Tag Archives: Gadgets

McDonald’s China turns old happy meal toys into a french fry-shaped wireless mouse

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A box of McDonald’s fries is an unlikely thing to find on a computer desk, but this one comes with a left and right click. McDonald’s China has teamed up with Lenovo to create the Fry Mark, a wireless mouse shaped like the fast-food chain’s signature French fry carton. Made partly from recycled Happy Meal toys, the unusual accessory brings the brand’s familiar packaging into the world of everyday tech – just like the French fries backpack we saw earlier from them.

The mouse borrows the iconic red-and-yellow color scheme, with golden fries forming its upper shell and the Golden Arches logo at the base. It is an unmistakable piece of McDonald’s branding, translated into a functional desk accessory that doubles as a collectible.

Designer: McDonald’s

More than 60 percent of the mouse’s exterior casing is reportedly made from plastic recovered from collected Happy Meal toys. The product was developed under McDonald’s China’s “Reimagine Good Things” initiative, which explores ways to repurpose old promotional toys. Launched in 2021, the program has also produced items such as trays, flower pots, plush toys and employee uniforms. The Fry Mark brings that approach to personal computing.

Despite its playful appearance, the mouse includes a practical set of features. It has quiet-click buttons, a 380mAh rechargeable battery, and three adjustable DPI sensitivity settings. Connectivity options include Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless, allowing users to connect it to compatible devices. The package also includes a carrying pouch that unfolds into a matching mouse pad.

Its distinctive shape raises questions about everyday comfort. The available specifications do not establish how accurately the mouse tracks movement, how long its battery lasts between charges, or whether its form remains comfortable during extended use. These details will matter to anyone considering it for regular work rather than occasional use.

McDonald’s China released the Fry Mark through its mobile app and WeChat mini program on October 22 and 23, 2026. It was priced at 99 yuan (around US$14), with buyers also required to redeem 18 McDonald’s member points. Only 4,000 units were available, split evenly across the two sale days, with a limit of two per customer. Reports indicated that more than 6,000 people had registered interest before the release.

For now, the mouse is exclusive to China, with no international launch announced. By turning Happy Meal toys into a computer accessory, McDonald’s and Lenovo have given an everyday object an unexpected form. One that draws its appeal from the combination of familiar branding and judicious material reuse.

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Duramobi’s underwater speaker turns your pool into a sound system

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Here’s a pool party experiment you’ve run without meaning to. Someone’s Bluetooth speaker is blasting on the deck, you duck under to rescue a dropped pair of sunglasses, and the playlist vanishes. Up top it’s Dua Lipa, down below it’s a muffled thud and the hum of the pool filter. Water is roughly 800 times denser than air, so nearly all that sound bounces off the surface like a guest who wasn’t on the list. Hong Kong’s Duramobi decided the fix was to stop playing music at the water and start playing it inside it.

The Duramobi Pool Audio System W150 is a portable underwater speaker that hangs off the pool’s edge on a telescopic pole, keeping the controls dry while a brushed aluminum transducer sits below the waterline. A transducer is a sealed driver that vibrates the water itself, so everyone in the pool hears the same thing with nothing in their ears. No drilling, no wiring, no contractor with a concrete saw. It holds up to 1,000 songs, runs 12-plus hours per charge, and comes with a Live Voice Remote so a coach can talk straight into the water. Music, coaching, and a proper cannonball soundtrack, all headphone-free.

Designer: Duramobi

Click Here to Buy Now: $229 $399 (43% off). Hurry, only 287/300 left!

Turning the whole pool into the speaker

Sound moves about four times faster through water than through air, and your skull is happy to pass those vibrations along to your inner ear, which is why underwater music feels like it comes from everywhere at once. The W150 leans on that. Its transducer pod, a round disc with a brushed aluminum face, shoves vibrations straight into the pool instead of shouting at the surface. Duramobi says one unit covers about 20 by 20 feet (6 by 6 meters), which is a whole spa or a decent patch of backyard pool. Stand in the water and the music simply surrounds you, no earbuds and no fiddly straps.

A telescopic pole stretches from 13.4 to 35.4 inches (340 to 900mm), so the transducer stays submerged whether your pool is filled to the brim or sitting a few inches low. Duramobi calls the retractable design patented, which is a polite way of saying somebody sweated the details. Controls sit on the dry body above the waterline, so wet fingers can reach them without a dive. Bigger pools just get more units, with the setup guide suggesting two for a 39 by 20 foot backyard pool and four to six for an 82 by 69 foot resort pool. Multiple units sync, so the whole pool plays one song instead of an argument.

