JLab JBuds ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds Launched

JLab JBuds ANC 3

In today’s fast-paced and increasingly digital world, the demand for high-quality, noise-cancelling wireless earbuds has skyrocketed. As more people work remotely and consume digital entertainment on the go, the need for immersive audio experiences that block out external distractions has become paramount. Enter the JLab JBuds ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds, a product that stands […]

The post JLab JBuds ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds Launched appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.

Transform Home Energy with a System that Powers Through Outages and Enhances Sustainable Living

Engineered to tackle the complex challenges of today’s energy challenges, the Anker SOLIX X1 is a sophisticated home energy storage system that ensures consistent power during outages and optimizes energy usage for greater efficiency and cost savings. Homeowners often face erratic power availability, which can lead to increased utility costs and the inconvenience of interruptions that disrupt daily life and risk damage to sensitive electronics. Additionally, the growing awareness and need for sustainable living drive the demand for solutions like the Anker SOLIX X1, which integrates seamlessly with any home and supports renewable energy sources.

Designer: Anker

Click Here to Buy Now. Free Anker SOLIX C800 Plus for those who buy before June 30, 2024!

With its high functionality and aesthetic appeal, the slim, minimalist design—only 5.9 inches thick—makes it much more compact than traditional systems, effortlessly blending into any living space. The Sandstone Gray exterior, chosen for its natural look and durability, includes a special powder coating to enhance weather and corrosion resistance, keeping the system attractive even under harsh conditions. The system includes a sleek grille on the side panels that neatly hides wiring, ensuring a clean, unified look. Drawing on the elegance of a waterfall, this design element enhances aesthetics while maintaining tidiness and organization.

Anker SOLIX X1 transforms your power experience. Store solar energy during the day for nighttime use or off-grid.

Save on energy bills!

Inspired by the “break of dawn,” symbolizing new beginnings and a sustainable future powered by renewable energy, the sleek appearance and functionality of Anker SOLIX X1 aim to provide reliable energy independence from conventional power sources. The system also includes thoughtful features that enhance user interaction, such as an interactive light strip on the front that displays various operational statuses through distinct modes and colors, providing immediate visual feedback. For instance, a bright white light signifies normal operation, a calming blue represents off-grid power usage, and red indicates potential issues.

The system includes a Starry Night Screen that directly shows essential information about power levels and status on the device, eliminating the need to check a website or app. This simplifies user interaction and adds to the aesthetic appeal, allowing the system to serve as both a practical technology and a decorative element in your home.

Anker SOLIX X1 Minimalist Design-Starry Night Screen

Equipped with a 24/7 Whole-Home Backup Power system, the X1 should provide peace of mind that your home remains brightly lit and fully powered even during unexpected power outages. It employs rapid-switching technology that activates in under 20 milliseconds, providing an uninterrupted power supply and allowing homeowners to continue their daily activities without disruption. Furthermore, during short-term blackouts, the Anker SOLIX X1 could constantly offer 1.1X rated power output to power high-watt home appliances all at once, ensuring no interruption in service.

Anker SOLIX X1 4°F-131°F -Thermal Boosting Technology

This system guarantees consistent power during outages and excels in extreme temperatures, achieving 100% power efficiency from -4°F to 131°F. The built-in thermal boosting technology allows the battery to charge normally when others might fail, especially in severe cold. The Battery Management System (BMS) also enhances battery performance, enabling up to 15% more attainable power in high summer temperatures. With its InfinitiPower™ technology, the X1 maintains steady charging and discharging capabilities without power derating, supported by at least three battery modules. Additionally, the X1 is designed to withstand rain and dust, courtesy of its IP65 rating, offering users peace of mind. This ensures reliable and efficient power delivery, even under challenging environmental conditions.

