The iPhone 18 Pro Max is poised to redefine expectations in the smartphone market, offering a blend of advanced technology, refined design, and enhanced functionality. With significant improvements across performance, connectivity, and camera systems, this device promises to deliver a comprehensive upgrade for users seeking innovative features. Below is a detailed exploration of the most […]
The post iPhone 18 Pro Max: 10 Leaks That Change Everything appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
Netflix has crashed for what seemed to be thousands of viewers after the first four episodes of Stranger Things season 5 went live for streaming. Downdetector started getting an unusual number of outage reports at around 10 minutes before 8PM Eastern time, when the episodes were scheduled to hit the service. The numbers climbed up to almost 14,000 before they went down over the next few minutes.
According to Entertainment Weekly, affected viewers were getting an NSEZ-403 error, which means their accounts couldn’t connect to Netflix. They were seeing “Something went wrong” and “Sorry, we're having trouble with your request” messages on their screens. For the NSEZ-403 error, in particular, Netflix advises switching to a different device. It’s worth nothing that the show’s creator previously said that Netflix increased its bandwidth by 30 percent to avoid a crash for the season premier. The company has told Engadget that some members briefly experienced an issue streaming on TVs, but that service has been restored for all accounts within 5 minutes.
In season 5 of Stranger Things, the Hawkins gang is set to face Vecna one last time. After these first four episodes, Netflix is dropping three more on December 25 and then the finale itself on December 31.
Update, Nov. 26, 2025, 10:56PM ET: This story and its headline have been updated to include the information Netflix shared with Engadget.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-went-down-for-some-viewers-after-stranger-things-premiered-025540635.html?src=rss
The moment you unbox a new flagship phone, there’s always that brief, fleeting sense of dread. One wrong move, one slip from the pocket, and that beautiful slab of glass and metal is a shattered mess. This is the exact anxiety that SUPCASE has built its entire brand around solving. They approach device protection with a seriousness that borders on obsessive, using multi-layer TPU and polycarbonate constructions that consistently meet and exceed military drop-test standards. Their work is a constant reminder that true protection is about smart material science, not just adding bulk.
This year, securing that peace of mind is more accessible than ever, as SUPCASE is rolling out some of its most aggressive Black Friday deals to date. We are seeing discounts of up to 32 percent across a wide swath of their catalog, from their latest iPhone 17 case designs to ruggedized solutions for the next generation of AirPods Pro. For anyone who values their hardware, this isn’t just another sale. It’s a strategic opportunity to get premium, field-tested protection for a fraction of the typical cost.
The MagSafe wallet space has been crowded for years, mostly with a sea of plastic and faux-leather options that get the job done but rarely feel like a premium upgrade. That’s what makes this leather version of the MagFlip interesting right out of the gate. SUPCASE went with genuine leather here, and it’s a choice you can feel. It has that substantial, tactile quality that’s missing from so many competitors, and it’s the kind of material that should develop a nice patina over time instead of just scuffing up. Functionally, it’s also more practical than most, with a design that comfortably accommodates up to five cards. That’s enough capacity to move it beyond a simple card sleeve and into the territory of a legitimate wallet replacement for a lot of people.
The real cleverness, though, is in the integrated stand. It’s not just a flimsy flap; the hinge mechanism is solid, allowing you to prop your phone up at multiple angles in both portrait and landscape orientations. This is the kind of feature that seems minor until you find yourself using it constantly, whether it’s for watching a video on a tray table or just keeping an eye on notifications at your desk. None of that would matter if the magnetic connection was weak, but the magnet array here is surprisingly aggressive. It’s rated for a 3000g pull force, which in practical terms means it’s not going to accidentally shear off when you slide your phone into a tight pocket, a common failure point for lesser MagSafe accessories.
What makes the MagFlip a standout recommendation, especially with the discount, is how effectively it consolidates your everyday carry. It’s a well-made leather wallet, a versatile phone stand, and a secure MagSafe accessory all in one slim package. If you were to buy three separate quality items to fill those roles, you’d be spending significantly more and dealing with more bulk. This accessory elegantly solves for all three. It streamlines what you need to carry while simultaneously upgrading the feel of your device. It’s a smart piece of engineering that adds real utility, and the use of genuine leather makes it feel like a proper accessory rather than just another plastic gadget.
Click Here to Buy Now: $39.89 $49.99 (20% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!
There’s always been a frustrating divide in the phone case world. You either get a slim, professional-looking case made from nice materials that offers next to no real drop protection, or you get a ruggedized plastic beast that can survive anything but looks completely out of place outside of a workshop. The leather version of the UB Grip is one of the few designs that genuinely tries to bridge that gap. It takes the proven protective architecture of the Unicorn Beetle line, with its dual-layer shock-absorbing frame, and fuses it with a backplate made of actual top-grain leather. The result is a case that feels substantial and secure in the hand, but has a warm, premium finish that doesn’t scream “industrial hardware.”