Beach club looks with a sealed, chlorine-resistant shell

The main body is a black triangle with a carry handle, a digital display, top-mounted buttons, and a vertical light strip that glows down its face like a lightsaber with better manners. Blue, orange, or yellow accents set the mood, and the mood is beach club instead of lab equipment. The composite shell uses encapsulated construction (sealed solid, in other words) and carries an IP68 rating, which covers dunking to about 4.9 feet (1.5 meters). Duramobi also lists resistance to chlorine, salt, and corrosion. At roughly 4.9 pounds (2,240g), it carries about like a loaded lunch bag.

Twelve-plus hours of battery covers a morning of laps and an afternoon of floating, though actual runtime shifts with volume and mode. A magnetic charging attachment means no port flap to forget about, and a full top-up takes about an hour and a half. Up to 1,000 songs live on the unit itself, so your phone can stay in the bag, far from splashes. Prefer streaming? Bluetooth 5.3 works with Android, iOS, and Windows. Four EQ modes (Home, Spa, Train, and Resort) tune the sound for where and how you swim.

Coaching cues that follow swimmers underwater

The Live Voice Remote is a handheld that lets a coach talk straight into the water, which fixes the oldest problem in swim coaching: brilliant advice shouted at people who are underwater. It doubles as a remote for play and pause, volume, and EQ, so nobody has to trek back to the speaker mid-set. Coaches can pair a pace-setting playlist with spoken cues, and every swimmer hears the same thing at once. Everyone gets the same instructions together, with no headphones and no frantic hand signals. The remote comes in the same kit as the speaker, so the coaching setup is one box.

The use case list is wide: swim training, synchronized swimming, aqua fitness, swim schools, hotels, resorts, and backyard pools. Synchro teams are the obvious fans, since staying in sync underwater is half the job. Resorts get something more romantic, a pool soundtrack with no trenching of the deck. French composer Michel Redolfi staged underwater concerts in the early 1980s, with listeners floating in pools and ocean coves with their ears submerged, so the idea has real art-world credentials. Bach underwater, Redolfi once joked, sounds like Bach in the bathroom, so choose your playlist wisely. The W150 just swaps experimental synths for your Friday favorites.

Three-step setup, zero construction

Adjusting the pole, pairing your music over Bluetooth (or picking from the built-in library), choosing an EQ mode, and lowering the transducer into the water is the entire setup routine. No drilling, no excavation, and no permanent pool hardware means renters and hotel managers can use it as easily as homeowners. A coach who shares a pool with three other clubs can set it up before practice and pack it away afterward. When the session ends, the unit comes out of the water as easily as it went in. Charge it magnetically while everyone towels off, and it’s ready for the next set.

Click Here to Buy Now: $229 $399 (43% off). Hurry, only 287/300 left!

The post Duramobi’s underwater speaker turns your pool into a sound system first appeared on Yanko Design.

Minisforum N5 Air 7640 makes room for upgrades with a slide-out motherboard

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Your photo archive doesn’t stop growing just because its storage box has run out of room. The Minisforum N5 Air 7640 approaches that familiar problem with five drive bays and a motherboard that slides out for upgrades. This network-attached storage device, or NAS, gives owners a way to revisit what’s inside without treating the enclosure like a puzzle they’re supposed to leave unsolved.

There’s little on the outside to advertise that mechanical trick. Rounded corners soften a dark plastic shell measuring 7.8 by 8.0 by 9.9 inches. A broad front cover conceals the drive trays, while the power button, status lights, and USB ports occupy a narrow strip below. The arrangement keeps everyday connections accessible without leaving five drive handles competing for attention on your desk.

Designer: Minisforum

Open it up, however, and the distinction between storage access and computer maintenance becomes clearer. The hard drives have their own front-facing trays, while the motherboard travels forward on a separate sliding assembly beneath them. Minisforum carries this layout over from the earlier N5 Air. Its appeal is straightforward enough: memory and SSD upgrades don’t require dismantling the entire box around them.

That matters when a simple family archive starts taking on other jobs. Two DDR5 memory slots accept up to 96GB of replaceable RAM, giving owners room to expand as they add applications or virtual machines. The six-core AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS processor handles the computing, with 12 threads available for concurrent tasks. You aren’t locked into the memory configuration you chose initially.

Storage follows a similar division of labor. Five SATA bays accommodate larger drives for accumulated photos and footage, while three M.2 slots provide space for solid-state storage. Minisforum advertises up to 174TB across both groups. That’s a raw capacity ceiling, not usable space after redundancy. The included 64GB system drive also occupies one M.2 slot, so those three positions aren’t all empty.

The rear connections leave room for the setup around it to grow, too. Separate 10GbE and 5GbE network ports offer faster wired links, although your computer and network equipment need to support those speeds. There’s also OCuLink for external expansion and an internal PCIe slot. Despite its x16 size, that slot runs at PCIe 4.0 x4 bandwidth, an important distinction before choosing an upgrade.