Anker SOLIX X1 IP65 rating protects against rain and dust

The system’s StormGuard Mode prepares homeowners for any weather. It automatically maximizes battery capacity in response to severe weather alerts from local services. This ensures you are prepared for any adverse conditions without giving it a second thought. This energy solution provides sustainable energy independence and allows homeowners to customize capacity from 5 to 180 kWh and power from 3 to 36 kW to their specific needs, ensuring optimal performance and minimal energy loss as demands grow. The X1’s modular pack design allows for seamless expansion without suffering energy loss derived from mixed use of new and old batteries, a common problem known as the ‘barrel effect.’ In the event of a battery pack failure, the system is designed to isolate the failed pack, maintaining overall system availability automatically. This flexibility and adaptability ensure you always find the best combination that fits your needs.

Anker SOLIX X1 with Energy Optimizer: Optimized Energy for More Power- Barrel effect

With its Innovative Energy Optimizer, each battery module can independently charge and discharge, eliminating capacity loss due to different statuses. This feature provides up to 2350kWh more energy than similar products in the market over a span of 10 years, resulting in significant savings on electricity bills. This data and calculation are based on 15kWh batteries of Anker SOLIX X1 over 10 years vs a traditional home battery.

The X1 optimizes energy use through several innovative modes, enhancing sustainability and cost-effectiveness. By intelligently managing energy, it adapts to green energy availability and price fluctuations, maximizing economic returns. One of the key modes, the Self-powered mode, prevents any solar power from going to waste during daylight by storing excess energy. This helps reduce the carbon footprint and supports energy independence. Users can easily switch to this mode using the Anker app, which enables the system to charge throughout the day and power the home at night.

Anker SOLIX X1 Innovative Energy Optimizer

Additionally, the Time-of-Use mode takes into account the fluctuating electricity prices over the course of the day, highlighting that the impact on your electricity bill depends not only on how much power you use but also on the timing of its use. Furthermore, in response to California’s new energy guidelines under NEM 3.0, the X1 features a mode that adapts to these changes. It utilizes an advanced electricity price database to enable homeowners to sell surplus electricity back to the grid at peak prices, thus increasing potential earnings and improving overall efficiency.

For convenience, the Anker SOLIX X1 can be controlled remotely using just one app, simplifying the monitoring and optimization of home power usage. This app allows users to save time and reduce hassle by providing access to professional data for optimizing power consumption without the need for multiple tools or interfaces. Furthermore, this energy solution is designed with safety in mind. It features a 0V battery port that ensures users remain safe from electrical shocks during maintenance. Using LiFePO4 components also significantly reduces the risk of overheating and fire, enhancing the system’s overall safety for home use. These features make the X1 a powerful, efficient energy solution and a safe choice for modern homes. Further enhancing this sense of security is a 10-year hassle-free warranty, demonstrating Anker’s commitment to durability and customer satisfaction.

Anker SOLIX X1 Shock-Free 0V DC Shutdown

Anker SOLIX X1 Heat Dissipation Optimization

Anker SOLIX X1 Modular Design

Seamlessly integrating functionality, flexibility, and aesthetics, the Anker SOLIX X1 is a sophisticated and reliable energy solution that redefines home energy management. This new system is designed to meet the needs of modern homeowners who aspire to combine sustainable energy use with stylish living.

Anker SOLIX X1 Installation

Discover the Anker SOLIX X1 for yourself and witness the change it brings to your home energy management. Visit the Anker SOLIX official website between April 23, 2024, and June 30, 2024, to learn more about this enticing offer. Consumers who submit a request for a free quote, make the purchase, and install as per Anker’s guidelines will receive the Anker SOLIX C800 Plus as a token of appreciation. Claim your Anker SOLIX C800 Plus by redeeming the product code sent via email by March 31, 2025, and experience how the Anker SOLIX X1 can revolutionize your energy usage, making it more efficient, sustainable, and seamlessly integrated into your living space.

Click Here to Buy Now. Free Anker SOLIX C800 Plus for those who buy before June 30, 2024!

The post Transform Home Energy with a System that Powers Through Outages and Enhances Sustainable Living first appeared on Yanko Design.

Transform Home Energy with a System that Powers Through Outages and Enhances Sustainable Living

Engineered to tackle the complex challenges of today’s energy challenges, the Anker SOLIX X1 is a sophisticated home energy storage system that ensures consistent power during outages and optimizes energy usage for greater efficiency and cost savings. Homeowners often face erratic power availability, which can lead to increased utility costs and the inconvenience of interruptions that disrupt daily life and risk damage to sensitive electronics. Additionally, the growing awareness and need for sustainable living drive the demand for solutions like the Anker SOLIX X1, which integrates seamlessly with any home and supports renewable energy sources.

