You can see up to 20% of muscle loss in just 11 days of being in space. Astronauts have to exercise nearly two and a half hours each and every day to prevent muscular atrophy. Sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it? Exposure to zero gravity causes muscle fibers to shrink, making astronauts much weaker and less coordinated. Whoever thought that the lack of gravity could affect our health THIS much??
Designed to help astronauts stay fit through regular movements, the Cosmofit Exosuit was imagined for astronauts making their way to the moon with SpaceX’s upcoming mission that aims to set up a lunar base to replace the ISS in 2030. Created by Minwoo Lee, a student at Hongik University, the Cosmofit is designed to be worn indoors, and uses resistance-based training to turn simple activities like walking or reaching out for something into a micro-workout. Astronauts therefore exert more to perform basic activities, and can retain their muscle mass while in a zero gravity environment.
Designer: Minwoo Lee
The Cosmofit bodysuit is made of two distinct parts – the suit itself, and the mechanical augmentations that attach onto the back and around your waist, or the ‘exo’ part of the suit. The suit features electrode pads laid out around different muscle groups, providing electrical stimulation to different muscles in the body to keep them active and healthy, while also helping with muscle recovery after stressful workouts. By providing electrical pulses, the suit can help rebuild muscle tissue and help with recuperation.
Meanwhile, the exoskeleton on the outside uses a series of motors to provide mechanical resistance to help you exert more pressure while moving around. This turns regular activities into mini workouts (sort of like jogging or exercising with weights strapped to your ankles) that prevent muscles from atrophying or growing weak.
The EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) suit can be worn for long periods of time, with the exoskeleton only strapped on for certain hours in the day. There’s even a potential for the exoskeleton to track vitals and fitness levels through activity, giving astronauts a comprehensive look at how healthy they are. Two and a half hours of exercise a day sounds like quite a task… turning just daily movements into a fitness regimen sounds like a much easier way to stay healthy in zero gravity, doesn’t it??
Liking for retro game-inspired handhelds has surged in the last few years, thus, prompting proactive manufacturers to catch up on the trend. Anbernic is not letting this opportunity go with a variety of gaming handhelds including the RG35XX H, RG353P, RG35XXSP, and the RG556 (very unconventional naming conventions has to be said) already released this year.
Add to that lineup the latest RG Cube which comes loaded with a Unisoc T820 processor, capable enough to play titles from the Nintendo 6 and Dreamcast. According to the company, it doesn’t stop there as the handheld should also play select titles from the PS 2, GameCube, Wii, and Nintendo 3DS in emulation mode.
The cute Android 13-powered gadget has a 3.95-inch IPS touchscreen (720×720) with a 1:1 display ratio which to be honest should affect the visuals in some of the newer titles. The octa-core processor (maxes at 2.7 GHz speed) mated to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM is supported by an 850MHz GPU capable of producing 1080p resolution visuals at an impressive 120fps. The buck doesn’t stop there as RG Cube has 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage with expandable storage of up to 2TB via a MicroSD card.
For extended gaming hauls, the handheld boasts a battery life of 7 hours courtesy of the 5200mAh battery life. The in-built fan provides active cooling when things get too hot. Most gamers should love this compact gaming player since it has RGB lighting effects, a gyroscope sensor, a vibration motor, D-Pad input, action buttons, shoulder triggers, and Hall Effect joysticks that should last long without any malfunctions. Playing classic games on this one will be a treat with the stereo speakers in-built, USB-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack for purists.
Anbernic has not announced the pricing or release date of the gaming handled yet or the pricing. At launch, the RG Cube will come in three color options: Beige White, Radiant Purple, and Gray.
The Ultrahuman Home is an advanced home health device designed to track and improve key environmental markers such as light exposure, air quality, and noise levels. It establishes a unique connection between your living space and personal health, going beyond typical home monitors by offering a comprehensive analysis over time. This analysis correlates your external health markers with internal health markers, providing insights that can lead to impactful lifestyle changes. This is a first for the wearable space.
