Tag Archives: Gadgets

Twelve South PlugBug Chargers Hands-On at IFA: The World’s Only Chargers with Apple’s Find My feature

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Remember when Apple debuted the Apple TV remote without a Find My feature and the internet collectively groaned because losing your TV remote is perhaps the single biggest cliche as far as remote controllers go? Well, here’s a similar situation – imagine losing the charger to your phone or laptop. I’m sure it’s happened to you multiple times (it literally happened to me today)… and while I don’t recommend waiting for Apple to build the Find My feature into their chargers, I really don’t need to because Twelve South beat them to it. The world’s first (and so far only) charging bricks with their own tracking chip, the Twelve South PlugBug chargers made their first appearance at IFA today. Designed to be compact, colorful, powerful, and trackable, these charging bricks are the perfect accessory for the absent-minded tech-user. Imagine misplacing your charger in a crowded cafe, at work, or under the bed at home; with Find My, you can locate it just like you would an AirTag. That’s what Twelve South brings to the table with the PlugBug 50 and the more robust PlugBug 120.

The PlugBug series comes in 2 models – the smaller 50W charger, and a larger 120W charger with replaceable heads for international travel. The smaller PlugBug 50 has a 50W output (as its name suggests) and offers dual USB-C ports, perfect for powering up your iPhone and iPad simultaneously. It’s designed to slide into your daily routine with ease, packing just enough power to handle multiple devices without taking up much space in your bag, or behind your couch.

The PlugBug 120, on the other hand, is a multi-port powerhouse with 120W of total output, enough to charge a MacBook Pro, an iPad, and two more devices—all at once. With four USB-C ports, it’s ideal for those juggling multiple gadgets, whether you’re working from a coffee shop or charging up in a hotel room. Twelve South deliberately ditched the USB-A ports for these plugs, keeping things modern and up-to-date. The standout feature, however, is the interchangeable plug heads for different regions. Whether you’re hopping between the US, UK, or Europe, the PlugBug 120 has you covered with its international plug options. It’s a simple yet effective solution for people who often find themselves digging through a bag of adapters just to get their gear charged abroad.

But what sets both chargers apart from your standard USB-C bricks is their integration with Apple’s Find My network. Misplaced your charger? No problem. You can track it via the Find My app, and yes, this even works when the charger is offline. Unlike most gadgets you lose in your daily hustle, the PlugBug can be tracked just like an AirTag. It’s a feature that’s becoming increasingly valuable as we juggle more devices in our connected lives. Due to electrical regulations, the Find My feature is powered by a tiny, replaceable battery instead of being directly connected to the plug itself (you’ll need to swap it out every year or so). This simultaneously ensures that Find My works even if the charger isn’t plugged in.

The design of both chargers doesn’t stray too far from what we’ve come to expect from Twelve South—clean, minimal, and functional. The foldable prongs on both models make them super portable, while the compact design ensures they fit into tight spots, whether at home or in cramped outlets on the road. They’re also a combination of white and bright red, so don’t worry about not spotting the charger from a mile away. If the charger does become difficult to find, the Find My is a pretty cool add-on.

As for pricing, the PlugBug 50 will run you $69.99, while the PlugBug 120 is priced at $119.99—not exactly impulse buys, but reasonable for what they offer, especially if you factor in the peace of mind that comes with never losing your charger again. Both models are expected to hit shelves by mid-September 2024.

Given how losing a charger can often feel like losing a limb, the PlugBug lineup offers a bit of relief—and a clever way to keep your tech life on track. Just remember to check Find My before you accuse the couch of eating your charger.

The post Twelve South PlugBug Chargers Hands-On at IFA: The World’s Only Chargers with Apple’s Find My feature first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sharge Forged Carbon Fiber Series Hands-On at IFA 2024: Power Banks with an Aerospace-grade Touch

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At IFA 2024, where the latest and greatest in tech innovation often compete for attention, Sharge made its mark by introducing the Forged Carbon Fiber Series. Known for creating high-performance portable power solutions, Sharge’s new lineup captured the spotlight not only for its charging capabilities but also for its striking design. This collection, featuring the CarbonMag 10K MagSafe Power Bank, and the CarbonMag 5K MagSafe Power Bank, merges utility with premium materials, offering a standout option for those who demand both function and form from their tech accessories.

