Tag Archives: aluminum

Keychron Q3 is a handsome mechanical keyboard you can customize to your heart’s content

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Most computer users take their keyboards for granted, especially laptop owners who have little choice on the matter anyway, at least when not at home or in the office. For those whose lives and livelihoods depend on typing away on a keyboard most of the day, however, choosing the right keyboard is almost like a religion. In addition to the comfort promised by ergonomic keyboards, there are also other factors like key travel and even acoustics that drive some people nuts if they aren’t right. It’s hard to design one keyboard that meets all needs, but this new mechanical keyboard lets buyers mix and match parts that they like and comes with a slightly better sustainability story, thanks to its rather peculiar design.

Designer: Keychron

Mechanical keyboards are still a matter of debate in general, with some people cursing the louder sounds they make compared to regular keyboards. Conversely, many professional computer users, from programmers to writers, swear by this kind of keyboard because of the accuracy and comfort they actually provide by using mechanical switches instead of rubber membranes. And if you feel that those still aren’t enough, then this customizable keyboard might be the deal for you.

Although you can buy a fully assembled Keychrone Q3, its real appeal is the ability to mix and match the parts that you want, including the keycaps and the switches underneath. That means that you can pick the “intensity” of the sound your keyboard makes, from the softest “Red” to the loudest “Brown.” You can also choose the colors and materials of the keycaps, from typical ABS to more durable PBT.

Unlike your typical keyboard, however, the Keychron Q3 can almost be considered a work of art as well. That is thanks to its all-metal body, specifically 6063 aluminum that is CNC machined, anodized, sandblasted, and more. And in case you were worrying about the noise, Keychron took special care that the metal body wouldn’t make you the most unpopular person in the room.

Even though there is still plenty of plastics used here, the aluminum body and the customization options make this keyboard a bit more sustainable than most of its peers. The body itself will last a long, long time and can be recycled when its end of life does arrive. But since the other parts can also easily be replaced, it will take an even longer time before it has to be retired from service in the first place.

The Tenkeyless (TKL) Keychron Q3 isn’t just all looks and sounds, of course. Designed specifically for designers, programmers, and gamers, the design ditches the extraneous numpad and incorporates a lot of features that its users can customize to fit their workflow. There’s even a physical knob that can be mapped to changing the volume to changing brush size. The Keychron Q3 almost sounds like the keyboard lover’s dream, no pun intended, and looks handsome on your minimalist desk to boot.

The post Keychron Q3 is a handsome mechanical keyboard you can customize to your heart’s content first appeared on Yanko Design.

Grovemade gives the classic mouse pad a well-deserved update

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Now you can have an elegant mouse pad that will age gracefully with you and might even have a place for your favorite pen as well.

Not every computer user needs a mouse pad, especially those that have grown used to even less ergonomic touchpads. Those that do need a mouse pad, sometimes because their mouse won’t work on glossy surfaces, are often at a loss looking for the perfect mouse pad that will last them for years rather than months. Even worse, the choices for mouse pads that will match whatever minimalist design you have going on your desk are even slimmer. Fortunately, there are some boutiques that make it their mission to create exactly those kinds of desk and computer accessories, and this newest leather-toting mouse pad is the latest to come our way, offering a mouse pad that will probably age better than the mouse you’ll be using it with.

Designer: Grovemade

This leather mouse pad is actually a redesign of the brand’s earlier design, a much-needed and overdue update considering how the rest of its desk collection already got their facelift by now. The designers were particularly concerned that the 2014 mouse pad didn’t stand the test of time and the elements, a major disappointment for something like leather that’s supposed to last for ages. Fortunately, the studio now knows better and is now able to make use of a material that they didn’t consider years ago.

Aluminum had properties that made it favorable as a part of the mouse pad, particularly because of its ability to maintain its form despite weather changes and years of use. It turns out that some people actually look for glass or metal mouse pads, so rigidity wouldn’t be a problem. Despite that hard metal chassis, Grovemade’s mouse pad still looked and felt soft, thanks to the cork foot at the bottom and the vegetable-tanned leather on top.