The Ultrahuman Home features an innovative aero-flow design to enhance airflow and sensitivity in detecting a range of harmful particles, from pollen to particulate matter (PM). This design improves the device’s ability to capture and analyze air samples, thus increasing accuracy in identifying pollutants that may compromise your home’s air quality. Pollens, particularly from birch, are known to exacerbate respiratory conditions such as allergic asthma. The device is specially calibrated to monitor these allergens, alerting you to increased levels that could impact those with sensitive respiratory systems. Furthermore, particulate matter—classified by size into PM 1, PM 2.5, and PM 10—poses inhalation risks, with smaller particles capable of penetrating deep into the lungs and causing significant respiratory and cardiovascular damage. In addition to particulate matter, the system continuously monitors formaldehyde levels, a common volatile organic compound that can be harmful in indoor environments. It sends timely nudges when formaldehyde levels cross the recommended threshold, allowing you to take corrective measures promptly. This comprehensive monitoring ensures that the Ultrahuman Home identifies poor air quality and provides actionable insights to optimize and improve the air quality of your environment.
Ultrahuman Home continuously monitors formaldehyde levels in your living space and sends timely nudges when the levels cross the recommended threshold.
The Ultrahuman Home also monitors harmful gases such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to ensure the air you breathe is safe, promoting mental clarity and health. Good air quality is essential as it directly impacts your respiratory health, cognitive function, and overall well-being. High levels of carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas, can cause serious health issues such as headaches, dizziness, and even life-threatening conditions like carbon monoxide poisoning. Elevated carbon dioxide levels can lead to fatigue, impaired concentration, and decreased cognitive performance.
Regardless of the space you choose to place it in, Ultrahuman Home will help track various markers to help you with a deeper insight into your home health.
This device’s ability to detect these harmful gases is life-saving. Poor air quality can exacerbate respiratory conditions such as asthma and allergies, and prolonged exposure to pollutants can increase the risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular issues and lung cancer. By continuously monitoring and providing actionable insights on these harmful gases, the system helps you maintain a safer living environment. This proactive approach not only enhances your quality of life but also significantly reduces the risk of severe health complications, making it an indispensable tool for health and safety.
Ultrahuman Home utilizes continuous temperature tracking for enhancing sleep efficiency and regulating circadian rhythm.
The ‘UltraSpaces’ feature of the Ultrahuman Home allows you to monitor various ‘Spaces’ like the living room, bedroom, or office, which are tailored to the areas you and your family frequent the most, including children’s rooms and personal workspaces. Each space is evaluated with a designated ‘Space Score,’ giving a comprehensive view of the area’s health. This feature aids in examining each environmental marker, enabling you to optimize conditions for better health based on specific needs within the Ultrahuman app. This capability offers deeper insights into your health by effectively tying together data from various environments.
The continuous temperature tracking of the Ultrahuman Home is crucial. It enhances sleep efficiency and regulates circadian rhythms by monitoring the temperature of your living spaces. Maintaining an optimal bedroom temperature is important for good sleep quality, as the body’s core temperature naturally fluctuates and decreases at bedtime. Temperature imbalances can disturb sleep, leading to increased wakefulness and reduced REM sleep, affecting how rested you feel and increasing the risk of obesity and other health issues. Equipped with ultra-sensitive temperature sensors, the device detects if a room is too hot or too cold, providing feedback on the ideal temperature needed for optimal sleep. This feature ensures you get a restful night’s sleep and maintain long-term health by aligning your environment with your body’s needs.
Exposure to natural light plays a crucial role in setting your circadian rhythm and boosting mood and productivity, especially within the first hour of waking. The Ultrahuman Home’s built-in photo-detecting sensors monitor spectra of UV light, including UVA, UVB, and UVC, to measure natural light levels within your living space. This allows you to create environments that foster better sleep-wake cycles and enhance overall well-being.