The thoughtful details are what really sell the design. Instead of just a raised plastic lip around the massive camera module, there’s a machined aluminum ring that adds a nice bit of metallic contrast and feels incredibly solid. The integrated kickstand is also made of aluminum, not some flimsy plastic tab that’s going to snap off after a few weeks. It’s sturdy enough to be genuinely useful for watching videos or taking calls, and it works in both portrait and landscape modes. Even with the leather and metal components, it still has a strong MagSafe magnet array, so you don’t lose out on core functionality. It’s clear this wasn’t just about slapping a leather sticker on an old design; the materials feel properly integrated.
This case is for the person who has accepted they need serious drop protection but hates the aesthetic that usually comes with it. The UB Grip Leather lets you have it both ways. You’re getting a case that’s been certified for 15-foot drops, which is frankly overkill for most people in the best way possible, yet it looks and feels like a sophisticated accessory. With the 20% discount, you’re getting a multi-material, hybrid design for the price of a standard single-material case. It solves the problem of wanting your expensive phone to be safe without having to settle for a case that makes it look cheap.
Click Here to Buy Now: $47.99 $59.99 (20% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!
AirPods cases occupy a strange place in the accessory market. Most of them are just thin silicone skins that do little more than add a splash of color while offering minimal real protection. The UB Pro for the AirPods Pro 3 takes a completely different approach, treating your earbuds like a serious piece of hardware that deserves the same level of defense you’d give to a phone. The case is built from a dual-layer construction of shock-absorbing TPU and rigid polycarbonate, creating a hard shell that can handle actual impacts instead of just light scuffs. What makes this particularly interesting is the inclusion of IP68 waterproof protection. There’s a built-in silicone plug with a double-lock mechanism that seals both the charging port and the hinge, allowing the case to be submerged up to 10 feet without water getting inside. For anyone who carries their AirPods in gym bags, near pools, or on hikes, that level of sealing is a legitimate game changer.
The design includes large, precise cutouts that keep the LED indicator visible during charging and allow easy cable access without having to remove the case. A metal carabiner is included in the package, and it clips to the case securely enough that you can actually trust it hanging from a backpack strap or belt loop. It’s not some flimsy keychain attachment; it feels like it belongs there. The case adds noticeable bulk, there’s no getting around that, but if you’ve ever had to replace a lost or damaged pair of AirPods Pro, the added size starts to feel like a reasonable trade-off. Wireless charging works without issue through the case, which is important since having to pop the case off every time you want to charge would quickly get old.
This is the case for people who treat their AirPods Pro like actual field gear instead of precious jewelry. The IP68 waterproofing is rare in this category and legitimately expands where and how you can use your earbuds without worrying about damage. Combined with the 12% discount using the code YANKOBF12, you’re getting military-spec protection for around $35, which is a fraction of what it would cost to replace the AirPods Pro 3 if they took a bad fall or got caught in the rain. The carabiner attachment turns the case into something you can actually carry confidently on the outside of your gear, which is the whole point of having wireless earbuds in the first place. It’s the right choice if you’ve already cracked or scuffed one charging case too many.
Click Here to Buy Now: $32.39 $45.99 (30% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!
If you want the core functionality of the leather MagFlip but prefer synthetic materials or need a more affordable entry point, this standard version delivers the same engineering in a vegan leather finish. The material choice is practical rather than premium; it’s a textured synthetic that resists fingerprints and scratches better than genuine leather while keeping the overall profile slim. Functionally, nothing is compromised. The same 3000g magnetic force keeps the wallet locked securely to any MagSafe-compatible phone, and it still holds up to five cards without stretching or deforming over time. The internal structure is reinforced to prevent that common issue where cheaper wallets start to lose their shape after a few months of use, leaving cards loose and prone to sliding out.
The standout feature remains the integrated kickstand, which continues to be one of the most useful elements of the MagFlip design. The hinge is engineered with enough resistance to hold your phone steady at multiple angles, and it works equally well in both portrait and landscape orientations. It’s especially useful if you’re someone who watches a lot of content on your phone during lunch breaks or commutes. An RFID-blocking card is included in the package, providing a layer of security for contactless credit cards and ID badges. At 28% off, this becomes one of the more aggressive discounts in the sale, making it a compelling option for anyone looking to simplify their everyday carry without breaking the budget.
This version of the MagFlip is notable because of the discount depth. At 28% off, you’re getting a wallet-stand hybrid that’s cheaper than many standalone MagSafe wallets that don’t even include a kickstand mechanism. The synthetic material isn’t trying to pretend it’s something it’s not, which is refreshing. It’s durable, easy to clean, and will likely look the same a year from now as it does on day one, which is actually an advantage for people who prefer consistency over patina. If your priority is maximizing utility per dollar spent, this is probably the smartest pick in the entire sale. You’re getting proven magnetic strength, five-card capacity, RFID protection, and a stable stand in one slim package, all at the steepest discount SUPCASE is offering on their wallet lineup.