Forged Carbon Fiber: A Distinctive Edge

The use of forged carbon fiber in Sharge’s latest series is a significant design decision. Forged carbon fiber is a material associated with luxury and high-performance industries, such as motorsports and aerospace. It is strong, lightweight, and gives the devices a unique, patterned aesthetic. Unlike traditional woven carbon fiber, forged carbon is formed through a random compression process, resulting in each power bank featuring its own distinct, marble-like texture.

This design choice isn’t purely cosmetic. The forged carbon fiber exterior provides durability and resistance to everyday wear and tear. Whether you’re commuting daily or traveling, the rugged construction ensures that the power bank can handle a few bumps along the way without compromising its sleek appearance.

CarbonMag 10K: Lightweight Powerhouse

The CarbonMag 10K is the heavy hitter of the series, boasting a 10,000mAh capacity wrapped in a carbon fiber shell that offers both durability and portability. Its use of carbon fiber not only enhances its structural integrity but also keeps the device extremely light—perfect for users constantly on the move. The lightweight design makes it easy to carry without adding significant weight to your bag, while the carbon fiber’s unique texture gives it a modern, premium feel.

On the connectivity front, the CarbonMag 10K supports fast charging through its USB-C ports, ensuring your devices can charge quickly, whether it’s a phone, tablet, or even some laptops. With up to 22.5W output via USB-A and 20W via USB-C, the 10K keeps you powered throughout the day. The CarbonMag 10K also incorporates Qi2 wireless charging, allowing compatible devices to juice up without needing a cable. This feature is a great addition for those with wireless charging-enabled devices, especially if you often forget cables or simply want a cleaner charging setup.

The power bank’s focus on durability extends to its internal battery tech. It uses high-efficiency battery cells that are designed for longevity, supporting multiple charge cycles without significant degradation. SHARGE also integrated intelligent charging protection, ensuring your devices don’t overheat or suffer from voltage irregularities during the charging process.

CarbonMag 5K: Ultra-portable Everyday Charger

For those prioritizing portability, SHARGE’s CarbonMag 5K hits the sweet spot. With its 5,000mAh capacity, this model is geared towards users who need a quick top-up without carrying a bulkier device. The ultra-slim design makes it incredibly easy to slip into a pocket or purse, a major advantage when you’re traveling light. Despite its smaller size, the 5K shares the same carbon fiber build as its bigger sibling, offering the same lightweight strength.

While the 5K’s charging capacity is lower than the 10K, it’s still capable of fast charging. It features the same 20W output via USB-C, making it a solid option for anyone looking to quickly charge their smartphone or other small devices. Although it doesn’t support wireless charging, it makes up for it with its extremely portable profile. The compact design paired with carbon fiber construction ensures that this power bank remains durable even with frequent use.

Shared Features: Strength and Style

Both models in the CarbonMag series share a focus on high performance wrapped in sleek carbon fiber exteriors. The material choice is key to the series’ identity—it’s not just about looking good; it’s about offering real-world durability. Carbon fiber, known for being lightweight yet incredibly strong, provides a distinct advantage over traditional plastic or metal builds. This also makes these power banks stand out among competitors, many of whom still use bulkier or heavier materials.

Additionally, SHARGE’s attention to user safety is reflected in both models’ built-in safety protocols, which protect against overcharging, overheating, and short circuits. This is particularly important for users who might charge multiple devices frequently or leave their power bank plugged in for extended periods.

A Smart Choice for All Users

The CarbonMag 10K and CarbonMag 5K are designed to meet different needs without sacrificing style or strength. The 10K is ideal for heavy users who need multiple device charges in one go, while the 5K is the perfect companion for day trips or short outings when you just need a quick boost.

SHARGE’s presence at IFA 2024 demonstrated the brand’s ambition to push the boundaries of portable power solutions. By combining the strength and lightness of carbon fiber with advanced charging tech, the CarbonMag series delivers a sleek and functional option for modern users. Whether you’re looking for a power bank that can handle a weekend’s worth of charging or something that fits in your pocket, SHARGE seems to have struck a balance between utility and style. Now, the only challenge left is choosing which one to carry—though at this rate, maybe you’ll want both.

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Perfect for SteamVR and VRChat: Experience Next-Gen VR with UDCAP Glove

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Tired of interacting in virtual reality with joysticks and buttons? A glove could be a good alternative to a controller. However, not many effective solutions have emerged, partly because playing with gloves can be challenging due to sweat and the limited number of games designed for wearable peripherals. The UDCAP VR Glove for SteamVR aims to change that when it exits its crowdfunding campaign and becomes widely available.

