Tag Archives: Product Design

Innovative Document Folder transforms into an All-in-one Stand for your Laptop, Tablet, and Phone

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Ever propped your iPad against a pile of books? Or placed your laptop on top of a stationery box to angle it for easier typing? The folks at PUNCUBE Gear have a rather nifty solution that hides in plain sight. The Puncube Workelf is, for all intents and purposes, a document folder for organizing and holding all your important paperwork… but its design allows it to also transform into a laptop stand, an iPad stand, a phone mount, and even a writing pad. While the paper folder has remained unchanged for nearly a hundred years, the Puncube Workelf gives it a subtle update that allows it to integrate well into our digital-first age, while still being a reliable document holder.

Designer: Sunny Cheung

Click Here to Buy Now: 3 for $59 $117 (50% off). Hurry, only 87/150 left!

The Puncube Workelf is a clever reminder that tech won’t entirely replace stationery, but rather the two must coexist peacefully and symbiotically. It’s about as slim as your binder/folder that holds printouts and other documents, and comes with a unique flap-based design that lets it shapeshift into a multi-angle stand for not one, but all your portable devices. With 8 different ‘modes’ to choose from, the Puncube Workelf alternates between being a paper-holder to mounting your laptop, tablet, and smartphone, while also serving as a clipboard, display stand, book-holder, and a slanted stand for sketching/drawing either on paper or a tablet PC.

It all boils down to the Puncube Workelf’s rather clever design, which relies on its material structure, a fair bit of origami, and clever detailing to really create a modern utilitarian piece of stationery. When shut, the Puncube Workelf looks just like your regular A4 folder. It holds A4 documents inside it with the help of a metal clamp, and even fits right into your office shelf or folder-holder for easy access. It weighs a mere 290 grams, making it perfect to carry around under your arm or in your backpack.

Laptop Stand

iPad Stand

Slant Board

Phone Stand

Book Stand

Document Folder

When you need something a little more than paper-holder, the Puncube Workelf opens up into a world of possibilities. It transforms into an angled laptop holder that props your device up at a cool 30° angle, giving you an ergonomic elevation that raises the laptop screen to your eye level to reduce neck strain, as well as tilting the keyboard towards you so it’s easier to type. The laptop stand format also works for a drawing pad or for a tablet where you want to doodle/draw or write on, but if you’re looking for a more traditional tablet dock, the Workelf transforms into an easel for your iPad, holding it up at a cool 60°. Cutout fins in the Puncube Workelf pop out to hold your iPad up at a perfect viewing angle for video calls or for viewing content, and if you’ve got a smaller device like a smartphone, the Workelf has a smaller set of cutout fins for your phone too!

The Workelf’s shapeshifting design allows it to achieve as many as 5 different angles, including a fully vertical one. The three-paneled format of the folder lets it practically stand up vertically, allowing you to prop your documents up to read on cue. The same metal clasp that holds your papers also works as a ‘lip’ or holder for your laptop when the Workelf’s used in laptop stand mode.

White Board

The Puncube Workelf comes in a variety of 6 colors to choose from, and even has the option of adding a clip-on whiteboard accessory to it that you can use to jot down ideas or make temporary notes/schematics that you can then wipe down for a fresh start. The all-in-one folder and gadget stand starts at $39 for one unit, although it’s best bought in bundles with a 3-pack costing $59, allowing you to easily set up your entire workstation on it, with your laptop, tablet, and phone.

Click Here to Buy Now: 3 for $59 $117 (50% off). Hurry, only 87/150 left!

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Belkin’s Newest 15W 2-in-1 BoostCharge Pro MagSafe Stand Has a Contemporary Look

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The iPhone 15-era refresh of Belkin’s 2-in-1 BoostCharge Pro MagSafe charger stand is arriving next week, and (right off the bat) it’s a smooth, stylish mix of contemporary sand (or charcoal) elements complemented by a sort of organic minimalism. In a departure from previous Belkin MagSafe chargers, this compact silicone charging stand incorporates soft, round shapes on both the charger base as well as a new flip-up 15W MagSafe pad. That means it can fit in any modern space, like a living room or a bedroom with a lot of similar organic elements, like stone walls and wooden furniture.