Click Here to Buy Now: $35.99 $49.99 (28% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!
The standard UB Grip for the iPhone 17 lineup is basically the accessible entry point into SUPCASE’s rugged protection philosophy. It drops the premium materials and extra features to focus purely on what matters most: keeping your phone intact after a drop. The dual-layer construction uses TPU and polycarbonate with reinforced corners and internal airbag cushioning, which translates to a case that can survive 15-foot drops while meeting MIL-STD-810H-516.8 military standards. The back has a frosted semi-transparent finish that resists fingerprints and gives the case a cleaner, more modern look compared to the usual matte black slabs that dominate this category. It’s still clearly a protective case, but there’s an attempt here to make it visually appealing beyond just being functional.
The built-in aluminum kickstand is one of the defining features of the UB Grip line, and it’s just as solid here as it is on the more expensive models. The hinge has real resistance to it, meaning your phone will stay propped up at whatever angle you set it without slowly collapsing over time. The case includes full MagSafe compatibility with an N52 magnet array delivering around 1800 grams of magnetic force, strong enough to reliably hold wireless chargers and car mounts. There’s also integrated support for the iPhone 17’s Camera Control button, with a tactile pass-through that maintains the pressure-sensitive functionality. It adds noticeable bulk compared to a minimalist case, but if you’ve ever dealt with the cost and hassle of repairing a cracked screen or replacing a damaged phone, that trade-off starts to seem reasonable.
The standard UB Grip is the best choice for anyone who needs legitimate protection but doesn’t want to pay for material upgrades like leather or extra layers like a built-in screen protector. At 20% off, it’s positioned as an affordable workhorse case that does exactly what it’s supposed to do without any pretense. The kickstand alone justifies the slight extra bulk for most people, especially if you spend any time watching content on your phone during commutes or breaks. This is a straightforward, no-nonsense case that prioritizes drop protection and practical utility over aesthetics, and at this discount, it’s hard to argue with the value proposition. If you’re someone who tends to be rough on phones or just wants peace of mind without overthinking it, this is the obvious pick.
Click Here to Buy Now: $23.25 $35.99 (35% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!
Phones and earbuds are one thing, but gaming hardware presents an entirely different set of protection challenges. The Nintendo Switch 2 is designed to be a hybrid console, which means it’s constantly moving between docked play and handheld mode, getting tossed into bags, handled by multiple people, and exposed to more physical stress than most mobile devices. The UB Pro case for the Switch 2 addresses these concerns head-on with a dual-layer construction of shock-absorbing TPU and rigid polycarbonate. It’s built to military-grade MIL-STD-810G 516.6 standards, which means it can handle the kind of drops and impacts that come with portable gaming. A 2.5mm raised bezel around the screen provides an extra buffer against scratches and direct impacts when the console is laid flat or dropped face-down.
One of the smarter design decisions here is the dock compatibility. The case is engineered to fit in the official Switch 2 dock without needing to be removed, which eliminates the annoying ritual of stripping off protection every time you want to play on a TV. The Joy-Con sections feature a breakaway magnetic design that makes attaching and detaching controllers seamless, and the material is soft enough to avoid scratching the console or controllers during repeated use. The case adds around 139 grams of weight, which sounds like a lot on paper but is well-distributed across the larger form factor of the console. It uses Bayer eco-friendly polycarbonate from Germany, which resists yellowing and fingerprints better than cheaper plastics. The one trade-off is that the case covers the Switch 2’s built-in kickstand, so tabletop mode requires removing the case or using a separate stand.
At 32% off, this is the deepest discount in the entire sale, and it’s applied to a product category where quality protection options are still relatively scarce. The Switch 2 is new enough that many third-party accessory makers haven’t fully caught up yet, which makes SUPCASE’s early entry into the market particularly valuable. The combination of military-grade drop protection and full dock compatibility solves the two biggest pain points for handheld console cases. Most protective cases force you to choose between safety and convenience, but the UB Pro manages to deliver both. For anyone planning to use their Switch 2 as an actual portable device rather than a stationary console, this level of protection at this price point is hard to pass up.
Click Here to Buy Now: $24.29 $28.99 (16% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!
Once you’ve wrapped your Switch 2 in a protective case, the next logical question is how to transport the whole setup. Portable consoles generate their own ecosystem of accessories, from extra Joy-Cons to charging cables to a growing stack of game cartridges, and all of that needs to go somewhere when you’re on the move. SUPCASE’s carrying case is designed around the reality of how people actually use the Switch 2, with custom-molded compartments that hold the console securely (even with a case like the UB Pro still attached), separate sections for Joy-Cons and cables, and dedicated slots for up to 12 game cartridges. The interior uses elastic straps to keep everything locked in place during transport, preventing the kind of rattling and shifting that can damage ports or scratch screens over time.
