Best of MWC 2024: The Reality of AI

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have become such hot topics that even mainstream media has been giving them their 15 minutes of fame. Unsurprisingly, there are both proponents and critics of these technologies, but it’s hard to deny how AI is becoming an unavoidable presence not just in devices but also in services. Just take a gander at how many AI-powered or AI-enhanced designs there are at MWC in Barcelona this year. Of course, that’s not the only trend that’s gripping the mobile tech industry, and so we sift through the dozens of products and concepts at MWC 2024 to pick out the best designs that help live life to the fullest, with a little help from AI, of course.

TECNO Spark 20+ Pro

The TECNO SPARK 20 Pro+ is a remarkable choice in the affordable smartphone category, providing advanced imaging features and a stunning design at a reasonable price, perfect for today’s generation of creators. The camera boasts a 108MP lens with 3x lossless zoom and 10x digital zoom, leading to incredibly detailed photos. The large 1/1.67″ sensor size and F/1.75 aperture ensure excellent image quality in diverse lighting conditions. Its HDR Multi-Frame Fusion intelligently balances light and shade for optimal composition. The phone also features a 32MP Glowing Selfie Camera with an 88.9-degree golden lens, enhanced by AI portrait restoration, perfect for selfies or group shots. The high-end camera stack also includes TECNO’s 9-in-1 Adaptive Pixel technology. This feature increases light sensitivity by 900% and uses an ultra-large 1.92µm pixel to enhance your shots’ clarity.

Designer: TECNO

Vloggers will adore how it can record in 2K resolution, making it ideal for capturing important memories and putting your best self forward. Features like an automatic bokeh for movie-like effects, a night algorithm for improved low-light captures, and slow-motion support to enhance the production quality make you feel like a pro cinematographer without breaking a sweat. It also offers advanced video stabilization and dual-focus technology for diversified filming scenarios. The Dual View mode, which combines front and rear camera views, opens up new vlogging opportunities that will take your channel to the next level.

The high-quality Corning Gorilla Glass 5 makes it sleek and easy to hold thanks to an ergonomic design, and it is lightweight at 190g with a thickness of 7.55mm. With its pioneering 56.5-degree Ergonomics Double Curved Design, the phone is a sight to behold and a joy to behold from every angle. The Quadrant Star Array camera on the back provides excellent photos and adds balance, while the Sparkle Sand Pattern sparks interest and awe, easily making you the center of attention. The glossy back cover comes in three colors – Lunar Frost, Temporal Orbits, and Radiant Starstream, plus a fourth, Magic Skin 2.0 Green, for extra durability and an eco-friendly choice. Durability is another key factor that contributes to its appeal, with water and dust resistance features ensuring longevity. These aspects, combined with its high-quality camera system, make the TECNO SPARK 20 Pro+ a remarkable device that offers exceptional value for its price.

TECNO CAMON 30 Premier 5G

Photography has become one of the major reasons to have a smartphone these days, whether you’re an amateur shutterbug or a prolific influencer. Although manufacturers played the megapixel game in the beginning, it is now clear that takes more than that to produce breathtaking images and viral videos. It can be a complicated matter, but TECNO is simplifying it into a single package that is poised to revolutionize the mobile photography scene.

Designer: TECNO

Developed in collaboration with Sony, the TECNO PolarAce Imaging System on the new CAMON 30 Premier 5G adds an independent imaging processor just for handling photos and videos. The results definitely speak for themselves, and it’s a technology that will put TECNO on the global map when it comes to mobile photography. The CAMON 30 Premier 5G itself is quite the looker, inspired by the aesthetics of rangefinder cameras while still maintaining a stylish and classic appearance.

D-Link Aquila Pro AI M60

Our Internet needs even at home have become more complicated, and the routers of the past are clearly not equipped to keep up with the demand of all the smartphones, tablets, and smart home devices competing for bandwidth. More powerful and sophisticated routers do exist, but the vast majority of them seem to be designed to flex their muscles, showing off their antennas and bulky boxes that look more like technological monstrosities rather than an integral part of your home.

Designer: D-LINK

The D-LINK AQUILA PRO AI mesh router, specifically this M60 AX600, is like a breath of fresh air in this market, elegant, charming, yet also very capable. Inspired by an eagle in flight, the curved sides, bright color motif, and smooth surfaces try to capture the gracefulness of one of the most powerful birds of prey. The mesh router offers everything that its peers have, including plenty of AI-powered features, and still looks beautiful anywhere you place it. Its housing is even made of post-consumer recycled materials or PCRs, helping D-LINK give back to the very nature that inspired this design.

Honor Magic V2 RSR Porsche Design Edition

Foldable phones are becoming more common, with more players joining the competition. At this early stage, there is still plenty of room for exploration when it comes to design. Indeed, we’re seeing foldable phones that come in different shapes, materials, and aesthetics, all of them trying to mask what is really a large and thick slab of glass and metal. Honor is taking that to the next level with its partnership with the famed Porsche Design house, presenting a foldable phone that pushes the boundaries of what you can accomplish with such a device.

Designer: Honor

The Honor Magic V2 RSR Porsche Design Edition is unabashedly a luxury device, even more luxurious than how foldable phones are already perceived. As the name states, its design is inspired by the luxury marque, particularly the flyline that Porsche values dearly. But it isn’t just all looks either, with the Magic V2 RSR possessing features its rivals can only dream of. That includes the ability to use a stylus both on the internal display and, more importantly, the outer Cover Screen as well. Yes, its price tag may seem astronomical, but that has never stopped luxury items from selling well, especially when they’re made as good as this.

Honor Magic6 Pro

Not everyone wants a foldable phone, and for those who just want a regular yet beautiful handset, the Honor Magic6 Pro aims to deliver. It’s definitely a striking design, with a camera island that combines the circle and “squircle” designs that pervade the smartphone market today. Rather than giving in to flat trends, the Magic6 Pro wears its curves like a badge of honor, no pun intended, providing not just a graceful appearance but an ergonomic shape as well.

Designer: Honor

Of course, the Honor Magic6 Pro is also well-equipped with the latest smartphone technologies, from the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor to an advanced camera system that includes a 180MP telephoto camera. The highlights, unsurprisingly, are the AI features that enhance the user experience, like “Magic Portal,” which can automatically recognize addresses in a text message and open up Google Maps when you want to start navigating. Anything you drag to this “portal” will be analyzed by Honor’s AI to take the appropriate action, whether it’s searching, shopping, or other activities you’ll need help with.

TECNO Dynamic 1 Robot Dog

You probably never expected a smartphone maker to debut a robot dog, but that’s exactly the surprise that TECNO had in store here at MWC 2024. Putting a friendlier face and form to the design popularized by Boston Dynamics, the TECNO Dynamic 1 is reimagining what man’s best friend would look like a few years from now. But more than just a novel and expensive toy, this robot dog is envisioned to become a faithful companion to your household.

Designer: TECNO

In addition to mechanisms that allow the TECNO Dynamic 1 to gracefully imitate the natural movements of dogs, including climbing stairs and shaking hands, the robot dog is equipped with AI that allows it to navigate your home safely, just like those robot vacuum cleaners. Of course, that AI is also capable of understanding voice commands, obeying your every word better than a real furry pal. There is definitely plenty of potential for such a design, especially in security, so we’ll be waiting with bated breath for what’s to come.

TECNO Phone Materials Concept

The back of the phone is the most visible part to others, so it’s only natural that owners want it to be the most beautiful part as well. Unfortunately, smartphone designs are generalized to appeal to as many tastes as possible, which leaves very little room for customized experiences. Sure, we have seen some with vegan leather covers, but most phones simply use glass or plastic. Fortunately, not all manufacturers are content to leave the status quo as it is, and TECNO has shared some of the interesting and sometimes odd explorations it has made so far.

Designer: TECNO

Stereoscopic 3D effects, environment-friendly organosilicone fabric leather, color-blending leather, and colored textured glass are just some of the concept materials that TECNO has been playing around with. It even has fragrance leathers with microencapsulated essential oil particles to have your phone smelling as good as it looks. Not all of these make sense and they might not even make it into production, but the concepts are an important part of the ideation process that will lead to innovative designs that look and feel like they were made for actual human persons and not just faceless consumers.

Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 repairability

Laptops are slowly but surely dominating the PC space, especially as they become powerful enough to compete with desktops. There are, however, still some things it can’t easily beat its towering cousin. The modular nature of desktops means they’re trivial to repair since you only need to replace the broken parts. That also means they have a longer lifetime in general, reducing the overall e-waste that’s usually involved in upgrading and discarding laptops in just a few short years.

Designer: Lenovo

Lenovo is bringing that kind of sustainability to its latest laptops, particularly the ThinkPad T14 Gen 5. Collaborating with self-repair experts over at iFixit, Lenovo designed this mobile workstation to be easy to repair, scoring an astounding 9 over 10 on iFixit’s meticulous repairability index. With parts that are easier to replace, including a socketed RAM instead of a soldered one, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 goes a very long way to ensuring the longevity of these powerful and essential tools.

Lenovo ThinkPad Transparent Display Laptop

After staying nearly the same for decades, we’re now seeing attempts at redesigning the laptop without completely erasing its familiar form. Dual screens and foldable screens are just two of the latest explorations we’ve seen lately, but they’re hardly the only innovations possible in this space. In fact, Lenovo has just revealed what could even be more ambitious than a foldable or rollable laptop, one that has a transparent display and an all-glass keyboard to match the aesthetic.

Designer: Lenovo

Transparent TVs are starting to appear in the market, bringing a long-time fantasy to life. Lenovo seems to finally be satisfied that these transparent displays have become mature enough to be used on a laptop. Although still just a proof of concept, the ThinkPad Transparent Display Laptops is already very promising and mind-blowing, demonstrating what could be possible in just a few years’ time. It definitely sparks the imagination, looking like a functional prop straight out of a sci-fi movie set, and it probably prefigures the display-centric computers that are waiting for us in the future.

Humane AI Pin

Our smartphones are powerful devices, but they can also be a source of stress, distraction, and a host of other mental and emotional issues. But the world we live in today requires a connected lifestyle, even for some of the most basic actions. The Humane AI Pin is an ambitious design that tries to keep us connected while also removing the middleman that is the smartphone, providing the necessities of modern life without distractions and complicated apps.

Designer: Humane

More like a badge than a pin, the Humane AI Pin basically projects a simplified interface on your hand that you can control with gestures. It has a camera that sees the world around you and a cloud-based AI service that interprets it, which includes voice commands and queries for information. It’s like those fancy holographic gadgets you see in sci-fi shows, except it’s already here today and actually quite usable. It demonstrates that you won’t really need a smartphone for most of the things we use a mobile device for, freeing you to be more present in the moment and with other people.

nubia Music Phone

It may have been banished from smartphones, but the headphone jack is still a standard connector in other places, especially in the music industry. Bluetooth headphones and speakers might be improving, but some audiophiles still swear by their wired equipment, especially because of the flexibility they offer when you want to let others enjoy the same tunes you’re listening to. Inspired by the social aspects of listening to music, nubia made a surprising launch of a phone that’s designed to let you share your music easily.

Designer: nubia

The nubia Music doesn’t just bring back the 3.5mm port, it actually has two of them so that you can connect two headphones or external audio equipment at the same time. But if you want to share your music with the whole room, it also has an ultra-loud speaker on its back for maximum reach. What would normally be an unsightly component is made beautiful by making this speaker and the neighboring cameras resemble the design of an old-school turntable. With its distinctive appearance and its one-of-a-kind features, the nubia Music is clearly designed to cater to a fun-loving crowd that’s always ready and willing to share the things they love, including their passion for music.

nubia Pad 3D II

3D is becoming just as pervasive as AI in the tech industry, in no small part thanks to augmented and mixed reality experiences. Unfortunately, these technologies seem to suggest that you need to wear specialized goggles or even headsets just to enjoy these three-dimensional digital objects. The nubia Pad 3D II, however, proves otherwise, and its second iteration improves on the foundations that were laid last year to deliver a tool that can be used for both enjoying as well as creating 3D content without having to wear glasses.