Designer: Anker

Click Here to Buy Now. Free Anker SOLIX C800 Plus for those who buy before June 30, 2024!

With its high functionality and aesthetic appeal, the slim, minimalist design—only 5.9 inches thick—makes it much more compact than traditional systems, effortlessly blending into any living space. The Sandstone Gray exterior, chosen for its natural look and durability, includes a special powder coating to enhance weather and corrosion resistance, keeping the system attractive even under harsh conditions. The system includes a sleek grille on the side panels that neatly hides wiring, ensuring a clean, unified look. Drawing on the elegance of a waterfall, this design element enhances aesthetics while maintaining tidiness and organization.

Anker SOLIX X1 transforms your power experience. Store solar energy during the day for nighttime use or off-grid.

Save on energy bills!

Inspired by the “break of dawn,” symbolizing new beginnings and a sustainable future powered by renewable energy, the sleek appearance and functionality of Anker SOLIX X1 aim to provide reliable energy independence from conventional power sources. The system also includes thoughtful features that enhance user interaction, such as an interactive light strip on the front that displays various operational statuses through distinct modes and colors, providing immediate visual feedback. For instance, a bright white light signifies normal operation, a calming blue represents off-grid power usage, and red indicates potential issues.

The system includes a Starry Night Screen that directly shows essential information about power levels and status on the device, eliminating the need to check a website or app. This simplifies user interaction and adds to the aesthetic appeal, allowing the system to serve as both a practical technology and a decorative element in your home.

Anker SOLIX X1 Minimalist Design-Starry Night Screen

Equipped with a 24/7 Whole-Home Backup Power system, the X1 should provide peace of mind that your home remains brightly lit and fully powered even during unexpected power outages. It employs rapid-switching technology that activates in under 20 milliseconds, providing an uninterrupted power supply and allowing homeowners to continue their daily activities without disruption. Furthermore, during short-term blackouts, the Anker SOLIX X1 could constantly offer 1.1X rated power output to power high-watt home appliances all at once, ensuring no interruption in service.

Anker SOLIX X1 4°F-131°F -Thermal Boosting Technology

This system guarantees consistent power during outages and excels in extreme temperatures, achieving 100% power efficiency from -4°F to 131°F. The built-in thermal boosting technology allows the battery to charge normally when others might fail, especially in severe cold. The Battery Management System (BMS) also enhances battery performance, enabling up to 15% more attainable power in high summer temperatures. With its InfinitiPower™ technology, the X1 maintains steady charging and discharging capabilities without power derating, supported by at least three battery modules. Additionally, the X1 is designed to withstand rain and dust, courtesy of its IP65 rating, offering users peace of mind. This ensures reliable and efficient power delivery, even under challenging environmental conditions.

Anker SOLIX X1 IP65 rating protects against rain and dust

The system’s StormGuard Mode prepares homeowners for any weather. It automatically maximizes battery capacity in response to severe weather alerts from local services. This ensures you are prepared for any adverse conditions without giving it a second thought. This energy solution provides sustainable energy independence and allows homeowners to customize capacity from 5 to 180 kWh and power from 3 to 36 kW to their specific needs, ensuring optimal performance and minimal energy loss as demands grow. The X1’s modular pack design allows for seamless expansion without suffering energy loss derived from mixed use of new and old batteries, a common problem known as the ‘barrel effect.’ In the event of a battery pack failure, the system is designed to isolate the failed pack, maintaining overall system availability automatically. This flexibility and adaptability ensure you always find the best combination that fits your needs.

Anker SOLIX X1 with Energy Optimizer: Optimized Energy for More Power- Barrel effect

With its Innovative Energy Optimizer, each battery module can independently charge and discharge, eliminating capacity loss due to different statuses. This feature provides up to 2350kWh more energy than similar products in the market over a span of 10 years, resulting in significant savings on electricity bills. This data and calculation are based on 15kWh batteries of Anker SOLIX X1 over 10 years vs a traditional home battery.