The exterior shell is built from hard EVA material that offers military-grade impact resistance, a claim that’s backed up by the same kind of testing standards SUPCASE applies to their phone cases. The case features premium YKK zippers, which is a detail that matters more than it might seem. Cheap zippers are a common failure point on travel cases, and YKK’s reputation for smooth, durable operation means you’re not going to be fighting with stuck teeth or worrying about catastrophic zipper failure mid-trip. It includes a dual-purpose handle that can be used as a top carry or detached and converted into a shoulder strap, which adds flexibility depending on how you’re traveling. The overall footprint is compact enough to fit inside a backpack or carry-on without taking up excessive space, but spacious enough to accommodate the console plus all the essential accessories.
The 12% discount with the coupon code is modest compared to some of the other deals in this sale, but the real value here is in solving a problem that most Switch 2 owners will eventually face. If you’re treating your console as a genuinely portable device, you need a reliable way to carry it that doesn’t involve just tossing it into a bag and hoping for the best. This case is designed to work with the UB Pro case still on the console, which means you’re not forced to strip off protection every time you want to pack it away. The 12-game cartridge capacity is also a thoughtful inclusion; physical game collectors know how quickly those tiny cards can scatter and disappear, and having dedicated slots keeps your library organized and accessible. At this price point, it’s a straightforward investment in keeping your entire gaming setup safe and organized during travel.
Click Here to Buy Now: $32.19 $45.99 (30% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!
The post The Best Black Friday Tech Protection Deals for iPhone 17, AirPods Pro 3, and Switch 2 (2025) first appeared on Yanko Design.
Decathlon Tiny Homes has released its latest model, the New Chapter, marking a thoughtful evolution in the company’s approach to compact living. This 32-foot tiny house represents the builder’s first 10-foot-wide Poseidon model, offering a more spacious interior than the standard 8.5-foot width common in the industry. The home sits on a triple-axle trailer, making it suitable for relocation while maintaining enough heft to accommodate a more substantial interior layout. That extra width translates to tangible benefits for those considering full-time tiny house living, a lifestyle choice that often requires careful consideration of practical needs.
Storage takes center stage in this design, and for good reason. The builders identified a consistent pain point among tiny house dwellers: finding adequate space for belongings without cluttering living areas. The New Chapter tackles this challenge head-on with integrated storage solutions woven throughout the floor plan. Cabinets, closets, and clever built-ins appear in every room, transforming what could feel cramped into something surprisingly functional. This isn’t just about hiding things away. The storage design reflects an understanding that people living in tiny homes still need to own winter coats, kitchen equipment, and the everyday items that make a house feel like home.
Designer: Decathlon Tiny Homes
The layout includes two bedrooms, an open-concept living area, a full kitchen, and a bathroom. This configuration appeals to couples, small families, or individuals who need a dedicated workspace alongside their sleeping quarters. The open living space prevents the home from feeling like a series of disconnected boxes, while the two separate bedrooms offer privacy that single-loft designs cannot match. Design quality extends beyond the floor plan itself. The New Chapter features high-end finishes that elevate it beyond basic tiny house construction. These durable materials suggest the builders designed this home for long-term occupancy rather than weekend getaways, with an exterior that combines sleek lines with practical considerations for weather resistance and road travel.
The first New Chapter was delivered to The Birds Nest in Cumby, Texas, marking an important milestone for this expanded Poseidon model. The delivery process demonstrated how the 10-foot width, while more substantial than traditional tiny homes, still allows for practical transportation on standard highways. This width represents a sweet spot that many buyers find appealing, offering significantly more interior volume without crossing into oversize load territory that would require special permits and escort vehicles in most states.
This release reflects larger shifts in the tiny house movement that have been building for years. Early adopters often prioritized mobility and minimalism above all else, sometimes treating discomfort as a badge of honor. Today’s buyers want those benefits without sacrificing everyday convenience. They expect proper storage, quality materials, and layouts that accommodate real life rather than idealized versions of simplicity. The New Chapter’s proportional rooms feel less squeezed than narrower models, making it easier for residents to arrange furniture, move through spaces comfortably, and simply exist without constantly negotiating tight corners and awkward angles.
Decathlon Tiny Homes continues expanding its portfolio with models like the New Chapter, responding to feedback from actual tiny house residents rather than romanticized notions of what tiny living should be. The emphasis on storage throughout this design suggests the company is listening to those who have made the leap to downsized living and discovered what truly matters in a compact home. This balance between idealism and practicality might be exactly what the tiny house movement needs to grow beyond a niche market and into a legitimate housing option for more people.
The post Decathlon Tiny Homes Unveils New Chapter: A Storage-First Approach to Downsized Living first appeared on Yanko Design.
There’s a peculiar tension at work when CNC machines create objects that look grown rather than made. The Rike Predator exists in this liminal space, where five-axis precision milling produces curves that read as biological. Richard Wu has weaponized this contradiction. His knife appears to have evolved rather than been designed, yet every surface betrays the obsessive control of someone who measures in microns.