Designer: nubia

This large 12-inch tablet utilizes eye sensors as well as AI algorithms to detect where your eyes are looking in order to adjust the display’s pixels and create a stereoscopic effect without wearing headsets or visors. It can even convert regular 2D content not made for 3D into 3D, all in real-time, with some AI help, of course. Dual cameras and, again, AI work together to enable users to capture the world around them and convert it into a digital 3D format that can then be used for your creative masterpieces. Whether you just want to watch 3D videos or you want to create the 3D content that goes into them, the nubia Pad 3D II offers a tool that will open up more possibilities without burdening your head.

OnePlus Watch 2

When they first launched, smartwatches and their proponents were ridiculed because of the idea that you’ll need to recharge your phone every night. Things have improved significantly by now, but we’re still talking around two days before you need to put the smartwatch down on its charger. There are indeed some designs that boast two weeks of uptime, but they also run software with more limited functionality to make that happen.

Designer: OnePlus

The OnePlus Watch 2 boasts around 100 hours of battery life, which is a little over four days. What makes this figure impressive is that it’s running Google’s Wear OS, which means it has full access to all the apps, integrations, and features that standard smartwatches offer. Plus it manages to remain stylish even with all the power it packs inside.

Infinix E-Shift Color Technology

The back of smartphones is the most expressive part of the device, a veritable canvas for displaying the phone’s character as well as the owner’s inclinations. Of course, not everyone has the same aesthetic tastes, but phones are designed to cater to the general public. What if you could design your own phone’s rear cover without having to commit to stickers or even protective cases? It would definitely be a step up from today’s designs, allowing owners to truly express themselves in different ways, even on different days.

Designer: Infinix

Infinix’s E-Shift Color delivers some of that freedom and flexibility by practically putting a display on the phone’s back. It’s not a regular battery-draining LCD screen, though, and instead leverages E Ink’s Prism display technology to let users select and even create colorful patterns to decorate the back of their phones. Since it’s based on an e-paper display, it doesn’t consume power until you change the design again. Even more interesting, E-Shift Color can actually animate these changes when the phone is plugged in, taking the charging experience to a whole new level.

Xiaomi CyberDog 2

Robot dogs are apparently becoming more popular to the point that smartphone manufacturers and tech companies are making their own commercial mechanical canines. Xiaomi is one of those brands that is dipping its hand (or paw) in this very niche market, and it’s showing off its second-gen design here in Barcelona. Looking like the robotic version of a Doberman with very short ear stumps, the Xiaomi CyberDog 2’s biggest stunt is its agility and flexibility which lets it even do backflips without breaking a sweat, or a circuit, in this case.

Designer: Xiaomi

Although it will hardly classify as “cute” like actual dogs, the CyberDog 2 has a distinct look akin to a muscular canine breed thanks to the faceted surface that covers its body and legs. Compared to its headless predecessor, Xiaomi has definitely made strides in making its robot dog actually look like a dog and be more approachable, hopefully even by kids. It’s still questionable what you’d use a $3,000 robot dog for, but the Xiaomi CyberDog 2’s more refined design, improved stability, and expanded functionality make it something worth observing in the months to come.

Xiaomi SU7 Electric Car

Xiaomi is no longer just a smartphone manufacturer, and nowhere is that more obvious than at MWC 2024 where it unveiled its most ambitious product yet, its first electric vehicle. The brand has been putting out personal mobility devices like e-scooters and e-bikes, and now it is taking its transportation dreams to the highway. Labeled as a “performance sedan,” the Xiaomi SU7 boasts reaching 60 mph speeds in just 2.78 seconds and a range of 497 miles with its 101kWh battery.

Designer: Xiaomi

The design of the electric car is quite noteworthy as well, and not just because of its blue paint job. The sleek profile and curves give a sporty character, and its elegant appearance would have you guessing which long-time car manufacturer produced such a beauty. We’ll still have to see how it actually fares on the road or if it will actually roll out to other markets, but Xiaomi definitely got people talking simply by showing off that it can also make cars as well.

Xiaomi Watch S3

Smartwatches have thankfully outgrown the days when they all looked more like sports watches rather than fashionable timepieces. There’s not a bit of variety in terms of designs, including some that try to mimic the appearance of classic watches and their faces. You can even replace straps, sometimes with standard lugs, to mix and match your style. There is, however, still one classic design element that smartwatches haven’t been able to implement, at least until now.

Designer: Xiaomi

The Xiaomi Watch S3 finally brings interchangeable bezels, letting you easily swap rings to fit your mood and style, even on a daily basis. It might sound like a very trivial feature, but it’s detail like that that gives classic watches their charm. Of course, the Xiaomi Watch S3 will only be compatible with bezels designed by Xiaomi or authorized accessory makers, so hopefully, the idea will catch on and become a standard feature on future smartwatches.

OPPO Air Glass 3

Some might consider the Apple Vision Pro to be overkill even without considering its price tag, and they definitely have a point. You probably don’t want to have your computer screen in front of you all the time, nor would you want to wear a headset while you go about your daily work. You might, however, want to be able to see your tasks and some notifications when you need to without having to fish your phone out of your pocket, which is where the OPPO Air Glass 3 comes in.

Designer: OPPO

Rather than promoting augmented reality, the OPPO Air Glass 3 espouses “assisted reality,” which is how it describes its focused experience that shows only important information in front of your eyes. It does not use tinted lenses or pixel-dense screens but instead employs a micro projector that displays appointments, todos, notifications, and the like without getting in the way of your vision. The glasses themselves look like normal eyewear, save for the very thick frame, and the improved optics prevent the occurrence of blurred images that would normally be observed in this kind of display.

Samsung Galaxy Ring

After many leaks, rumors, and wishes, Samsung finally revealed the Galaxy Ring, making it one of if not the first major tech companies to launch this kind of wearable device. By now, there are already smart rings on the market, but the Galaxy Ring has the advantage of having an existing ecosystem of devices and services that revolve around wellness and health. You don’t need to stray far if you want to give up your Wear OS smartwatch for something that’s more elegant and also more discreet.

Designer: Samsung

The Galaxy Ring is simple, nondescript, and minimalist, which is actually the whole point of such devices. Rather than the powerful smartwatches that call attention to themselves and become a source of distraction, these smart rings offer the basics of health and activity tracking without burdening your wrist. It will definitely be interesting to see where Samsung will take the Galaxy Ring and if other manufacturers will quickly follow in its footsteps.

Motorola Adaptable Display Bendable Phone

Although foldable phones have become a major focus in the industry, they’re not the only design that can take advantage of flexible screens. Rollable phones have yet to become commercially available, and displays embedded in textiles are still a dream in the fashion industry. Motorola has one such design that really pushes the boundaries of what smartphones might look like in the not-so-distant future.

Designer: Motorola

Dubbed the Motorola Adaptable Display, this bendable phone is designed so that it can wrap around your wrist, almost like an open bracelet. Unlike a typical foldable phone that’s just two flat slabs joined with a hinge, the entire phone bends flexes, and bends in this case. Of course, you can’t completely remove all the flat components that make a smartphone tick, but Motorola’s eye-catching bendable phone demonstrates what’s possible with a few more iterations and polish.

The post Best of MWC 2024: The Reality of AI first appeared on Yanko Design.

Best of CES 2024: Tech Designs for Smarter, More Comfortable Living

The start of the year is always an auspicious time to put your best foot forward. It is perhaps because of that reason that the consumer electronics industry chose the days following the changing of the calendar year to present their best products, concepts, and designs that are meant to help improve human lives, pet well-being, and the planet’s health. Unsurprisingly, a good number of these new and upcoming designs boast the use of AI in one way or another, leveraging the latest technologies to offer features that almost look and feel like magic. Now that the world has more or less gone back to its usual flow, there is a dizzying number of products being shown off in Las Vegas. Some elicit applause and praise, while others leave you scratching your head. And some really take the cake, rising above the rest with their thoughtful design and exceptional value, and Yanko Design has picked out the top 25 award-winning designs that will help you live a smarter, healthier, and more enjoyable life.

Acer Predator SpatialLabs View Pro 27 3D Monitor

With the rise in mixed reality platforms, the appreciation and need for 3D content is similarly on the uptick. Creating these three-dimensional digital assets isn’t a trivial task, especially since we’ve been restricted by two-dimensional tools like a flat 2D monitor. Viewing things in 3D is certainly possible, though most require wearing specialized glasses just to get the full effect. With the Acer Predator SpatialLabs View Pro monitor, however, you have an unencumbered view of 3D objects, allowing you to get fully immersed in the game or craft 3D designs with accuracy and comfort.

Designer: Acer

Thanks to the latest 3D Ultra Mode delivered by the monitor’s second virtual camera, you can enjoy true stereoscopic 3D without the need to wear glasses. A collection of 3D stereo configurations, including pre-configured 3D profiles for some AAA titles, lets you quickly switch to the best settings with a single click. And what’s good for gamers is also good for creators who work on these 3D assets, offering designers and artists an indispensable tool in a digital world that’s increasingly going 3D.

Acer Predator Z57 Curved Gaming Monitor

With the growing number of apps, references, and tools that we use for both work and play, sometimes even the biggest computer monitors are no longer enough. That’s not even considering how our flat displays start to lose their appeal and comfort the bigger they get. Taking lessons learned from decades of cinema technology, curved monitors have arrived to offer a more immersive viewing and gaming experience. And with a massive 57-inch screen, the new Acer Predator Z57 Curved Gaming Monitor takes that to the extreme, providing not just more space but also more tools to level up your productivity.

Designer: Acer

The Acer Predator Z57 packs some of the specs on any gaming monitor, like the equivalent of dual UHD screens with a pixel resolution of 7680×2160, a fast 120Hz refresh rate, 1000 nits of brightness, and DCI-P3 98% color gamut, all working to deliver realistic-looking visuals. The extra-wide 32:9 aspect ratio and 1000R curvature increase not only your field of vision but also your comfort as it conforms better to how our eyes naturally work. With enough screen real estate, you can run multiple applications side by side without losing time switching between windows, while picture-in-picture features allow you to view two different sources at the same time. Whether you’re trying to immerse yourself in a game or trying to maximize your productivity for work, the Acer Predator Z57’s large, curved screen puts you right in the center of the action and in full control of your space.

Anker Prime 6-in-1 Charging Station (140W)

With multiple devices come multiple charging needs, not all of which can be provided by a single charger. That’s not even counting the times when you need to juice up more than one device at the same time, at which point it becomes a frantic search for the right chargers while you scramble to fight over a power outlet. As one of the foremost experts in charging solutions, Anker has come up with a product that provides all the outlets and power you need. Best of all, it’s barely larger or thicker than your smartphone.

Designer: Anker

With two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, and two AC power outlets, the Anker Prime 6-in-1 Charging Station has everything you need to top up all your devices without hogging all the power outlets. One of those USB-C ports can even charge a power-hungry 16-inch MacBook Pro while having enough power for another USB device. Anker’s GaN Prime technology and 7-point safety system guarantee peace of mind even with those scary-fast figures. And unlike typical charging stations and power strips, the Anker Prime 6-in-1’s slim and compact design banishes tangled cables and lets you easily set up a workspace anywhere with a single outlet.

ASUS ZenBook Duo 2024 Dual-Screen Laptop

Laptops are no longer just portable computers for work. They’ve also become showcases of the latest technologies and designs, catering to a wider range of users that include gamers, programmers, designers, creatives, and more. As the needs of these people evolve, so do the designs of laptops as well. A single screen, for example, might no longer be enough to squeeze in all the windows you need, but carrying around and setting up even a portable monitor can be more trouble than it’s worth. Enter the new ASUS ZenBook DUO (2024), a dual-screen laptop that hits multiple birds with one design, now with a much larger display.