The software brings those hardware options back to household routines. Minisforum’s MinisCloud OS offers photo organization, device backups, and separate personal and shared spaces, so family pictures needn’t share the same permissions as work documents. Docker support lets owners install additional applications. There is a caveat, though: Minisforum labels the operating system as beta software, something worth considering before entrusting it with irreplaceable files.

Minisforum lists the barebones model at $495, including that 64GB system drive but no RAM or data drives. The 16GB RAM version is listed at $679. Immediate stock and dispatch aren’t independently confirmed. Those additional hardware costs belong in the budget, but at least installing your chosen parts is something the enclosure was designed to accommodate, rather than quietly discourage.

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Logitech Pebble Up mouse transforms into a vertical configuration for power users

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Logitech already impressed us with the Mobi Fold mouse for its compact utility and ergonomic shape. Now the PC accessories maker is back with the Pebble Up mouse that works on the same principle of shape-shifting form for better ergonomic grip when needed.

The new travel mouse replaces the existing Pebble Mouse 2 M350s, which comes in combination with a compact keyboard for ultra portability. Having the combo in my existing work setup, the new mouse upgrade is an interesting lure. In normal usage, the mouse is more or less like the predecessor, but there is an upper panel which can be lifted to form a taller, angled shape for an alternate holding position.

Designer: Logitech

According to Logitech, the primary motivation for this design inclusion is the strain linked to tunnel syndrome, or more commonly known as carpal tunnel. While I won’t recommend buying the mouse simply on this claim, the idea is centred on relieving hand stress for people like me who work for long hours on their PC. Pebble Up comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which is a good addition compared to the M350s, which run on AA batteries. The built-in 290 mAh rechargeable battery is rated for 90 days of use per charge, which is respectable. The wireless range of the mouse is 10 meters, which is again a good thing to have for a travel accessory.

The 4,200 CPI resolution mouse can pair with three different devices and make the switch between these devices with a simple button toggle with the Easy-Switch button. Bluetooth Low Energy makes that possible, and you can also use the more reliable Logi Bolt USB receiver for one device. You can program the mouse scroll wheel and the DPI rate adjustment from 400 to 4,000 CPI, or toggle the gesture functions from the Logi Options+ app for Windows and Mac. You have to keep in mind, though, that on mobile devices and Linux you won’t get these extended options and will rely only on the basic mouse features.

Compared to the Pebble Mouse 2 M350s, this one weighs 79, which is 3 grams heavier, attributable to the built-in battery. Pebble Up is available in Rose Pink, Graphite Gray, and Pearl White options, which are all made out of post-consumer recycled plastic. The first two contain 43 percent recycled material, while the Graphite Gray has 56 percent recycled plastic. Priced at 250 yuan (approximately $38), this looks like the next upgrade to my trusted travel partner. With a Logitech Lift-like optional setup, the transforming mouse will be fun to work with.

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DeWalt’s Tool Batteries Can Charge Laptops Without an Outlet

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A charged drill battery and a dying laptop can sit on the same table and still be useless to each other. That feels like an unnecessarily strict division of labor. DeWalt’s DCB094K USB Charging Kit addresses that disconnect by letting compatible tool batteries power USB devices through an attachable adapter. If you already have spare packs in the garage, the appeal is straightforward: stored energy becomes available to something besides the tool it normally clicks into.

The better detail is that power can travel the other way, too. The kit’s DCB094 adapter has a bidirectional USB-C port, so it can recharge a DeWalt battery from a suitable USB power supply as well as draw from that battery to charge personal electronics. That solves a second annoyance: needing a dedicated tool-battery charging dock when a compatible USB supply could do the job. It’s this return trip that makes the accessory interesting to me.

Designer: DeWalt

Visually, DeWalt hasn’t tried to disguise it as a sleek desk accessory. The yellow-and-black housing sits on the battery like a smaller piece of power-tool equipment, complete with ventilation slots and a metal belt hook. In the product photograph, the attached battery still accounts for much of the assembly’s bulk. I like that lack of pretense. It looks appropriate beside drill bits and a pencil, even when the cable coming out of it leads to a laptop.

The headline specification deserves a closer look, though. DeWalt rates the USB-C connection for up to 100 watts in either direction, but the kit includes a 65-watt wall supply. You also get a 100-watt-rated USB cable and the belt hook, but no battery. In other words, the adapter’s maximum capability and the supplied wall charger’s output are different numbers. The included charger cannot deliver a 100-watt input simply because the port can accept it. That distinction matters more than the big number on the listing.