Designer: Richard Wu / Rike Knife
I keep returning to the handle’s topology. The curves don’t reference any specific natural form, which is precisely why they feel organic. Wu avoided the trap of biomimicry, that lazy design shortcut where everything becomes a leaf or a bone or a seed pod. Instead, he created something that triggers our pattern recognition without satisfying it. The brain reads “living thing” without being able to name what living thing. That ambiguity generates visual tension that more literal designs cannot achieve.
The manufacturing reality makes this even stranger. This handle began as a rectangular billet of 6AL4V titanium, the same alloy bolting together airframes and replacing human joints. Industrial material. Industrial process. Yet the output suggests something pulled from the ocean floor or excavated from amber. Wu has essentially tricked titanium into forgetting what it is.
Most folding knives announce their construction. Screws dot the handle scales. Pivot hardware protrudes. Pocket clips bolt on as afterthoughts. The Predator refuses this transparency. Wu has hidden nearly every piece of evidence that this object was assembled at all.
The presentation side shows nothing but unbroken titanium flowing from bolster to pommel. No screw heads. No seams where separate pieces meet. No liner peeking through. The knife could have been cast from liquid metal or 3D printed as a single unit for all the visual information available. This absence reads as confidence. Wu doesn’t need to show you how clever the engineering is because the engineering has made itself invisible.
What remains visible carries meaning precisely because so much has been eliminated. The pivot, rendered in contrasting gold on the darker variant, becomes a focal point by default. The thumb studs, shaped into sculptural teardrops rather than utilitarian cylinders, register as deliberate design choices rather than functional necessities. When you subtract everything possible, what survives better be worth looking at. Wu understood this calculus.
The frame lock mechanism deserves mention here because it reinforces the vanishing act. Typically a separate component, Wu machined it directly from the handle’s titanium. One less part. One less seam. One less interruption in that flowing surface. The lock becomes the handle becomes the knife. Boundaries dissolve.
Designers love talking about material honesty, that modernist principle where materials should look like what they are. Titanium should read as titanium. Steel should read as steel. The Predator complicates this framework in productive ways.
The titanium handle is honest about being titanium in its weight, its temperature response, its surface hardness. But its form lies constantly about how titanium typically behaves. The material wants to be sheet metal and structural tubing and medical implants. Wu forced it into something approaching sculpture. The honesty exists at the molecular level while the dishonesty operates at the formal level. Both readings are valid.
The blade tells a simpler story. Böhler M390, a powder metallurgy steel from Austria that knife obsessives treat as holy writ. Exceptional edge retention. Genuine corrosion resistance. The ability to take a working edge sharp enough to push-cut newspaper. At 3.74 inches, the drop-point geometry handles utility tasks without crossing into intimidation territory. This is honest tool steel doing honest tool steel work.
The two-tone gunmetal variant introduces another layer to consider. Gold-finished pivot and thumb studs against dark titanium creates deliberate contrast, a conversation between components that the all-silver version deliberately avoids. Neither approach is more correct. They represent different arguments about how materials should relate to each other within a single object.
In an era of assisted opening mechanisms and spring-loaded deployment, the Predator demands something old-fashioned: your direct participation. Those sculptural thumb studs aren’t decorative accidents. They’re the interface between your intention and the blade’s movement.
Opening this knife requires a deliberate act. Thumb finds stud, applies pressure, rotates blade through its arc until the frame lock engages. No flippers throwing the blade open with wrist momentum. No buttons triggering compressed springs. The mechanism is your hand, your muscle memory, your learned technique. Wu has made opening the knife into a small daily ritual, a moment of conscious interaction with an object that rewards attention.
This choice filters the audience. Buyers wanting tactical speed and one-handed drama should look elsewhere. The Predator speaks to people who find satisfaction in deliberate action, who treat their tools as partners rather than servants. The deployment method functions as a values statement encoded in mechanical form.
Four hundred fifty-five dollars for a knife. Four hundred eighty-five for the darker finish. These numbers require justification beyond brand markup and lifestyle positioning.
The integral construction explains much of the cost. Machining a handle from solid titanium billet wastes enormous amounts of material. The cutting time alone dwarfs what conventional folder assembly requires. Add M390 blade steel, heat treatment, hand finishing, and quality control obsessive enough to satisfy Wu’s standards, and the price begins making sense as simple manufacturing economics.
Whether that manufacturing investment produces equivalent value depends entirely on what you’re buying. As a cutting tool, the Predator performs well without dramatically outperforming knives costing half as much. As a design object, a piece of industrial sculpture you happen to carry daily, the value proposition shifts entirely. Some buyers will use their Predator to break down cardboard and slice apples. Others will mostly just hold it, feeling those curves against their palm, appreciating what happens when someone applies genuine design thinking to the oldest tool category humans possess.
Both groups are buying the same knife. They’re just not buying the same thing.
The post Rike Predator: When Integral Construction Defines the Future of EDC Knife Design first appeared on Yanko Design.
