AI layer on the OS level is likely to make any existing issues worse, for reasons I’ll explain later on.
Overheating seems to be a software issue
As I previously mentioned, the overheating issue in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max seems like it comes from an interaction between iOS 17 and the iPhone 15 Pro itself. It’s easy to speculate what’s going on under the hood without delving deeper into the inner workings of the iPhone 15 Pro/Max or the massive interlocking systems of code powering it.
But again, purely from a software standpoint, Apple won’t easily escape the potential quality control issues that could come up by making its existing code exponentially more complex and demanding with advanced AI features. That follows the logic of why Apple is introducing more fixes than features with iOS 17.1 – it sorely needs to, in order to satisfy the disappointed iPhone 15 Pro owners – but the fact it’s apparently dropping “$1 billion per year” on integrating AI at this exact moment feels like an example of over-eagerness to catch up with a trend it doesn’t already have its thumb on.
Running generative AI models locally is system-intensive
A sizeable number of programs that use generative AI, do so by outsourcing their AI processing to external providers (like ChatGPT) via API calls, or just by telling a less intelligent program to manually send a command to an AI chatbot through a web interface. This is because the amount of computational power it takes to run an LLM locally is rather high. Some AI processes can work well locally, even on phones, thanks to specialized chips that are optimized for those purposes. For instance, the Google Pixel 8 is inherently built to run a wide number of AI-powered services, like Zoom Enhance, without using any external API.
On an indirectly related note, I can use my NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti to double the framerates in video games with DLSS 3 and Frame Generation, both of which use an AI model to (locally) enhance the image of my games before they reach my display. That’s the sort of thing you can generally do with specialized chips, without pushing your CPU or other internals beyond their limitations.
Running an LLM locally, which the current iPhone generation isn’t equipped to do, is a whole different thing. And yet, it’s the only conceivable improvement to Siri that would make sense when Apple talks about “upgrading” Siri with AI features. As an Apple user: yes, I want the functionality of generative AI in Siri, but I’d like to not have to worry about it tanking my system performance or rely on an always-on internet connection to work.
Siri likely won’t win the generative AI race
An LLM-based Siri would be behind the times, even if it came out in 2024 as a local function within the next generation of iPhones. That’s already highly unlikely for the reasons I described above. And since we already have so many powerful web-based LLM chatbots like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Microsoft Bing, it’s not like the addition of a Siri-based AI chatbot would provide a ton of additional value – except to diehard Apple users who wouldn’t ever dip outside of Apple’s ecosystem anyhow.
At this point in the race, it feels like Apple is chasing the hype train rather than defining it. Once again, it’s the cart placed before the horse.
Improved Siri AI is still coming, inevitably
Everyone is adding some form of generative AI bot to their software, so why not also do the same thing to iOS 18? It would add sorely-needed functionality to Siri, making it a true AI assistant with the ability to – for instance – fully manage an iPhone or iPad’s calendar. It could also help iPhone users learn how to use the system more efficiently, and take care of other menial tasks. If Apple is putting as much effort and capital into the project as is evident by the Bloomberg report, it’s definitely coming at some point.
Now, with all that said and done, I’m not knocking a hypothetical generative AI-based Siri upgrade – if we were talking solely about utility. If it can work well, it will be a greatly-welcomed addition to the iOS 18 feature set. However, it’s still questionable about how well it will work. For now, I’ll be more impressed when Apple fixes the iPhone 15 Pro’s overheating issues.
Polyurethane surfboards are a problem. According to the University of Berkeley (via a separate study conducted by the University of Wollongong), a single shortboard can create 375 pounds (0.170097 metric tons) of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the production process, and emit up to 600 pounds (0.272155 metric tons) over its lifecycle. Moreover, a regular surfer might go through several of these shortboards in one year.
If you take Surfer Today’s word on it, that eventually adds up to around 450,000,000 pounds (204116.5665 metric tons) of CO2 created across the entire surfing industry per year, if the cited figure of 750,000 surfboards produced per year is indeed correct. Other surfing-focused websites like Mpora seem to corroborate similar figures.
The old ways are growing less and less tenable as runaway carbon emissions result in global climate destruction. As a result, surfboard designers are opting for eco-friendly alternatives to the traditional epoxy resin-heavy, foam surfboard construction process. Take the upcycled sargassum algae-based 3D-printed Paradoxal Surfboards, created in France by designer Jérémy Lucas, as an example of innovation in the face of modern challenges.
These Paradoxal Surfboards are designed using upcycled algae, collected directly from Ris Beach, Spain. Their structure and design is inspired directly from the honeycomb shape of nano-structures within the algae itself. Jérémy Lucas and the Paradoxal team zoomed out to the microscopic level and discovered sargassum algae had a surfboard-like shape, and thus the Paradoxal Surfboard design was born.
Granted, the surfboard isn’t entirely made of algae. Instead, it’s built with a 3D-printing process that combines “thermoplastics, thermosetting materials and biosourced fibers”. By using this mixture of materials, Paradoxal is able to create uniquely-shaped designs that are reinforced in specific areas, making the entire build more durable and resistant to the stresses of the ocean.