Designer: ASUS

As the world’s first 14-inch dual-screen laptop, the ASUS ZenBook DUO (2024) has plenty of real estate for your productivity and collaboration needs. Whether you lay it out completely flat, prop it up like a book, or use it like a regular laptop with the full-sized Bluetooth keyboard, it gives users the flexibility they need to stay on top of things without burdening them with unnecessary accessories. And with the latest hardware available for laptops, it has enough power to support any workflow, including those that utilize AI-powered software and features that are flooding the market today.

Beatbot AquaSense Pro Smart Pool Cleaner

Indoor floors aren’t the only spaces that can benefit from a smart robot helper. In fact, compared to living room floors, cleaning a swimming pool is exponentially more difficult no matter the size, not just because it has to be done underwater but also because you have to clean the bottom, the sides, and even the surface of the water itself. It becomes pretty obvious that the standard features of smart robot vacuums aren’t enough to meet the needs of pool owners, which is why Beatbot is utilizing a wealth of revolutionary technologies to deliver the most advanced intelligent pool cleaning robot for your ultimate convenience and peace of mind.

Designer: Beatbot

Boasting 20 sensors, 9 motors, 4 brushes, and 2 filters, the Beatbot AquaSense Pro exudes not only immense power but also incredible smarts. It doesn’t just see its surroundings but also understands them, deftly avoiding obstacles and making split-second decisions based on changing conditions. Its sophisticated Beatbot OS brain allows it to optimize its route to avoid overlapping paths and missed spots, saving you time and power without sacrificing its performance. Once the work is done or before its large 10,000 mAh internal battery runs out, it will return to its starting position, rise to the surface with a submarine-inspired automatic water release, and let you easily retrieve it to dock it for charging.

This impressive cleaning robot actually boasts the industry’s first 5-in-1 cleaning solution for floor, walls, waterline, water surface, and water clarification. Whether it’s rolling on the floor, sticking to curved walls, or gliding across the water surface, the Beatbot AquaSense Pro offers 100% pool cleaning coverage, giving you peace of mind that comes from knowing that your swimming pool will always be clean and safe to use anytime you need it.

BLUETTI AC180T Power Station and MultiCooler

With our heavy dependence on electronic devices both at home and outdoors, it’s only natural that we’ve also become quite conscious of how much power we’re using, especially when we’re about to run out. Power banks are fine for smaller devices, but living off the grid for one reason or another requires a smarter solution. BLUETTI has been churning out solar-charged portable power stations for years, but its latest AC180T takes things up a notch with one super handy feature: the ability to swap batteries on the fly.

Designer: BLUETTI

The BLUETTI AC180T is basically an inverter that can hold two removable batteries that you can hot-swap at any time, delivering 1800W of power all the time. You can swap out the battery packs as needed without having to power the AC180T down, providing uninterrupted power to your appliances. It’s the perfect partner for BLUETTI’s new MultiCooler that’s powered by the same removable battery, keeping your food and drinks chilled while you enjoy the great outdoors.

Clicks QWERTY Keyboard iPhone Case

Despite the prevalence of photo-based media and social networks, it’s a bit ironic that we’re typing on our phones more than ever before. From churning out one hashtag after another to rapidly typing out a response to someone to even composing a verbose email, we rely heavily on the only input method available on our smartphones: the on-screen keyboard. Bringing the physical keyboard back isn’t an option, not unless you have this fun-looking iPhone case that does exactly that.

Designer: Clicks

Designed for creators and anyone who feels offended by the unforgiving flatness of these virtual keyboards, Clicks revives the painless joys of pecking at actual keys as you compose your novella (or your snark comment). Easy to put on and easy to remove, the accessory adds a playful character to the iPhone 14 and 15, definitely an attention-grabber that influencers will want to soak up. It’s a simple yet effective solution to a problem almost a decade in existence, one that might actually encourage you to type in proper sentences with proper spelling.

GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker

Cooking your own food at home provides plenty of benefits, allowing you to fully control what goes inside the dish as well as its flavor. There are, however, also hard limitations, especially if all you have is an indoor kitchen. Smoking food indoors is a big no-no, whether because of the smell the smoke makes in your house or the insufficient taste it produces in the end. If you’re a fan of the unique smokey flavors that this outdoor cooking process delivers, then you’ll probably raise your hands in thanks for GE’s latest innovation, the Profile Smart Indoor Pellet Smoker.

Designer: GE

Looking just a little larger than a big air fryer, the GE Indoor Smoker makes the seemingly impossible now possible. Using the same regular wood pellets you would use outdoors, you can safely smoke meats, seafood, vegetables, and more indoors, all year round. Its Active Smoke Filtration converts wood smoke into plain warm air so you won’t have to worry about your kitchen stinking after hours of smoking. With precision control, you can bring out the best flavors for the kind of food you’re cooking while also using fewer pellets than a regular outdoor smoker. It’s a simple but life-changing innovation that food lovers and home chefs will adore.

Graphene Square Cordless Transparent Graphene Cooker

Graphene is a revolutionary material that’s often associated with batteries recently, but that’s hardly the only application for it. It’s exactly because of its super ability to conduct heat and electricity that it has become an ideal material for use in electronics. Graphene Square, however, has put it to use in a pretty unbelievable way, creating a portable wireless cooker that defies convention and expectations, letting you clearly see the food as it cooks as if through a looking glass.

Designer: Graphene Square

The top and bottom “glass” of this transparent box are actually the almost invisible graphene modules that generate mid-IR (infrared) radiation to cook the food inside. Because of graphene’s energy-efficient properties, you can even power this transparent cooker with a briefcase-sized battery that connects to the bottom of the box. It’s definitely an unconventional approach to cooking and an even more out-of-this-world design, but it’s one that easily grabs attention and sparks the imagination of what the future of cooking could become.

Hisense 110UX Mini LED TV

Hisense is an old name in the consumer electronics market, and at CES 2024, it is putting its best foot forward when it comes to its display innovation. Its crowning glory is the massive 110UX TV flagship of its premium ULED X series, offering not only its largest panel but also its best technologies in this space. Unsurprisingly, there’s also a pinch of that AI special sauce that everyone’s going crazy over these days.

Designer: Hisense

With such a large area, it’s both no surprise yet also incredible that Hisense managed to cram 40,000 backlight zones, ensuring even and consistent brightness and contrast across the board. An impressive 95% BT.2020 color palette makes images really pop, while the 10,000 nits of brightness leaves no detail hidden in the shadows. With a new Hi-View Engine X chipset, the Hisense 110UX offers enhanced image reproduction powered by artificial intelligence, leaving nothing left to chance and freeing you from the worries of having to manually tweak half a dozen settings just to get the perfect image.

Hisense Automobile Laser Display

Our world is littered with displays, and not just the obvious ones like TVs, computers, and phones. From points-of-sales to even cars, we rely on dynamic screens to bring us the right information when we need it. For vehicles, however, having a screen on the dashboard might no longer be enough, so Hisense developed an innovative Automobile Laser Display projection system that provides navigation and entertainment all throughout, without sacrificing safety.

Designer: Hisense

The triple-laser projection might be 80% smaller than typical optical products, but it boasts 48% higher color performance and 200% luminous efficiency, delivering clear images that can be critical to ensuring safe driving. Its Laser Holographic AR HUD blends virtual and physical objects, turning the windshield into a captivating, information-reach holographic screen. That same optical technology also transforms the side and rear windows into screens, immersing passengers in a new world of in-vehicle entertainment.

Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 4 SPE E Ink Laptop

Some people prefer to keep their laptops clean and professional, while others personalize the back of their laptops until there’s no space left unturned. It’s difficult to find a middle ground between these two extremes since opting for one naturally excludes the other. But that’s exactly the kind of miracle that Lenovo is trying to pull off, thanks to the magic of colored E Ink panels.

Designer: Lenovo

Building on its experience with using an E Ink screen on the lid of a laptop, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 4 SPE proof-of-concept creates an opportunity for meaningful customization and personalized designs. Owners can select from a variety of colorful patterns and have them change in a sequence, or they can opt for a more practical display that shows the time all the time. Best of all, this E-Ink Prism color display uses very little power and continues to change the design even when the system is powered down.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid Windows/Android Detachable Laptop

Windows tablets let you use your finger or stylus but don’t exactly offer an enjoyable experience. Android laptops are similar, though they come from the opposite end of the spectrum, revealing how ill-equipped the mobile platform is for desktop use. Unfortunately, there are people who need to use both operating systems and are, therefore, forced to juggle two separate devices. It is for these people that Lenovo has designed the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid in an attempt to bridge the two worlds in a rather innovative way.

Designer: Lenovo

This isn’t just a tablet with a keyboard that dual-boots Windows and Android and wastes your time switching between the two. Neither is it a Windows 2-in-1 laptop that runs Android in a virtualized environment. It’s actually two devices, a laptop base and tablet screen, running Windows and Android, respectively, each with its own hardware and batteries. This means they can run separately, though you’ll need to hook up the laptop base to an external monitor, of course, but you can also use it as a normal Windows laptop as well. When the two are joined, you can also access the Android side easily in a window of its own, allowing you to use the right tool for the right job with a single product.

LG CineBeam Qube Smart Projector

There is a growing number of smart home projectors popping up in the market, but very few are able to escape the dull rectangular shape that their ancestors came in. At the same time, however, there are practical benefits to a boxy shape, so there isn’t much reason to throw it all out the window either. What we need is an out-of-the-box (pardon the pun) thinking that makes what a normal form suddenly look like a piece of art. Enter the new LG CineBeam Qube, a compact laser projector that masquerades as an art object that gives life to your living space even when you’re not using it.

Designer: LG

It stands upright rather than lying down flat like typical projectors. Its silver chassis shines with an elegant luster that gently calls attention to itself without being loud. Its 360-degree rotatable handle provides more than just function but also a visual accent. Everything bout the LG CineBeam Qube shouts retro art object, but its modern projector capabilities make it more than just a pretty face. Whether it’s showing your favorite films, displaying beloved memories captured in photos, or simply standing there on your shelf or table, this beautiful design fulfills a role in bringing your indoor space to life.

LG SIGNATURE OLED T Wireless Transparent 4K TV

TVs have long stopped being just screens for watching videos. In many households, they have become centerpieces and focal points for interactions with family and friends. Today, they are also transforming into decorative objects that add not just functionality but also aesthetic value to living spaces. LG has been pushing the boundaries of TV design, as demonstrated by its Object collection, and now it is unveiling the next big step in that direction with a 4K TV that liberates owners from the stifling constraints of having a big black rectangle that clashes with the rest of your decor.

Designer: LG

With the transparent beauty of the LG SIGNATURE OLED T, the TV itself visually disappears when turned off, seamlessly blending with the rest of the room when not in use. Or you can use the Always-on Display capability for showing art, videos, or photos when you’re not watching anything. Thanks to LG’s cutting-edge wireless transmission technology, you can place it anywhere in the room and not worry about having a black wart marring your otherwise pristine interior. And because it utilizes the best of LG’s industry expertise, it isn’t just a pretty face but a solid 4K TV for an immersive entertainment experience. Whether it stands invisibly in the middle of the room or hangs silently on a wall, the LG SIGNATURE OLED T wireless transparent 4K TV gives you the freedom to enjoy life’s pleasures while keeping your beautiful space clean and free of big black screens.

Logitech Reach Webcam

Thanks to work-from-home arrangements in the past years, webcams have become popular again. It also showed, however, the limitations of these accessories. The modest VGA and HD cameras of old were no longer enough for professional quality video meetings, and the rise of live streaming as a potentially lucrative profession meant that these cameras could no longer just sit on top of computer monitors. It is for this new breed of users and new kinds of online content that the Logitech Reach was designed, enabling people to more easily share non-digital content on their videos, whether live or pre-recorded.

Designer: Logitech

In a nutshell, the Logitech Reach “show-and-tell” camera is a webcam on an articulate arm, providing the flexibility to point the camera anywhere at different angles. This allows for easy “flat lay” shots, moving or zooming the camera for more expressive videos, or a simple video meeting setup, all with a single device. And with 1080p/60fps video quality, it isn’t even sacrificing performance for that unique design, empowering a new generation of creators, students, and workers to rise to the new demands of their fields.