Sony appears to be ready to announce another addition to its Alpha camera lineup. The company shared an image on the Sony Alpha Instagram account with the text "Chase your dream" and the date December 2 at 9AM EST, which could be a teaser for its next mirrorless camera.
It's possible the company has something else in mind, but the giant "V" or Roman numeral five in the background of the image seems like a clear reference to an unannounced Sony A7 V, a follow-up to the Sony Alpha 7 IV. Considering there was around a four year gap between the release of the A7 III and A7 IV, releasing the new camera in 2026 would make the timing lineup, too.
Rumors suggest the A7 V could feature a new 33MP "partially stacked sensor" designed by Sony, along with the ability to capture 4K / 60 fps video. The company is also rumored to be announcing at least two new lenses to go with the new camera. Since the Alpha 7 IV started at $2,500, it seems safe to expect that these upgrades could cost even more when the camera is officially announced in December.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/sony-teases-the-a7-v-its-next-flagship-midrange-camera-224000370.html?src=rssPicture this: a lamp that literally grows before your eyes, expanding and glowing brighter as you pump air into it like you’re inflating a bicycle tire. It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but it’s very real, and it’s called Blow. Designer Jung Kiryeon has created something that makes you rethink what a lamp can be, and honestly, it’s kind of mesmerizing.
The Blow lighting series isn’t your typical flip-a-switch-and-forget-it situation. Instead, these interactive lamps require you to physically engage with them using a hand pump. As you pump air into the structure, the lamp inflates and the light gets brighter. The more pressure you add, the more the lamp expands, creating this beautiful visual transformation right in front of you. It’s functional art that responds to your actions in real time.
Designer: Jung Kiryeon
Aside from just the cool factor of an inflating lamp, the design actually has a deeper meaning. Jung Kiryeon designed Blow as an exploration of anxiety, specifically the kind that builds up when you’re navigating unfamiliar territory or dealing with negative feedback loops. Instead of treating these uncomfortable feelings as something to push away, the designer examined how they progress and found a way to express them through light, volume, and material.
The result is a lamp that actually embodies emotional tension. Think about it: when you’re anxious, that feeling builds and expands inside you. With Blow, you’re literally pumping pressure into a structure, watching it swell and brighten. It’s a physical manifestation of an internal state, transforming something invisible and abstract into something you can see, touch, and control. There’s something oddly satisfying about externalizing that feeling, making it tangible.
The series includes two pieces, Blow 01 and Blow 02, and each one only comes alive through user interaction. You’re not just passively consuming light; you’re actively participating in creating it. This shifts the relationship between person and object from passive to collaborative. The lamp needs you, and in a weird way, you might need it too, especially if you’re looking for a tactile way to process stress or tension.
From a design perspective, Blow sits at this fascinating intersection of product design, emotional wellness, and interactive art. It challenges our expectations about how everyday objects should behave. Most lighting is static: you turn it on, it provides light, end of story. But what if your lamp could be a ritual, a moment of mindfulness, or even a form of stress relief? What if the act of turning on a light could be meditative rather than automatic?
The materials and mechanics behind Blow are also intriguing. The inflatable structure likely uses flexible, durable materials that can withstand repeated expansion and contraction. The integration of lighting with air pressure mechanics requires careful engineering to ensure the light intensifies as the form expands. It’s a technical achievement wrapped in conceptual design. And let’s talk about aesthetics. There’s something undeniably captivating about watching an object transform. The visual language of expansion, the way light diffuses through the inflated material, the organic shapes that emerge as air fills the structure… it all creates a dynamic viewing experience. It’s the kind of thing that would absolutely become a conversation starter in any space.
Blow also taps into our growing interest in experiential design. We’re living in an era where people value experiences and interactions, not just static possessions. This lamp offers both utility and experience. It’s not just about illumination; it’s about the journey of creating that light, the physical effort, the visual reward. Jung Kiryeon’s work reminds us that design can be more than problem-solving or aesthetics. It can be a language for expressing complex emotional states, a way to make the invisible visible. In our increasingly digital world, where so much of what we experience is intangible, there’s something refreshing about a physical object that demands your participation and responds to your input in such an immediate, visceral way.
The post This Designer Just Made a Lamp You Pump Up Like a Bike Tire first appeared on Yanko Design.
Not many people know this, but there is a wall filled with lava lamps in San Francisco that helps keep our internet secure. Cloudflare’s office lobby has a “Wall of Entropy,” a bank of about 100 lava lamps whose constantly shifting, gooey patterns are filmed by a camera. The video feed is converted into a stream of unpredictable, random bytes that helps create cryptographic keys to encrypt a significant chunk of the world’s web traffic. It is a brilliant, whimsical solution to a serious digital problem and perhaps the first instance of a piece of home decor serving a grander purpose in our connected world. Huawei’s new X3 Pro, a sculptural tabletop mesh router that looks like a tiny, self-contained icy mountain, might just be the second.
