Tag Archives: Gadgets

Ugreen’s NASync at CES 2024: Redefining Smart Storage with AI and User-Centric Design

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At CES 2024, Ugreen has made a significant statement in the world of data storage by introducing its new NASync series. This foray marks Ugreen’s expansion beyond its traditional scope of charging and accessories into the realm of Network Attached Storage (NAS), doing so with a flair for innovation and user engagement. The NASync device also targets regular consumers (rather than the enterprise-specific tech users that usually rely on network-attached storage) – this shift comes with its distinct benefits, as Ugreen highlighted in their keynote, talking about how the NASync could now become the iCloud or Google Drive alternative that you don’t have to pay monthly subscriptions for… or the Netflix or Disney Plus streaming service that lets you play movies/media you own on any connected device anywhere.

Designer: Ugreen

The collaboration with Intel is a cornerstone of the NASync series, empowering these devices with Intel® processors. This partnership brings together Ugreen’s expertise in HDD and SSD solutions and Intel’s robust capabilities in cloud computing and PC components, creating a product that stands out for its technical excellence and user-friendly approach.

The integration of AI is a key highlight of the NASync series. This is a core component that transforms the NASync into an intelligent hub for digital activities. The AI in these devices is designed to adapt to user behaviors, streamlining tasks and offering personalized experiences. The NASync device can automatically read text within an image or a document, allowing you to then search for text WITHIN a file (like finding all invoices with a certain client’s name). Ugreen’s Hernan Lopez also demonstrated the ability to create visual tags, with the AI autonomously learning what different objects (or even faces) look like. For instance, you could create a tag for “Drone” and then visually search through your entire database for drone images, with the AI automatically understanding the visual archetype of a drone’s design. It all happens locally, allowing you to build your own Google Image Search right within the comforts of your own home.

Ugreen has also placed a significant emphasis on the design of the NASync, ensuring it is approachable for a wide range of users. The focus on a user-friendly interface, both in the hardware’s physical design and the software interaction, makes NASync an accessible yet powerful tool for anyone, regardless of their technical expertise. Easy hot-swappable drives allow users to add new HDDs or SSDs on demand, and if a drive fails, they can simply swap the old one out for a new one while still maintaining all their data on the NAS.

The NASync series stands as a powerful example of Ugreen’s commitment to blending high-tech features with ease of use. It’s a product that respects the user’s need for simplicity without compromising on performance – ideal for managing large data sets, running AI algorithms, or effortlessly streaming 8K video.

Ugreen’s entrance into the NAS market with the NASync series is reflective of the brand’s evolution and its commitment to being at the forefront of technology. This series is a bold demonstration of Ugreen’s ability to infuse cutting-edge technology into consumer-friendly products.

As we look at Ugreen’s new venture at CES 2024, it’s evident that the NASync series is more than a set of NAS devices; it’s a harbinger of how integrated and intelligent technology can become a seamless part of our daily lives. The NASync isn’t just about data storage; it represents a smarter, more intuitive way of interacting with our digital world.

The post Ugreen’s NASync at CES 2024: Redefining Smart Storage with AI and User-Centric Design first appeared on Yanko Design.

SHARGE Flow Mini Hands-On at CES 2024: A Tiny yet Mighty ‘Power Backpack’ for your Smartphone

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Power banks have a reputation for being bulky. Nobody really likes carrying them in their pockets given how large and heavy they can be, which often means most power banks spend all their time inside backpacks and purses. The Flow Mini, from Sharge (formerly Shargeek) has a different story to tell. It’s extremely handy, with a compact design that fits into pockets and even around your belt loop (should you choose) and a 5000mAh battery that’s enough to charge your phone. It also boasts a nifty transparent outer design that makes it the kind of power bank you wouldn’t mind flaunting to people around you. Measuring just about as wide as your smartphone, the Flow Mini practically ‘piggybacks’ onto your smartphone’s form factor, blending right into its design in ways that most power banks don’t.