The X1 optimizes energy use through several innovative modes, enhancing sustainability and cost-effectiveness. By intelligently managing energy, it adapts to green energy availability and price fluctuations, maximizing economic returns. One of the key modes, the Self-powered mode, prevents any solar power from going to waste during daylight by storing excess energy. This helps reduce the carbon footprint and supports energy independence. Users can easily switch to this mode using the Anker app, which enables the system to charge throughout the day and power the home at night.

Anker SOLIX X1 Innovative Energy Optimizer

Additionally, the Time-of-Use mode takes into account the fluctuating electricity prices over the course of the day, highlighting that the impact on your electricity bill depends not only on how much power you use but also on the timing of its use. Furthermore, in response to California’s new energy guidelines under NEM 3.0, the X1 features a mode that adapts to these changes. It utilizes an advanced electricity price database to enable homeowners to sell surplus electricity back to the grid at peak prices, thus increasing potential earnings and improving overall efficiency.

For convenience, the Anker SOLIX X1 can be controlled remotely using just one app, simplifying the monitoring and optimization of home power usage. This app allows users to save time and reduce hassle by providing access to professional data for optimizing power consumption without the need for multiple tools or interfaces. Furthermore, this energy solution is designed with safety in mind. It features a 0V battery port that ensures users remain safe from electrical shocks during maintenance. Using LiFePO4 components also significantly reduces the risk of overheating and fire, enhancing the system’s overall safety for home use. These features make the X1 a powerful, efficient energy solution and a safe choice for modern homes. Further enhancing this sense of security is a 10-year hassle-free warranty, demonstrating Anker’s commitment to durability and customer satisfaction.

Anker SOLIX X1 Shock-Free 0V DC Shutdown

Anker SOLIX X1 Heat Dissipation Optimization

Anker SOLIX X1 Modular Design

Seamlessly integrating functionality, flexibility, and aesthetics, the Anker SOLIX X1 is a sophisticated and reliable energy solution that redefines home energy management. This new system is designed to meet the needs of modern homeowners who aspire to combine sustainable energy use with stylish living.

Anker SOLIX X1 Installation

Discover the Anker SOLIX X1 for yourself and witness the change it brings to your home energy management. Visit the Anker SOLIX official website between April 23, 2024, and June 30, 2024, to learn more about this enticing offer. Consumers who submit a request for a free quote, make the purchase, and install as per Anker’s guidelines will receive the Anker SOLIX C800 Plus as a token of appreciation. Claim your Anker SOLIX C800 Plus by redeeming the product code sent via email by March 31, 2025, and experience how the Anker SOLIX X1 can revolutionize your energy usage, making it more efficient, sustainable, and seamlessly integrated into your living space.

Click Here to Buy Now. Free Anker SOLIX C800 Plus for those who buy before June 30, 2024!

The post Transform Home Energy with a System that Powers Through Outages and Enhances Sustainable Living first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Open-Air Market In Japan Features Expansive Roofs And An A-Frame Inspired Design

This stunning structure is called the Marche Vision Market, and it is located in Taki town, Mie prefecture, Japan. Designed by Tomoya Akasaka, this exquisite market is unlike the typical, crowded, chaotic, and often haphazardly designed markets you may have come across. The key elements of the market are the rather expansive and impressive roofs which were designed after drawing inspiration from the water cycle, since rain and sunshine are essentials for the growth of crops. The unique roofs represent the absorption of energy via the curved surface extending over the ground. The repetitive torii gates at the Akone Yashiro Shine, located within the Ise Grand Shrine were sources of inspiration for the structures supporting the roof. The torii gates represent the prayers for abundant harvest, plentiful fishing yields, and successful businesses, forming a beautiful connection and symbolism, since the market promotes and sells local produce.

Designer: Tomoya Akasaka

The Marche Vision isn’t simply a market, it focuses on and attempts to foster regional collaboration through food. It takes the age-old and successful concept of the farmers’ market and elevates it by promoting dining events, to stimulate and support regional innovation and growth. The impressive roof is meant to represent the serene connection between heaven and earth, and it shelters a space that functions as an engaging landscape, where fresh ingredients and produce are encouraged, and business is conducted at a dynamic and productive pace.