Compatibility also needs a little attention. DeWalt lists support for its 20V MAX and FLEXVOLT batteries, while the adapter provides a USB-A output rated at up to 12 watts alongside USB-C. The latter is the connection to consider for a compatible laptop, but check the computer’s charging requirements first. A USB-C socket alone doesn’t establish that a laptop accepts charging through it, and this adapter isn’t a universal substitute for every computer’s power brick.

One interface choice feels less intuitive than the overall idea. The adapter’s indicator lights report charging activity for the DeWalt battery, not the phone or laptop receiving power. DeWalt’s manual specifically notes that the LEDs won’t illuminate while charging personal devices. I’d prefer an obvious output indicator, particularly on an accessory that changes roles depending on what’s connected. As designed, you’ll need to look at the receiving device to confirm that it’s getting power.

The workbench appearance shouldn’t be mistaken for permission to leave it in the weather, either. The manual says to keep the charger out of rain and snow and provide a dry location outdoors. It also instructs owners to detach the battery when the adapter isn’t being used to avoid draining the pack in storage.

Runnings currently lists the kit at $119, which makes this a considered accessory purchase rather than an automatic addition to the cart. I’d find it easier to justify with compatible batteries already on hand. Buying a battery as well would mean paying for an entire setup when the actual need might simply be keeping a phone charged. The useful question is how often those existing packs could cover a charging need away from an outlet.

For someone who moves between DIY projects and laptop work, the two-way charging is the strongest argument. I’d rather add a useful connection to equipment I already own than collect another battery solely for occasional backup duty. The DCB094K makes that possible, provided its price and your device’s requirements line up.

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This AI Assistant Looks Like a Tiny Monitor but Actually Operates Your Computer

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Copying customer details from a message into a spreadsheet probably isn’t anyone’s idea of a good afternoon. Unfortunately, even a perfectly capable computer still leaves plenty of that work to you. Bvio’s Violoop is a plug-in AI operator designed to handle those repetitive steps, giving your existing computer an assistant without asking you to replace the machine you’re already comfortable using.

You can tell Violoop what you need in ordinary language, such as finding customer information in a WhatsApp conversation and entering it into a customer relationship management (CRM) system. That might sound like a small convenience, until you’ve spent an afternoon repeating the same routine. The aim is to let you explain the task instead of manually carrying every detail from one window to another.

Designer: Team Violoop

Click Here to Buy Now: $399 $699 (43% off). Hurry, only a few left! Raised over $2.8 million.

To do that, Violoop interprets what’s on the screen and interacts with applications through keyboard and mouse controls. Its companion software supports Windows, macOS, and Linux, while the screen-based approach means it doesn’t need a dedicated integration for each application. You’re still working with familiar programs, only with assistance intended to bridge the gaps between them, and without the need to learn programming to give it instructions.

Of course, customer records are only part of the paperwork that follows a small business around. Invoice details need entering into spreadsheets, documents need organizing, and files rarely end up where they belong without some encouragement. Violoop is designed to help with that preparation, taking on the repetitive handling while leaving you to check the information and decide what to do with it.

Email offers another familiar example. Having something sensible to edit can be easier than staring at an empty reply box, especially when several messages need similar responses. Violoop can prepare replies as drafts for review, giving you a starting point while keeping the final wording in your hands. You can add the context that a customer relationship or a delicate conversation actually needs.

There’s also a reason this assistant takes up physical space on your desk. Its compact enclosure and angled touchscreen give ongoing tasks a place of their own, rather than burying everything in another software window. Inside, the tiny device packs a punch of up to 26 trillion operations per second (TOPS) of AI processing. That hardware is intended to support local screen understanding and other AI work on Violoop itself.

That local processing also supports a more personal approach to recurring work. Violoop keeps personal memory on the device, retaining preferences and context so you don’t have to explain the same habits every time. Local memory doesn’t mean every task stays offline, however. Depending on the selected mode, Violoop can also connect to cloud services or larger AI models when additional help is needed.

The most interesting control might be the button on top. Violoop separates AI processing from a dedicated security controller, with an approval step for sensitive actions. The physical confirmation button gives that pause a tangible form. Preparing information and committing to an action are different responsibilities, after all, and the design puts a deliberate checkpoint between what the AI proposes and what happens next.

You don’t have to stay beside it to keep an eye on progress, either. Phone access lets you check tasks, send further instructions, and approve sensitive actions while you’re away from the desk, provided the computer remains on and connected. That’s useful when you need to step out but still want to see how things are going, without returning to the keyboard for every update.

An organized spreadsheet won’t decide which project you should take on next, and a drafted reply doesn’t know everything about the person receiving it. Those parts still belong to you. Violoop’s role is to help get the surrounding work ready, using a device that keeps progress visible and approval close at hand. That leaves the final email waiting for something decidedly familiar: your own words.