Designer: Belkin (via Apple)

The flip-up design on the top pad allows the Belkin charger to show off the iPhone 15’s screen while StandBy mode is engaged, turning your new iPhone into a piece of room decor like a stationary clock. That same design even lets you adjust the angle of the top pad between 0 and 70 degrees, and of course, you can rotate your iPhone to lay vertically or horizontally on the pad itself while the phone charges.

You can stick your Apple Watch Series 9 (or any other fast-charging Apple Watch, like the Ultra 2) on the second fast-charging pad behind the base, and together the whole thing ends up looking like a really elegant piece of art, adding ambiance rather than sitting around like a high-tech paperweight. Its non-slip base can also help keep it rooted firmly in place during an event such as an earthquake — or an accidental collision between the BoostCharge Pro and a household pet.

Belkin’s new BoostCharge Pro MagSafe chargers for Apple’s newest lineup of iPhone 15s (though iPhone 14s also work with it!) are officially set to release on November 7, alongside the all-new Apple M3 computers announced on October 30. In the box, you’ll find an included 5 ft USB-C cable and 30W USB-C power supply to plug the charger into. You can currently view the new chargers on Apple’s web store, where their $129.95 MSRP is already displayed. It doesn’t seem like either the charcoal or sand colorways are pre-orderable at the moment, though more retail options will become available — including, presumably, from the Belkin store — once the charger officially releases on November 7.

The post Belkin’s Newest 15W 2-in-1 BoostCharge Pro MagSafe Stand Has a Contemporary Look first appeared on Yanko Design.

Logitech G Yeti Orb Is a Plug-and-Play LIGHTSYNC-Compatible Condenser Mic

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Adorning your home office/PC gaming setup with Logitech’s lineup of LIGHTSYNC RGB products is an honorable goal on its own. But if you already own a LIGHTSYNC keyboard, mouse, headphones, and computer speakers (to be fair, I really love those G560s!), you’re probably dedicated to the bit by this point. Good news: it’s time to expand your RGB setup yet again. Even if you already have those aforementioned accessories — which work remarkably well together, producing quite the lightshow when synced with in-game visuals via the Logitech G Hub software — you’re still going to need a microphone for your desk. And that’s where Logitech’s newest array of LIGHTSYNC-equipped Yeti microphones comes in.

The Logitech G Yeti Orb — and, separately, the Yeti GX — are Logitech’s newest desktop mics, ditching the old Blue brand in favor of Logitech G. Both use cardioid pickup patterns, which is optimal for recording a single speaker, but the Orb is a condenser mic whereas the GX is a fancier dynamic mic, and the latter is a bit more expensive as a result. That said, it sounds like no matter which of the two you get, Logitech’s newest microphones are gorgeous thanks to their LIGHTSYNC RGB integration, and both are easy to install and set up thanks to their reliance on a single USB-C cable.

Designer: Logitech

The Yeti Orb condenser mic is the lower-priced of the two new Logitech mics, and… it’s quite cute. The rather small, orb-shaped microphone stands upright on its packed-in mini tripod, making it perfect to stick on top of a desk alongside a laptop. The mic design itself is cut in two by a matte ring, which features the RGB-backlit “G” letter candidly positioned on top. According to Logitech, this is a carbon neutral design, made with “a minimum of 74% certified post-consumer recycled plastic by weight.” Moreover, Logitech claims the packaging itself is sustainably sourced from FSC-certified forests.