The roofs shelter an open-air space, where visitors are allowed to connect with the outdoors, nature, and changing seasons, something which is not often seen in modern retail and shopping centers. This thoughtful touch reduces energy consumption, in turn addressing and offering a unique solution to environmental issues. The eaves form a surface for raindrops to descend regularly, in turn creating a ‘rain curtain’. The side facing the expressway has been integrated with local wooden louvers, adding a touch of warmth, minimalism, and harmony to the marketplace. These simple touches not only protect the region’s natural beauty but also encourage sustainable preservation.

The Marche Vision is designed to offer a lavish lineup of fresh food. It is a convenient and easy-to-access market for local growers, providing an interactive and expansive space for the promotion and sale of locally-grown produce. Fresh vegetables, delicacies from the land and sea, and even seasonal seafood such as Ise spiny lobster and abalone straight from Ise-Shima are available at the Marche Vision market.

The post This Open-Air Market In Japan Features Expansive Roofs And An A-Frame Inspired Design first appeared on Yanko Design.

Art Exhibit honoring Salvador Dali lets you “Ask Dali” anything on his 120th Birthday

As we approach Salvador Dalí’s 120th birthday on May 11th, the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, is offering visitors a unique opportunity: to “Ask Dalí” and converse with a lifelike, artificial intelligence recreation of the Spanish painter himself, simply by picking up a lobster phone. This innovative experience is inspired by one of Dalí’s most iconic creations, the Lobster Telephone, and is made possible through the fusion of the artist’s eccentric genius with cutting-edge machine-learning technology.

Designer: Goodby Silverstein & Partners

Salvador Dalí, known for his surrealist paintings such as “The Persistence of Memory,” “Swans Reflecting Elephants,” and, of course, the Lobster Telephone, has left an unforgettable mark on the world of art. His works continue to captivate audiences worldwide, challenging our perceptions of reality and expanding the boundaries of the imagination. The Lobster Telephone, created by Dalí in 1936 for the English poet Edward James, now serves as an inspiration to the central piece in the Dali Museum’s latest interactive exhibit, as the ‘telephone’ fits best for the analogy, allowing visitors to engage with the artist himself in a surreal and thought-provoking manner.

Surrealism, the movement Dalí helped to spearhead, aims to revolutionize human experience by balancing a rational vision of life with one that asserts the power of the unconscious and dreams. Surrealist artists find magic and strange beauty in the unexpected and the uncanny, the disregarded and the unconventional. Dalí’s paintings offer deep and multifaceted meanings, providing ample scope for imagination and understanding of the artist’s perspective.

In an era marked by remarkable technological advancements, it’s fitting to bring a renowned artist back to life through AI, especially as we celebrate his birthday. Debuting after a successful preview at the renowned SXSW conference, Ask Dalí marries the artist’s eccentric genius with some of the latest in machine-learning technology. Crafted by advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P), the experience utilizes OpenAI’s GPT-4 and ElevenLabs’ Eleven Multilingual V2 models. These tools are trained on a rich dataset of Dalí’s own writings and archival audio, producing responses that echo his distinctive voice, flamboyant personality, and whimsical humor.

To start a conversation, visitors pick up the telephone and ask any question they would like, whether seeking insights into the artist’s surreal imagery or his thoughts on contemporary matters. During a demonstration, Hank Hine, director of the Dalí Museum, tested the system by asking what one should be sure to see when visiting the museum. The AI, channeling Dalí’s lyrical style, recommended, “In the labyrinth of the imagination that unfurls within the Dalí Museum of St. Petersburg, one must seek the melting clocks in The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory, where time drips like a dream refusing to be contained.”