Mosslab Moss Air Air Purifying Terrarium

We’ve become acutely more aware of the rather worrying quality of the air we breathe even inside our homes. Appliances and gadgets that purify indoor air have risen in demand because of this, but the solutions they offer also come with their own drawbacks, especially in how they aim to keep us healthy while slowly killing the planet in exchange. Mosslab is offering an alternative, one that is not only more sustainable but also more aesthetic, and it utilizes an unexpected life form that’s regarded as nature’s understated miracle worker: moss.

Designer: Mosslab

Basically a terrarium in a sleek futuristic design, Moss Air functions as an air purifier and humidifier in one, utilizing the natural capabilities of moss to filter air and produce clean oxygen. Easy to maintain with just some water in an invisible tank, Moss Air offers a convenient yet eye-catching way to keep your room’s air fresh and clean, without doing much harm to the environment in the process.

ONECOM FINTIN V1 Braille QWERTY Keyboard

Technology is supposed to help everyone live better lives, but the way the market works, some people always get left behind. With many technologies moving over to touch-based controls like on-screen keyboards, people who can’t see the screen, let alone type on it, are left at the mercy of screen readers and speech recognition services, many of which are still unable to provide the accuracy needed for communication. Nothing beats a keyboard when it comes to text input, so ONECOM developed a handheld QWERTY keyboard designed specifically for the needs of visually impaired people.

Designer: ONECOM

Braille keyboards do exist, but their traditional designs make it impossible to use them with smartphones and mobile devices, especially on the go. The FINTIN V1, in contrast, fits nicely in your hand and can easily be used like thumb-typing on a mini Bluetooth keyboard. Despite that size, it actually supports the full QWERTY keyboard through special tactile keys, enabling users to express themselves fully on their phones, tablets, or any other device that requires text input.

ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) All-Aluminum Laptop

Gaming laptops are becoming more popular as powerful portable machines that can be used for more than just gaming, but their typical designs intimidate buyers from making an investment. Gaming products have a rather unique aesthetic that won’t appeal to everyone, even among some gamers, and they definitely look out of place in some settings. With the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024), however, the gaming laptop looks a bit more “grown-up,” but it isn’t just its appearance that has changed.

Designer: ASUS ROG

Sporting an all-aluminum CNC-machined chassis, the new ROG Zephyrus G16 boasts a body that is lighter and more durable than most gaming laptops. The switch from plastic to metal also frees up more space, so the Republic of Gamers is able to squeeze in more hardware for the same size. The result is what is probably the MacBook Pro of gaming laptops, lightweight, slim, sleek, and professional, while still flaunting top-of-the-line gaming hardware and a subtle yet distinctive accent that still identifies the product as fit for gamers.

Samsung 2024 Bespoke 4-Door Smart Flex with AI Family Hub+

While most appliance manufacturers focus on the living room as the center of family interaction, Samsung introduced a rather interesting spin that put the kitchen at the hub. That’s why it called its line of smart refrigerators the Family Hub, and this year it is upgrading its Bespoke 4-Door fridge with more smarts and features that promise you’ll spend less time worrying about food and more time to enjoy preparing them, preferably together with the rest of the family.

Designer: Samsung

Besides being a mouthful, the 2024 Bespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator with AI Family Hub+ takes advantage of the smart internal camera that it has been installing in its fridges since last year to power its Vision AI technology that can identify up to 33 fresh food items inside. The idea is that the fridge will be able to warn you when food is about to go bad (based on AI or manually inputting expiration dates), suggest dishes you can make based on ingredients you have at hand and your preferences, and remind you to stock up on supplies or replace the water filter. And being part of Samsung’s Bespoke line of smart home appliances, you can also pick the designs that will better match the rest of your kitchen, presenting a modern fridge that’s not only very intelligent but also quite stunning as well.

Shift Robotics Moonwalker X Robot Shoes

Some people fear that robots and, now, AI will take away their jobs, but that hasn’t exactly happened nor will it in the foreseeable future. Robots, in particular, can be used to augment rather than replace human abilities, especially when they come in a form you would have never expected for a robot. Shift Robotics’ Moonwalker X, for example, hardly looks anything like one, but these redesigned robotic shoes with small wheels will give people more mobility and safety in their line of work.

Designer: Shift Robotics

Made for workers in industries that require a lot of going around places, sometimes while carrying heavy loads, the Moonwalker X aims to enhance walking by turning it into a safe glide. Designed to strap over your own shoes like sandals, the 10 small wheels underneath carry your weight without weighing you down. The new design is lighter, more comfortable to wear, and easier to maneuver, so workers spend less time worrying about how to use the robotic shoes and more time getting things done.

Timekettle X1 AI Interpreter Hub

The world might seem like a smaller place thanks to the Internet, but language barriers still keep us apart. Human language can be complicated and nuanced, making it difficult for conventional computer software to translate one language to another, much less in real-time. Timekettle, however, has been making strides in developing technologies that break down these barriers, and its new X1 AI Interpreter Hub further enhances the experience, delivering a single compact package for all your translation needs, wherever you go and without missing a single word.

Designer: Timekettle

Artificial intelligence today has proven to be quite adept at handling the intricacies of human languages, both written and spoken. Harnessing this powerful tool, the Timekettle X1 Interpreter Hub offers the equivalent of having a professional UN interpreter at your beck and call. The standalone device doesn’t need to be paired with a smartphone or have an app installed, so you can get up and running, or rather talking, immediately. Providing both online and offline translations, a recording mode, and, more importantly, simultaneous multi-way translation between as many as 20 people, this AI-powered translation tool is all that you need to make those important connections that transcend geographic and linguistic borders.

UGREEN Nexode Pro 160W GaN Charger

It almost feels like scrambling for a wall socket or power outlet is now an inescapable part of modern life. Juggling multiple devices at the same time is already a hassle, but having to charge them all at the same time can be a hellish experience. Different devices come with different charging needs and different chargers, and you can never be sure if one will work for the others, forcing you to bring as many chargers as you have devices. Thankfully, that’s not the case, especially with UGREEN’s new Nexode Pro 160W GaN Charger, the one charger to rule them all, including your MacBook.

Designer: UGREEN

It’s almost amusing how the 16-inch MacBook Pro has become the measuring rod by which chargers are judged, but that’s because of how power-hungry it can be. With a maximum output of 160W, the UGREEN Nexode Pro doesn’t even break a sweat, quite literally too. GaN technology allows the charger to have a small and compact shape while still maintaining maximum power efficiency, heat management, and safety. Plus, you won’t be hogging the socket just to charge the four devices you can plug into it, perhaps even earning you some friends in the process.

Vaonis Hestia Smart Telescope

Our smartphones are already impressive on their own, but they open the doors to even more mind-blowing possibilities with the right accessory or device. Their cameras, for example, can already take breathtaking photos and videos, but imagine what they can do when you connect them with something that can actually see farther, even to the depths of space. That’s the premise behind Vaonis’ latest masterpiece, the Hestia, which turns your smartphone into a smart telescope just by placing it on top of a portable box.

Designer: Vaonis

Looking almost like a mini projector, the Vaonis Hestia utilizes the imaging sensors and computing power of your smartphone and combines it with sophisticated optics to view the night sky in all its grandeur or, with the proper filter, even the sun during a momentous solar eclipse. The easy-to-use Gravity app not only becomes your guide to the night sky, but it also lets you take expansive and incredible shots by stitching multiple short exposures and utilizing image-enhancing algorithms. The Vaonis Hestia makes it easy to expand your world and your mind with the wonders of the universe, a skill that will be quite in demand as we move closer to space tourism and colonization.

Xreal Air 2 Ultra Mixed Reality Glasses

While it’s undeniable that the announcement of the Apple Vision Pro had a big impact on the mixed reality market, it’s also too easy to forget that there have been people playing in that field for years already. Xreal, formerly called Nreal, has been making AR glasses since 2019, and now it’s jumping into the spatial computing arena with the Xreal Air 2 Ultra with a more open ecosystem and actual glasses rather than a headset.

Designer: Xreal

Like its previous Air glasses, the Xreal Air 2 Ultra takes the form of large black sunglasses, something easier to put on and take off compared to even a comfy headset like the Vision Pro. That bulk is necessary to cram important sensors for features like full positional or six degrees of freedom (6DoF) tracking, hand tracking, and more. More importantly, Xreal’s device is compatible with more devices, ironically including the iPhone, which can’t be said of Apple’s ecosystem. Lightweight, stylish, and significantly more versatile, the Xreal Air 2 Ultra offers a promising design that will make spatial computing more available to everyone.

The post Best of CES 2024: Tech Designs for Smarter, More Comfortable Living first appeared on Yanko Design.

Best of IFA 2023: Top 20 Designs for Smarter Living

Technology is all around us, and not just in the form of computers and smartphones that we use every day. They come in many shapes, sizes, levels of complexity, and price tags, but all of them have the same purpose: to make life easier, safer, and even healthier. The past years have seen an influx of technologies for use inside homes, creating an ecosystem of smart appliances and devices designed to take some of the stress away from daily life. Many of these products have converged at the IFA 2023 trade fair in Berlin, where brands big and small showcase their latest wares and ideas. Whether you’re in Berlin yourself or just watching from the Internet sidelines, the number of names and products can be quite overwhelming, so we’ve whittled that list down to the top 20 product designs that will help you live productive and comfortable lives.

AnkerMake M5 3D Printer

Almost everyone has had a dream to create something, whether it’s an art project, a toy, or even a replacement part for broken equipment. Of course, it’s not that easy to actually turn those ideas into reality, even if you have the skill for planning and drawing out those objects. You’ll still need a way to craft those things into solid, three-dimensional forms, a process that used to require access to a production line but can now be done with a home 3D printer.

Designer: AnkerMake

Best known for its portable batteries, Anker recently branched out to add an unexpected category to their portfolio under a new brand. But while there are countless 3D printers already available for use at home or in small offices, the AnkerMake M5 easily sets itself apart not only with its simplicity of design but also with its mouth-watering price tag, at least for the features it offers, which includes AI detection and a camera for video streaming and making timelapse. There’s even the AnkerMake M5C, which pushes the cost down to a more affordable figure. AnkerMake is effectively making such creation tools accessible to almost everyone who has the dream and the will to learn how to turn digital ideas into real-world objects.

Bluetti EP600 Modular Home Energy Storage System

Electric power has become a critical necessity in modern life, especially with our reliance on consumer electronics, but it has always been a precious limited resource that is also killing the planet in many ways. Although it is definitely possible to generate electricity from more sustainable and renewable sources, the amount of power that’s generated and stored is often insufficient for anything but the smallest of appliances, at least until now.

Designer: Bluetti

Building upon the strong foundations of its portable solar generators, Bluetti has expanded its portfolio to include less portable batteries, ones that are designed to hold enough power to light up the whole house and then some. The Bluetti EP600 is the latest design in this line, providing a modular system that lets you start small and later grow your energy storage system to meet your growing needs. Depending on the configuration, you can store up to 39.68Wh of power, more than enough for a few days off the grid. And, of course, these batteries can be charged using solar energy alone, allowing you to live on green energy for as much as you like.

CASETiFY Ultra Bounce Case

Manufacturers naturally design their phones to be beautiful and durable, but let’s face it, not all designs suit everyone’s tastes and not all phones survive the smallest accidents. That’s why there’s a thriving market for cases, for protection or for decoration, but it’s rare to find designs that attempt to do both. Of course, those do exist, and the new CASETiFY Ultra Bounce Case is one that tries to satisfy both needs.

Designer: CASETiFY

In addition to utilizing a 6-layer Rugged Protection System, the case also has unique expanded corners with air cavities that provide structural support and rigidity when the phone drops on one of its corners, the most common reason why screens crack. At the same time, CASETiFY offers customization options for fonts, colors, and patterns that make each case truly unique and truly yours. And as if those didn’t already check the right boxes, each case is also made from 65% upcycled cases through its Re/CASETiFY program that has diverted more than 430,000 phone cases from landfills, the equivalent of over 40,000 kg of plastic.