Daytime exposure to blue light can enhance alertness and cognitive function, boosting mood and productivity. However, at night, it can disrupt melatonin production, the hormone that regulates sleep, leading to sleep difficulties and reduced sleep quality. Research, including studies from Harvard Medical School, confirms that nighttime blue light exposure decreases overall sleep quality. The Ultrahuman Home includes sensors that automatically monitor blue light exposure and provide actionable insights to regulate it. You’re alerted by the Ultrahuman app for the best times to reduce screen exposure and modify ambient lighting to support your natural sleep cycle.
Integrated with the device’s health tracking system, these sensors allow for personalized recommendations based on your daily blue light exposure and sleep patterns, enhancing both your sleep-wake cycle and overall well-being. This holistic approach helps align your environment with your body’s rhythm, improving your health by helping you mitigate the negative effects of blue light.
Environmental noise can disrupt sleep and elevate stress levels. The Ultrahuman Home addresses this by providing insights into optimal noise levels, helping to create a more ambient living environment.
Equipped with precision microphones, the device detects snoring patterns that might indicate sleep disturbances, such as potential sleep apnea events. A built-in physical mic cut-off ensures your privacy is respected, and all audio data is processed on the device to keep personal information secure. A manual mic control provides additional peace of mind.
Monitoring and managing indoor humidity levels are crucial for respiratory and overall health. The device provides actionable recommendations to adjust humidity levels, ensuring your home environment remains balanced and comfortable. High humidity levels can increase bacteria growth and encourage mold. On the flip side, low humidity levels can cause dry airways and affect your lungs.
Ultrahuman Home not only works in isolation but also in combination with Ultrahuman Ring. Through UltraSync technology, experience a unified view of both internal and external health markers. This enhances your understanding of how your surroundings affect your health, providing a holistic way to manage your health.
Ultrahuman Home doesn’t just stop at integrating with the Ring. Thanks to its compatibility with IFTTT protocols, the Ultrahuman Home can integrate seamlessly with other smart devices in your home, enabling voice commands through popular digital assistants for a smarter, more responsive living environment. Finally, the airplane mode feature allows you to disconnect from WiFi and Bluetooth signals without interrupting functionality. Upon reconnection, it syncs all data seamlessly, maintaining continuity in health monitoring and environmental adjustments.
The Ultrahuman Home seamlessly integrates environmental monitoring with personal health insights. Through the ‘UltraSpaces’ feature, it monitors living spaces to inform well-being improvements. Advanced temperature and natural light monitoring enhance sleep and productivity, while its aero-flow design precisely analyzes air quality, alerting you when pollutant levels are high. Additionally, blue light sensors promote a healthy sleep-wake cycle. With effective noise and humidity levels monitoring, UltraSync technology, and smart home integration, the Ultrahuman Home helps you live healthier.
E Ink devices are transforming into more than just simple eBook readers. Some are even really just Android tablets in disguise, promising a more eye-friendly experience not just when reading books but also when surfing the Web, typing documents, or even scrolling through social media. These devices might feel like powerful e-readers, but they are a bit less impressive as Android devices exactly because of their most important feature: the slow E Ink screen. Out of nowhere, a new device has popped up promising a performance that’s almost on par with a modern Android tablet but with the same benefits of an E Ink screen, a promise that not only sounds too good to be true but will also cost you if you do decide to make the gamble.
What makes E Ink screens more eye-friendly is the fact that they traditionally don’t blast your eyes with light, especially blue light that’s been associated not only with eye strain but also with skewed sleep patterns. Unfortunately, even the fastest E Ink display is exponentially slower than even the slowest LCD screen, which makes it less comfortable to use for anything that involves constantly changing content, including typing quickly on the screen.
Daylight DC-1 is a new kind of tablet that tries to bridge those two worlds using a new “Live Paper” display that could be a special version of Sharp’s IGZO LCD screen. Unlike your typical display, it only shows shades of black and gray, but that’s not exactly what’s special about it. The claim is that, like ePaper screens, it doesn’t emit blue light, it can be viewed under direct sunlight, and is easy on the eyes. In the dark, it can use an amber-colored backlight that is still less straining than regular white light. Unlike ePaper screens, however, it can support a refresh rate of 60Hz, which is what most Android tablets can do at the bare minimum. Technically, it can go up to 120Hz, but that still depends on software support.
