Tag Archives: Gadgets

This 2-in-1 Wireless Speaker + Power Bank Is Your Perfect Travel Buddy For Road Trips and Picnics

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Braun has long been celebrated for its minimalist aesthetics and commitment to delivering high-quality consumer goods. From innovative kitchen appliances to iconic grooming devices, Braun products are a testament to functionality, durability, and timeless style. The Audio 1 concept takes inspiration from this legacy, embodying the brand’s principles in a fusion of retro design and contemporary technology.

Designer: Abeer Mahadane

The ideation process of this device posed a meticulous challenge, as Braun’s outwardly simple designs revealed intricate considerations in every measurement. The SK series, known for its retro design, served as a significant muse for the creators. Each element of the device, from the placement of dials to buttons, was carefully thought out, offering a unique perspective on the deliberate reasoning behind its placement.

Audio 1 stands out with its thoughtful division into two sides—one dedicated to the speaker functionality, and the other to controls and the integrated power bank. This design choice not only enhances user experience but also reflects Braun’s commitment to reducing clutter and maintaining a clean, organized appearance. Having all controls and inlets on one side ensures easier access, preventing the device from looking like a mess with wires coming out from everywhere. This strategic layout aligns with the brand’s minimalist approach, creating a seamless and aesthetically pleasing device.

Audio 1 goes beyond its elegant design by offering practicality in its compatibility with various wire types. With support for C-type and USB connections, the device caters to the diverse needs of users, ensuring a hassle-free experience and eliminating the need for multiple cables. This feature further enhances the versatility of Audio 1, making it a convenient choice for users with different devices.

Audio 1 represents a harmonious blend of retro design inspiration and modern innovation. Braun’s commitment to meticulous design considerations, minimalist aesthetics, and functionality is evident in every aspect of this innovative device. With its thoughtful division of functionality, reduced clutter, and compatibility with different wires, Audio 1 emerges not only as a stylish audio companion but also as a practical and versatile travel essential.

This is a conceptual product. Any reference to Braun is purely for representational purposes

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DeLonghi portable heater is eco-friendly for your micro-climate needs

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While it’s of course always a comfort to be working in a place with air conditioning, there are still times when it might be too cold for you. Or you may sometimes be working outdoors when the weather is a bit too cool / cold for comfort. Not all places have a heater for your convenience so a portable heater may just be the solution. But again, not all portable heaters are actually portable or convenient. This new one from DeLonghi may be the ideal one, and it’s also mindful of the environment.

Designer: Noi Creative for DeLonghi

The DeLonghi Capsule Desk Loop is a personal fan ceramic heater that you can place on your desk or wherever you are working so you can “work or relax in peace.” It has a special air grid design that brings you a convenient airflow speed and distribution when you need that soft warmth for your sedentary activities. The designers call the air grid the Flame pattern which actually creates an illusion of heat and flames from your heating source.

It looks like your typical heater but it’s small enough that you can carry it around with you and it’s also more stylishly designed. It is also more environmentally-friendly than most personal heaters as it uses 50% recycled plastic, a first for a DeLonghi product. It also uses 5.5 times lower energy consumption at just 360W, making it eco-friendly not just in the design but also in its function. It also is not as noisy as normal heaters as it just gives you a quiet 39dB operation so you can really work in peace without an annoying hum in the background.

Having a device that can create your very own micro-climate while working may not be a priority but it is pretty convenient to have especially if you work in places where you can get easily cold. That can solve some of the office arguments that can happen when there’s a mix of people who are either too cold or too warm.

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Tiny USB Device Saves You Nearly $1000 Per Year on Cloud Storage by Auto Backing Up Your Photos

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How much do you pay for your iCloud+ or Google Drive storage to make sure your photos get backed up on the cloud? Imagine paying zero.

Remember a time when flagship phones came with memory card slots that let you expand storage and potentially even swap out old cards for new ones to get more storage? Sure, some phones still go as far as offering expandable storage, but for the most part, all companies have defaulted to the ‘cloud storage’ model where you pay a monthly subscription and your phone automatically backs data up without you needing to remember. It’s convenient, but it’s also costly, as you’re suddenly required to pay monthly cloud storage fees. It isn’t easy to ask phone makers to revert back to those good old MicroSD card days… but that’s where something as deviously simple as the PhotoCube PD+ comes in. Designed as a simple plug-and-play USB-C device, the PhotoCube automatically backs up your photos to an SD card for you, saving effort and money. A companion app makes the entire process as simple as clicking a button (instead of manually selecting all your images and copy-pasting them) and the PhotoCube does the rest, updating your old storage files with new ones so your photo backups are always up to date. It’ll also create separate file structures for multiple devices, letting you separately back up photos across different phones and even tablets. Your photos remain offline, so you don’t need the internet to access them – and as a result, they’re also hacker-resistant. Quite impressive for a device that just costs $55.