The UDCAP VR Glove by Udexreal from China isn’t just another wearable controller; it’s touted as the next-generation VR input device that allows users to interact with natural hand gestures. This claim, along with the glove’s compatibility with all current and future SteamVR games and its ability to pair effortlessly with VRChat avatars right out of the box, could pose a threat to traditional VR controllers.

Designer: UdexReal

Click Here to Buy Now: $499 $699 (29% off). Raised over $248,000. Hurry, backed by 309 backers already!

Whether you’re feeling the intensity of a game on SteamVR or expressing yourself in VRChat with hand gestures, the UDCAP glove offers complete precision and limitless flexibility. Traditional VR controllers limit natural interaction, but these VR gloves provide a natural way to interact in the virtual environment with data transmission speeds of up to 120Hz. According to the company, a pair of gloves work on a 2.4G wireless connection with a dongle for data transmission, which has under 10ms latency within a 10-meter radius.

Crafted from lycra, the 45g VR gloves are embedded with sensors made from a patented polymer material that helps collect and transmit data simultaneously. They combine precision motion capture with integrated control modules that detect and relay the subtlest hand movements. Each UDCAP VR glove is embedded with 11 sensors capable of tracking 15 different finger joints and 21 joint angles to record the most precise hand movements, relaying smooth and stable gestures in VR.

The glove controls are fully customizable, allowing users to fine-tune their experiences to match any avatar. In-game movements are controlled by thumb-controllable joysticks and AB buttons on the index finger. Their positions are adjustable and topped with rubber cushioning for long-term use. The flexibility is combined with real-time tactile feedback to enhance gameplay. As mentioned, playing or interacting in VR with gloves can get sweaty and uncomfortable.

Udexreal has addressed this problem by making the gloves breathable and comfortable. Users can easily lift a glass, type, or use a smartphone while wearing the UDCAP gloves. The electronic components can be detached and the gloves can be washed by hand in lukewarm water. If you’re convinced this can be your next VR controller, the gloves are available for crowdfunding on Kickstarter. A super early bird rebate can get you a pair for just $499.

Click Here to Buy Now: $499 $699 (29% off). Raised over $248,000. Hurry, backed by 309 backers already!

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Acer Nitro Blaze 7 jumps into handheld gaming PC arena with Ryzen AI chops

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You know that handheld gaming PCs have made it big when major PC manufacturers join the fray. At this point, almost every major brand has put out its own take on mobile gaming, not to mention the smaller names that really pushed this niche market long before it became mainstream. Acer was noticeably the only one that was falling behind, but that all changes today at IFA 2024. With the Nitro Blaze 7, not only is it coming out with its first-ever handheld gaming PC, it’s arriving guns blazing (pun intended) with the latest AMD Ryzen chip boasting powerful AI capabilities to take your experience beyond just gaming.

Designer: Acer

If there’s one area that Intel has pretty much been left behind, it would be the nascent handheld gaming PC race where AMD’s Ryzen has become the chip of choice since the Valve Steam Deck. Conversely, Intel has been ramping up its new AI-powered processors, and AMD is now pushing its Ryzen AI generation to new PCs in every form. Being a bit late does have its share of benefits, and Acer’s first stab at a handheld gaming PC is able to immediately gain the lead in this area, with the new AMD Ryzen 8040 series and Ryzen AI giving the portable computer a needed boost.

The AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS inside the Acer Nitro Blaze 7 boasts 39 AI TOPS (tera or trillion operations per second), putting it in the same league as many AI-powered laptops. Teamed up with the AMD Radeon 780M and 16GB of RAM, you’ve got the makings of a powerful gaming beast that can fit into a small bag. Then there’s the 7-inch 1920×1080 144Hz IPS touch display with 100% sRGB color gamut support, delivering vibrant and bright visuals, even for the darkest of horror games.

What really sets a gaming handheld apart, however, are its controls, which often translate to joysticks and buttons that you’d also see on gamepads. The Acer Nitro Blaze 7 also features touchscreen support for more direct interaction with UI elements on the screen, while the traditional joysticks and d-pad offer more precise control. There’s also a dedicated hotkey that brings players to their game libraries without having to fumble with half a dozen menus and screens. This customized Acer Game Space feature fixes one of the biggest pain points of Windows gaming: managing titles from different platforms and sources.