Several reviews of the Yeti Orb condenser mic indicate the audio quality on it is notably clear for the price, with Tom’s Hardware calling out its budget-friendliness at an MSRP of $59.99. The software itself sounds easy to use, especially if you’re already familiar with Logitech G Hub. All you need to do is plug it in, and then you can get started customizing your lighting and audio preferences. It even comes with several voice presets through the integrated BLUE VO!CE mode, which gives you control over the Yeti Orb’s acoustic calibration — even allowing you to do silly things, like apply special effects to make your voice sound extra deep or ethereal.

The post Logitech G Yeti Orb Is a Plug-and-Play LIGHTSYNC-Compatible Condenser Mic first appeared on Yanko Design.

This LEGO Snow Globe with the Lo-Fi Girl inside is Peak Holiday Wholesomeness!

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It’s truly amazing what people can do with the right combination of LEGO bricks. From building Bugattis to functioning calendars, the bricks have an unmatched versatility, and just in time for the holidays, LEGO-builder BrickAbe came up with yet another perfect LEGO project – a functioning snow-globe! The cherry on the cake, however, is that this snow globe also features YouTube’s most well-known fictional character, the anime girl from the LoFi Girl YouTube channel, known for her endless streams of great downtempo music.

Designer: BrickAbe

The Lo-Fi Girl Snowglobe is an interactive mechanical toy that features elements of Christmas along with the popular LoFi girl character, seen writing in a notebook with headphones on, with a laptop and a lazy ginger cat becoming a standard fixture in the background. BrickAbe’s globe captures these elements beautifully, turning the album art into a full LEGO-based diorama with a ground and first floor. The first floor becomes LoFi girl’s study, while the ground floor transforms into a living room during Christmas season, complete with gifts, and a decked up Christmas tree that rotates when you crank the lever outside!

The entire construction is incredibly wholesome, capturing the Christmas spirit in a rather adorable way. The diorama sits on a red platform that comes with its own Yuletide motifs, including stockings and presents, while being covered with a clear bell jar that is capped off with a snowflake on top!

“My greatest escape with Lo-Fi Hip Hop comes around the holidays. I feel very relaxed sitting next to a glowing fireplace, under a warm blanket, with Lo-Fi music playing in the background,” BrickAbe mentioned. “The idea for the snow globe came from a drawing I made a while back for #lofigirlchristmas. You can see this drawing displayed right above the fireplace. I created a charming loft apartment inside, decorated with holiday joy and Lofi Girl references!”

The post This LEGO Snow Globe with the Lo-Fi Girl inside is Peak Holiday Wholesomeness! first appeared on Yanko Design.

Ergonomically Designed Dining Chair Is All Set To Transform Your Dinner Table Seating Experience

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We often underestimate the importance of a great chair. When in reality, we really shouldn’t. We spend the majority of our day sitting on chairs, whether we’re working in our home office, enjoying a meal, or simply sitting and reading a book for leisure! Hence, this piece of furniture needs to be not only comfortable but ergonomic and aesthetic as well. An excellent chair design is not only a boon to your back and helps you maintain a healthy posture, but is also super comfy to sink into and will perfectly match the interiors of your modern home. And, this is also applicable to dining chairs, which are often ignored when it comes to ergonomics. A well-designed and ergonomic dining chair to consider would be – the Noho Move dining chair.

Designer: Formway for Noho

Design studio Formway teamed up with the brand Noho to create the ergonomically sound dining chair called the Noho Move. Both the New Zealand-based brands collaborated to create a chair that can support and facilitate hours of sitting. “Our brief was to bring ergonomic performance to the dining room — that isn’t really something anyone has done before,” said Formway design lead Paul Stevenson.

The studio Formway has previously designed office chairs for Knoll, hence they were well-versed in designing ergonomic chairs. They also researched how humans can sit for hours at the dining table, to finally create the Noho Move which is an excellent seating option not only for eating but also for work and leisure. The chair is designed to support a wide range of movements such as stretching, fidgeting, and shifting. When you sit on the chair, and comfortably lean back, the back of the Noho Move flexes with you, and when you incline or move ahead to speak to someone, it tilts forward with you.