Click Here to Buy Now: $399 $699 (43% off). Hurry, only a few left! Raised over $2.8 million.

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8 Gadgets That Bring Back Features We Never Wanted to Lose

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A headphone jack shouldn’t be a headline. Neither should a slot for adding storage, a battery you can change, or a keyboard with actual keys. Yet those are exactly the details that make certain gadgets interesting again. Acer’s Sospiro A70 is a particularly good example: a 5G phone that keeps wired audio and expandable storage while finding room for a second screen on its back. That’s a useful design brief.

The eight designs here earn their place by making a specific function accessible again, or refusing to bury it in the first place. Some revive physical media. Others preserve replaceable power or let you upgrade hardware yourself. This isn’t a collection of newly launched products, and a vintage silhouette alone doesn’t qualify. The point is what each feature lets you do, along with the compromises that come attached to it.

1. Acer Sospiro A70

The Sospiro A70, announced for Latin America under Senwa Global’s Acer license, makes a persuasive case for leaving useful connections alone. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio, and a microSDXC slot supporting cards up to 1TB alongside 256GB of internal storage. For someone carrying a local music collection or keeping wired headphones in service, those are meaningful options. The attraction is choosing how to listen and store files without making the charging port responsible for every wired connection too.

The more conspicuous addition sits on the back: a 1.88-inch display that lets you frame selfies with the 64MP rear camera. It gives the broad camera module a purpose beyond housing lenses, while the retained ports handle less photogenic needs. There are limits to the appeal. The main 6.67-inch display has a modest 720 × 1600 resolution.

What we like

  • Wired headphones and expandable storage remain options.
  • The rear screen doubles as a main-camera selfie viewfinder.

What we dislike

  • The large main display has a relatively low resolution.
  • Unconfirmed pricing and US availability complicate a buying decision.

2. Clicks Keyboard Case

Clicks puts a physical QWERTY keyboard beneath an iPhone’s display, restoring something a touchscreen can imitate visually but can’t reproduce mechanically: individual keys. The benefit extends beyond the buttons themselves. Moving text entry below the screen leaves more room for the message, document, or website you’re working on. For anyone who misses a phone keyboard, this offers a way back without abandoning their current operating system. It changes the phone’s proportions rather than asking you to change your apps.

The iPhone 16 version includes backlit keys, keyboard shortcuts, built-in MagSafe support, and a USB-C data mode for connections such as wired CarPlay. Those details matter because restoring one feature shouldn’t unnecessarily disable another. The physical tradeoff is unavoidable: putting a keyboard below the display makes the whole assembly longer. Compatibility is model-specific, too. Think of Clicks as a deliberate input accessory for people who want buttons, rather than a universal promise of faster typing or fewer mistakes.

What we like

  • Physical keys leave the display available for content.
  • The iPhone 16 version retains MagSafe and USB-C data connectivity.

What we dislike

  • The keyboard adds length below an already large phone.
  • Model-specific fit limits reuse when you change phones.

3. ClearFrame Speaker CD Player

ClearFrame gives a CD collection two jobs: supplying the music and furnishing the player’s appearance. Its transparent body reveals the spinning disc and internal components, while an included tray lets you insert album artwork. Change the record and the face of the object changes with it. That’s a thoughtful reason to revisit physical media. The packaging becomes something you live with, rather than a thumbnail you briefly acknowledge before a playback screen takes over the rest of the interaction.

A built-in speaker means it can play without a separate sound system. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone output and Bluetooth transmission for sending CD audio to compatible headphones or speakers. That last distinction deserves attention: ClearFrame doesn’t receive Bluetooth music from your phone. Its purpose remains playing discs. At 27mm thick, it offers an unusually shallow format for displaying a physical album, though the optional stand and wall mount are separate purchases. Plan the placement before choosing the accessories.

Click Here to Buy Now: $240.00

What we like

  • Album artwork becomes part of the player.
  • Speaker, wired, and Bluetooth listening options.

What we dislike

  • No Bluetooth reception from a phone.
  • Stand and wall mount cost extra.

4. Framework Laptop 13 Pro

The Framework Laptop 13 Pro revives an expectation worth defending: buying a computer shouldn’t lock you into its original components forever. Its LPCAMM2 memory puts efficient LPDDR5X RAM on a replaceable module rather than soldering it permanently to the motherboard. It also supports storage and mainboard upgrades for an owner whose workload changes, creating options beyond replacing the entire machine. The important design detail is inside the enclosure, where access and component separation become part of the product’s usefulness.