Another major part of the redesign can be in the pen tray, an optional but popular feature of these leather mouse pads. The designers went through various iterations of ideas in order to better match the “floating” theme of the rest of the redesigned desk collection, leaving behind the “hump” of the 2014 original. The best answer turned out to be the simplest, using a gentle slope elevating the pen wooden pen tray, with the nook sitting flush against its leather surroundings. The mouse pad’s edges overshoot the tray and the cork foot just by a bit, further giving it that floating illusion.

The end result is a mouse pad that is both simple and handsome, making it a proud addition to any minimalist workspace. The genuine leather will, of course, develop scuffs and patina over time, which is actually a much sought-after trait. Along with slight variations in color and wood grain, this makes each Grovemade leather mouse pad unique and special. And thanks to that aluminum interior, it’s going to last a lot longer, too.

The post Grovemade gives the classic mouse pad a well-deserved update first appeared on Yanko Design.

This prefab house is an energy-efficient & modular dwelling made entirely from aluminum!

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Prefab architecture is the future of the home construction industry – they reduce the impact on the environment, have a much faster turnaround time, and are relatively cost-effective. A shining example of what the future will look like is the Pi House that was assembled in 45 days on a wooded hillside in the Mexico City Colonia of Bosques de las Lomas. The highly energy-efficient home was built with an ingenious, fully customizable modular construction system, and only aluminum was used for the frame.

The prefab dwelling comes flat-packed in multiple boxes and can be assembled in 45 days without the help of heavy machinery. It uses extrusion-die aluminum framing that’s anchored with rebar to the ground or a poured concrete foundation. Just like a Lego set, there is a network of steel doughnuts that spans lengths of up to 30 feet to support the structure.

The aluminum studs link seamlessly to joists and the exterior cladding is clipped onto the frame. It’s a method that could be extended to 45 feet which makes it modular and easier to expand in case the home belongs to a growing family. Pi House can be shipped anywhere, the system allows it to be the perfect structure for single-family homes as well as larger projects like social housing.

Pi Home can be fully customized right from the interior to furniture selection and even the fabrics to the veneer of the wall panels. The walls and floors are composed of MDF with the wood veneer clipped to the aluminum structure. Insulation between the exterior cladding and interior walls gives the home an energy-efficiency rating as high as R30 depending on its thickness.

The rear curtain wall system opens to an outdoor patio raised above the wooded landscape. Retractable screens allow for shade and privacy in the living area. The main bedroom on the second floor takes advantage of the curtain wall’s openness. The first prototype is a luxurious version that is furnished with state-of-the-art appliances and high-quality materials.

The Pi Home is adaptable to different site conditions and has been engineered to withstand the earthquakes that are common to Mexico City. Double-glazed windows facing south provide both insulation and adequate heat gain for the cooler climate of the city’s higher altitude in Bosques de las Lomas. “You have all of this midcentury inheritance, but truly, when you visit these houses in California, it was all very aesthetic, but it was unlivable on a hot or cold day. We have to take the step and accomplish having efficient thermal living inside the house,” elaborates Aragonés.

Personally, I love the wraparound veranda the most. It is bordered with glass which creates additional outdoor space. The walls and joists have thermal and waffle insulation packages that meet California’s high R22 sustainability standards. This achieves a complete thermal break to prevent leakage of heat through the structure.

The sweeping windows are all double-glazed and using aluminum for the construction makes it a far more sustainable structure compared to traditional homes. Aluminum is one of the most easily and widely recycled materials giving the house an especially circular life cycle while those made with concrete are the biggest global contributors of carbon emissions for the construction industry.

“It’s important to emphasize this being not only a modular system, but a construction system, so it can transform according to the site’s topography and dimensions. If you need to adapt it for a particular project or landscape, you’re easily able to adjust the construction system,” adds Rafael Aragonés who is the son of architect Miguel Aragonés and an associate in the studio.

