The Sonoff Hydro Duo is a dual-channel smart water valve designed to improve outdoor water management for homeowners. Priced at $42, it integrates Zigbee 3.0 for connectivity and includes a built-in flow meter to monitor water usage accurately. A Smarter House highlights its offline scheduling feature, which allows the device to function without internet access. […]
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Forty-one percent of people have folded towels while on a work call. One in five have taken meetings from a makeshift setup in their child’s bedroom. Logitech’s own research surfaced these numbers, and they carry the ring of something widely felt but rarely acknowledged. The idea that work and home occupy separate territories has been quietly unraveling for years, and for a significant share of the workforce, that unraveling is now complete. The home does not have an office. The home is the office, and the laundry basket and the borrowed desk chair and the animated bedsheet on the wall behind you are all part of the same workday.
Logitech’s response to that reality is the Signature Comfort Plus lineup, announced today. The product anchoring it is the M850L mouse, and it carries one genuinely new detail: a palm cushion, the first Logitech has ever put on a mouse. It is a soft, fitted support designed for the kind of desk day that starts with a 9 AM call and ends somewhere in the evening without a clean break in between. The cushion reportedly took months of prototyping to land correctly, with the team working through texture, size, and material, spending months pivoting and exploring before arriving at something that actually worked.
Designer: Logitech
The development question the team kept returning to was deceptively simple: how soft is soft enough? At the launch briefing, Benjamin Ehrenberg walked us through the product’s development arc, including the moment colleagues first handled the prototype. The reaction, by the team’s own account, was immediate: “Wow, this is really amazing. Hey, this mouse is awesome. This mouse feels amazing.” User trials backed that up: 9 out of 10 users felt comfortable at the end of the workday, which is a genuine testament to the development of the product. Seven out of ten also felt more productive with the mouse. The cushion sits beneath the base of the palm, shaped to support the hand across scroll sessions, writing stretches, and the general low-grade physical endurance that a long desk day requires.
Beyond that central feature, the M850L carries the hardware expected from a Signature mouse: a sculpted shape that fits the hand more naturally, rubber side grips for precision and control, and a thumb support area for that extra thumb support. SmartWheel scrolling lets you move line by line or fly through pages, quiet clicks keep the noise floor low in shared spaces, and Easy Switch handles up to three connected devices across nearly any platform. Logi Options+ handles button customization. Battery life is rated at two years. Among the designers credited with shaping the product’s physical form is Irfan Kachwala, who appeared in Logitech’s promotional film for the lineup and also happens to be a senior from my design alma mater, which was just about as pleasantly surprising as seeing Logitech’s new products every cycle.
Sitting alongside the mouse in the MK880 combo is a keyboard that takes the same comfort-forward brief seriously. The dual-foam palm rest delivers 70% more palm support compared to the Logitech K650, and typing angles can be set at three positions: 0, 4, or 8 degrees. Keys are deep-cushioned, with curved typing angles built for more comfortable, sustained sessions. In a shared apartment or a kitchen-table setup, that lower noise profile makes a real practical difference.
Dedicated mic mute and video toggle keys sit on the keyboard layout, a feature Logitech first established on the Signature Slim and is clearly doubling down on across its lineup. Paired with Logi Tune, these controls can be assigned for Zoom Workplace and Microsoft Teams, while the Logi Options+ app lets users set up Smart Actions to automate common tasks. The honest commentary here is that a physical key to kill your mic should have been standard hardware during the pandemic in 2020, when video calls went from optional to mandatory overnight. That it is arriving at scale now, five-plus years later, is a small frustration softened by the fact that it is at least arriving consistently. A dedicated AI Launch Key rounds out the top row, giving instant access to tools like Copilot, Gemini, or ChatGPT, fully reassignable through Logi Options+ to whatever a user actually reaches for. AI keys are becoming a fixture on productivity keyboards, and the configurable approach is the sensible one.
The M850L mouse is priced at $49.99, and the MK880 combo lands at $99.99. Business versions, which include the Logi Bolt USB-C receiver and Logitech Sync for IT management, come in at $59.99 and $109.99 respectively. Both are available from June 2026 on logitech.com and through authorized resellers, in graphite and off-white globally, with black in select channels. Plastic parts contain between 49% and 77% post-consumer recycled material depending on color, and products ship in FSC-certified paper packaging.