EcoFlow Wave 2 Portable Air Conditioner

Regardless of your beliefs, it’s impossible to day how the world seems to be getting warmer and warmer. That has created the ironic and unfortunate situation of people consuming more electricity to keep themselves cool with electric fans or air conditioning units. The latter, while effective in cooling, have even greater negative effects on the planet and your wallet, not to mention being inconvenient for their stationary designs. Stepping a bit away from its comfort zone, battery power station maker EcoFlow has launched its line of portable air conditioners, and its latest model steps up the game in both efficiency and sustainability.

Designer: EcoFlow

You’d be forgiven for mistaking the EcoFlow Wave 2 for one of the company’s power stations because they share the same design language. This sleek box, however, is meant to keep you cool anywhere you need it or, or even get you warmed up should the circumstances require it. While portable cooling is already a big advantage, its use of the R290 natural refrigerant helps minimize its carbon footprint, even in the worst heat wave. And like any EcoFlow product, you can also charge this using solar energy, continuing that clean and green theme.

ECOVACS Winbot W2

Even before “smart home” was a thing, robot vacuum cleaners were already rolling on some floors, sucking up dirt and undesirable particles from the ground. Floors and carpets, however, are not the only things that could use some automated help, and some parts of the house are, in fact, in greater need of some robotic assistance. ECOVACS is trying to corner the market in robotic window cleaners, and the new WINBOT W2 tries to take that niche product line to the next level.

Designer: ECOVACS

Using its suction power to cling to a slippery vertical window, the new WINBOT W2 delivers not only enhanced cleaning but also enhanced reliability. A new two-in-one composite cable does both retraction and release with a single cord, while the new multifunctional station provides a home where the robot can stay and recharge its battery. With a wider spray angle and three nozzles, the ECOVACS WINBOT W2 is able to reach more areas previously inaccessible to its predecessors, promising improved cleaning efficiency by as much as 30%.

Electrolux AEG 800 SpahirMatt Induction Hob

When people talk about smart home appliances, most probably think of TVs, speakers, lights, and vacuum cleaners. The kitchen, however, is also in need of an upgrade, especially considering how many of the tasks can be easily automated. That said, one doesn’t need to go overboard with hi-tech features to make kitchen appliances better. Sometimes, just a single material change could have significant improvements in people’s lives.

Designer: Electrolux/AEG

That’s the kind of change that the Electrolux AEG Series 8000 SaphirMatt Induction Hob brings to the table, or to your kitchen rather. Most induction hobs have shiny and slippery glass surfaces, but this exquisite spin on a common sight in the kitchen uses a special kind of ceramic glass called SaphirMatt. In addition to bringing a unique matte texture that’s never before seen on any induction hob, this material also promises four times better scratch resistance, 80% less reflectiveness, and is even easier to clean than conventional glass tops. And, of course, it makes your hob easily stand out, adding a bit of class to your kitchen.

Fairphone 5

Smartphone makers try their best to make the most durable phones possible without making them look like miniature tanks, but that doesn’t mean they’re impervious to damage or immortal. These often expensive devices still meet accidents or require some repair after a few years, and that’s when the ugly truth about these beautiful phones is revealed. With very few exceptions, almost all smartphones are designed to be expensive or difficult to repair, especially on your own.

Designer: Fairphone

Fairphone has been one of those rare exceptions, and its latest iteration definitely steps up the game. While the Fairphone 5 still boasts the usually ethically sourced materials and easy repair process, what really makes it special is how it is catching up with mainstream specs. That list includes using a 90Hz OLED screen, dual 50MP cameras on the back, a 50MP selfie shooter, and 8 years of software updates. While it is likely to run into accidents or broken components, the Fairphone 5 is at least designed to make it easy to extend its life until you finally give up and move on.

Lenovo Legion 9i Gaming Laptop

Gaming laptops are a great way to not only enjoy content anywhere but also to make it, giving both gamers and creators a portable workstation for their needs. Physics, however, often puts a cap on these computers’ performance, especially when processors have to be throttled to prevent the laptop from overheating. Sophisticated cooling systems are a hallmark of desktops, but Legion is attempting to change that with its coolest gaming laptop yet, literally and figuratively.

Designer: Lenovo

The Lenovo Legion 9i is equipped with a Legion Coldfront integrated liquid-cooling system, a first for a 16-inch laptop, designed to allow you to push the machine to 230W TDP. An AI-tuned triple cooling fan system also helps keep the laptop cool even under the most intense gaming sessions or video rendering. What makes this laptop even more special is the use of forged carbon chips for its A-cover, not only offsetting the added weight of the liquid cooling system but also giving each Legion 9i a unique pattern and identity.

Lenovo Legion Go

Thanks to the success of the Nintendo Switch, handheld gaming devices have become popular again. It was only a matter of time before that trend landed on the PC market. From the Steam Deck to half a dozen small brands, handheld PCs have been trying to woo gamers off their desks and couches and tempting them with the idea of being able to play anywhere. As the world’s biggest PC maker, Lenovo is naturally not going to be left behind, and its new Legion Go is attempting to set the standard for handheld gaming PCs.

Designer: Lenovo

The Lenovo Legion Go immediately sets itself apart from the competition with its removable side controllers, not unlike the Nintendo Switch, and a built-in full-width kickstand for those who will want to play on a table anyway. It tries its best to cram as much of the console experience inside a small package, including configurable rear “paddles.” Lenovo’s experience goes beyond just the device itself, with Legion Glasses that give you a much larger screen when and where you need it. The added bonus is that this device comes from a reputable brand, giving some assurance and peace of mind when it comes to longevity and support.

LG 24-inch Built-in InstaView Oven

As one of the areas that sees a lot of work inside the house, there are plenty of opportunities to upgrade the kitchen experience. From smart appliances to AI-powered apps, preparing and cooking food shouldn’t be that big of a burden these days. At the same time, kitchen products also present an opportunity to create a more pleasing and welcoming atmosphere with their designs, and LG’s latest suite of built-in kitchen appliances delivers on both fronts.

Designer: LG

Of the new built-in kitchen package, the new 24-inch InstaView oven takes the spotlight not just because of its design but also because of its efficiency, rated at A++. That’s thanks to optimized heating control and a four-layered glass door that helps keep the heat in and conserve energy. The InstaView feature also lets owners check the food inside without having to open the door, further keeping the heat locked in.

LG StandbyME Go Lifestyle Screen

Watching videos on the go or outdoors has become a popular pastime, especially thanks to smartphones and tablets. Those, however, can’t recreate the experience of sharing those moments with others because of their small screens. Portable laser projectors do exist, but those always leave you at the mercy of your environment. A large but portable screen is still your best bet, and LG just revealed a design that is head-turning in every way.

Designer: LG

The LG StandbyME Go is practically a 27-inch touch screen that comes inside a suitcase. It comes with all the features you’ll need to enjoy videos and even games, whether outdoors or indoors, including a 3-hour battery life away from a power plug. You will not be carrying this around everywhere you go, of course, but having it always ready inside a car or van, ready for a weekend outdoor getaway, will definitely help fill in those empty and awkward moments of silence when you have nothing else to do.

Onyx BOOX Tab Mini C

E Ink devices have come a long way since the earliest days of the Amazon Kindle, and many such products have blurred the lines between eReader and tablets. With the arrival of color E Ink displays, the gap gets even smaller, opening the doors to more things you can do with the eye-friendly device. Onyx BOOX has been at the forefront of these innovations, and its latest color tablet brings all those desirable features into a more convenient package.

Designer: Onyx BOOX

It might be more accurate to call the Onyx BOOX Tab Mini C an Android tablet with an E-Ink screen, but that doesn’t make it any less interesting. Although its 7.8-inch screen is smaller than the large BOOX Tab Ultra C, it doesn’t skimp out on the features. Plus, it makes the device more comfortable to hold for long periods of time, making it even more ideal for reading while still keeping the doors open for other activities, such as note-taking, web browsing, typing, and any other experience that Android apps can offer.

RingConn Smart Ring

Although smartwatches have finally found their place in our lives, some people are still on the fence about switching away from their beloved timepieces. Fortunately, if keeping track of your health is all that matters to you, there are other more discreet designs now available. Smart rings have started making their presence known, and RingConn is one of the brands that is pushing the envelope of what these wearable devices are capable of.

Designer: RingConn

Beautifully minimal yet fully featured, the RingConn Smart Ring has all the activity, sleep, and health-tracking features you could ever want. It doesn’t get in your way and lets you wear your favorite mechanical watches, a win-win situation for any style-conscious user. More importantly, however, RingConn doesn’t hide its functionality behind subscription fees, allowing you to access all the data and insights you need to live a healthier lifestyle.

Roborock S8 Pro Ultra

Robot vacuum cleaners are the predecessors of today’s smart home appliances, but it was only recently that these floor-cleaning machines have started to become smarter and more useful. In addition to self-navigation, these automated vacuum cleaners have also become more convenient in how they can clean themselves, minimizing the need for human intervention and exposure to harmful substances. In this regard, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra offers the ultimate hands-free convenience, letting you just relax knowing that you barely have to lift a finger to get that chore done.

Designer: Roborock

Roborock’s latest flagship has it all when it comes to self-maintenance. It can empty its dust and water bins, clean and dry its mops, and even refill its water, leaving you to only take out the trash when it finally gets full. And with its intelligent detection of floors and carpets, you can also rest assured that the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra will get the right job done as efficiently and as quietly as possible.

Samsung Smart Food Platform

Smart homes are smart not just because of the Internet-connected hardware but especially because of the software that ties the many pieces together. Automating when appliances turn on and off is one thing, but adjusting to a person’s needs and preferences really takes the cake. Nowhere is that more needed than in the kitchen, and Samsung is launching a new AI-powered platform that connects different pieces together to bring you the best recipes and meals to suit your taste and diet.

Designer: Samsung

Smart Food is primarily a software platform that helps you discover and customize dishes tailored to your personal preferences, with the help of AI, of course. It doesn’t stop at your smartphone, however, and integrates with Samsung’s other smart home products. It can show those recipes on the Bespoke Family Hub refrigerator screens, for example, and alert you if certain ingredients are running low. It can also set timers and preheat ovens, helping reduce the time and energy needed to make a scrumptious meal.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Foldable Phone

Although foldable phones have been around for a while now, it’s only recently that they’re finally taking root in people’s minds. That’s partly thanks to the “flip” style foldables that feel more approachable and look more fashionable. There are quite a few players in this segment now, but Samsung recently showed that it’s still ahead of the race with the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

Designer: Samsung

The latest clamshell foldable from Samsung improves many things, but its biggest claim to fame is the larger and more capable external Cover Screen. Samsung is also pushing the device as a fashionable accessory with its Flipsuit cases that use NFC to automatically change the phone’s Theme when they’re put on. That opens the door to branding partnerships and collectibles that many younger users will surely love.

SwitchBot S10 Vacuum Cleaner

Robot vacs that combine sucking and mopping are pretty convenient, until the time when you need to take out the dirty water bins and refill the tank. While dust bins have designs that prevent your hands from getting dirty, there’s really no way around having to throw out dirty water on your own. That is until now. The SwitchBot S10 could very well be the smartest robot cleaner around, removing almost all the potential health hazards in maintaining the machine itself.

Designer: SwitchBot

The SwitchBot S10’s killer feature is how it can drain and refill its water on its own, thanks to a separate station that you can connect to existing plumbing. Along with its hygienic dust tank, cleaning out the vacuum has never been easier and safer. As a bonus, the SwitchBot S10 can even refill your humidifier’s water, presuming it’s the compatible SwitchBot Humidifier 2 that has also just been announced.

XGIMI Horizon Ultra 4K Long Throw Projector

Home projectors are becoming more popular these days as more people try to banish large TVs from their homes. There’s honestly quite a large number of options to choose from, making it hard to pick the best one for your needs. If you want a combination of performance, price, and beauty, however, the XGIMI Horizon Ultra is the one to beat.