Designer: SHARGE

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Over the years, Sharge has pretty much nailed its core design DNA, focusing on functionality combined with a unique design that uses transparency to help create curiosity and a feeling of being able to see products for what they are. Sharge’s products aren’t for mere masses, they’re more aimed at people with a distinct penchant for design and power-use, as seen with their Shargeek 170, a whopping prism-shaped 170W charger with a transparent design and an LCD screen that lets you accurately measure the power output delivered to each port (along with things like battery percentage and other data-points). The Flow Mini, albeit too small to have its own display, comes with a transparent outer housing and a cylindrical base that’s reminiscent of pencil batteries or a roll of camera film (if you’re from that generation).

Designed to plug right into the base of your phone, it comes with an integrated port that lets the power bank itself attach to your device. This makes things a lot easier because you don’t need to hunt for a charging cable to connect your phone and power bank. However, the Flow Mini DOES have a cable that doubles as a lanyard or loop-grip when not actively in use.

The Sharge Flow Mini comes equipped with a tiny yet mighty 5000mAh battery that’s more than enough to take your dead smartphone from 0 to 100, or to juice your battery multiple times in the day for that extra boost.

The tiny design blends right into your phone’s overall form factor, allowing you to hold/ use your phone even with the Flow Mini attached. Perfect for people who prefer not carrying around a 10,000mAh brick along with them everywhere.

Given the fact that the world is still divided by USB-C and Lightning users (and will be for at least the next 4-5 years), the Flow Mini offers the option to alternate between USB-C and Lightning variants. The battery unit stays the same between both designs, with the only change being the primary port on the front. However, Sharge lets you detach the primary port and swap between USB-C or Lightning variants. Meanwhile, a lanyard/loop cable sits on the side, letting you charge another device simultaneously, or charge the Flow Mini itself by directly plugging it into a power outlet.

Th Flow Mini is Sharge’s smallest charger, but its size shouldn’t be taken for granted. While Sharge does make larger, powerful, and more feature-rich charging banks for the tech-nerd and power-user, the Flow Mini is perfect for on-the-go battery. In fact, the folks at Sharge call it your phone’s second battery, because plug it in place and it sits flush against your device, adding power to it without adding all that extra bulk and weight!

Click Here to Buy Now

The post SHARGE Flow Mini Hands-On at CES 2024: A Tiny yet Mighty ‘Power Backpack’ for your Smartphone first appeared on Yanko Design.

Rabbit r1, co-designed with Teenage Engineering, is a cute pocket AI assistant

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Before the current craze of ChatGPT, image generators, and AI-powered services, the world was obsessed with personal assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. That fad has died down a bit, though mostly because these voice-controlled disembodied voices have become so common and so ubiquitous in many smart home devices these days. That said, most personal AI assistants can only be accessed either from a stationary device at home, such as a smart speaker or TV or from your smartphone, which means you can’t call on your digital friend when you’re outside and can’t pull your phone out. That’s the problem that the Rabbit r1 aims to solve by putting a smart, AI-powered personal assistant in a cute little gadget that feels like a Tamagotchi made for serious purposes.

Designers: Rabbit x Teenage Engineering

You wouldn’t immediately associate the Rabbit r1 with AI when you first see it. It initially looks like a simple toy with a pixelated rabbit that’s actually just a blocky head with long ears in a square orange device that fits in your hand nicely. That this rabbit head can show some expressions, blink, wink, or even wear headphones further cements its image as a toy, but it’s actually the face, or rather the head, of what may be the cutest AI assistant to grace the market.

The Rabbit r1 is basically a dedicated AI-powered assistant, formally marketed as “your pocket companion,” that makes the usual AI features more accessible by divorcing them from your phone or home speaker. The idea is that you’d simply pull this less conspicuous (if not for its bright orange color) device out of your pocket or bag, push and hold down a button to talk to the rabbit, and then wait for its response both on the screen as well as via audio. Rabbit OS, as the software platform is being called, seems plenty capable and can answer almost any question, and the rotating camera even does image recognition so you can identify viral personalities or get a suggestion on what to cook based on what you have in your fridge.