The Pi House has received an international patent in Switzerland for being the first-of-its-kind structure for aluminum houses and once the International Code Council building certified the process, Taller Aragonés will expand the market to California, New York, and Texas. The aluminum frame, speed of assembly, and cheaper shipping make it about a third of the cost of a typical construction — which is why I called it the modern home affordable of the future that will help more people become homeowners faster while reducing the carbon footprint at a family level.

Designer: Taller Aragonés

The World’s Lightest Chair Weighs Only 3.66 Pounds

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Chairs: they make a terrible noise when you pull them out from under the dining room table because they’re heavy and you’re too lazy or not strong enough to pick them up (both in my case). Enter the ULTRALEGGERA chair designed by Oskar Zięta, a chair that weighs only 1660 grams (~3.66 pounds), and is made entirely from lightweight aluminum. But will it be able to support me after Thanksgiving dinner?

THe ULTRALEGGERA features a laser-cut backrest and seat to further shave off weight and comes in four colors: natural aluminum, white, painted silver, and black. Unfortunately, for those interested that weren’t born with silver spoons in their mouths, what the chair lacks in weight more than makes up for in price, with a single chair costing over $900. For reference, I was able to buy about forty folding chairs for that, and still, nobody came to see my band play.

[via Dude I Want That]

Full Dragonscale Gauntlets: Dungeons & Dragons Just Got Real

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Ready to take your next cosplay to the winner’s circle at a convention? Or maybe you just want to spice up your next Dungeons & Dragons session. Well, Etsy shop DraconicWares has the gauntlets for you. I mean, provided the gauntlets for you are anodized aluminum dragonscale gauntlets. I think we can all agree, everyone should own at least one pair of in their lifetime.

Similar in style to these previously seen fingerless gauntlets, these models are made to your exact finger and wrist measurements with full finger scaling, all attached via anodized aluminum (AA) rings. The palms are made of chainmail mesh with AA rings as well as synthetic rubber rings to ensure a snug fight and solid grip on your Axe Of Unforgiving or Chalice Of Bloodthirst.

Unfortunately for anybody seriously interested in the gauntlets that didn’t just collect a king’s ransom, the made-to-order armwear costs $600 a pair. That’s not chump change, and if the rest of a suit of dragonscale armor is priced accordingly I may have no choice but to meet my enemies in battle wearing little more than dragonscale gauntlets and my favorite track pants.

[via DudeIWantThat]

This 165-inch 4K folding television disappears right into the ground when you turn it off!

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Forget LG’s Rollable TV or Xiaomi’s Transparent TV, an Austrian tech company is setting the gold standard in how televisions look and behave in interior spaces. C-SEED, a company known to make high-end outdoor televisions, has debuted the M1 – a whopping 165-inch 4K MicroLED beast that folds up and tucks away right underneath your floorboard. Before you get any ideas, the television retails for nearly half a million dollars, so it’s safe to say that only a select few will be able to afford this bad-boy.

It may be the world’s coolest party-trick, but imagine being able to summon a television from the underground as your guests watch in sheer astonishment. Hit a button on the remote and the floor splits apart, with this pillar rising from within the chasm. The pillar then unfolds into a wide 165-inch screen, perfect to watch the Golden Globes on.

Fashioned with 5 display panels that open and close like a folding fan, the M1 television really knows how to make an appearance. Its elaborate structure features a base that the display panels lock into once they open out. This base also houses the television’s powerful speaker system, including two 250W broadband speakers and one whopping 700W subwoofer to really pack that punch. While those stats may be impressive to a few, it’s the TV’s design that really gets my heart racing! The M1 doesn’t come with a single folded display, but rather features 5 panels that can seamlessly merge together to appear as one singular panel. The MicroLED technology, combined with 4K, really allows images to stand out with superior contrast and brightness (as well as phenomenally dark blacks), but C-SEED’s Adaptive Gap Calibration Technology takes the cake, as it makes the LEDs near the edges of the panels shine brighter, allowing those seams/lines to disappear, creating the illusion of one large screen instead of 5 small ones. To keep the entire TV lightweight, its frame and outer body comes made from aviation-grade aluminum (with a unique lattice structure behind the screens to provide structure and strength). The M1 comes in 4 colors – Silver, Gold, Black, and Titanium, and boasts a price tag of $400,000. I wonder whether that includes the elaborate in-floor installation charge…