The chair is built using a recycled nylon shell which is quite flexible, so it moves with the body. The open weave structure of the chair regulates body temperature, creating a comfortable seating experience for sitters. It is available in two color options – Ironsand Black and Cloud White, with the choice to opt for interchangeable upholstery toppers that are made from sustainably sourced New Zealand wool.

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Meet The Strongest Belt Ever Made – The Indestructible Belt By Vollebak

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Vollebak is known for its ground-breaking and absolutely mindblowing designs such as the Indestructible Puffer which is built from the same material as body armor or the Deep Sleep Cocoon that can lull you to sleep on Mars and Earth! In lieu of their ingenious and highly successful designs, Vollebak has also launched the Indestructible Belt. Right off the bat, they’re claiming that the Indestructible Belt is the strongest belt ever made! Color us intrigued! It is designed to be not only a true marvel in engineering but also a major fashion statement that will definitely grab eyeballs.

Designer: Vollebak

The Indestructible Belt is built with the ultimate strong core which is made from Dyneema – the single strongest fiber known to man today. Vollebak uses Dyneema in its Indestructible range. Dyneema is supposed to be 15x stronger than steel, which basically signifies that the belt strap is only breakable if you hang more than 4 tonnes of it, which is essentially the same weight as a Hummer or 10 grizzly bears. It is a game-changer for people who need their belts to be extremely durable and strong, but also dashingly handsome.

Vollebak teamed up the powerful Dyneema strap with a COBRA® buckle which is supposed to be the strongest and safest buckle on the planet. The buckle is engineered with a patented locking mechanism, ensuring that the buckle never releases under pressure, and can tolerate 1.8 tonnes of force before it breaks apart. Every Indestructible Belt is built using 12 rows of ultra-strong bonded thread, and an engraved metal tip by Riri which features a custom anodized metal case equipped with a 3D printed latch – making it a class apart from your ordinary everyday belt, to be honest, the two cannot even be compared. The Indestructible Belt is designed to withstand the harshest of conditions!

The Indestructible Belt is crafted in France, and it completely pushes the boundaries of fashion and functionality, to create an exceedingly innovative product that we have truly never seen before. It is priced at $395 and is the ultimate accessory you have been looking for. It packs a punch with both style and safety.

The post Meet The Strongest Belt Ever Made – The Indestructible Belt By Vollebak first appeared on Yanko Design.

The limited-edition Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro is inspired by the classic SGH-E700 flip phone

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The clamshell-like Galaxy Z Flip5 is an interesting device, combining modern smartphone specs and features with a holistic design approach that heavily borrows elements of flip phones from the early 2000s. It’s also the best of its class, thanks in part to very little competition from Apple — but also because of its robust internals, like a primary 1080×2640 AMOLED display (collapsing into a 720×748 front display when closed), a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 8 gigabytes of RAM, and a 3700 mAh battery.

As of October 30, Samsung announced a limited-edition version of the Galaxy Z Flip5, called the Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro, and it looks peculiarly like 20-year-old SGH-E700, which launched around the same time as (and was ultimately overshadowed by) the behemoth Nokia 1100. Still, as Samsung’s first mobile phone containing an antenna, the SGH-E700 was a triumph in cellphone design for its time, and it’s celebrated in the stylized Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro, which sports the original SGH-E700’s indigo blue and silver color scheme.

Designer: Samsung

The tributary Flip5 Retro also comes with an interface makeover which itself is a throwback to the SGH-E700’s stock interface, complete with the blue lettering on the Flex Window that you can even show off alongside a pixel-art animation of a city skyline punctuated by shooting stars streaming across the night sky. It’s awfully pretty looking, and it’s certainly reminiscent of 16-bit screen savers and mobile games that were playable on cell phones in the early 2000s.

It sounds like the Flip5 Retro is shipped in a package containing several extra goodies, including: “three Flipsuit cards featuring logos from different eras of Samsung’s history, a Flipsuit case and a collector card engraved with a unique serial number that will add to the product’s collectible value for purchasing customers.”