Framework supports that architecture with repair guides, identifiable parts, and a marketplace for compatible replacements. Its Expansion Card system also lets owners choose connections, including USB-A, HDMI, and card readers, instead of accepting one fixed port arrangement. Repairability still requires judgment. A processor upgrade means replacing the mainboard, and buying the wrong memory format won’t help anyone. The appeal is having a documented route to maintenance and improvement, with the responsibility of checking compatibility before ordering the next part.

What we like

  • Replaceable memory, storage, and mainboard preserve upgrade options.
  • Repair documentation supports the accessible hardware.

What we dislike

  • Processor upgrades require a replacement mainboard.
  • Memory upgrades need compatible LPCAMM2 modules.

5. RetroWave 7-in-1 Radio

RetroWave brings back the tuning dial for a reason more useful than decoration. Its AM, FM, and shortwave receiver lets you listen to broadcasts without opening an app or connecting to Wi-Fi. That makes the interaction refreshingly direct: extend the antenna, select a band, and find a station. Reception will still depend on your location and conditions, but the listening route doesn’t depend on your phone. The familiar controls express what the object does instead of merely suggesting another decade.

Bluetooth reception and playback from USB or microSD give it alternatives when you want your own music. A flashlight, SOS alarm, and phone-charging function broaden its utility, though the power arrangements need careful reading. The USB is the primary charging method, the hand crank is an emergency option, and the solar is the supplementary. Treat those backup methods accordingly. The 2,000mAh battery also serves the radio itself, so charging a phone means drawing from the same reserve used for listening.

Click Here to Buy Now: $89.00

What we like

  • Broadcast radio works without internet.
  • USB and microSD support local music.

What we dislike

  • Solar and crank charging are backups.
  • Phone charging shares the radio’s battery.

6. ModRetro Chromatic, Transparent Edition

A cartridge slot is the detail that earns ModRetro’s transparent Chromatic its place here. It plays original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, giving an existing collection somewhere to go without replacing those games with downloads. The clear ABS shell adds another familiar pleasure: electronics that let you see the hardware. That appearance supports the premise rather than carrying it alone. Beneath it is an FPGA-based system built around playing physical cartridges, with a D-pad and separate face buttons.

Its 2.56-inch backlit display uses the original Game Boy Color’s 160 × 144 resolution, keeping the presentation tied to the games rather than enlarging everything onto a phone-sized panel. Three AA batteries power the console, and a separately sold Rechargeable Power Core provides another option. The retained link cable port and 3.5mm headphone output extend the appeal beyond the transparent body. This is a focused machine for compatible cartridges, so choose it for that collection rather than expecting general-purpose gaming.

What we like

  • Plays original Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges.
  • Replaceable AA batteries preserve a straightforward power option.

What we dislike

  • Compatibility centers on a specific cartridge library.
  • The rechargeable battery accessory is sold separately.

7. Anywhere-Use Lamp

The Anywhere-Use Lamp keeps its most useful feature out of sight: four ordinary AA batteries housed inside the stem. Developed by TENT with Fujita Metal, the lamp is also known as ICHI. Its powder-coated iron construction and circular shade don’t advertise the battery arrangement, which is precisely the attraction. Replaceable power doesn’t require an exposed compartment dominating the object’s appearance. For a portable light, being able to change exhausted cells is a practical alternative to waiting beside a charging cable.

Pressing the shade’s edge cycles through four brightness levels, keeping the control integrated into the form. The lamp also separates into three pieces for packing, and its maker recommends rechargeable nickel-metal hydride AA batteries. That gives the replaceable format a sensible everyday routine without requiring disposable cells each time. Portability does need qualification: the lamp isn’t waterproof. Its one-hour automatic shutoff is useful beside a bed, but it may interrupt someone who wants continuous lighting for a longer evening’s work.

Click Here to Buy Now: $149.00

What we like

  • Standard AA batteries remain accessible and replaceable.
  • The shade doubles as a brightness control.

What we dislike

  • It isn’t waterproof despite its portable format.
  • The one-hour shutoff may interrupt longer use.

8. FiiO CP13 Cassette Player

FiiO’s CP13 restores the actual cassette mechanism, rather than borrowing its outline for a Bluetooth speaker. A tape goes inside, physical buttons control playback, and a substantial volume knob handles listening level. The aluminum chassis gives those components a contemporary enclosure without disguising their purpose. For someone with a box of mixtapes or current cassette releases, the benefit is straightforward access to those recordings. You’re choosing a particular medium and its controls, not purchasing evidence that analog automatically sounds better.

USB-C charging is the useful update, powering an internal lithium battery without changing how the tape plays. FiiO describes an entirely analog audio path, from the magnetic head through amplification, and explicitly warns that cassette playback can have more background noise than digital sources. There’s no Bluetooth connection, and the CP13 won’t convert your tapes into digital files. Those limits make it a dedicated listening device rather than an archival tool. Buy it to play the tape, not rescue every recording.