That software is a custom version of Android, so this device should be able to run any Android app, though there’s no word on whether it supports Google Play Store. the Daylight DC-1 definitely makes big promises, which is basically a watered-down, eye-friendly Android tablet experience. It can do almost anything, whether that’s typing a novel or scribbling notes with the included Wacom-powered pen. It really bridges the gap between regular Android tablets and this new breed of Android-powered E Ink readers.
There is, of course, a catch, and it’s a pretty big one. The device costs $729, and that’s only a pre-order for a device that’s still scheduled to ship later this year. That’s a pretty steep price coming from a brand that popped up almost out of nowhere. The theory does sound, well, sound, and the promises are definitely tempting, but these are very high stakes for a device that has yet to actually prove that theory out in the wild.
“Ten years from now, we will be living in a more multi-layered world where physical and virtual realities overlap without boundaries,” says the entertainment and hardware company. With the number of pies they’ve got their fingers in (you remember they even announced a car a few years ago?), it makes sense for Sony to operate not one but ten steps ahead to make sure they’re leaders in every single industry they’re in. That even means condensing a home theater to a size small enough to fit around your neck). Today, the company unveiled their Creative Entertainment Vision, a demonstration or visualization of what Sony wants the future to look like. It’s a practice that a lot of companies do, helping consumers, investors, and even competitors understand what direction technology and innovation are going to go in. Sony doubles down on mixed reality and spatial entertainment in this segment (they aren’t, after all, an enterprise or productivity company), showcasing a few unique concepts that feature holographic floating screens, absurdly futuristic gaming controllers, and super-slim spectacles that transform into AR eyewear.
Designer: Sony
Somewhere around the 1-minute and 12-second mark, Sony reveals a few very interesting concepts. One of them is what looks like a futuristic PlayStation controller with its own holographic screen. The controller itself looks familiar yet nothing like any controller we’ve seen. It features a hollow center with two grips on each end. The center is supposedly where the holograph projects out of, while thumb-pads on the left and right come with unusual controls to help maneuver the game. The controller is also space-aware and can be tilted as a means of input.
Another concept was a tablet that looks like, as Apple likes to call their iPad, a slab of magic glass. Except, this does feel like glass and the experience is tantamount to magic. There are no bezels, no cameras, not even any perceived electronics. The glass is transparent when the screen is off, and translucent when you’re watching stuff, so you can still see through it.
The third is an extension of Sony’s tablet vision, but in the form of a smartphone. According to Sony, the future of phones isn’t rectangular slabs of glass, it’s capsule-shaped oval slabs of glass. I don’t know what that says for the future of videos and TikTok, but this new form of screen real estate feels unique for sure. Sony displays a music interface on this mobile device, with album art practically existing from edge to edge. The games, videos, and music in all the concepts above are connected to Sony’s hit PlayStation game Horizon Zero Dawn.
These concepts are also coupled with a set of AR glasses that completely immerse you in a virtual world. As slim as a pair of sunglasses albeit with ski goggle-style eyepieces, this concept piece offers a kind of immersion even the Vision Pro can’t promise. You’re turned into a full-body AI avatar, immersed in a virtual world that exists separate from reality. Made more for entertainment, it lets you play games, interact with people, or even see movies in a way that you never have before. Sony even previews a scene where the city’s streets are filled with ghosts and a giant Pillsbury Dough Boy trods across buildings, lifted right out of the Ghostbusters movie.
While these concepts don’t specifically confirm what Sony plans to release in the near future, it’s important to understand their ‘vision’ of what’s to come. Ideas change based on consumer feedback and technological innovation, but in an ideal world, Sony believes the future will be about crafting new and wonderful realities, and living in stories instead of watching or playing them.