Unfortunately for those of us in the United States, there is no planned launch window for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro over here. It’s also not exactly clear how “limited” the limited edition release will be, as Samsung has yet to disclose how many will be produced. You may still be lucky enough to nab one for yourself from the Samsung online store at the Flip5 Retro’s MSRP (roughly $1,240) if you’re in the UK or Australia, where shipments are set to go out on November 1 — or, if you’re in Spain, Germany, or Korea, where shipments are set to go out on November 2.

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The New Apple M3 Chip Enables Workflows Previously Unavailable on a Laptop

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The next generation of silicon is coming to Apple computers. Announced in an uncharacteristically late-afternoon Apple Event on October 30, the three newest Apple chips (M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max) are packed with the tiniest transistors Apple has ever stuck into its laptop and desktop computers. The newest chips, which use Apple’s groundbreaking 3nm process, are first launching with the new M3 iMac and M3 MacBook Pro, and, boy howdy, Apple is certainly giving other laptop manufacturers a run for their money in the final quarter of 2023.

Designer: Apple

Apple makes a big deal over the fact its base 10-core M3 GPU can render graphics up to 2.5x faster than a comparable M1 GPU, while the base 8-core M3 CPU gets a 50% relative boost in performance to its M1 counterpart. In terms of raw performance alone, those two figures represent a massive upgrade over a chip that released alongside new Apple computers only three years ago. That’s just the tip of the iceberg; thanks to a bevy of new capabilities unlocked by M3’s ultra-compact transistor size, the upper performance limits of the M3 family are higher than ever — meaning, if you’re an AI developer, a game designer, or a visual designer of some sort, your next primary workstation may be a new Mac running on a hyper-powerful M3 Max, armed to the teeth with a 40-core GPU, 16-core CPU, 128 gigs of high-speed RAM, and a 8 TB SSD.

On a basic level, the standard 10-core M3 GPU is an impressive component, fitted with all-new features like hardware-accelerated ray-tracing, mesh shading, and Dynamic Caching to deliver, at a minimum, “65 percent more performance” over M1-based Macs when performing rendering-heavy tasks such as gaming and 3D imaging. It’s facilitated by the M3 chip’s new unified memory architecture (which is supposed to vastly speed up RAM while boosting power efficiency) and support for up to 24 gigs of RAM by default (or up to 36 gigs for the M3 Pro, or up to 128 for the M3 Max), which all make use of the aforementioned new unified architecture. Apple says this “unlocks workflows previously not possible on a laptop, such as AI developers working with even larger transformer models with billions of parameters.”

For the average user, that’s not a huge deal on its own. Sure, games are capable of running smoother and looking prettier as a result of the new hardware, and it sounds like macOS 14 is equipped to make use of the M3 chip design to enable things like Game Mode, which deprioritizes background tasks while a game window is active. But, another big draw of the new M3 architecture is the addition of integrated AV1 decoding. Built-in AV1 support means a new M3-powered iMac or MacBook Pro can smoothly stream 4k60 video from digital streaming services without a noticeable drop in quality if the connection starts to waver.

This also has work applications. For instance, two or more M3-powered Macs communicating with one another via Screen Share should have a buttery-smooth experience, even when both Macs are working on resource-heavy tasks.

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This Rotating Nail Clipper Elevates Precision for Effortless Trimming in the Modern Era

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In the modern landscape of living, hygiene isn’t merely functional—it’s an art form, a testament to our evolutionary refinement. Just as we cultivate our well-being through mindful nutrition and exercise, our grooming rituals reflect not just our health, but our societal standing. But are we all truly committed to this art form? Lamentably, some falter. It’s tempting to attribute this to simple lethargy, but often it’s the absence of impeccably designed tools that’s at fault. Consider the seemingly mundane act of nail trimming—a ritual that should epitomize simplicity and elegance. Yet, many find themselves battling with cumbersome tools, compromising form and function.