If the r1’s aesthetic looks familiar, then you might have recognized Teenage Engineering’s design DNA in it. The Swedish company is best known for its distinctive music-creation devices, and it is indeed the creative genius behind this pocket AI device’s equally distinctive design. Suffice it to say, you won’t be embarrassed to be seen in public using this device, especially in places where a smartphone would be even more impolite or impossible.

The Rabbit r1 is designed to be super simple to use, which is why it only has a single push button and an analog scroll wheel, though the screen is, of course, touch-enabled. In addition to the usual queries, Rabbit OS will also be able to connect with the same apps and services as typical AI assistants, though it’s still a work in progress. It seems that the concept and the design have resounded with many people and the initial batch of 10,000 pre-orders for this $199 sold out on the first day. Whether it will be able to deliver on its promise, we’ll have to wait for initial reviews to see, and hear.

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Swarovski Optik AX Visio smart binoculars identifies wildlife species, take photos and videos for instant sharing

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Riding the wave of AI and smart functions, the good old binoculars now seem to have been hit by the trend. Now, Swarovski Optik (a division of Swarovski Group based in Austria) has unveiled their smart binoculars at CES 2024 and we’re impressed. The timing is perfect as this year marks the 75th anniversary of the group, and they’re helping themselves with the world’s first truly smart pair of binoculars dubbed AX Visio.

The binoculars are loaded with an NPU that enables AI functions primarily for animal spotting in the wild. In conjunction with the app, the pair can identify more than 9,000 species of birds and wild animals in a given wilderness. This will be particularly helpful for beginners who have a hard time identifying different bird species.

Designer: Swarovski Optik

They’ve been developed in collaboration with Marc Newson, and it took the team of developers five years to come up with the final product. The main USP of the binoculars is their smart feature for image shooting, video recording and uploading them to the connected phone. There’s also an interesting function that allows for live sharing of content via the Live View Function.

Weighing just 1100 grams the binoculars can be accompanied on wildlife trips for a comprehensive experience. They are made out of 390 individual parts including Swarovski’s 10×32 optic systems that enable 10 times magnification capability. The 32-millimeter objective lens makes possible a 112m/1000m field of view. Also, they have an in-built camera for clicking shots and recording videos on the go. This eliminates the need for a DSLR or smartphone, making your wildlife exploration more manageable.

Other smart functions come in the form of sharing content on the fly, tagging the location of particular species, or guiding other AX Visio users to a particular location via the smart guidance prompts on the lens overlay. The design of the binoculars is minimalistic, hiding all the advanced sensors and tech on the inside. In particular, the 13MP lens with a 4208 x 3120 pixels resolution. As per the official details, these smart binoculars are good for about 15 hours in normal operation and 2 hours in intensive mode on a single full charge.

According to Swarovski Optik CEO, Stefan Schwarz, “The AX Visio is not only a flagship project with which we are demonstrating Swarovski Optik’s technological leadership in the sport optics market, but it also marks the beginning of a new technological era for us. The AX Visio is not only a flagship project with which we are demonstrating Swarovski Optik’s technological leadership in the sport optics market, but it also marks the beginning of a new technological era for us.”

For a price tag of $4,799, these binoculars sure aren’t cheap but if they fit a nature observer’s set of requirements, they’re well worth the investment!

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Lenovo Mechanical Energy Harvesting keyboard-mouse combo channels your fidgety into limitless power

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Solar-powered keyboard and mouse are nothing new to the industry, but Lenovo wants to take the gauntlet further. At CES 2024, the Hong Kong-based consumer electronics giant revealed a unique keyboard and mouse combo that uses mechanical movement and solar irradiation to power things up. That means, no need to worry about changing batteries or exposing your peripherals to natural light.

The concept props up from the limitation of solar panels on cloudy days or in darker rooms without much ambient light. The mouse comes with a crank at the bottom while the keyboard has a kinetic dial on the top left corner. So, as you read an article on the internet you could channel your anxious vibes into charging the battery of the combo peripherals.