Designer: PhotoFast

Click Here to Buy Now: $55 $99 (45% off) Hurry! Only 4 left of 470.

The reason most people prefer cloud storage is because it’s designed to be the easiest option ever. The phone backs itself up without you needing to remember, the files get stored in a safe server somewhere else, and if you ever lose your device, you can easily restore your photos if you log into your cloud storage account. What users then ignore is the fact that they end up paying hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars each year to store their photos. The PhotoCube PD+ aims at breaking that dependency with a hardware solution that’s just as easy. Plug the PhotoCube in and it literally begins backing up your photos in an instant. Photos get stored on a MicroSD card, so you can choose how much storage you want (you get 2 terabyte MicroSD cards nowadays), and it all happens offline without eating data transfer fees.

The PhotoCube device can easily be configured using an app

The fact that your data gets stored on a MicroSD card allows the PhotoCube to be such a ridiculously compact device. It’s no bigger than an AirTag, albeit square in shape (hence its name). A card slot on one end lets you add a MicroSD card in, while a male USB-C pin on the other end lets you plug your PhotoCube into any Android phone/tablet, any iPad with USB-C, and the latest iPhone 15 series. There’s also a female USB-C port on the opposite end (right under the card slot) that allows you to charge your phone THROUGH the PhotoCube, so you can run long backups while juicing your battery – a feature so wildly convenient it deserves a special mention.

Measuring just 30mm wide and 38mm long, the PhotoCube is smaller than even an AirPods case, but it can store up to 2TB

The PhotoCube’s brilliance lies in the fact that it isn’t a one-trick pony. When it isn’t backing up photos from your phone, it works as a card reader with all your devices (especially with your laptop), allowing you to read photos from your phone, drone, or DSLR on any machine. With USB 3.2 Gen 1, the PhotoCube PD+ can transfer files as rapidly as 5Gb/s, letting you swiftly back up or even access media without waiting for stuff to load.

Speaking of swift, the tiny gadget does a remarkable job of power delivery too, allowing you to charge your phone at an impressive 60W for fast-charging. The PowerCube PD+ supports pass-through fast-charging which means your backups and your charging can happen simultaneously… and rapidly.

Photo transfers happen in tandem with the PhotoFast app, which has a few impressive features. You can do more than just backing up photos and videos – the app lets you back up contacts, calendars, documents, even music (if you still believe in listening to MP3 files)… and if you’ve already paid for cloud storage, the PhotoFast app lets you download your backups from the cloud server onto the PhotoCube so you can cancel that pesky subscription and keep your files safe locally, and access them without needing to connect to the internet. The app intelligently also allows the PhotoCube to create and maintain separate backups for separate devices, so one PhotoCube could potentially store your entire family’s data, getting you off that expensive family cloud storage plan.

This isn’t maker PhotoFast’s first rodeo. Last year’s PhotoCube PD had a similar design, but didn’t support OTG plug-and-play storage (it needed a separate power source), and it wasn’t configured to work with iPhones (because iPhones didn’t have USB-C ports until September last year). The new PD+ comes with all those improvements under the hood, and now with two color options too – a simple white and grey, and a slightly jazzed up white and sky blue. The PhotoCube PD+ starts at $55 for Kickstarter backers (the original price after the crowdfunding campaign goes up to $99) and ships starting June 2024. It doesn’t come with a MicroSD card, so you have the liberty of choosing what brand/capacity of storage card you want to pair with your gadget. That’s quite a lot of flexibility for a device that fits in your pocket and also saves you money every month!

Click Here to Buy Now: $55 $99 (45% off) Hurry! Only 4 left of 470.

Click Here to Buy Now: $55 $99 (45% off) Hurry! Only 4 left of 470.