The Acer Nitro Blaze 7’s straightforward and simple design eschews complicated and extraneous details that only get in the way of you and your favorite games. With its arrival, the roster of major handheld gaming PC brands is more or less now complete, heating up the competition for the market’s most powerful gaming machine in the smallest form factor. Availability details for the Acer Nitro Blaze 7 handheld gaming PC will vary by market and have yet to be confirmed.

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Smartphone touchpad concept tries to solve one of the biggest problems with big phones

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Almost everyone wants smartphones with big screens because of how much content they can see, but those same people probably don’t like using big phones because they require both hands to use comfortably and securely. Some manufacturers have introduced “one-handed mode” features that shrink the screen to a smaller size temporarily, but not only is that actually more cumbersome, it is also less accurate because of the small area you have to hit with your large finger. We don’t have problems using computers with gigantic monitors because we have computer mice that offer precise and accurate control, even if we’re not touching the screen itself. That’s the kind of control that this concept design is trying to bring to smartphones, practically putting a miniature Apple Magic Mouse on the back of large phones.

Designer: Geontak Oh

The computer mouse is actually a very weird and unintuitive tool that has become second nature to most people by now. You are indirectly controlling the screen, moving a detached piece of hardware whose only connection to the computer is an arbitrary one. Before touch screens were a thing, it was really the only way to interact with a graphical user interface, so it’s a bit ironic that we might need something similar to do the same on touch-enabled devices like smartphones.

Poinf is a design concept that tries to solve the problem of using a large smartphone with one hand. With the way we hold our phones, the thumb is the only finger we can use to tap on the screen, which is next to impossible if the screen is too big for our stumpiest finger to reach. But what if you could use a different finger to do that? And what if that finger is always on the back of your phone anyway?

The idea is to put what is practically a small, squarish touchpad on the back of the phone, held there using MagSafe or other magnetic technology. The actual interactive part is a small quadrant of the slim device, an area that can be easily reached by your index or even middle finger. You slide your finger across the surface, pushing around the equivalent of a cursor, and use tapping gestures to “click” on user interface elements. You can easily detach Poinf when you don’t need it, so it doesn’t get in the way of “normal” smartphone use.

Poinf is definitely an intriguing solution to a very old problem, but it also brings a few issues of its own, particularly with usability. Moving a cursor by moving a finger on the back of the screen could require some mental gymnastics, severely affecting your speed and efficiency in the process. Of course, your brain can eventually adjust, like how it has come to accept the computer mouse, but it will take time and effort before that becomes second nature. Additionally, however, you also lose access to important touch gestures like pinching to zoom or quick scrolling, so you’ll have to do double work to teach yourself a new action vocabulary for this rather niche control mechanism. In the end, you might give up and just use the phone with both hands anyway.

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Modular mini projector can also be a speaker and wireless charger

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It’s probably not something that we really think about but electronic waste is a growing problem since we see a lot of new gadgets released every month. There will probably be even more products conceptualized and created over the next few decades so what we have to think about is how to lessen or at least repurpose e-waste. One idea is to think about modular product designs so that one gadget can have multiple purposes.

Designers: Tae Hyeong Kim and Yu Jeong Choi

One conceptual product is bini, a modular beam projector that can also be used as a mini speaker. It can be used as a single unit with the projector on top of the speaker but it can also be separated into two devices if you need to use either of them individually. There’s even a third purpose for it as you can use the top of the device as a magsafe wireless charger.

Overall, bini looks like any ordinary smart speaker. When used as just one device, the top part of the projector becomes like a mini robot as you can adjust the head with its hinge. There’s also a focus wheel so you can adjust the focus when projecting on a wall or any surface. The buttons intuitively look like actual buttons so it can be easy to touch and use them. The device also has several ports like USB-C, HDMI, and even a headphone jack.

bini is a mini device so you can just hold it in one hand and is also pretty easy to combine and separate the modular parts. It would be interesting if they can make an actual, working prototype as its value depends of course on the quality of the projector and speaker features.

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The Samsung Freestyle Projector gets a $335 competitor from Zebronics

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With a dynamic capsule-shaped design that can be pivoted to face pretty much anywhere, the Zebronics Zeb PixaPlay 54 is far from those boring box-shaped projectors of yesteryear. It feels refreshing, artistic, and worthy of placing on a mantelpiece from which it can cast images and videos onto a wall. The pivoting capsule design feels fairly similar to a conceptual projector we saw back in 2018 or more recently, the $900 Samsung Freestyle. At practically a third of the price, the Zeb PixaPlay 54 feels like quite the deal, although it does come with its fair share of compromises – none too drastic if you ask me. You get exactly what you’re paying for… if not more, considering the projector has a few nifty features like auto-keystone, multiple connectivity options, and the ability to cast a 140-inch screen on any wall you point it at!