Its see-through laminated design and circular lattice structure look beautiful in direct light, where the entire layout comes to life as if it were aquatic wildlife discovered on an alien planet, rather than a 3D-printed surfboard made of algae and thermoplastics.
Those circular structures – which give the board its enhanced sturdiness, since they can flex – are the primary benefit of 3D-printing. You can’t easily create similar structures within a polyurethane foam blank, and it’s potentially even more cost-effective to 3D-print a board with this design when you consider its total lifespan is probably far longer.
That said, it’s unclear when Paradoxal Surfboards will be available commercially – or the MSRP they will be available at. It sounds like Paradoxal will release them in limited quantities later this year.
The Nintendo Switch continues to be one of the most versatile gaming consoles around, with a massive catalog of great games to play and the ability to switch between TV, tabletop, and handheld mode on a whim – meaning you never have to put down your game for long. It’s an easy sell to anyone with even a casual interest in gaming (though it features plenty of 100+ hour, high-concept single-player games in its roster) which is likely why it’s sold over 129.53 million units since releasing in March 2017.
One of the coolest parts of setting up a Nintendo Switch in your room is playing it with retro-style controllers that feel better and often work better than the default Joy-Cons the console ships with. The Nintendo Switch Pro controller is a highly popular option thanks to its wealth of features and high build quality, but what if you want a more specialized look for your gaming room? I created this list to showcase a few of my top picks for Nintendo Switch controllers that feature a unique style. Whether you’re shooting for a retro look or adding more RGB to the space, there’s almost assuredly something here for you:
1. 8BitDo SN30 Pro Controller
The premiere retro controller of the bunch, the 8BitDo SN30 Pro looks just like an old SNES controller, and if you go for the crystal purple or jade green colors, it comes in a see-through case that exposes its internals and makes it look similar to an old GameBoy color. It’s completely unlike an actual SNES controller, however, thanks to its complete range of modern buttons and thumbsticks, rumble vibration, Bluetooth support, motion controls, and plug-and-play compatibility with your Nintendo Switch. It’s also rechargeable via USB-C.
Like many of the controllers on this list, it also connects to most other devices that take a Bluetooth controller, including: iPhone, iPad, Macintosh, Apple TV, Windows PC, Android, Steam Deck, and Raspberry Pi. This means you can buy this one controller and comfortably use it as your main controller for several systems.
The 8BitDo Pro 2 wireless controller is a step up from the SN30 albeit with a slightly less retro look. In exchange for that, it adds a few more bells and whistles like customizable back paddle buttons, a button that switches between input presets, a button that switches between custom profiles, a larger 1000 mAh battery (vs. the SN30’s 400 mAh battery), and access to 8BitDo’s Ultimate Software on PC and mobile where you can adjust button mappings and get granular with sensitivity.
Like the SN30, the 8BitDo Pro 2 is compatible with Windows, Apple, Android, SteamOS, and Raspberry Pi devices via Bluetooth 4.
PowerA Spectra Enhanced Wired Controller for Nintendo Switch is a quick way to connect an extra player or two to a docked Switch connected to a TV, but that’s not why I’d personally buy one. I haven’t found too many RGB-lit controllers for the Switch, but this is the perfect storm: PowerA is a respectable Switch controller manufacturer, and this happens to be one of the prettiest Switch controllers you can buy.
The RGB LEDs can cycle between eight different colors with a built-in Rainbow Phase or sync to the visuals of the game. Mappable buttons on the back of the PowerA Spectra controller can also make it easier to do certain actions. To be clear: there’s no vibration or motion control support, which may not make it the best first choice, but at least there’s no need to recharge a battery – for whatever that’s worth. And it has a 3.5mm AUX jack for an external headset, enabling voice chat within certain Switch games.
We really liked the NYXI Wizard wireless Switch controller when it first appeared in January. It’s not just a stylish competitor to the official Switch Pro Controller, clocking in at roughly the same price albeit with a stunning purple GameCube controller-esque design. Utilizing the magnetic NYXI Hall Joystick, it actively fights against the entropic forces that eventually bring every Joy-Con to its knees… figuratively speaking. In plain English, the NYXI Wizard is designed to be especially good at preventing Joy-Con drift, and that alone is why the controller is a perfect long-term option if you regularly play twitchy, action-heavy games like Super Smash Bros.
5. Nintendo Switch REALMz Controller (Wired or Wireless)
If you really love showing off character art in your room – especially if your room is themed around Sonic, which seems to be the flagship REALMz controller theme – you’d probably really appreciate these bespoke see-through PDP REALMz controller designs. REALMz offers both wired and wireless controllers, but no matter your preference, you’re getting a LED-backlit piece of artwork designed to boost the ambience of your gaming room. Every controller is layered with graphics and imagery from the IP it’s themed off of, and there’s at least one figurine inside of the bottom left grip to bring the entire design to life.
The wireless version of the REALMz Nintendo Switch controller is rated to last for 40 hours, and uses a rechargeable battery.