Building upon the successes of previous AI-assisted exhibits, such as Dalí Lives in 2019, which brought the artist’s persona to life on screens throughout the museum, and the Dream Tapestry in 2023, where AI assisted visitors in creating digital paintings from descriptions of their dreams, Ask Dalí is the latest in a series of innovative intersections of art and technology inspired by Dalí’s own fascination with new mediums. Jeff Goodby, the co-founder of GS&P, reflects on the project’s alignment with Dalí’s legacy: “Dalí was fascinated by the latest tools and technologies of his era and continually explored various artistic media,” he notes. “Ask Dalí provides a delightful new way to interact with machine-learning technology. Dalí’s poetic writings, in an imaginative style all his own, are the basis of the training, providing dynamic and unpredictable answers to visitors’ questions.”

The 120th birthday of Salvador Dalí promotes the intersection of art and technology allowing visitors to engage with one of the greatest artists of the 20th century in a manner that is both enlightening and surreal. Through the Lobster Telephone, visitors to the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg can experience firsthand the wit, wisdom, and eccentricity of Salvador Dalí, ensuring that his legacy lives on for generations to come.

The post Art Exhibit honoring Salvador Dali lets you “Ask Dali” anything on his 120th Birthday first appeared on Yanko Design.

Threads has 150 million monthly users

Meta’s Threads app now has more than 150 million monthly users, an increase of about 20 million new users since February. Mark Zuckerberg shared the latest user numbers during Meta’’s first-quarter earnings call, saying that the app “continues to be on the trajectory that I hope to see.”

The update suggests Threads is continuing to grow steadily, though at a slower rate than its initial explosive growth. The app racked up more than 100 million downloads in its first week, but later saw a drop-off in engagement. But over the last six months, Threads has seen more consistent growth and Zuckerberg has speculated the service could eventually be Meta’s next billion-user app.

Notably, Threads seems to be out-performing X (formerly known as Twitter) by some metrics. Estimates from analytics firm Apptopia indicated Threads has more daily users in the United States than X, Business Insider reported earlier this week. (X has claimed 550 million daily users globally.) Threads also scored another significant win recently when Taylor Swift joined the platform to promote her latest album.

Threads is, for now, unique among Meta’s apps in that it doesn’t have advertising so the company doesn’t make money from the app directly. That will likely change at some point provided Threads continues to expand its reach. Zuckerberg has previously said the company would “focus on monetization” only after the app has grown sufficiently.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/threads-has-150-million-monthly-users-215853190.html?src=rss

TikTok Lite axes ‘addictive as cigarettes’ reward-to-watch feature under the EU’s watchful eye

The EU has effectively vanquished a TikTok feature that Europe’s digital commissioner described as “toxic” and “addictive as cigarettes.” Owner ByteDance said on Wednesday that TikTok Lite’s reward-to-watch feature would be suspended. It’s been a brutal day for TikTok as President Biden signed a bill (also on Wednesday) forcing ByteDance to sell the platform’s US operations or face a ban.

TikTok Lite, launched earlier this month in France and Spain, lets users earn rewards by watching and liking videos. They can then exchange their points for real-world perks like Amazon vouchers or in-app ones like TikTok’s virtual currency, which is used to tip creators. The EU Commission said the “task and reward” feature can stimulate “addictive behavior” in children.

“Our children are not guinea pigs for social media,” EU commissioner Thierry Breton posted on X (Twitter) on Wednesday. “I take note of TikTok’s decision to suspend the #TikTokLite ‘Reward Program’ in the EU.”

However, he added a parting shot to remind ByteDance it isn’t out of the woods: “The cases against TikTok on the risk of addictiveness of the platform continue.”

Breton fired a warning shot at ByteDance earlier this week, saying the EU had opened a formal investigation into TikTok for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA). The landmark legislation, adopted in 2022, gives European regulators the teeth to force significant changes in social media platforms to protect consumers.

Companies that break the rules can risk fines of up to six percent of their global revenues — enough to force compliance from even the richest companies. Wednesday’s suspension marks the first concrete example of the EU using the DSA’s enforcement powers to force significant changes on a social platform.

The EU’s formal investigation into TikTok Lite was its second targeting the platform this year. An earlier case, launched in February, opened proceedings against TikTok and Meta for their handling of the privacy and safety of minors. The Guardian notes that both cases remain active.