What we like

  • Real cassette playback with physical transport and volume controls.
  • USB-C charging updates the power arrangement.

What we dislike

  • No Bluetooth for wireless headphones.
  • No tape-to-digital conversion for archiving recordings.

Keep the Features You’ll Actually Use

Before buying a comeback, check what you actually miss. A shelf of CDs gives a disc player a job; a fondness for transparent plastic doesn’t necessarily give a cartridge console one. The same distinction applies to keyboards and replaceable batteries. Choose the feature that resolves a recurring annoyance, then judge the object around it. Extra bulk, separate accessories, and incompatible formats still matter, even when the familiar styling is irresistible.

For hardware you hope to keep, look one step beyond the feature itself. Check the replacement battery type, the parts catalog, the supported phone model, or the connection your headphones need. Those details reveal whether the revived function will fit your routine after the initial attraction fades. There’s little value in winning back a headphone jack if the rest of the phone is wrong for you. Keep the useful part.

The post 8 Gadgets That Bring Back Features We Never Wanted to Lose first appeared on Yanko Design.

Your next touchscreen device will not be made from plastic, it will be woven into the sleeves

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We are already wearing clothing with heaters and Bluetooth speakers built in. But tech-infused clothing to do more than that still feels ugly and nerd chic. Changing that perspective for good and giving us a reason to believe that the next touchscreen interactive device will not be made from plastic- it will be woven into the sleeves- researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a touchscreen sewn into clothing.

The team of scientists led by Assistant Professor Tural Khudiyev from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at CDE, has created fiber that functions as pixels and senses touch at the same time. They have integrated 54 specialized fibers into a sleeve, which they described as the world’s first touchscreen built into a garment. The findings of their research were published in Nature on 21 October 2026.

Designers: NUS

Opening doors for tech-integrated clothing that does more than the usual heating and playing music features, it has a 96 x 54-pixel display on the sleeve, which can show images, play videos, and respond to touch. For the real-world mathematicians, it can also do some calculations.  While the techier have the option of pairing the touch-sensitive layer on their sleeve with another Bluetooth device, or interact with it over voice commands.

The scientists inform that this is not a screen integrated into the fabric, instead, it features electronics that are built right into the fibers themselves, ensuring that in addition to carrying out some of the functions on the mobile device in your pocket, it can also display body temperature readings when required. The fiber comprises a display and sensing capability, while an integrated touch-sensitive layer helps detect finger inputs and helps activate the corresponding pixels.

Talking about their creation, Asst Prof Khudiyev said, “What made this possible was our ability to construct the GUI system from electronic building blocks in fibre form — similar to traditional yarn, but with the sophisticated electronic functionality built directly into the fibres.” The display that has been created is for now a pretty low-resolution interface, so you cannot expect to play high-res videos on it just yet, but from what we are seeing, it can have a range of applications, such as health monitoring. Imagine a display on your garments that displays your physiological readings?

One concern that instantly comes to mind is how safe a garment GUI system like this one. According to the scientist behind the innovation have found that the display and touch sensitivity of the fabric remains almost unchanged after “50 machine-washing cycles and 1,000 bending cycles.” Also, the garment embedded with the electronics and the touch display remains flexible and breathable, making it usable for everyday wear. The team has not yet announced any possible release date for such a technology, but we already sense that the possibility of its release in the very near future is immense.

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Mori the Mushroom Robot Offers Company Without Saying a Word

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A mushroom with glowing eyes is an easier sell for my nightstand than a miniature humanoid. OKA’s Mori takes that approachable shape and gives it a specific job: offering a little company and a reason to pause, without making another screen the center of attention. Currently offered through an early-purchase program, the companion robot uses light, sound, and movement to bring some presence to a quiet room. The ambition is modest enough to feel appealing.

For anyone who wants to unwind without reaching for their phone, the physical design makes a good opening argument. Mori stands just under 12 inches tall at its maximum height, with a broad illuminated cap above a rounded, fabric-covered body. Two eyes peek out from underneath and the fabric contains 25 percent real wool. In the supplied photographs, the proportions suggest a small table lamp that wandered into an animated movie, then decided to stay. I’d happily make room for that silhouette.

Designer: OKA

The backstory gives that friendliness some purpose. OKA cofounder Hua Wang said he spent a decade designing mechanisms that brought people back to their phones. With Mori, he wanted a robot that belonged in a home rather than a large, intrusive machine. That’s a useful starting point. A domestic robot has to earn its place among your furniture before its intelligence becomes particularly interesting.