For years, the router has been the ugliest, most unloved piece of tech in the house. A black or white plastic box bristling with spidery antennas and blinking lights, it is the sort of device you shove behind a bookshelf or a plant, hoping no one notices it. The irony, of course, is that the best place for a router is out in the open, where its signal can propagate freely. Huawei seems to have taken this problem to heart, deciding that if a router has to be visible, it might as well be beautiful. The X3 Pro is the result: a tall, translucent cone that houses a textured, mountain-like sculpture. It looks less like networking hardware and more like an art glass piece you would find in a museum gift shop.
Designer: Huawei
The design is not just for show; it is deeply functional. The antennas, the components that are usually the most visually offensive part of a router, are cleverly hidden inside that central mountain core. The lighting is not a series of distracting blue and green status LEDs but a soft, ambient glow that shifts between warm, fiery amber and cool, glacial white throughout the day, mimicking a sunrise over a peak. It is designed to be a conversation piece, a calm presence on a coffee table that encourages you to place it right in the center of your living space, which is exactly where it will perform best.
Beneath that serene exterior, the X3 Pro is a thoroughly modern piece of networking equipment. It is a Wi-Fi 7 system, offering combined theoretical speeds of up to 3570 Mbps across its 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The main unit is equipped with two 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports and one 1 Gbps port, providing enough bandwidth for multi-gig internet plans or a high-speed connection to a network-attached storage (NAS) drive.
Perhaps its most practical feature for challenging homes is its hybrid mesh technology. The system comes with a smaller, equally elegant satellite node. In addition to using Wi-Fi to create a mesh network, the X3 Pro supports PLC 3.0, or Power Line Communication. This allows the router and its nodes to use your home’s existing electrical wiring as a stable, wired backhaul. For anyone living in a home with thick concrete or brick walls that kill Wi-Fi signals, this is a game-changer, offering a more reliable connection between nodes than Wi-Fi alone can provide.
Everything is managed through Huawei’s Smart Life app, which handles setup, security features like WPA3, and specialized modes like Game Turbo for reducing latency. It is a complete package that marries high-end performance with a design that finally respects the aesthetics of a modern home. The X3 Pro makes a compelling argument that the most important devices in our lives do not have to be ugly. Just like those lava lamps in San Francisco, it proves that sometimes the best technology is the kind you actually want to look at.
The post The Huawei X3 Pro Wi-Fi Router Is What Happens When a Mesh Router Meets a Lava Lamp first appeared on Yanko Design.
Indie studio Santa Ragione said it is at risk of shutting down as its latest project won't be available on Steam, which is by far the biggest storefront for PC games and a key point of sale for many developers. Horses, a first-person horror game that blends gameplay and live-action sequences, is about a college student who spends a summer working on a farm. However, the farm’s “horses” are actually naked human adults who are wearing horse masks. It’s clear from the trailer that this is a game for grownups.
The studio plans to release Horses on the Epic Games Store, GOG, Itch and the Humble Store on December 2. However, Valve's content review team blocked Horses from Steam.
"We reviewed the game back in 2023. At that time, the developer indicated with their release date in Steamworks that they planned to release a few months later. Based on content in the store page, we told the developer we would need to review the build itself. This happens sometimes if content on the store page causes concern that the game itself might not fall within our guidelines,” Valve told PC Gamer. “After our team played through the build and reviewed the content, we gave the developer feedback about why we couldn’t ship the game on Steam, consistent with our onboarding rules and guidelines. A short while later the developer asked us to reconsider the review, and our internal content review team discussed that extensively and communicated to the developer our final decision that we were not going to ship the game on Steam."
Santa Ragione wrote in an FAQ that it's "committed to producing challenging, adult storytelling. Horses uses grotesque, subversive imagery to confront power, faith, and violence. We reject subjective obscenity standards and believe this kind of moralizing censorship evokes a darker past in which vague notions of 'decency' were used to silence artists. Games are an artistic medium and lawful works for adults should remain accessible. We respect players enough to present the game as intended and to let adults choose what to play; lawful works should not be made unreachable by a monopolistic storefront’s opaque decisions."
This particular ban precedes the recent censorship of adult-oriented games at the behest of payment processors. Santa Ragione wanted to create a Steam store page for Horses back in 2023 to help build interest. The studio says Valve wanted to see a playable build of the game before it would approve a Coming Soon page. The game was nowhere close to being finished, so Santa Ragione scrambled to put together a playable version of the game with “tons of placeholders.”
According to an email from Valve that the developer shared, it banned Horses from the storefront over "content that appears, in our judgment, to depict sexual conduct involving a minor." Santa Ragione said Valve didn't provide more detailed reasons for rejecting the game. Valve noted that it wouldn't accept further submissions of Horses, "even with modifications."