Designer: XGIMI

Although it’s a long-throw projector, this stylish box is something you’d be proud to put on display anywhere in the room. It isn’t just good looks, though, because it also boasts bright and clear images thanks to the use of dual light sources. For all its features, it’s impressive that the XGIMI Horizon Ultra still comes in a compact form and with a price tag that puts its competitors to shame.

Yaber K300 Ultra Short Throw Projector

Regardless of their design, not many people might want or can afford to have a projector somewhere in the middle of the room. That’s the problem that USTs or ultra-short throw projectors try to solve, allowing you to put the box almost right next to a wall or screen. Again, there are many options in this segment, and the upcoming Yaber K300 will be challenging other players with its big projection and bright images.

Designer: Yaber

The Yaber K300 is the brand’s first laser project and it will be utilizing a triple laser technology from the get-go to deliver that much-desired visual detail. It can project a screen as large as 150 inches from a very short distance and features automatic focus and keystone correction. All of these are packed in a compact and stylish form that turns the projector into a decorative piece when not in use.

Yeelight Smart Cube Lamp

You don’t always need fancy and expensive gadgets to give your home or room an upgrade. Sometimes, all you need is the right kind of light to add a splash of color to your space and maybe inspire your creativity. There are plenty of smart lights with RGB colors that paint your room with colors, but Yeelight’s modular Smart Cube Lamp system puts an interesting twist to that concept.

Designer: Yeelight

Made of three RGB cubes that serve different purposes, the Yeelight Smart Cube system lets you mix and match spotlights, smooth diffused lights, and matrix lights to your preferences. The Cube Matrix, in particular, can be programmed to show different patterns, including a clock or some text. While they might not be able to illuminate the entire room, these cubes can definitely change or enhance the mood, bringing a splash of fun colors and designs to your space.

The post Best of IFA 2023: Top 20 Designs for Smarter Living first appeared on Yanko Design.

Best of MWC 2023: Mobile Gets Design-Conscious

Mobile devices have long been a part of our modern lives, from the smartphones that are always in our hands to the smartwatches on our wrists to even the laptops that have become our reliable mobile work partners. Despite almost two decades since the iPhone paved the way for modern smartphones, these devices have mostly been seen as geeky products that are more obsessed with specs and features rather than the humans using them. Trends, however, have started to change, and the players in this industry have started paying closer attention to the value of design, almost to the point of making it the next buzzword. MWC 2023 is unsurprisingly filled with the latest mobile innovations and thought experiments, but it is also showcasing the growing design awareness among brands. This year, we’ve taken a tour of what’s up for show in Barcelona to bring you Yanko Design’s top picks for the Best Product Designs at MWC 2023.

ABLE Human Motion

We easily take our physical capabilities for granted until we suddenly see ourselves deprived of some of them. Some people, however, are not so lucky and might be born with some disability or encounter a tragic accident sometime in their lives. With today’s technologies, they shouldn’t have to be forever confined to a wheelchair or worse, and thankfully there are now many companies utilizing modern tools and techniques to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

Designer: ABLE Human Motion

ABLE Human Motion, for example, is dedicated to helping people with walking disabilities enjoy life to the fullest. We’ve seen exoskeletons designed to give well-bodied people more strength to lift or move stuff, but ABLE Human Motion’s exoskeletons are instead made to give people back what they might have lost. Best of all, you won’t feel embarrassed wearing something sleek and well-designed, especially if it makes you look like some armored superhero in the process.

Honor Magic Vs

It might still baffle people as much as awe them, but foldables are slowly but surely becoming more common in the market. Samsung still remains the most familiar brand in that niche market but was never the only one. Due to some rather colorful circumstances, however, Huawei’s foldable phones barely made it outside of China. Fortunately, its former subsidiary is helping bring its legacy to the global market, and it’s posing a challenge to Samsung’s dominance.

Designer: Honor

The Honor Magic Vs, an updated version of the brand’s first foldable, carries a mix of specs and features that definitely stir things up a bit. Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold, there is no gap when the phone is folded shut, a trait that is becoming more common among non-Samsung foldables. Its external display is interestingly curved at one edge only, making it visually distinct from other horizontal foldables. It isn’t perfect, of course, but another player in the market creates variety and good competition that will only help foldables grow.

HTC Vive XR Elite

Meta seems to be playing with fire when it comes to its metaverse vision and even its Quest line of VR hardware. It might have the luxury of playing around, but HTC is all-in on the extended reality or XR industry, whatever buzzword you might call it. On the heels of the Meta Quest Pro, HTC unveiled its own standalone Vive XR Elite headset, offering a design that seems to take us closer to that ideal minimalist eyewear painted by science fiction and Hollywood.

Designer: HTC Vive

As the product’s name suggests, the HTC Vive XR Elite takes the headset beyond just virtual reality, sprinkling a bit of augmented reality into the mix. Its more impressive feat, however, is being able to cram even better hardware inside a more compact design that makes you feel like you’re wearing large glasses rather than ski goggles. It’s still far ways off from sleek Tony Stark shades, but it represents a significant step forward in a market that has seemingly stagnated of late.

Huawei Watch Buds

The popularity of wireless earbuds only confirmed what we had known all along, that most humans have become terrible at remembering even the simplest things. Now people are likely to lose one of two buds, forget the charging case at home, or forget to charge the buds before going out. These accessories aren’t smart enough yet to remind you of all those things, so one stopgap measure it make sure they’re always with you all the time, always charged, and ready to go when you need them.[/caption]

Designer: Huawei

The new Nokia 5710 XpressAudio solves that by turning the phone into the buds’ charging case, but obviously, that can’t happen with our very thin smartphones. Huawei’s solution is to put the buds inside a smartwatch instead, creating a locket-like cover that reveals teeny earbuds charging inside. Sure, the design makes plenty of compromises, and it looks almost comical to a certain degree. It’s hard to deny, however, that the novelty certainly has appeal, especially if you’re the type to fancy yourself as a secret agent with spy tools hidden inside their timepiece.

Huawei Watch GT Cyber

Although many decry how smartwatches present fake luxury, there are definitely benefits in having the ability to change a watch face to fit your style or even your changing mood. That’s only true for the display, though, since you’re practically stuck with whatever watch body you purchased. At most, you can swap out straps for other colors or materials, but the chassis for the watch itself remains unchanged.

Designer: Huawei

The Huawei Watch GT Cyber tries to change the status quo by letting you swap out cases as well. Granted, the available cases all look more like stylish tanks, but the idea itself is probably something worth exploring. It does require a healthy ecosystem of case makers to meet the varied tastes of consumers; otherwise, it remains a design experiment with no future in sight.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 (woven Flax Cover)

Unless you’re going for a gaming heavyweight, chances are you’d want a laptop that’s sleek and stylish, almost like a luxury item you’d want everyone to drool over while you work in public. Plenty of laptops do fit that bill with their brushed metal or shiny covers, but nothing grabs the attention better than something that’s not common fare as far as laptops go. That “wow” factor is definitely what the new ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 is going for, particularly with its brown, fabric-like cover that’s sure to turn eyes and heads around you.

Designer: Lenovo

This material, however, isn’t just eye-catching. Made from 100% agricultural product harvested from Flax plant fibers, this woven Flax material increases the new laptop’s sustainability prospect while also making it stand out with its unique elegance. This material is bonded to the top cover, which itself is made from 75% recycled aluminum. Thankfully, the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 isn’t just a pretty face, either, and it possesses the best that Lenovo has to offer for businesses and consumers alike.

ThinkPhone by Motorola

Motorola is one of the oldest names in the mobile phone market, predating even the smartphones that now rule the land, but now it is also under the ownership of yet another giant that has the lion’s share of the PC market. Given its history and pedigree, it was really only a matter of time before these two worlds collided in a very particular way, so the arrival of a ThinkPad-branded Motorola phone was both surprising but also long overdue.

Designer: Lenovo

Unlike a typical smartphone, even those made by Motorola, the ThinkPhone wants to make its association with the popular laptop brand obvious. From the iconic branding to the diagonal patterns running across its back, this phone wants to stand out visually among the rest of the crowd as something meant for serious business. It also has plenty of integration features with Lenovo’s ThinkPads, so its intention to be a mobile partner to those laptops is also unambiguous and clear.

Nokia G22

Today’s smartphones are beautiful and powerful pieces of technology, but all that becomes pointless when the battery dies out, or the screen gets cracked beyond use. Repairing phones is expensive and difficult, but it doesn’t exactly have to be that way; just that the current mobile industry has been set up that way. There are few champions of longer-lasting and easier-to-repair phones, and HMD Global just joined that club with the new Nokia G22.

Designer: HMD Global

Unlike the excruciatingly tedious and nerve-racking processes you’d see in teardown videos, it only takes a guitar pick and a screwdriver to open up this phone. Five minutes is all you need to pull out the battery and 20 minutes to replace a broken screen. It’s not exactly a trivial process, at least not yet, but it’s exponentially better than what we have as “standard” today. Hopefully, this trend will catch on so that we can have beautiful phones that last for years, no matter how many times you accidentally drop them.

Nothing Phone (1)

The phone (1) gets an honorary mention here for doing what no other phone company has managed to do with their debut product… make a big, industry-wide splash. While industry giants merely dismissed the Nothing phone (1)’s Glyph Interface as just a gimmick, it was surprising to see companies like OnePlus, Realme, and Unihertz copying the lighting feature on their own phones, announced at MWC this week. Major win for Nothing and its founder, Carl.

Designer: Nothing

The phone (1) is just the beginning for this new fledgling brand, and it gets the award for its impact, but also for holding its title of being the Flagship killer. Available now at just $299, the phone (1) is an absolute steal, with its drop-dead gorgeous design, more-than-average chipset, and impressive battery-life upgrade thanks to the new NothingOS 1.5 update. Of course, the transparent back and Glyph Interface still have our thumbs up, and we can’t wait to see what future devices will look like.

OnePlus 11 Concept

OnePlus’s claim to fame was that it Never Settled for mediocrity, trying to push the limits of what a smartphone can deliver without pumping the price up too much. Although it couldn’t stem the tide of market prices forever, it continues to be the outlier among its peers. It’s also one of the few brands willing to make seemingly crazy and outlandish experiments that may or may not become a real product. After the disappearing camera act of the OnePlus Concept One, the company is setting its sights on something cooler, literally and figuratively.

Designer: OnePlus

In a nutshell, the OnePlus 11 Concept’s Active CryoFlux is like PC liquid cooling for phones used to create a stunning visual effect. The concept phone’s clear back becomes something like a light show as the icy blue cooling liquid flows through pipes and around the circular camera bump. It’s definitely quite the sight to behold, and OnePlus naturally makes big claims about its effectiveness in keeping a phone cool, allowing it to maintain good frame rates longer. If it does become a retail model, it will definitely appeal to mobile gamers that might want something a bit different from the usual RGB designs.

OPPO Find N2 Flip

Although book-type horizontal foldable phones are definitely jaw-dropping the first time you see them, even Samsung admits that the clamshell-type foldables are more popular and approachable. Whether it’s because of their more familiar form or because of their more accessible price tag, the likes of the Galaxy Z Flip are expected to make up the majority of sales in this category. Ironically, there are even fewer players on this court, which makes OPPO’s belated challenger also more significant.

Designer: OPPO

Like its horizontal sibling, the OPPO Find N2 Flip pushes the envelope with what you can do with this kind of foldable. It offers a larger external screen and a more competitive set of cameras, packed together with flagship-level hardware and a nearly crease-less display. There are a few kinks here, and some missed opportunities there, but for a first attempt, it’s definitely a laudable move forward for the entire market segment.

OPPO Air Glasses 2

The high-profile failure of the Google Glass made many companies a bit warier of turning regular specs into AR-equipped devices, but that dream never really died. The industry now seems to be better prepared for this kind of wearable, and some are setting expectations right. It’s not going to be the hi-tech secret agent device of fiction, but the OPPO Air Glass 2 definitely takes the cake for being one of the most discreet smart eyewear around.