The post Logitech’s Comfort Plus Mouse packs a Palm Cushion for WFH People Who Take Meetings While Doing Chores first appeared on Yanko Design.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max introduces a range of new features designed to elevate the smartphone experience. With enhancements spanning design, performance, and functionality, Apple’s latest flagship caters to user needs while setting new benchmarks in mobile technology. In the video below, Tech Town explores the seven most notable upgrades that make the iPhone 18 […]
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As an iPhone user, you may unknowingly overlook features or settings that could significantly enhance your experience, improve efficiency, and safeguard your privacy. This guide identifies ten common mistakes and provides practical solutions to help you maximize your device’s potential. By addressing these habits, you can streamline daily tasks, customize your settings and better protect […]
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Cork has spent decades being underestimated. Wine stoppers, bulletin boards, yoga mats, the occasional floor tile. Somewhere along the way, a material with genuinely remarkable engineering properties got slotted into the background of everyday objects.
That changed when designers started paying attention to cork’s unique properties: it absorbs sound, repels moisture, insulates against heat, compresses without cracking, and comes from a tree that absorbs more carbon than it releases. The story of cork is really a story of a material waiting for the right question to be asked of it.
Vizcom and Corkway are asking that question now. Their Cork Design Challenge invites designers worldwide to reimagine cork in the spaces where people live, gather, and work, from home interiors to public installations to office environments. The brief is intentionally wide, letting designers push the boundaries of the material: from wall coverings, ergonomic objects, acoustic installations, to even sculptural décor. What makes the challenge compelling is that the top three designs get physically manufactured, CNC-milled from cork blocks in Portugal, and shipped to the winners. Submissions are open through June 8, 2026.
Click Here to Submit Now: Hurry, last date to enter is June 8, 2026.
Vizcom and Corkway have structured the challenge around three spatial contexts: home, public, and office — each offering a different lens on how cork can enhance our everyday lives.
Designers are invited to think about how cork can enhance the comfort, experience, or functionality of a home? Could it redefine public installations or elevate office spaces?
At home, the intent is to push cork into décor and wall treatments that reframe how the material reads in a living space.
In public environments, the scope opens to installations, wayfinding systems, and seating concepts that could meaningfully transform communal areas.
Office applications lean into cork’s acoustic and tactile properties, where sound-absorbing partitions, ergonomic desk objects, and creative meeting environments are all fair game.
Creativity comes from constraints and these are the non-negotiables participants must keep in mind while they design:
All entries must be designed in Vizcom: from early sketches through to final renders — and include a 3D model generated using Vizcom’s Make 3D tool as part of the submission.
All submissions must include:
The best part: the winning concepts are made real. Corkway, the manufacturing partner behind the challenge will CNC-mill the top three designs from cork blocks at their production facility in Portugal and ship the finished objects to the winners. The challenge highlights the workflow from sketch to render, to real.
Submit your final entry at the challenge page before June 8 at 11:59 PM EST, including your project file link, hero image, five final design images, and a written project description and inspiration
May 25, 2026 – Prompt released at 9:00 AM EST
June 8, 2026 – Submission deadline at 11:59 PM EST
June 16, 2026 – Top 30 announced
June 23, 2026 – Top 3 announced
Month of July – Production begins with Corkway
Entries will be evaluated by a panel of industry designers across five criteria:
Need feedback before you submit? Vizcom and Corkway are hosting two open office hours (May 28 at 12PM ET and June 5 at 10AM ET) — and keeping a #cork-challenge Discord channel open throughout the competition for material questions, design advice, and production guidance.
If you’re a designer who’s ever wanted to see your idea made real, this is your chance. Design in Vizcom and submit your work by June 8 at 11:59PM for a chance to see it come to life.
How will you imagine cork in spaces we live, gather, and work?
Click Here to Submit Now: Hurry, last date to enter is June 8, 2026.
The post Vizcom x Corkway Launch a ‘Cork Design Challenge’ With Winning Designs Getting Industrial Production first appeared on Yanko Design.
The business monitor market rarely sees truly original ideas, but Philips may have found one with the new Philips 24B2D5300. Instead of chasing higher resolutions or curved ultrawide panels, the company has introduced what it calls the world’s first standalone dual-sided monitor, placing two full HD displays back-to-back inside a single chassis. The idea sounds unconventional at first, but its practical applications quickly become obvious in customer-facing environments, collaborative offices, reception counters, healthcare desks, banks, retail spaces, and coworking setups where information needs to be shared across a desk without awkwardly rotating a screen.
The monitor uses two 23.8-inch IPS LCD panels, each with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Both displays support wide 178-degree viewing angles, ensuring the image remains visible and color accurate from nearly any position. Philips also includes its SoftBlue low-blue-light technology and TÜV Rheinland certification to reduce eye strain during long work sessions. Unlike standard dual-monitor setups that consume more desk space and require additional cabling, the 24B2D5300 integrates everything into one footprint while still offering two independently usable screens.