The developer claimed that it spent the next two years trying to change Valve's mind, but the company repeatedly pointed it to Steam’s general guidelines and rejected its “requests for review and appeal." Santa Ragione does have a plausible theory as to why Valve blocked the game from Steam, however. The studio wrote in the FAQ that:
All characters in the game are clearly older than 20 years old, as communicated by their appearance and through dialogue and documents that you will encounter in the game. We think the ban may have been triggered during the initial Steam submission by an incomplete scene on day six, in which a man and his young daughter visit the farm.
The daughter wants to ride one of the horses (in the game the 'horses' are humans wearing a horse mask) and gets to pick which one. What followed was an interactive dialogue sequence where the player is leading, by a lead as if they were a horse, a naked adult woman with a young girl on her shoulders. The scene is not sexual in any way, but it is possible that the juxtaposition is what triggered the flag.
We have since changed the character in the scene to be a twenty-something woman, both to avoid the juxtaposition and more importantly because the dialogue delivered in that scene, which deals with the societal structure in the world of Horses, works much better when delivered by an older character.
As a result of the Steam ban, Santa Ragione claimed it will be “very difficult“ to recoup its investment on Horses, which it claims is “not pornographic”. It spent around $100,000 on the game’s development.
The studio initially put $50,000 of its own money into Horses after signing a deal with the game's creator, Andrea Lucco Borlera. It hoped to cover those costs with sales of its last game, Saturnalia, but that didn't perform nearly as well as the studio hoped. Horses was slated to be featured in a bundle, but that fell apart around the same time as Valve rejected the game. Santa Ragione said the Steam ban made it practically impossible for it to find an external publisher or partner, so it ultimately raised funds from friends in order to complete the game. As such, the studio claimed it is now "in a completely unsustainable financial situation unless the game somehow recoups its development costs."
Santa Ragione still plans to support Horses for at least another six months after release. It has set aside funds to cover the costs of fixing bugs and adding quality-of-life changes. But barring Horses finding success on non-Steam storefronts, that may be the studio’s last activity.
"I don't want to make a final decision before seeing how the game does on launch. But if things go the way that I expect them to go, then I think [studio's closure] is inevitable,” Santa Ragione co-founder Pietro Righi Riva told GamesIndustry.biz. "All the money we'll earn is gonna go to the author and to the people who have offered money to finish the project. So there will likely be no money left to make a new [game]... Unless a miracle happens and Horses does very well."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/an-indie-studio-says-its-at-risk-of-closure-after-valve-banned-its-game-from-steam-210047830.html?src=rssGravaStar is known for turning everyday tech into bold, futuristic design objects. Instead of following the usual clean, minimal aesthetic, Gravastar leans hard into a sci-fi, cyberpunk, mech-inspired look. Their products often resemble tiny robots, armored pods, or mechanical artifacts pulled straight from a video game universe.
Majorly expertising in Bluetooth speakers and earbuds, the China-based brand has crafted a niche in the gadget market with its eye-popping creations, including the robot-inspired Bluetooth speaker, gaming mouse, and earbuds with a sci-fi case. Now the makers have tried their hand at creating a limited edition keyboard, because why not? Even though they’ve got the Mercury V75 Pro in their arsenal, this one hits different with its design and functionality.
Designer: GravaStar
This is the Mercury V60 Pro Deluxe Edition keyboard that looks unlike any buyable keyboard we’ve seen thus far. Just imagine this one sitting on your geeky desk alongside other themed gadgets. In fact, going through the catalogue of products is an interstellar experience in its own. Coming back to this cool peripheral, it’s not about the looks alone. It comes with an 8000Hz polling rate and 256kHz key-position scanning that ensures True 8kHz polling. Thus, making it ideal for power users and gamers, since the latency is just 0.125ms and 0.005 RT precision. The acoustic five-layer foam on the inside absorbs any off-putting vibrations during typing.
The fun doesn’t stop there, as the keyboard has GravaStar UFO magnetic gaming switches for a satisfying tactile typing experience. It also gets the hot swappable keys for swapping with magnetic Hall Effect switches. Other important features include the dynamic rapid trigger, rapid trigger mode, last keystroke prioritization (LKP) + snap click. The bundled translucent frosted keycaps further enhance the overall aesthetics of the peripheral, as it turns into a sci-fi gadget the moment you turn on the RGB lights. The multi-zone RGB lighting has 16 customizable modes and dual-zone control for keys and ambient side lights. The brightness, hue and color of the selected modes can also be toggled.
Pair that with the full-aluminum alloy frame that’s mildly skeletonized, and you’ve got a seemingly premium accessory ready for your tasks. The keyboard, measuring 12.8 x 4.95 x 1.61 inches, has a 60 percent layout and measures a comfortable 1. Lbs. This makes it perfect for all kinds of tasks, whether you are at home or mobile. GravaStar is offering the Mercury V60 Pro Deluxe Edition in two color options: gunmetal and chrome silver. Both of these variants look cool, and for a price tag of $220, you can’t go wrong with this head-turning keyboard.
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