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This designer is handcrafting attractive MagSafe charging stands from laser-cut acrylic

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MagSafe – magnetic charging and accessory attachment technology- is arguably a big transition for smartphones. It’s an Apple prerogative and has been part of every gadget the Cupertino giant has rolled out since 2020. It is no surprise then, that there’s been an unrelenting outflow of accessories for the MagSafe-compatible iPhones, Apple Watch, and AirPods. Doing this very attractively is Leon’s Electric Trout Co., which has been designing MagSafe charger stands that are a total game changer.

In the list of metallic and plasticky MagSafe accessories, David Stychno’s Electric Trout charging docks made from acrylic are confident newcomers. They outshine the old-school docks for all things Apple with productive and sleek silhouettes that are bound to redefine convenience and efficacy. Since Electric Trout wishes to tap a large spectrum of users, it has MagSafe-compatible charging solutions for one, two, or an entire range of Apple’s handheld and wearables.

Designer: Electric Trout

As mentioned, the stands are designed to add more character than the traditional iterations. Case in point, the $39 Expo Apple Watch charging stand with watch band storage that arrives in an ‘X’ shape. The charging dock comes flat-packed and can assemble in seconds, without the use of tools or gum. You can set the watch to charge on this acrylic stand while the extra watch bands can hang by the elastic strap, so you don’t need additional place to keep your watch accessory.

If you want a more productive accessory that does more than hold and charge your Apple Watch, David’s design house has you covered with the interestingly styled upright clip NS-3 that charges a watch and iPhone and stores a pair of AirPods for you in the base. NS-3 Clip, and the previous options in the category, can be used on the nightstand or kitchen counter. It is handmade from a single piece of laser-cut acrylic.

In line with the idea is the MagSafe 3-in-1 charging stand that can help charge your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods on a seamless sheet of acrylic. It comes flat-packed for travel, and can become your nightstand essentially with the assembly of a kickstand. The latter allows this charging stand to be used in portrait or landscape orientations to browse or take calls while charging.

The most intriguing yet is the 3D-printed Ezl-02. It is an all-in-one dock created to let you juice up your devices with the chargers you already own. Shipped with a black Mophie wireless charging pad in the box, the Ezl-02 charges and helps organize your iPhone, Apple Watch, Airpods, and extra watch bands in one place. If you have been waiting to get home a sleep charging stand for your Apple device, which won’t add clutter, but instead would look fancy, the buck stops at the Electric Trout shop!

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Vent wireless mouse’s soft touch can calm your anger down and get you back working stress-free

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Post-pandemic, the return of the workforce to offices means the environment is stressful and tensions are high. The tolerance levels are at a new low for most, and the smallest things like an inconsistent Wi-Fi or unannounced email from the boss can get the blood pressure rising. Stress ball with its form factor helps in physical and emotional relief therapy, and now a designer believes a wireless mouse can take over and help the working professional ease their anger with a mouse press.

Negativity is not a post-pandemic symptom anyway. Amid negative emotions and intolerance, anger has always reigned supreme in humans. Anger is closely related to the development of illness and only a few remedies can help. One over-the-counter option is a stress ball that doctors and therapists advise for easy and quick anger release, and borrowing an idea from it, the Vent wireless mouse is a functional option for stressed and enraged employees.

Designer: Jeong Kim and Weekend-Works

If I remember correctly, research a few years back disclosed that a mouse (through the way a person moves the cursor at different speeds) can predict anger and frustration. But what do you do when you know you’re angry? Of course, you don’t need a mouse to predict that for you, but a wireless mouse to help you release that without breaking the screen down is a handy option.

To that end, the Vent wireless mouse has been made from a silicone cover, that is made thick on the sides and back. These are parts that one holds in the palm when working. The designers believe, that when angry, the user can clinch the palm around the mouse and its soft touch can absorb the anger like the stress ball. Definitely not so much softly, but almost enough to calm you down.

With the use of silicone as its construction material, the Vent wireless mouse should be waterproof and hygienic peripheral. It can – like some previously made silicone mice – be cleaned without the risk of damaging the innards. This makes it a viable option in two ways (as an anger manager and hygienic peripheral) in this post-COVID lifestyle that we are embracing.