Designer: Philips
The real innovation lies in how the screens can operate. Philips’ DualView and SmartView software features allow the monitor to either mirror content across both displays or extend the desktop independently. In practice, this means an employee can keep confidential information visible only on their side while showing approved content such as invoices, forms, instructions, transaction details, or queue information to customers on the opposite display. It can also function as a collaborative workstation where two users interact with the same computer from opposite sides of a desk. Philips even claims the monitor can handle up to three simultaneous application windows through its split-screen functionality.
Connectivity is equally business-focused as each side includes its own HDMI and USB-C ports, with the USB-C connections supporting up to 65W power delivery for laptops and notebooks. The monitor can connect to one or multiple devices simultaneously, allowing the screens to function independently if needed. Built-in stereo speakers, USB hub functionality, and synchronized on-screen display controls further simplify workspace management. A 180-degree swivel stand also helps users quickly rotate the display to check the opposite screen without repositioning the entire setup.
While the hardware specifications themselves are relatively modest by gaming or creative-professional standards, the product is clearly aimed at improving workflow efficiency rather than visual performance. The monitor’s compact design could be particularly useful in environments where counter space is limited, but customer interaction is constant. Tech observers have already pointed out that the concept feels surprisingly practical despite its unusual appearance, especially for front-desk staff, service counters, and collaborative workplaces.
The Philips 24B2D5300 is expected to launch in parts of Europe beginning in June 2026, with reported pricing starting around £359.99 (roughly $480). Availability in other markets has not yet been confirmed, though the monitor’s distinctive functionality could easily attract broader global interest if businesses see value in its space-saving and customer-friendly design.
The post This Dual-Sided Philips Monitor Lets You Share One Screen With Clients Without Sacrificing Desk Space first appeared on Yanko Design.
Forty years is a long time to wait for a building. But when you see what’s rising in Abidjan, the delay starts to feel almost intentional — like the city was simply holding its breath for the right moment. Tour F, the supertall skyscraper currently piercing the skyline of Ivory Coast’s economic capital, was first imagined in the 1970s as part of a sweeping urban development plan for Abidjan’s Plateau district. The idea was straightforward: complement the existing administrative towers — A through E — with a sixth.
What wasn’t straightforward was actually building it. The project stalled for decades, a vision suspended in bureaucratic and economic uncertainty. Construction finally broke ground in 2021, with BESIX Group drilling 70 foundation bars and 62-meter-deep diaphragm wall panels to anchor the structure.
Designer: Pierre Fakhoury
Designed by Lebanese-Ivorian architect Pierre Fakhoury — the same mind behind the breathtaking Notre-Dame de la Paix Basilica in Yamoussoukro — Tower F is not trying to be a generic glass box. It has something to say. The form is sculptural: a slender volume whose facade is carved into trapezoidal inclined glass planes, each facet tilting inward toward the earth or reaching toward the sky. The top is cleanly truncated, then crowned with a dramatic extension of the glass facade that dissolves into open air. It’s restrained and bold at the same time — a difficult balance that Fakhoury pulls off with architectural confidence.
What makes the design genuinely compelling is its embedded cultural logic. When viewed from a certain angle, the play of facets reads as a stylized African mask — a nod to West African artistic tradition embedded quietly into a 21st-century supertall. The building is symmetrical along its east-west axis, grounding the sculptural gesture in structural clarity. At street level, a simple rectangular podium houses the main entrance hall and support services, keeping the base honest and approachable despite the tower’s imposing scale.
At 421 meters, Tower F is set to claim the title of Africa’s tallest building, surpassing The Leonardo in Johannesburg. The gross floor area reaches approximately 140,000 square meters, consolidating government ministries and administrative units currently scattered across the city — a practical ambition wrapped in an extraordinary shell.
Construction costs are estimated at approximately €450 million, developed through a collaboration between the Ivorian Ministry of Construction and local firm PFO Africa. Completion is expected in 2026. For a continent whose architectural ambitions are accelerating fast, Tower F is exactly the kind of project that reframes the conversation — not just about African skylines, but about what it means to design a building that carries cultural memory into the future.
The post Africa’s Tallest Tower Was Worth the 40-Year Wait first appeared on Yanko Design.
Sheet metal has been a furniture material for decades, but it almost always gets hidden. It becomes the internal skeleton, the underframe, the bracket buried beneath upholstery or lacquer. The design conversation rarely starts with the metal. Deniz Özdemir’s Arc One, an A’ Design Award-winning lounge chair developed in Istanbul between October 2025 and February 2026, turns that convention completely around, making the sheet metal the entire visible statement and letting the leather cushions play second fiddle to the structural drama underneath them.
From the side profile, the Arc One reads as a single continuous gesture, one surface that sweeps from backrest plane through seat pan and curls forward into the base. No legs. No frame. No secondary structure of any kind. The bent metal does all of it simultaneously, and Özdemir arrived at that form using only laser cutting and CNC bending, two processes that leave no room for the kind of hand-finishing that usually disguises manufacturing decisions in premium furniture.