Mori’s controls lean into that furniture-friendly character. According to OKA, placing both hands on its base starts a guided breathing session, while patting its head makes the cap retract and turns it into a lamp. Light and natural soundscapes provide the setting for those breaks. I like the directness of those gestures. Touching an object to change its behavior feels appropriate here, especially when the proposed activity is stepping away from the usual sequence of opening an app, choosing a menu, and adjusting settings.

Importantly, Mori doesn’t speak in words. Its vocabulary consists of sounds, expressions, light, and movement. That limitation might be its most attractive feature. I don’t particularly want a bedside object to become another conversational obligation. A glance or a small movement leaves more room for interpretation, much like an animated character whose personality comes through before it says anything. The lamp setting also gives its owner a way to dial that personality down, with most companion reactions reduced. Cute still needs an off-ramp.

Of course, those expressive eyes come with a less whimsical consideration: sensing people inside their homes. OKA’s privacy policy says Mori’s core AI runs locally, with camera and microphone inputs processed on the device. Raw audio and image frames are discarded after processing, while recognition information can remain locally to distinguish users. The policy separately allows collection of account, device, and diagnostic information. That distinction matters. Local processing is a welcome design decision, but I’d still read the permissions before inviting a camera-equipped companion onto the dresser.

OKA also says Mori learns and becomes more individual through repeated interaction. That’s the promise I’d reserve judgment on until longer-term use establishes what actually changes. A familiar gesture could become endearing, or simply predictable. The interesting design challenge is giving Mori enough variation to sustain affection without making it demand attention. Its quiet role sets a higher bar than the adorable appearance initially suggests: it needs to remain pleasant when the novelty has worn off.

At $649 before taxes and shipping for First Access orders, Mori is an expensive experiment in companionship. That purchase includes two years of its Nature Time subscription; OKA says basic functions won’t require a paid plan, and the included subscription won’t automatically become a paid one. I’m drawn to the object, but the price makes its everyday behavior more important than its introductory charm. The real payoff would be a robot you enjoy having nearby even when you aren’t actively playing with it. A mushroom-shaped lamp already has a place in a home. Mori has to make the eyes worth paying for.

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AYN Odin 3 Portal Handheld Pairs a Flat Glass Front With Sculpted Grips

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Putting a large screen on a gaming handheld is easy compared with making the whole thing comfortable to hold. AYN’s Odin 3 Portal approaches that problem with a 7-inch OLED up front and sculpted grips behind it. Now available for preorder, the Android handheld combines a broad, glass-covered face with physical controls that give your fingers somewhere other than the screen to go.

That front surface stretches across the display and surrounding control areas, giving the device a flatter, more unified appearance than a screen dropped into a chunky frame. Black keeps the boundary between panel and housing less conspicuous, while White and Cold Grey emphasize it. The latter’s purple buttons add retro flavor without turning the machine into a tribute to another console.

Designer: AYN

Turn it over, and the shape becomes less concerned with looking flat. Rounded bulges give your palms somewhere to settle, while textured shoulder buttons meet your index fingers above. The full-size Hall-effect sticks have ridged edges, and a dome D-pad sits below the left stick. These details aim to improve control, though actual comfort will depend on your hands and how you play.

The screen is a 1920×1080 OLED with a 120Hz refresh rate, giving supported games room to show smoother motion without asking you to peer at a tiny display. That doesn’t mean every game will run at 120 frames per second, of course, nor should you always crank it up. It depends on the game, settings, and your remaining battery.

Behind that screen is Qualcomm’s Dragonwing Q8 processor, paired with Android 15 and active cooling. A broad rear grille gives the internal fan room to draw air, making ventilation part of the exterior rather than hiding it completely. That’s worth remembering when you settle in with the handheld against a cushion, since the cooling system still needs an unobstructed path to breathe.

Power comes from a 9,000mAh battery, with support for 60W charging when you need to plug back in. Actual playtime will depend on the game and screen settings, so that capacity doesn’t translate into a guaranteed afternoon away from an outlet. At about 15.9 ounces, the handheld puts weight behind that screen, especially when a quick session somehow becomes an entire evening.

Storage starts at 128GB with 12GB of RAM, while the top model offers 1TB and 16GB of RAM. There’s also a microSD slot, so choosing less built-in storage doesn’t close off future expansion. AYN specifies that no games come preinstalled, however. You’re buying the hardware for your own library and setup, not a ready-made collection of nostalgic favorites waiting behind the power button.

Launch pricing starts at $399, with the 1TB version reaching $669 and shipping expected to begin in early November 2026. The pricier configuration doesn’t buy a different screen or processor, just more memory and storage than the base model. That leaves a practical choice between keeping a larger library installed and keeping the price down, particularly when a memory card remains an option.

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