Designer: OPPO

Lightweight and sleek, the OPPO Air Glass 2 focuses (no pun intended) on a set of features that is more relatable rather than fancy, including real-time translation and captioning, navigation, and, of course, some messaging. The display seems like it’s embedded in the lens itself, but you can actually change it to use corrective lenses for those with eyesight problems. It’s admittedly less sensational than other AR glasses, but it is ultimately more practical and more approachable for regular consumers.

Qualcomm Snapdragon AR and XR Platforms

Although the rhetoric around the metaverse seems to have died down a bit, companies are still pushing the envelope in making the technologies empowering it more accessible. That means more headsets and glasses that try to deliver an extended reality experience without weighing us down or making us look laughable in public. There are quite a number of devices now that offer these capabilities without tying you down to a stationary desktop or laptop, and many of these standalone VR, AR, or XR wearables are unsurprisingly powered by Qualcomm’s processors.

Designer: Qualcomm

Qualcomm is the world’s leading silicon maker for mobile devices, but the large Snapdragon family doesn’t just cover smartphones, tablets, or even laptops. It also powers wearables, from smartwatches to this new generation of headsets and eyewear that carry their own computing power inside of them. As these devices get sleeker and more fashionable, it won’t be surprising to see Qualcomm’s Snapdragon AR and XR dominating this market as well, powering the gear that will make the metaverse, or whatever its name will be, our next real universe.

realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola Edition

Smartphones are no longer just hi-tech tools to make our lives easier, they have also become tools for self-expression. People slap on stickers, skins, and cases not just for protection but also for show, displaying their favorite colors, characters, brands, and much more. Some smartphone makers have tried to tap into this trend, and realme just one-upped everyone else with a partnership you never saw coming.

Designer: realme

You can definitely try to force some associations between smartphones and the world’s most popular beverage, but the realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola Edition is definitely special even without that. The mere fact that it’s weird and quirky speaks to the youthful and energetic vibe that both brands are aiming for. The phone itself is actually well-designed, and the attention to detail extends even to the smallest thing, like a SIM tray ejector in the shape of a bottle cap. It doesn’t hurt that the hardware is quite competitive as well, so die-hard Coca-Cola fans won’t feel left behind if they get their hands on this limited edition collector’s item.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Series

There are definitely many people that dislike how it diverges from the “vanilla” Android experience, but there’s no denying that Samsung is pretty much the leader of the Android market across many tiers. That doesn’t mean they always put out a winning flagship, like the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7, but they do have notable designs every so often. Although the Galaxy S23 series offers upgrades across the board, it looks almost similar to its 2022 predecessor, which is actually part of what makes it great.

Designer: Samsung

Rather than coming out with something different for the sake of being different, Samsung seems to have settled down on a more familiar and more stable design language that will become its DNA, at least in 2022 and 2023. This strategy has made the iPhones easily identifiable, even if you miss the telltale logo on the back. Additionally, the Galaxy S23 is a refreshing dose of minimalism at a time when smartphone camera bumps have become obnoxiously big. Hopefully, Samsung will stick to this classic look, even for just one more round.

Tecno Phantom V Fold

You know that foldable phones have made it big when even brands you might have never heard of start launching one. Tecno is a relatively younger and smaller player in the global scene, but it’s making a leap of faith by launching its first-ever foldable phone internationally from the get-go. The formula for horizontal foldables hasn’t exactly changed in the past four years, so it’s interesting to see newcomers that can bring fresh ideas to the table.

Designer: Tecno

The Tecno Phantom V Fold’s defining feature is pretty much its camera design, something you won’t see on any of its kind. The constrained spaces of foldable phones have pretty much limited where you could place components like camera sensors, so it is quite surprising that Tecno managed a feat that bigger brands have failed to accomplish. Whether that will be enough for it to grab sales, only time will tell, but it has definitely raised the bar for future foldables.

Xiaomi 13 Pro

Although we interact with our phone’s screens nearly 100% of the time, it’s really their backs that give them their character. Some manufacturers have taken that to heart perhaps a bit too much, creating camera and back designs that are truly eye-catching, though not always in a good way. Less sensational and simpler designs can sometimes be more memorable, and the new Xiaomi 13 Pro tries to walk the fine line between the two extremes with a unique yet minimalist design.

Designer: Xiaomi

The phone’s camera bump is admittedly big, but it tries to create the illusion of a smaller size by visually dividing it into three parts. That also has the effect of emphasizing each camera’s unique strength, especially because of their association with Leica. The back cover is also made from “medical-grade bio-ceramic material,” and while you won’t be able to see the difference, your hand will appreciate the softer touch. Of course, the Xiaomi 13 Pro also has premium specs, so you’d be getting your money’s worth both in looks and in performance.

Xiaomi AR Glass Discovery Edition

It seems that one of the most numerous mobile devices at this year’s event is smart eyewear. From full-on headsets like the HTC Vive XR Elite to more discreet glasses like the OPPO Air Glass 2, there is no shortage of wearables that offer all kinds of mixed reality experiences. This market segment is starting to get crowded, to Xiaomi is quickly making its presence known with an AR headset that could be one of the lightest of its kind.

Designer: Xiaomi

The Xiaomi AR Glass Discovery Edition might be a mouthful, but it practically encases the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1 inside a magnesium-titanium alloy and carbon fiber frame. That’s the same powerful processor that runs in the bulkier Meta Quest Pro but in a lighter body that only looks like oversized sunglasses. It still has to make room for hardware, of course, especially since it functions standalone without connecting to a computer. It’s still lighter than most AR and VR headsets but promises nearly the same capabilities without burdening your head too much.

ZTE nubia Pad 3D

3D is becoming more than just something you see in movies or games. With the advent of mixed reality technologies and experiences, the role that 3D objects play has become a little more significant. Most people presume that enjoying 3D content would require wearing a headset or at least some special glasses like those you’d use in cinemas. There are now some TVs and even a few laptops that will let you see “real” 3D content without having to wear those glasses, but ZTE is presenting something that is more portable and potentially more usable by everyone.

Designer: ZTE

The nubia Pad 3D is perhaps the first tablet of its kind to enable viewing stereoscopic 3D content without any eyewear. It leverages Leia’s technology and ecosystem to power its features, not just for viewing 3D content but also transforming plain 2D content, like streamed videos, into something you view in 3D. The large 12.4-inch slate has dual cameras front and back to also allow users to become creators as well, generating 3D visuals from real-world objects or even their faces.

The post Best of MWC 2023: Mobile Gets Design-Conscious first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Best of CES 2023: The Future of Better Living Today

Starting the year right often involves putting your best foot forward. For most people, that means making New Year’s resolutions that they hope won’t get broken after just a few weeks. For those playing in the consumer electronics arena, that translates to showing off their best products, designs, and ideas in Las Vegas. Unsurprisingly, CES 2023 is filled to the brim with devices, gadgets, and products across different industries and catering to people from different walks of life. Some are expected and even commonplace, while others look out of this world for better or worse. Whether it’s a shiny new gaming laptop, a health-tracking ring, or even a flying car, all of these designs are united in their mission to help improve our lives. Without further ado, here are Yanko Design’s Best of CES 2023 awardees, showcasing some of the best products designed to improve our quality of life here and now.

Acer Halo Swing Smart Speaker

Smart speakers have now become commonplace, and that market congestion has thankfully given birth to plenty of new designs. At first glance, the new Acer Halo Swing smart speaker seems almost old-school, sporting the same canister design of first-gen smart speakers, though a little bit boxier. Looks can be deceiving, however, and Acer’s smart speaker will pleasantly surprise you with some eclectic design choices that easily charm their way into your heart.

Designer: Acer

Right off the bat, the Acer Halo Swing comes with a transparent base that displays psychedelic colors once you start pumping out tunes. Beneath the black fabric exterior, you’ll also discover an LED dot matrix display that can show the time, weather, or other icons to spruce up the visual experience while listening or dancing to the music. In all honesty, these design elements would normally clash with each other, but the Acer Halo Swing smart speaker miraculously blends them together into a quirky and memorable product that adds a little flavor to your listening experience, whether indoors or even outdoors.

AeviceMD Wearable Stethoscope

We have plenty of wearable devices today that can measure and keep track of various aspects of our health, but almost all of them do so indirectly through our wrists or fingers. Compared to dedicated medical equipment, these smartwatches, smart fitness bands, and smart rings can really only make approximations, but they come with the benefit of having them always on your body, or at least most of the time. What if you could have one of those more accurate doctors’ tools available for your personal use all the time? That’s exactly the proposition that the AeviceMD is making, and it won’t be taking up room on your wrist to deliver it.

Designer: Aevice

The AeviceMD is nothing more than a small white disc that you stick to your chest, quite a far cry from the iconic stethoscope of medical practitioners. Despite that nondescript appearance, however, the device is able to measure not just your heart rate but also your respiratory rate, something that no smartwatch is able to do. It can also detect wheezing and coughing, which is critical for those with cardiopulmonary conditions. Of course, all the data it collects is still meant to be checked by a doctor, but the wearable device goes a long way in enabling 24/7 monitoring without having to see a doctor in person all the time.

Amazon Echo Show 15

Amazon has come a long way from the first-ever smart speaker that created a new market that still stands today. Although the Echo started as a modest and tall cylinder, the brand now encompasses a variety of devices, including those that aren’t just speakers anymore. Even the display-toting Echo Show now comes in a variety of sizes, and Amazon really went all out with the new Echo Show 15, which really takes the brand out of its comfort zone.

Designer: Amazon

Unlike the awkward first Amazon Echo Show devices that didn’t seem to know their proper place in your home, the Echo Show 15’s large 15.6-inch screen is clearly meant to be hung up on a wall. It is pretty much like an interactive picture frame or a wall display that acts as a portal to Amazon’s world. This is where the Echo Show’s UI really shines, inside a big, vibrant screen that displays all the necessary information that you need to see even from a distance. It can also be used for video calls, of course, though that might be a bit awkward, depending on where you’re hanging it. And, yes, it has native YouTube apps available for your large-screen viewing pleasure.

AMD Ryzen 7040 Laptop CPU

Rising like a phoenix, AMD has managed to recover its ground quickly and shake up the processor industry against an already rattled Intel. It has successfully gotten rid of the stigma of simply being a cheaper alternative and is now a force to reckon with. With its latest “Zen 4” architecture and Ryzen 7000 series, AMD is taking aim not just at gamers but also creators that need all the silicon they can get to produce astounding works of art and effective designs. And with its new “Phoenix Point” CPUs, it is taking that power and shoving it into this latest generation of laptops.

Designer: AMD

By introducing desktop-grade performance to laptops, AMD is opening the doors for more varied workflows, especially for creators still doing hybrid work. Although the CPU doesn’t exist nor work in isolation, the raw power that it offers gamers, designers, engineers, and broadcasters is no laughing matter, especially when there’s no discrete graphics card inside the laptop. With the introduction of a dedicated AI architecture in the Ryzen 7040 mobile CPU for upcoming laptops, AMD delivers the hardware resources required to boost the performance of new AI-powered experiences, from creative apps like Photoshop to real-time ray-tracing for games and videos. It’s also hard to ignore the appeal of more affordable laptops bearing AMD processors, especially when they’re just as or even more powerful than the competition.

Anker GaNPrime Technology

As we become more dependent on electronic devices like phones and laptops, so, too, have we become more beholden to the electricity that keeps these things running. Chargers and portable batteries have always been a big concern for consumers, not just because of their inconvenience but also because of their speed or lack thereof. Fast-charging tech in smartphones only works if you have fast chargers, and even then, it’s often something that a few brands and specific power bricks offer. Enter Anker’s GaNPrime technology, revolutionizing how charging works across a variety of products.

Designer: Anker

Utilizing Gallium Nitride or GaN, Anker’s latest line of chargers, power banks, and even power stations boast faster charging times, improved safety, and smaller packages. More efficient than the traditional silicon found inside charging hardware, GaNPrime is able to reduce the unavoidable energy loss incurred during this process. In addition to reducing downtime when you have to charge a device and reducing the physical size of the charging component, Anker GaNPrime Technology also helps save the environment by reducing carbon emissions through more efficient power use.