Designer: C-SEED

Apple is expected to release the new 2021 iMac with 5 color options, just like the iPad Air

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It’s been two years since Apple’s high-end computing department really saw a new release (we’re talking about the polarizing ‘cheesegrater’ Mac Pro from 2019). Reliable leaker Jon Prosser, however, has some news on this front. While Apple hasn’t really announced any March event, Prosser believes the company will launch a smaller Mac Pro, and will upgrade the 24-inch iMac series… with color options.

The colored iMacs are really a hat-tip to the candy-colored iMac G3 series from back in 2008. According to Prosser, who collaborated with Concept Creator over the following images, the 2021 iMacs are likely to come in 5 colors – black, white, green, blue, and rose gold… just like the 2020 iPad Air. The colors will be much more subtle than the iMac G3’s, but they provide an interesting dynamic to the aluminum-clad all-in-one computers.

When viewed from the front, the new iMacs tend to resemble the iPad too, with the bezel treatment. Unlike previous iMacs that came with a massive chin under the screen that sported the Apple logo, the new iMacs will have much more uniform bezels. It isn’t really apparent if they’ll also come with FaceID — although given they’ll be used indoors, in settings where masks aren’t really required, Apple could just as easily integrate the FaceID modules right into the design. Speculators also say that these new iMacs could be powered by Apple Silicon, making them not just a visual upgrade, but a performance upgrade as well!

Designers: Jon Prosser & Concept Creator

This Computer Case Doesn’t Run on Pyramid Power

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Back in the 1970s, the idea of “pyramid power” was about as popular among crackpots as today’s flat earth theories. While the Egyptian pyramids and other pyramid-shaped structures possess no magical qualities, they are cool to look at and architecturally significant. If you think pyramids are awesome, perhaps you’ll dig this pyramid-shaped computer case.

The AZZA Pyramid Mini 806 is a mini-mid-size case for building your own custom PC. It features an aluminum structure along with four tempered glass side panels which let you peep inside and check out your computer componentry. It holds any standard Mini-ITX motherboard, and an SFX power supply. It also includes a 120mm cooling fan with RGB lighting, which sits above the computer components and extracts heat out of openings at the top of the glass.

 

Measuring 17.1″ tall, with a 14.5″ x 14.5″ footprint, it’s not exactly a conventional small form-factor computer case, but it definitely is eyecatching, and its stacked design makes for easy access to components.

If you’re ready to build your own desktop pyramid, you can find the Pyramid Mini 806 case over on Amazon for $249.99. For those looking to make a larger ATX-based computer, they make a larger model called the Pyramid 804V, which sells for $297.87.

[via Gadgetify]

Grovemade’s logo-esque keyring is also a carabiner clip and a bottle-opener

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Crafted from a single high-strength 7075 aluminum billet, Grovemade’s keyring has a distinct appeal. The circular keyring comes with an incomplete circular form that lets you slide it right into belt-loops without requiring spring-loaded moving parts, and also a keyring loop, well, for your keys.

The Grovemade Aluminum Keyring is a reimagination of carabiners, with its robust, circular, confident form. A slit in the circle helps bring drama to the design and also helps it slide easily into belt-loops on pants, while a lip on the inside of the keyring lets it double as a nifty bottle-opener. A perfect combination of simplicity and class, with a little zest of function.

Designer: Grovemade

Eco-friendly aluminum batteries might power solar and wind farms

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Renewable energy might soon have storage batteries that are more environmentally friendly in their own right. Researchers have developed a new form of aluminum battery with twice the energy density of previous designs, making the technology more pra...