“TikTok always seeks to engage constructively with the EU Commission and other regulators,” the platform’s Policy Europe X account posted on Wednesday. “We are therefore voluntarily suspending the rewards functions in TikTok Lite while we address the concerns that they have raised.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-lite-axes-addictive-as-cigarettes-reward-to-watch-feature-under-the-eus-watchful-eye-211157092.html?src=rss

James Bruton’s Screw Bike moves smoothly in any direction, even rotates on its axis

James Bruton and his out-of-the-world creations never cease to amaze us. His Star Wars Speeder Bike is a good example of his inventive thinking. The DIYer knows his craft and his latest creation has got us mystified, yet again!

This omnidirectional bike gives the rider great freedom to move in multiple directions, allowing them to move sideways, diagonally, or even rotate on the spot. Now, who would say no to such a cool way to commute in the city?

Designer: James Bruton

Dubbed the Screw Bike, this two-wheeled commuter justifies the namesake. I can’t resist but see the reminisces of the retro Motocompo here, but that could be a pure coincidence. James has a thing for omnidirectional wheels and this could be his best one so far. Each of those peculiar wheels on the bike is 360 mm in diameter and comes with a packing of smaller wheels positioned with engineering craft for multidirectional movement. Originally called Mecanum Wheels, these unique tireless wheels are used widely in the scope of robotics and often in competitive robotics due to their ability to introduce fully omnidirectional movement onto a drivetrain. These rollers typically each have an axis of rotation at 45° to the wheel plane and at 45° to the axle line.

While your high-end bicycle will beat this thing in a straight spring, on the tracks of Monaco this thing will have the moves. For this bike’s custom design, the inventor employs 3D printing technology and uses materials like plywood. Implementing such a complex wheel design could only have been possible with 3D printing. There are 48 small wheels and 96 wedges that make possible this complex iteration. The movement of this bike is so smooth, that it calls for due credit to James.

The steering input from the handlebar is perfectly synched with the direction in which the inventor wants to move. He demonstrates the movement of Screw Bike inside a room and out in the open too. This very well justifies that the smooth moves are no fluke.

The post James Bruton’s Screw Bike moves smoothly in any direction, even rotates on its axis first appeared on Yanko Design.

PUBG will take a nostalgia-infused trip back to its first map in May

PUBG: Battlegrounds is somehow old enough to evoke nostalgia. The pioneering battle royale game, which entered Steam Early Access in 2017, will borrow a page from Fortnite’s playbook and honor its first map. Erangel Classic will recreate the old-school battlefield from the game’s inception for a limited two-week run in May and June.

Developer and publisher Krafton says the Erangel Classic map will reproduce the original’s concepts, graphics, atmosphere and UI. However, it will blend those with “modern tweaks” to deliver “the enjoyable gameplay experiences that players have grown accustomed to.” In other words, much like remasters of other classic games, the goal is to feel as close to the original as possible without chucking out all of its subtle quality-of-life improvements from the game’s evolution.

Still from PUBG, featuring a player taking cover behind a crate with an assault rifle. Rural scene with an old house behind.
Krafton

If the revamped map idea sounds familiar, Fortnite brought back its original 2018 island map late last year, breaking its records for player counts. (It peaked at 44.7 million players, marking its biggest day ever.) It’s easy to see why Krafton would want a piece of that action.

Specific nods to the original map include foggy and rainy weather to add an air of unpredictability. In addition, you’ll find bench weapons on the starting island (get ready to scramble for your favorite), and all weapons will have reduced recoil to match the original. It will also have a Tommy Gun in the care package, a vintage map UI and a “charmingly tacky font and graphics.”

The tiered rollout will arrive on PCs and consoles at different times, extending the playtime for those who own the game on multiple platforms (perhaps helping Krafton sell a few extra in-game items). Erangel Classic will be available in PUBG: Battlegrounds on PC from May 14 to May 28 and on consoles from May 23 to June 6, replacing the modern Erangel map during those periods. Krafton says the May 14 patch notes will go into more detail about all the map’s changes, so keep an eye out.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pubg-will-take-a-nostalgia-infused-trip-back-to-its-first-map-in-may-194736249.html?src=rss