Designer: Lenovo

Still in the concept stage, the creation dubbed “Mechanical Energy Harvesting Combo” also gets solar panels on the keyboard to take advantage of natural or room light. I find the spinning dial on the keyboard to be more practical than the crank on the mouse which required more conscious effort. According to Lenovo, for five minutes of spinning, the keyboard gets another 30 minutes of added battery charge.

Lenovo has got all bases covered as there is a USB-C port on the back for times when you prefer the surety of manual wired charging. Other than that there is a customary three-position switch for toggling the RF dongle, wired USB, or Bluetooth connection.

For the mouse, Lenovo chose an embedded ring on a pivot that can be raised and then rotated for the crank motion. A minute of winding gives around 30 minutes of charge time. Quite an effort though, but still something different that Lenovo has tried to create. As for the regular specifications, the software-programable mouse to 12,800 dpi has a good in-hand feel. There are the scroll buttons, side snipping button, resolution switcher, shortcut buttons and toggle switch.

There is no word yet if this concept combo will make it to the commercial market, still, it’s highly plausible if Lenovo manages to fit in more functionality and hardware innovation. I’m pretty sure the keyboard seems like a good bet but the mouse crank motion needs to graduate into something more practical.

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We checked out The World’s First “Aroma Speaker” at CES 2024

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It projects audio as well as over 100 different unique scents. The creators, Aroma Join, say that developers can customize their own scents and use an SDK (scent development kit?) to create specific experiences that combine video with smell to make a much more immersive overall experience.

As I entered Showstoppers, I walked past the exhibitors, even past the food buffet (which didn’t have a smell, to be frank), but was stopped dead in my tracks when I smelled a distinct salted caramel scent coming from somewhere. I looked around and saw a sign that said “Digital Scent Technology” two meters away from me. At the booth sat two rather gorgeous glossy-red speakers, and a screen that displayed a looped video of different sceneries. The folks at Aroma Join were debuting their “Aroma Speaker 60” for the first time – a speaker capable of projecting both sound and scent up to distances of 6.5 feet.

Designer: AromaJoin

The metaverse, or at least its initial stages, has always focused on just three things – sight, sound, and touch. If you’re wondering why metaverse experiences (or spatial ones, for Apple lovers) aren’t highly immersive, it’s because your brain uses a combination of inputs from all your senses together. Leave out one or more, and the experience feels less believable… Designer Jinsop Lee has a very interesting TED Talk on this too. What the Aroma Speaker 60 does is plug that gap in a way. By shooting both audio as well as aromas, it subconsciously tricks your brain into believing what it sees. You’ll see a grassy field and feel more relaxed, even if you don’t know it. Or if you see food, your mind will make your tongue salivate.

Scent-firing devices have been around for a decade now, but if you listen to anyone who’s tried them, they’ll all tell you the same thing. The technology isn’t completely there yet. I stood alongside industry veteran Vincent Nguyen and his first reaction was “this isn’t like the stuff we’ve seen before”. The Aroma Speaker does a few things incredibly well. It hyper-targets an area and shoots scents really far (up to 6-7 feet). That’s enough to catch your attention even if you aren’t paying attention. The smells are distinct, powerful, and VERY dynamic… by which I mean when a scene on the TV or monitor chances, the old scent vanishes and a new scent appears almost instantly.

Although the technology is a bit of a black box (they won’t tell us how it works), it boils down to a set of aroma modules that sit in each individual speaker unit, totaling 10 modules in two speakers. Each module is equipped with 6 cartridges that have essential oils of some sort. The speaker (and the software on the laptop) use those 6 cartridges as the building blocks for scents, creating as many as 60 different distinct scents. Sure, the speakers fire audio too, but it’s the fragrances that really set it apart.

The folks at AromaJoin have figured out how to precisely blend these 6 base fragrances to create an entire gamut of aromas – both pleasant and unpleasant. The scented caramel aroma was almost too strong, but the floral aromas were wonderful, the speaker even generated a petrichor aroma as the laptop display showed an endless green field. The scene then switched to a polluted city and you could instantly smell the smoke. The fragrances weren’t a 100% exact (your mind can somewhat tell that they’re artificial), but they fell well within their ballpark.