Designer: Zebronics

The Zebronics PixaPlay 54 LED projector is an intriguing entry-level option for those looking to enhance their home entertainment setup without breaking the bank. Positioned within the Indian market, this projector aims to deliver a solid viewing experience while keeping the price tag accessible. Despite its marketing claims of 1080p support, the PixaPlay 54’s native resolution is 720p, which is a crucial consideration for potential buyers who prioritize image clarity and detail (even more so considering the Freestyle does output 1080p). This slight dip in resolution might be a drawback for some, but it doesn’t negate the fact that the PixaPlay 54 can still provide a satisfactory visual experience for casual movie nights or presentations. Personally, 1080p at a slightly higher price would absolutely seal the deal.

The Zeb PixaPlay 54’s internal light source outputs up to 3,800 lumens of brightness. This should suffice for most indoor settings, ensuring that images remain vivid and clear even in rooms that aren’t completely dark. Moreover, the LED light source is touted to have a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours, translating to years of use without the need for a replacement bulb. This longevity is a significant advantage, especially for users who plan on using the projector frequently. However, it’s important to note that while the brightness is commendable, the native resolution may not fully leverage this feature, leading to a trade-off between sharpness and luminosity.

The cylindrical pivoting shape is perhaps the projector’s biggest visual highlight, which not only gives it a modern appearance but also allows for practical adjustments. The adjustable stand is a thoughtful addition, enabling users to tilt the projector to achieve the optimal viewing angle without the need for additional mounts or tripods. Automatic keystone correction further enhances the user experience by ensuring that the projected image remains rectangular and undistorted, even if the projector isn’t perfectly aligned with the screen. The inclusion of a lens adjustment wheel allows for fine-tuning the focus, which is essential for achieving the best possible image clarity given the projector’s native resolution limitations.

Connectivity options on the PixaPlay 54 are robust for its price range. The device supports dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.1, offering a range of wireless connection possibilities, from streaming content directly from your smartphone to mirroring your laptop screen. Considering its positioning as a smart speaker, it DOES come with its own OS, although you won’t find every app you need. Personally, as a Zebronics projector user myself, I find it easier defaulting to an Amazon Fire Stick for seamless content. The projector also features various ports, including HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, and AUX, which provide ample options for connecting external devices such as gaming consoles, laptops, and sound systems. The built-in speakers are a convenient feature, though they may not deliver the audio depth that dedicated external speakers can provide. Your best bet is to pair an external speaker with the projector – preferably using the aux to avoid any audio lag.

The Zebronics PixaPlay 54 is competitively priced, with an introductory offer bringing the cost down from ₹27,999 ($333 USD) to ₹10,999 (approximately $131 USD). This makes it an attractive option for budget-conscious consumers who are looking for a versatile projector without the premium price tag. Don’t expect to turn your home into an IMAX studio, given the 720p output… but rather revel in the fact that your projector looks like a million bucks, and gives you a whopping 100-plus-inch display on command!

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Quirky ‘Wordle’ Handheld Game Device feels heavily inspired by Game Boy and Teenage Engineering

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Designed as a part of Richard Falcema’s ‘Fictronics’ (Fictional Electronics) series, the WORDLE TERM is a handheld console that lets you play NYT’s hit game Wordle anywhere you go. Although Wordle is mainly played on phones (and is even available as a board game for true-blue nerds), Falcema’s quirky gadget gives the game its own standalone handheld device with an aesthetic and interface that’s just about as adorable and fun as the game itself.

Designer: Richard Falcema

The gaming device is simple to a point of being almost a meme. You can literally ONLY play Wordle on it and nothing else, which I guess makes it even more appealing if you think about it. The device sports a 25-display grid on the top,very reminiscent of the kind seen on Elgato’s hardware, except those displays can’t be pressed. They’re controlled using a set of 5 wheels at the bottom, which let you cycle through letters in each row. Once you select all 5 letters, the device accepts your input and judges your guess. For non-Wordlers, the game involves guessing the word of the day. You have 6 chances (this game gives you just 5), and each chance gives you clues as to what the word could be. When you guess the letters, tiles either stay grey if the letter is wrong, or turn orange if the letter is right but in the wrong position, and finally green if the letter is right and at the right position. Using this color-coded system, you’re required to work your way through the 5 or 6 guesses, trying to get the word in the fewest attempts.