These days, having a phone stand is not just a want but actually a necessity. Aside from taking selfies or doing vlogs, it’s also needed for when you’re on online meetings, video calls, or even just watching videos in public. There are a lot of different kinds of phone stands available in the market but some are too bulky, some are not made from quality materials and some don’t adjust to the size of the device. It would be great if there are more truly portable stands available for both content creators and regular phone users.
PhoneCLIP MAX is a truly portable phone stand made through the CNC machine method and made from aluminum. What makes it different from most of the stands in the market is that it allows adjustable angles so you can move it around as needed. It also has a balancing mechanism that keeps the center of gravity and your phone is able to be repositioned when you adjust it to different angles. If you need to attach it to a stand or tripod, it also comes with 1/4″ and 3/8″ universal thread.
We assume that no matter the size of your phone, this small stand will be able to carry the weight and adjust accordingly according to the angle you need. They also have other models available for your budget or feature needs. The PhoneCLIP is a plastic model while the PhoneCLIP PRO is a “durable CNC machined model”. However, these two other models don’t have the built-in stand feature and is just a phone holder. All three models have the 1/4″ universal thread so you can mount it on any compatible stand or tripod. The PhoneCLIP MAX is the only one that has the 3/8″ universal thread option.
The fact that this is tiny enough to put in your pocket or small bag is a distinct advantage over the bulkier stands available in the market. Of course if you’re a vlogger, you still need to carry around other stands or tripods that you need but for those of that just to watch videos or do a quick video call while outside, this tiny phone stand will do.
It’s almost too easy to take salt for granted these days given how common it is, but there was a time long ago when it was as valuable as gold. The role that salt and salty flavors play in our lives becomes all too apparent the moment we taste bland food, resulting in requesting for seasoning or, well, salt. Too much salt, however, put people’s health at risk, especially in cultures that lean towards very salty dishes. Replacing salt with healthier alternatives might just be a stopgap solution, so this innovative electric spoon simply tries to trick our tongues into tasting saltiness where there is barely any salt, allowing people to consume less salt without actual giving up their favorite flavor.
Simple as it may look, our tongues are really complex systems of taste buds that may react different depending on their location and sensitivity to certain flavors. We’ve all been through science experiments related to the different areas of the tongue as well as how weak electrical currents, like those from a lemon, can affect our sense of taste. The latter is the principle behind this simple-looking electric salt spoon that aims to promote a healthier diet by reducing the amount of salt you need to use or consume just to get that salty flavor you love.
In a nutshell, the plastic and metal spoon passes a very weak electrical current on your tongue that tries to draw sodium ions that are normally dispersed and wasted, enhancing the salty flavor that would have otherwise been lost normally. This does mean that the salty flavor doesn’t just magically appear and there needs to still be some amount of salt in the dish for the magic to work. That said, the technology promises 1.5 times more saltiness, which mean you can use 1.5 times less salt to taste the same flavor. For a food culture like Japan that consumes 10g of salt daily, much higher than what the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends, that’s still a significant reduction.
The design of the spoon itself is pretty basic, and its large handle almost makes it look and feel like a child’s spoon. Operating the electric spoon is a simple matter of pressing a single button to turn it on and cycling through different electrical intensities. Amusingly, they recommend a proper way of holding the spoon and positioning your arm in order to maximize the effect of the weak current provided by a rechargeable lithium battery.
It might be a weird idea to be giving your tongue a tiny electrical shock to make food taste saltier, and the company behind the innovation promises it’s all within safe ranges. While it’s not going to make food magically taste better, the electric salt spoon offers a simpler, and somewhat more affordable way to enjoy low-salt diets without resorting to expensive salt alternatives.
Nostalgia is a very powerful (and lucrative) emotion, but the retro designs don’t necessarily have to be just based on past products. In fact, they don’t need to be based on real things at all. Retro designs only need to incorporate elements from the past, whether that’s a historical past or a fictional one. The latter especially applies to what has become known as retro-futuristic styles that try to blend past and future in a way that makes some sense in the present. This upcoming graphics dock, intended to give handheld gaming PCs a performance boost, is one such example, bringing a unique visual accent to your workspace by taking on the appearance of a miniature spacecraft with the blocky and rugged aesthetics of the past.