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Dual-screen E Ink reader doubles as a laptop for double productivity

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Just like smartphones, laptops are undergoing a bit of change and experimentation with foldable, dual-screen, or even transparent laptops coming out of the woodwork. It’s only a matter of time before that trend makes its way to other devices, though there are signs of that happening in the e-book reader industry already. E-readers, as they are called, are breaking out of their shell, and some are even Android tablets that just happen to use e-paper displays. Compared to this unexpected design, however, those Android-powered E Ink readers sound almost unambitious, because this particular device actually puts together two E Ink displays to offer an almost literal book reader, a notebook, and a laptop all rolled into one.

Designer: LCFC (Hefei) (a Lenovo subsidiary)

Dual-screen laptops might not be new to our ears after the aborted Microsoft Surface Duo, the ASUS ZenBook Duo, and the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i. The idea behind this design is to bring the same dual-screen experience some users enjoy on desktops to the laptop without completely losing the advantage of portability. That use case might make perfect sense for a laptop that runs a conventional operating system with plenty of applications, but it isn’t as straightforward for e-book readers, even the ones running Android.

And yet, that’s exactly what the Gemini “Dual Screens Wisdom E-Ink Book” is trying to do, albeit with a slightly different focus. It connects two 7.8-inch E Inks screens using a 360-degree hinge that lets you fold it close like a book or fold it in the opposite direction completely to transform it into a tablet. In addition to reading, the device is designed to make it more natural to write down notes, possibly on what you’re reading. Note-taking is so central to the Gemini’s purpose that other features are framed in that perspective.

You can, for example, fold it half upright like a laptop for typing out notes. Of course, you’ll have to make do with an on-screen keyboard, but typing on an E Ink screen is notoriously awkward, uncomfortable, and inefficient, far worse than typing on a regular LCD or OLED display. You could potentially connect a Bluetooth keyboard, though that does lose the charm of being able to use this as a laptop. The Gemini also has a stylus you can write with, but the more interesting aspect of the pen is the detachable microphone module that you can use to record voice notes or even lectures.

The design of the Gemini is actually a bit peculiar thanks to an extended edge that’s thicker than the rest of the device. Not only is this where most of the electronics are housed, but it also seems to have controls like a dial and buttons, almost reminiscent of those display tablets for drawing. When using the Gemini like a laptop, you will be resting your wrist on this “bump,” but that will actually force you to reach further down to actually type on the E Ink screen, not to mention you risk triggering those buttons. There is no definite word yet on when and where the Gemini will launch, but it will happen sometime this year, though it remains to be seen whether it will elicit the same interest as dual-screen laptops.

The post Dual-screen E Ink reader doubles as a laptop for double productivity first appeared on Yanko Design.

Handheld e-ink reader helps you pick up and practice new languages

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Dubbed the Paperang Q1, this portable ‘vocabulary card’ works better than Duolingo, allowing you to take quizzes, access flash cards, and quickly pick up new phrases. It’s smaller than a Kindle, and does a much better job of teaching you a new language than those translator apps that only focus on short-term gains. And unlike other e-ink readers, this comes with a speaker too, enabling audio-based learning.

Designer: Zuoyebang Education Technology (Beijing) Limited

The Paperang Q1 comes with a 3.9-inch e-ink display with touch input, along with a home button on the side and a record button on the top. Its staggered design gives it a distinct aesthetic that makes it instantly recognizable, with its quadrilateral forms intersecting each other to give you an overall rectangle that still feels different. Except, what you’d expect to be a camera bump is, in fact, the speaker unit that pumps out rich audio. The bump also gives your fingers a place to rest as you’re holding the device.

The Paperang Q1’s simplistic design opens it up to a lot of visual exploration. The two forms can be paired in distinct colors, creating a fun and funky palette.  The device itself comes in black and white variants, although it does feature replaceable metal backplates that add a touch of color to the overall gadget, allowing users to choose between classic or vibrant color schemes.

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Baby roach mechanical experiment may be your next cute pet (or nightmare)

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Some of the most popular (not necessarily best) memes are of people who seem to be brave on the outside but are reduced to screaming messes when faced with a cockroach. We’re talking both men and women here and seeing them freak out over these insects is apparently funny to some people. So this concept for a robotic cockroach may be the stuff of nightmares for some or a fascinating experiment for those who are curious.

Designer: Luis Lopez

Baby X-Roach is a concept or experiment into creating a robotic creature that is usually a source of disgust or fright. In his description of this creature he created, he says that she has a huge and kind heart with her curiosity keeping her alive even if most people don’t see it. It is designed to have a high tech aesthetic even though it is a low poly creation (small number of polygons in 3D computer graphics).