Falcema’s device captures the Wordle game perfectly through its quirky design. The exposed circuitry, vibrant colors, metal bar on top, and that lone AA battery at the bottom are highly reminiscent of Teenage Engineering’s design cues. The device comes with a Wordle-themed lanyard too, adding to the fun appeal of the entire device. I’m assuming that this device also lets you play as many instances of Wordle as possible, rather than having to wait 24 hours for each new challenge!

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GPD Pocket 4 modular handheld PC is for serious business with gaming on the side

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Never have there been so many handheld PCs than in the past year or so, but unlike their larger laptop cousins, these are all designed for gaming. Yes, there are some that have one form of keyboard or another, but these are often added for the sake of chatting in games more than for productivity. Of course, computers can do more than just play games, especially ones that run full operating systems like Windows or Linux. GPD, one of the most prolific manufacturers of these gaming handheld computers, also has a product line designed for more serious applications, and the upcoming GPD Pocket 4 promises an AI-powered productivity and content creation experience thanks to the newest AMD Ryzen AI processor. And yes, it can play PC games, too!

Designer: GPD

GPD was actually one of the first few brands to launch pocketable handheld computers even before handheld gaming PCs were a thing. The first two GPD WIN devices were nearly the same size and form as the Nintendo DS, but now it has branched out to other form factors and sizes, like the 10-inch GPD WIN MAX. It also has a specific product line for what are basically handheld laptops, and the GPD Pocket 4 brings that design to the world of AI.

Unlike any gaming handheld, including the laptop-like GPD WIN MINI, this one has no gaming controls whatsoever. That leaves plenty of room for a larger keyboard, but not enough for a normal touchpad. Instead, the Pocket 4 shoves this small rectangle to the upper right corner, where one can use their right thumb to move the cursor when holding the device in both hands. Opposite this are the mouse buttons, which probably give the feeling of using a game controller as well.

Powering this new handheld PC is an equally new AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, the chipmaker’s latest and greatest AI-powered processor for laptops, paired with an onboard Radeon 890M graphics chip. It has 64GB of RAM inside and a whopping 4TB of NVMe SSD storage, upgradable to 8TB. It is pretty much a normal laptop, except for the tinier size and the equally small 44.8Wh battery. But that means it is quite capable as a laptop replacement for content creation, entertainment, productivity, and anything else under the sun, including some gaming within certain limits.

The GPD Pocket 4 is more than just a mini laptop, however. It’s also a mini tablet, thanks to the swiveling 8.8-inch 2560×1600 144Hz display. It even has stylus support, so you can scribble notes or even sketch a few drawings on the go. Its key feature, like its predecessor, is a modular component on the back where you can switch between a classic EIA RS-232 Port port, a KVM switch, a microSD card reader, or a SIM card module. Availability details are still under wraps but going by previous iterations, it will cost as much as a full-sized laptop anyway, raising the question of whether that kind of portability is worth the price.

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Shell-shaped smart speaker brings cool minimalist feel to a home staple

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Smart speakers in our homes aren’t luxury items or just for early adapters anymore. It’s become a common gadget for the digitally savvy to have as it performs a lot of functions aside from just something to play music or podcasts or audio books from. While there are a lot of devices already available in the market, there’s always room for concepts or designs that want to take a different look at these smart devices.

Designer: AICO Designs

The Shell Intelligent Speaker is one such concept that wants to play around on the shape of the smart speaker. Taking its design inspiration from shells from the ocean, they wanted to combine the round and square shapes instead of the usual concave and convex shapes of shells and then use a dot matrix outline. Supposedly, the adductive character and the hole shape of the device will add to how the acoustic sound of the speaker will be better.

What you get is a round speaker that evokes not just a seashell but also an egg timer, albeit bigger. The round screen gives you enough space to view things like your music and videos, the weather and date information, etc. Of course since it’s a smart speaker, you can also just not look at the screen and listen to the shell for the information you’re asking from it.

Of course since this is a concept, they didn’t really delve into the functions of the smart speaker, which is actually a big part of why someone would buy a particular device. But from a design standpoint, this one looks pretty solid with its minimalist concept and its light, pastel colors.

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