Designer: Deniz Özdemir
Most lounge chairs are assemblies, a frame joined to a seat shell joined to a base, each junction representing a production step, a potential failure point, and a logistics complication. Arc One eliminates all of that. The single-piece body requires no welding and no mechanical fastening, which means the bare frames stack flat for storage and transport, a logistical advantage that most furniture at this aesthetic level completely ignores. Özdemir’s research documentation notes that this directly reduces both production complexity and logistics volume, and looking at the photographs of the bare stacked frames, the practicality of that claim is immediately visible.
A round tufted back cushion and a square tufted seat cushion attach to the metal body via leather straps with snap fasteners, hardware that belongs more in a saddle shop than a furniture atelier. The strap details are visible and intentional, running horizontally across the metal surface with small riveted or snapped connections that read as honest joinery rather than disguised engineering. Remove the cushions entirely, and the bare metal frame is a genuinely severe object. Reattach them, and the warmth is immediate and complete, all without the metal structure yielding anything of its industrial character.
The cognac brown of the tufted leather against brushed raw metal is a pairing with serious mid-century pedigree, recalling the material confidence of Osvaldo Borsani’s work from the 1950s and 60s, where Italian designers routinely married industrial metal frames with generous upholstery without apologizing for either. The Arc One’s ottoman extends the family naturally, same bent-base logic scaled down, topped with a square tufted cushion that mirrors the seat in a different colorway.
At 650mm wide, 750mm deep, and 850mm tall, the proportions sit comfortably within lounge chair conventions without disappearing into them. The replaceable upholstery is the long-game move that most furniture at this price positioning forgets to make. Leather wears, tastes change, and a chair whose cushions can be swapped out for a different color or material is a chair with a genuinely extended lifespan. That decision transforms the Arc One from a sculptural object with a fixed personality into something closer to a platform.
The post The Lounge Chair That Has No Welds, No Joints, and No Legs – Just One Bent Sheet of Metal first appeared on Yanko Design.
The Oppo Pad Mini (exclusive to China) serves as a template for what OnePlus’ mini tablet will look like.
Apple, a company that charges a premium for premium display technology, has somehow never put an OLED screen in its most pocket-friendly tablet. The iPad mini sits there in 2025 with a Liquid Retina LCD while the iPad Pro ships with a tandem OLED panel that costs as much as a laptop. That inconsistency has nagged at iPad mini fans for years, the sense that Apple’s smallest tablet is perpetually treated as a second-class citizen in its own lineup. It sells well enough to survive, but never well enough, apparently, to earn the display upgrade it deserves.
OnePlus may be about to make Apple look even more stubborn on that front. A leak from tipster Abhishek Yadav describes a compact OnePlus tablet with an 8.8-inch OLED display, 144Hz refresh rate, and Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 under the hood, paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. If those specs hold, OnePlus would be shipping a compact Android tablet with a display technology the iPad mini still does not have. A global launch is reportedly targeting Q3 2026, with India expected to be among the first markets. The hardware pitch is unusually straightforward: better screen, flagship guts, same general size class.
Designer: OnePlus
The spec sheet here reads like OnePlus raided the OnePlus Pad 4’s parts bin and asked engineering to compress it. That larger tablet runs a 13.2-inch IPS LCD with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which is a fine machine for productivity but firmly in “bag required” territory. This rumored compact model flips the script entirely, pairing flagship silicon with a form factor you can actually hold one-handed on a commute. The 8,000mAh battery and 67W charging round out a package that looks, on paper, like the small Android tablet the market has been waiting for since the Nexus 7 quietly aged out of relevance over a decade ago.
The honest caveat here is that this hardware almost certainly has a prior life. The spec profile aligns closely with the Oppo Pad Mini, a China-exclusive device that has been doing exactly this job domestically without making a dent in the global conversation. LPDDR5X and UFS 4.1 mean fast memory and storage throughput, the kind of internals that keep a tablet feeling snappy for years rather than sluggish after two software updates. A OnePlus label, a global distribution push, and software support that extends beyond China would transform what is essentially proven hardware into a legitimate mainstream contender.
Pricing remains the missing piece. OnePlus has historically been disciplined about value positioning, which is precisely what makes this device interesting beyond the spec sheet. The iPad mini 7 starts at $499. If OnePlus lands this anywhere south of that number with an OLED panel and Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 inside, the conversation around compact tablets changes in a way it genuinely has not since Apple invented the category.
The post OnePlus Mini Tablet Leak: Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, OLED Display, and a Real Shot at the iPad Mini first appeared on Yanko Design.