AromaJoin isn’t currently selling these speakers but is using them as a proof of concept to lure developers and marketers into building out the ecosystem. They’ve got an open-source app and SDK that allows people to build scent profiles for their video content, and with time, hopefully, AromaJoin will have an entire library that then makes the Aroma Speaker 60 a much more lucrative buy. Until that happens, the company IS selling its VR accessory, the Aroma Shooter Wearable 3, a neck-worn device that works in tandem with headsets like the Meta Quest 3 to help make the metaverse more immersive and multisensory.

The post We checked out The World’s First “Aroma Speaker” at CES 2024 first appeared on Yanko Design.

“Smart” feng shui devices will release positive qi for this new year

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Feng shui has become popular in the Western world during the 20th century and beyond. Sometimes though, just like with a lot of things in our world, it has been commodified too much to the point that people are just buying things as an easier way to practice this ancient system. A new project is a satirical criticism of this commodification, although it has actually created products that will bring feng shui objects into your home and bring a “smart” aspect to it.

Designer: Yoojin Chung

Capturing Qi is a project that brings three feng-shui objects into the digital age by making them smart devices that you can control through an app to bring energy into your home. You get a crystal ball, a wind chime, and a water fountain were designed to look like scientific equipment and was inspired by the 18th century vacuum chambers. The crystal ball and water fountain have castor stands while the wind chime is a hanging piece.

All three have Arduino circuit boards that turns them into smart devices. You connect them to the smartphone app through Bluetooth and you use the ap to “activate” and release the qi into yuor home. So while the project is a commentary on the commercialism of feng shui, it can still be used to release the energy that you want especially now that it’s a new year.

Any of these three items would also be good conversation starters if you have them in your home. You either look like a mad scientist or someone with cool art pieces at home. Either way, if you believe in feng shui, you can have these smart versions in your home for all the good juju you need.

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HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printers carry bold designs to match your style

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There was a time when Polaroid-style instant cameras made a comeback, riding on the retro and nostalgia wave that was gripping many markets. There are still some of these around that bring joy to the simple act of taking photos and seeing them instantly printed, but some people found the limitations and total cost of ownership a bit too much to ask. At the very least, it required them to carry a camera with them, often bulky and too attention-grabbing, when they already have a perfect camera in the form of their smartphones. That problem led to the birth of instant photo printers, and this fresh batch from the HP Sprocket line put a rather unique twist to that product design by making the printer itself look as stylish and as lively as the photos it prints.

Designer: C+A (HP Licensee)

There are many portable instant photo printers in the market today, but many of them seem to emphasize the “printer” part a bit too much. More often than not, they look like miniature versions of desktop printers, which aren’t exactly the most inspiring designs around. Considering how they’re often used in fun, playful, and whimsical situations, their appearance doesn’t exactly convey the spirit and purpose of the product.

That’s how the HP Sprocket printers differentiate themselves, even if the difference isn’t that earth-shattering. The portable printers sport a textured design that looks almost like terrazzo, giving a bit of a visual flair to the printers. Throw in a splash of pastel color options and you have an accessory that clearly speaks the language of fun.

They’re not all looks, of course, as these are capable ZINK printers. That means you don’t have to worry about messy inks because all the colors are on the special photo paper. Different printer types use different kinds of paper, such as the Sprocket 2×3 printing the smallest photo sizes, while the newer Sprocket Panorama Printer uses a photo paper roll to be able print out panoramic photos, banners, and more. In both cases, HP Sprocket ZINK paper photos have backs you can peel off to reveal a sticky surface for putting on walls, notebooks, boards, and other objects in a more or less permanent manner.

One of the advantages of using portable photo printers over instant cameras is that you can first compose and edit the photos you take with your phone. With the HP Sprocket app, you can easily pick out frames, apply filters, add stickers and icons, and do so much more before finally printing out your masterpiece. And you can print the same photo over and over again, letting you share those fun, once-in-a-lifetime moments with more friends than you could with a single photo.