Designer: AYANEO
Although external graphics enclosures have existed for a while now, it was only with the advent of handheld PCs that they started to become smaller and slightly more portable. The purpose remains the same, providing significantly more powerful graphics capabilities than the portable computer can manage, but in a form factor that can also be carried around in a bag if desired. Many of these so-called graphics docks take on the form of uninspiring rectangular bricks, but the AYANEO AG01 bucks the trend with a design that is almost literally out of this world.
As part of its next batch of REMAKE products, AYANEO is including its very own graphics dock with a design that doesn’t really resemble any existing product from the past. The company describes it as a starship, though it might not immediately strike one as similar to those from hit sci-fi shows like Star Trek or even Star Wars. It has a more blocky shape, not unlike other graphics docks, but with an overabundance of panels and grilles. Its rough edges and dark color scheme contrast with the usual smooth curves and lighter motifs of futuristic spacecraft. This is a spaceship that humans would first produce for exploration and perhaps even militaristic action. Space-efficient, rugged, and a little menacing.
Underneath that retro-futuristic shell, however, is a very typical graphics dock, one that even houses a slightly dated AMD Radeon RX 7600M XT graphics from last year. There’s a plethora of connectivity options, including USB4 and the newer Oculink technology. It does also function as a typical data hub when connected to a computer, which means USB ports and even an Ethernet jack for faster network connectivity. Although technically compatible with any computer that supports external GPU via USB4, the AYANEO AG01 is specifically designed for the brand’s handheld gaming computers that have a significantly weaker GPU compared to laptops.
There’s also some RGB lighting, but that’s curiously limited to the ring around the dome on one end of the dock and three “vents” near it. It’s a purely aesthetic element, though one that admittedly looks too modest for what should be a space-faring vehicle. Availability details about the AYANEO AG01 are still unknown at this point, but the graphics dock’s unique design will surely catch the fancy of many collectors, whether they have an AYANEO handheld PC or not.
Some people consider computer keyboards to just be tools you have to bear with, but those who live and die by typing on a computer know just how important the design of a keyboard is. That’s why a lot of writers, developers, and even gamers prefer mechanical keyboards not just because of their sharp sounds but, more importantly, because of their tactile typing experience. Unfortunately, mechanical keyboards seem to have become synonymous with thick, heavy, and clunky keyboards because of the equally hefty mechanisms employed to deliver that experience. That doesn’t have to be the case, however, and this ultra-low-profile mechanical keyboard proves how you can have the best of both worlds with some outside-the-box thinking and creative design.
You can make a keyboard as thin as it can be, but you’re bound to make a lot of compromises to get there, from the quality of the build to the durability of the product to the satisfaction of every keystroke. Difficult, however, doesn’t mean impossible, and Lofree EDGE dares to take on the challenge of finding solutions to the problems that have been taken for granted. At only 485g light and 5.4mm thick at its thinnest point, you might even wonder if it’s a mechanical keyboard at all.
The secret is Lofree’s meticulous attention not just to materials but to the production process as well. It wasn’t enough to simply use just any carbon fiber to make the upper plate both durable and lightweight, Lofree EDGE employs a 3K Till Weave that takes that to the next level while also adding a luxurious aesthetic that your palms can actually feel. The light and heat-resistant magnesium alloy base isn’t just crafted using ordinary die casting but uses semi-solid casting instead to eliminate air pockets and increase the material’s toughness. And to do its part in helping to save the planet,
Lofree reuses the carbon fiber block cut out from the upper plate and turns it into a flat-packed stand for the keyboard. Assembling the stand becomes a playful and engaging experience, like putting together a puzzle, and delivers a handsome mount to place your keyboard on at the end of the day to keep your desk clear and clutter-free.