Based on the animations the designer included, the structure of the Baby X-Roach seems to be based on the actual cockroach’s look but with a high tech aesthetic. It may actually look right at home in a Tesla facility as per the creator. It can also be part of the Into the Spiderverse animated universe as it looks like it may be insect cousins with the spider that bit Miles Morales, with its red and black colors and mechanical movements.

This insect doesn’t seem to have any other function except to be a cute, mechanical pet. Well, that is, if you’re not afraid of roaches. If you are, you just might squish it if you see it scurrying across to you, which would be a shame for this baby roach.

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3D-printed E Ink typewriter offers distraction-free writing with modern perks

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Most if not all of us may have dreamed of writing some form of literature like a book or even a novel. It may be an adventure inspired by the latest bestseller that you read, a tear-jerking drama drawn from personal experiences, or even a technical matter intended to pass down knowledge to future generations. Although we still call it “writing,” the fact is that books today are all typed on some kind of machine or another, be it a computer or even an old-school typewriter, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. A computer, of course, delivers plenty of flexibility and convenience, but those also come at the cost of complexity and, more importantly, distractions. Distraction-free typing devices have been popping up here and there to cater to the needs of writers, but this particular design lets you create your own solution and, if necessary, even repair the digital typewriter yourself.

Designer: Vicente Cruz

There are quite a few distraction-free typewriter designs, but almost all of them have one important feature in common: they all use an e-paper display like E Ink. This usually monochrome screen is not just eye-friendly, it is also not that conducive to the colorful images and animations on the Web that distract us from our writing task. The technology is starting to catch up, though, but the advantages of E Ink still make it the perfect screen for such a purpose.

The Tapico Typer is a design that leverages that technology but also goes to the extreme when it comes to offering a distraction-free environment. You basically just have a keyboard with a somewhat small 4.2-inch E Ink screen centered on top. It doesn’t even have a battery, at least in this iteration of the design, so you’ll have to rely on an external power source like a power bank. It does have an SD card slot, however, which is the only way to get your files off the device since it has no network connectivity or even a USB data connection.

If that sounds extreme, it’s because it really is by design. The Tapico Typer is, interestingly, inspired more by a calculator than the old mechanical typewriter. It’s a single-function device that does only one thing but does it to perfection. It also means you have complete ownership of your content, free from subscription services and cloud storage. And, of course, there’s nothing to distract you on the screen, though the phone you place beside it could still steal your focus.

The digital typewriter is mostly 3D-printed and self-made, so it would be possible to follow the original’s design to make your own. Many of the components are available off shelves and there isn’t much soldering involved, so most of the work boils down to designing the chassis. A future plan is to include some internal power source or at least a way to use AA batteries that could last for months thanks to how little power E Ink displays consume. This also means that The Tapico Typerc can also be easily repaired, ensuring it will be your writing partner for a very long time.

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Bose Sound Spin portable speaker is disguised as a miniature front-loading washing machine

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Portable speakers come in all types, sizes and themes but never before have I laid my eyes on one that looks like a front-loading washing machine. Only possible in the concept design world realm, this Bose branded portable speaker is a true conversation starter in any geeky den.

The intriguing design of this compact sound blaster tickles my fancy for its ingenuity in the placement of the different elements. Most definitely, you’ll start to see all those front-loading washing machines as a huge speaker once you lay your eyes on this concept. However, in reality all the button placements and speaker components are designed in a way that they seem like the perfect amalgam of portable audio equipment and a miniature washer for your undergarments.

Designer: Hari 3D

Although there is no detailed information about this concept’s development stage, there’s a picture at the end suggesting a prototype or a display model is indeed crafted by the designer. Dressed in a cool titanium grey finish, the portable speaker is a treat to watch if you are an audiophile who appreciates modern product design. The front of this cool gadget has all the audio telemetry to show the player controls on the touchscreen display along with the volume rocker knob, power button and play/pause buttons. On the left bottom side there’s the Bass actualizer knob.

To the front lies the subwoofer and on each side are the stereo speakers to beam quality sound. Wireless connectivity should be a given on this one, since no one in 2024 would buy a portable speaker without that option. Frankly speaking, this portable speaker would rock your desk setup as well. Folks over at Bose would also be keenly viewing this design language if they want to add something on these lines to their existing line-up.

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