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Speck Tagimals hands-on at CES 2024: Adorable AirTag holders that attach to kids’ shoes!

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Part cute character, part serious parenting tool, Speck’s latest AirTag case may be a literal lifesaver.

Dubbed the Tagimals, these AirTag covers come with slots that let you strap them to kids’ shoes, letting parents keep tabs on the whereabouts of their young ones. Each Tagimal sports a unique character (with its own name), and houses a single AirTag within. It works with kids’ shoes as well as pet collars, going above and beyond what Apple envisioned for its mere ‘keys and wallet tracking device’.

Designer: Speck

The Tagimals (a portmanteau of Tag and Animal) come in four styles, each with their own animal character. Children can choose the animal they love the best and strap/secure them to their shoes, sort of like Crocs Charms. A wide slot allows parents to string the Tagimals onto laced shoes, slide them into velcro shoes, or even secure them around pet collars.

You’ve got four adorable creatures to choose from – ‘Milo’ the dog and ‘Mittens’ the cat make for the most obvious Tagimals, but you’ve even got whimsical creatures like ‘Blaze’ the dragon and, ‘Tink’ the unicorn for kids with a sense of wonder and curiosity.

Attaching an AirTag to a Tagimal is as easy as pushing it in as the tag then secures within with a satisfying click. To remove the AirTag, simply press down on the silicone animal face and it forces the AirTag out, allowing you to replace it, or put the AirTag in a new character because maybe your kid feels like a dragon on some days and a cat on others!

The Tagimals come in a set of four, featuring the motley crew of animal characters. The kit starts at $34.95, which works out to be vastly cheaper than Apple’s own AirTag holder… while offering features that most parents and pet-owners will absolutely love!

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The Minimally Elegant ‘mui Board’ IoT dashboard gets upgraded at CES 2024 with Matter and ChatGPT support

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At first glance, the mui Board Gen 2 appears to be nothing more than a simple wooden plank, designed to be mounted on a wall. However, this unassuming piece of timber transforms into a touch-sensitive interface for controlling various aspects of a smart home. Imagine adjusting your lighting, curtains, thermostat, and even your speakers with a simple tap on this wooden surface.

Now in its second generation after a successful run on Kickstarter back in 2022, the designers behind your smart home’s most minimally elegant accessory are back with round two. The mui Board Gen 2, which made its simultaneous debut at CES 2024 as well as Kickstarter, now comes with a few upgrades which include support for the Matter protocol, as well as integration with ChatGPT for a more innovative and intuitive smart home experience.

Designer: mui Lab

The second-generation Mui Board integrates the new Matter networking protocol, significantly broadening its compatibility with smart devices from tech giants like Apple, Google, and Amazon. This integration promises easy connectivity and enhances the Mui Board’s appeal as a universal smart home control hub​.

Additionally, the Gen 2 also gets ChatGPT integration via APIs, allowing you to interact naturally with your Mui Board to create schedules, task lists, and even ask questions and get answers on the backlit wood interface.

When not in use, the Mui Board slips into sleep mode, reverting to its original wooden plank appearance. This feature underscores the company’s ethos of blending technology seamlessly into the home environment, making it a subtle yet powerful addition to any room. The Gen 2 continues to use real wood veneers to give the mui Board its unique natural appeal. While the company only showcased the mui Board in a single color, it’ll be available in ‘natural’ and ‘dark’ veneer options at the end of its Kickstarter campaign.

What truly sets the mui Board apart is its focus on “calm technology.” Japanese company mui Lab, the creators of the mui Board, aims to reduce distractions and information overload in our daily lives. By minimizing the presence of glaring screens and providing a more discreet way to interact with smart devices, they hope to maintain a balance between connectivity and tranquility at home.

The post The Minimally Elegant ‘mui Board’ IoT dashboard gets upgraded at CES 2024 with Matter and ChatGPT support first appeared on Yanko Design.