Enter the Rotating Nail Clipper—a fusion of design genius and functionality. It promises an end to those awkward wrist contortions, so familiar to many. A departure from the mundane straight-edged clippers, this avant-garde creation boasts blades that pivot to your desired angle, all while preserving the tool’s ergonomic integrity.

Designer: Yoshita Handi-Design Studio

Click Here to Buy Now: $59 $69 ($10 off). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

Visually, it’s a statement piece. Echoing brutalist principles with its assertive shapes and defined edges, it simultaneously softens the gaze with its meticulous curves. But these curves are not just a nod to aesthetic pleasure; they are a masterclass in functional design, ensuring a firm, intuitive grip. Its substantial form feels weighty, exuding a confidence with every trim. The detached blade configuration showcases minimalism at its finest, not allowing the lever’s proportions to dictate its size.

Crafted from high carbon stainless steel, its blade is a testament to enduring sharpness, especially with judicious care. The frame, an alloy of aluminum with an anodized finish, possesses a tactile rawness, ensuring it remains steadfast in hand.

In our age of technological marvels and design prodigies, grooming should never be a cumbersome endeavor. True innovation doesn’t always demand complexity—often, it’s about reenvisioning the familiar. The Rotating Nail Clipper does just that, inviting us to perceive grooming from a refreshingly novel perspective.

Click Here to Buy Now: $59 $69 ($10 off). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

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M3 MacBook Pro Boasts 11x Better Performance Than an Actual Intel Desktop

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The October 30 Apple Event was exactly as “scary fast” as it was deemed to be, clocking in at no more than 30 minutes in total. That was more than enough time for Apple to show up and hammer out the most important details about its M3-powered next-gen upgrades for the MacBook Pro and the iMac, and admittedly there’s a lot to love. It’s worth noting the 2020-era M1 chip was the sole point of reflection for the company; Apple specifically noted a 60% upgrade in performance between the 14-inch M3 Pro-powered MacBook Pro and the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro.

MacBook Pros featuring the M2 Pro and M2 Max launched in January, and so it’s probably too soon for an upgrade from those. But Apple’s point is clear: if you own anything earlier than an M1-powered MacBook Pro, or if you own even the most powerful Intel-based Mac on the market, you’re tailing behind the pack.

Designer: Apple

It’s hard to argue against the swath of powerful new features included in the late-2023 MacBook Pro lineup — equipped with the full array of hyper-powerful Apple M3 chips, which use a 3-nanometer process much like the A17 Pro chip included in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. These new M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max-powered MacBook Pros are the current flagship of the macOS fleet, and all models benefit from the vastly increased base performance, which Apple claims is “11x faster than the most powerful Intel-based MacBook Pro”.

If you’re a designer or a creator who needs all the horsepower you can get, the MacBook Pro M3 Max model is probably your best bet thanks to its 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU with Dynamic Caching, a feature that can evidently boost performance by dynamically allocating memory in real time. For even just the base M3 model, however, macOS Sonoma’s new features (like Screen Sharing between M3-powered Macs and Game Mode, which prioritizes framerates in games like Baldur’s Gate 3) make great use of all that computing power.

The new MacBook Pro color scheme, Space Black, is a gorgeous, metallic black chassis that marks a MacBook first since 2006. Apple considers it a “Pro” color, so it’s less likely we’ll see a similarly-colored M3-powered MacBook Air any time soon, and that’s a real shame because it does look quite sleek.

Both the 14-inch and 16-inch M3 MacBook Pro are now available to pre-order from Apple’s online store. The base M3-powered 14-inch MacBook Pro will begin at $1,599 while the M3-powered 16-inch is set to start at $2,499. Of course, you’ll need to shell out a bit more for the M3 Pro and M3 Max versions. Orders will begin shipping out on November 7.

The post M3 MacBook Pro Boasts 11x Better Performance Than an Actual Intel Desktop first appeared on Yanko Design.