The Lofree EDGE is clearly just as or even more durable than mechanical keyboards twice its weight and thickness, but what about the actual typing experience? Refusing to make compromises, it uses specially designed Kaih POM 2.0 switches that deliver a travel distance of 2.4mm, a remarkable figure when you consider how thin the keyboard is. An innovative PCB-Gasket mount structure integrates these two critical parts of the keyboard into a unified piece, further reducing the thickness associated with mechanical keyboards. It combines solder-mounted switches and strategically positioned gaskets directly into the PCB, doing away with conventional positioning plates and hot-swappable switches that add thickness and heft to the keyboard. To further reduce its weight, Lofree EDGE replaces heavy silicone with lightweight foam for the internal filling. What you get from all of this is a comfortable and satisfying keyboard that doesn’t strain your fingers and joints, making the typing experience not only enjoyable but also potentially addictive.
The Lofree EDGE’s innovations don’t stop at the product design either. With the powerful Lofree Configurator software, Windows and, soon, Mac users will be able to customize their experience to fit their particular needs, from remapping keys to creating powerful macros. The keyboard supports both wired and wireless connectivity, giving you maximum flexibility in where and how you want to use the keyboard. Thin, light, and handsome, the Lofree EDGE redefines what a mechanical keyboard can be, delivering a comfortable and enjoyable typing experience that won’t weigh you or your wallet down. So if you want to enjoy the authentic feeling of a mechanical keyboard with the bulk and the heft, then there’s no better time than now to give your fingers the blissful typing experience they deserve and grab the Lofree EDGE now while it’s at a sweet, heavily discounted price.
The nature and location of work today have changed considerably, especially after the introduction of work-from-home arrangements, but there is one thing that still remains the same. People still hold in-person meetings, which often involve making presentations, be it in front of colleagues or before clients. Despite how common this activity is, the tools used especially by presenters haven’t evolved that much except for teleconferencing equipment. Many of the devices needed for an effective presentation often come as separate products, so this concept tries to integrate not just two but four tools into a single design that, at first glance, looks like a normal mouse.
Designers: TianRun Chen, ZiLong Peng, Yanran Zhao, YueHao Liu
Many computer users use a mouse, even if they actually prefer using laptops. It’s almost an indispensable tool for on-the-go knowledge workers, including those who often find themselves speaking in front of other people in a room. Unfortunately, these people would also find themselves grabbing a presenter and a laser pointer during those presentations, making their work lives needlessly complex. There are some thin, portable mice that try to integrate a laser pointer, but these are still rare, not to mention not ergonomic in their designs.
The OctoAssist concept design has a rather intriguing solution that deconstructs the design of the computer mouse in order to provide more functionality. At its core, it sports a modular design where the main “module” is actually the front third of a conventional mouse, where the buttons would normally be located. This module is actually a touch-sensitive device that you can use on its own as a mini touchpad that supports gestures like pinching and three-finger taps. It can magnetically connect to a “base” that provides the ergonomic shape of a mouse, while potentially also offering additional battery power in its rather large body.
The core module also has a built-in laser pointer and, thanks to its touch-sensitive surface, can be used to easily control presentations with the same hand. It also has a voice recorder so you can have the entire presentation or meeting preserved for documentation purposes. But why stop there when you have today’s ubiquitous AI available to almost everyone? That AI, built into the device, can also summarize the meeting and generate notes in a flash, impressing everyone in the room with your technological wizardry and efficiency.
From a regular office mouse to a miniature touchpad to a presenter to an AI secretary, the OctoAssist offers plenty of features, though perhaps a bit too much as well. The AI-powered summary and notes are definitely convenient, but they could weigh the core module down not just with complexity but also with hardware and battery consumption. It does offload the AI processing to a connected smartphone, but that can sometimes cause lags and even data loss. Regardless, it’s definitely an interesting concept that might even be plausible, presuming a manufacturer sees profitable value in an all-in-one design instead of selling multiple devices that do those tasks separately.