Aska eVTOL

We are living in a world where the idea of flying cars and their market-ready prototypes are already stirring the air at CES 2023. California-based visionary startup ASKA has brought A5, a fully functional eVTOL to the mega show in Las Vegas with a promised range of 250 miles when it finally hits the roads in 2026. Dubbed the “world’s first Drive and Fly,” the four-seater flying car wants to bridge the gap between land and sky commuting. The electric motor-powered flyer has large wings like a single-seater plane and six rotors that retract back in land-driving mode. For added range, the company has also fitted the flying car with a gasoline-powered engine.

Designer: Aska

The vehicle is crafted out of advanced metal materials in combination with a carbon fiber body for certified strength and safety rating. The company has incorporated in-wheel motor technology to operate with equal dexterity on the road and in the air. In particular, the drive mode hones dynamic handling capabilities with all-wheel-drive traction. ASKA has also announced the On-Demand ride service fueled by the fleet of multiple A5 vehicles that’ll change the complexion of transportation as we see it in the current era.

ASUS Spatial Vision 3D OLED Display

Whether it’s for games, movies, or the metaverse, 3D is becoming an expectation among many people. Both viewers and creators, however, often have to experience these seemingly realistic objects through literally tinted glasses or, worse, heavy headsets. It doesn’t have to be this way, especially if we can harness the power of technology to “hack” our eyes and fool our brains. That’s exactly what ASUS is bringing to the table with its Spatial Vision tech, giving creatives a new dimension to experiencing their work the way they were intended to be seen.

Designer: ASUS

It’s almost ironic how these 3D objects are created, tested, and refined in 2D space only, but such has been the status quo for decades. Thankfully, ASUS Spatial Vision applies modern technologies and sciences to monitor the viewer’s eyes and feed each one a different part of the image, creating a stereoscopic display that doesn’t require wearing specialized glasses or eyewear. By putting this innovation inside the new ProArt Studiobook 16 3D OLED and Vivobook Pro 16X 3D OLED, ASUS is empowering digital creatives to easily view their 3D work, be it models or games of visualizations for presentations, without the inconvenience of having to put on glasses and take them off again repeatedly. It creates a more seamless and non-disruptive workflow where you can switch from 2D to 3D at the push of a button.

ASUS ROG Azoth Keyboard

Gamers can be very particular about the peripherals they use, especially in competitive gaming, where the smallest detail could mean the difference between sweet victory and painful defeat. The variety of gaming keyboards, particularly mechanical ones, is almost overwhelming, and yet not all gamers will be satisfied with what’s available off the shelf. Gamers and heavy typists often try to pick and match parts to their liking, though that often ends up costing them more. ASUS’ Republic of Gamers wants to challenge that status quo with an affordable mechanical keyboard that they can customize to their hearts’ content.

Designer: ASUS Republic of Gamers

The ROG Azoth is a handsome mechanical gaming keyboard that could be a DIY hobbyist’s dream come true. If the switches aren’t to your liking, you can easily pull them out and switch them with something else, pun intended. In fact, ROG encourages you to do exactly that, providing a DIY kit that includes a lube for those switches. And once you’ve assembled your dream keyboard, the Azoth’s OLED display is the icing on top that adds both flair and functionality to your gaming sessions and work.

Bluetti AC300+B300 Modular Power Station

There has been a rise in the need for emergency power, and the traditional gasoline-chugging generators just don’t cut it anymore. Portable power stations, sometimes called portable solar generators, now offer a greener alternative that utilizes rechargeable batteries to deliver quiet and safe power, be it in an emergency or when camping outdoors. Just like with power banks, there’s almost no one size fits all and you’re often stuck with the size and capacity you bought. Not unless you invest in the Bluetti’s modular power station, the AC300, and its partner battery module, the B300.

Designer: Bluetti

Unlike your typical all-or-nothing power station, the AC300 itself is just the inverter part of the equation, providing 3000W of Pure Sine Wave AC power. What makes it notable and more flexible is that you can connect up to four 3,072Wh B300 battery modules for a whopping 12,288Wh of power. Of course, you can use only one, two, or three such modules, letting you and your circumstances decide how much power you need to bring rather than the product forcing you into a box. It also means that if one or the other module break, you can easily replace only that rather than throwing away the whole package, increasing the power station’s sustainable appeal.

BMW i Vision Dee Concept

If ever the iconic Pixar franchise Cars movie could be a real-life avatar, it would be the recently unveiled BMW i Vision Dee concept sedan at the CES 2023. The Dee means “Digital Emotional Experience” in the namesake and sets a new precedence in human-vehicle interaction. BMW has made it clear that the vehicle will not go beyond the conceptual stage, and some of the features exhibited will start trickling down to their future-forward vehicles in 2025. The car’s body is wrapped in 240 E-Ink panels, making it change color like a chameleon with 32 different color options at the driver’s disposal. Now is that cool or what?

Designer: BMW

The futuristic appeal doesn’t end there – i Vison Dee gets a nostalgic kidney grille capable of changing shape to mimic different facial expressions to express joy, astonishment, or visual approval. On the inside, the HUD expands to the entire windshield blurring the lines between real life and augmented reality for an AR driving experience. Of course, the three-box sedan can interact via voice commands to prompt the user to keep their eyes on the road. BMW wants the iVision Dee to be a companion with a sense of emotional intellect along with a lively character for a never before seen bond between man and machine.

Davinci Motor DC100 Electric Motorcycle

Davinci Motors has jumped on board the electric vehicle bandwagon with the DC100 electric motorcycle showcased at Booth 10163 in the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show 2023 in Las Vegas. The heavy-duty ride comes with a unique self-balancing mechanism courtesy of a number of assist features, including superior traction control and overall balance control. It is fitted with more than 1,000 smart chips and 200 advanced sensors to access road conditions, motor temperature, lean angle, movement status, and other dynamics for an easy, safe riding experience.

Designer: Davinci Motor

They deem it the “motorcycle of tomorrow,” giving the 1000cc combustion engine motorcycles a good run for their money. DC100 comes loaded with a 17.7 kWh battery pack delivering power to the electric motor. The bike can churn out 134 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque which is good enough for acceleration from 0-100 km/h in mere three seconds flat and a top speed of 200 km/h. Davinci Dynamics claims a range of 249 miles on a single full charge (achieved in just 30 minutes via DC fast charger), and we’re colored impressed already.

German Bionic Cray X exoskeleton

We’re beginning to see robots (not disembodied AI) starting to do the more menial and sometimes more dangerous jobs that humans used to do. It will take a long while, however, before they can really fully replace the precision, speed, and flexibility that humans have. Unfortunately, that means that humans will continue to be exposed to health risks and injuries in the workplace, especially in warehouses and industrial settings. Wearable exoskeletons are slowly inching their way into these industries, but few look as sleek and polished as German Bionic’s Cray X.

Designer: German Bionic

Rather than just metal bars sticking out of your back or clinging to your legs, the Cray X looks more like a robotic helper embracing you from behind. Providing protection and support for your lower back when lifting heavy objects, the fully-connected and powered exoskeleton augments human capabilities rather than supplanting them. Best of all, you won’t look ridiculous while wearing it, and it might even make you feel like a high-budget sci-fi show character with its aesthetic and appealing design.

Ixana Wi-R Wireless Technology

It seems that our world’s technologies are becoming more and more wireless each passing year, from wireless communication to wireless charging. Despite that, there are very hard limits to today’s tech resulting in slow data transfers, spatial restrictions, and interference. There’s also the inconvenience of simply pairing two devices together, as anyone who has ever handled Bluetooth products will attest to. Wouldn’t it be grand and almost dreamy if you could simply do all these with a simple touch? That’s the proposition that Ixana’s Wi-R tech is making, and it definitely sounds like it should be the future of wireless.

Designer: Ixana

It may sound like NFC’s “tap to pair” feature, but it is so much more than a one-off contact. Imagine immediately pairing with a headset or a smartwatch simply by touching it with your fingers or being able to stream music from your phone to your earbuds without using Bluetooth or even Wi-Fi. Ixana Wi-R uses your body as the conduit for such communication, which also means you’re unlikely to be leaking out data that others can snoop on as long as they’re within Bluetooth range.

Lenovo Project Chronos

Whether you subscribe to the concept and buzz of the metaverse, there’s no denying that virtual worlds and characters are becoming more common today. From virtual reality to games to even VTubers, many people have started taking on virtual personas to represent them in these artificial worlds. Most of the rhetoric around the metaverse and mixed reality, however, requires the use of headsets and controllers that limited mobility. More importantly, these tools only let you see the virtual world without really being able to control your avatar like you would your real body. Lenovo’s Project Chronos concept does away with the middleman and allows you to control your avatar’s moments and even its facial expressions more naturally.

Designer: Lenovo

Project Chronos is practically a box with a camera that you can connect to any TV or monitor at home. Rather than having to wear headsets and body sensors, the device uses depth cameras and intelligent algorithms to watch your body movement and facial expressions to map them to your virtual avatar. Although you do have to see that virtual world on a flat screen, it opens up other applications, such as live streaming with a virtual avatar, real-time fitness coaching, and even just socializing with other friends’ avatars, all from the comfort of your living room.

Lenovo Smart Paper

Even with the advent of computers and tablets, some experiences never truly died. In fact, they transformed and evolved, thanks to advancements in technology. Books have become digitized, and eBook readers like the Amazon Kindle have proliferated even today. In fact, these, too, have evolved to take on a new form and new capabilities. E Ink notebooks (not the laptop kind of notebook) are becoming more popular these days, and the Lenovo Smart Paper brings that technology to book lovers, students, workers, and everyone who is in need of a digital analogue to analog pen and paper.

Designer: Lenovo

Combining the best of both worlds with few of their drawbacks, the Lenovo Smart Paper brings an E Ink device that replaces dozens of paper notebooks with a sleek and minimalist device. Its companion pen requires no charging, just like a real pen, but also doesn’t require ink or changing nibs just to get different types of brushes. Comfortable to the eyes and convenient to carry around, the Smart Paper adds convenient features you wouldn’t even be able to experience on pen and paper, like the ability to record audio lectures and meetings and play it back the correct section just by selecting the text you wrote while recording that part.

Lenovo Tab Extreme

In no small part thanks to a certain fruit-named company, tablets have experienced a renaissance as more than just a media consumption device. That said, the Lenovo Tab Extreme’s large 14.5-inch 3K 120Hz OLED screen and eight 4-channel speakers definitely make that enjoyable, but it’s only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. With plenty of processing power, ports, and features, the Tab Extreme is not only Lenovo’s largest Android tablet to date, it is also its most powerful, enabling hybrid workflows and mobile workers today.

Designer: Lenovo

Beyond just the tablet itself, though, Lenovo is also bringing accessories and features that transform the Tab Extreme experience, depending on what you need. A magnetic stand supports both horizontal and vertical orientations, and a keyboard cover lets you lift the screen to a more ergonomic angle to let you work for hours comfortably. The tablet can even become a digital drawing pad or a second monitor, depending on which USB-C port you connect to. Power, portability, and flexibility is what the Lenovo Tab Extreme brings to the table and in your hands, empowering you to do what you need, wherever and whenever.

LG ARTCOOL Gallery Air Conditioner (2023)

People have become more appreciative of interior designs in recent years, especially after being stuck indoors for months on end. It’s no longer enough to just bring pretty furniture and decorations into the room; they also need to blend well together. That’s a bit more difficult when it comes to picking appliances that have their own design language and aesthetics, visual elements that can conflict with the rest of your room’s decor, no matter how elegant they might be. The LG ARTCOOL Gallery Air Conditioner solves that problem by masquerading as part of your decor, one that you can change according to your mood and tastes.

Designer: LG

The ARTCOOL Gallery definitely doesn’t look like an air conditioner and is more like a picture frame. In reality, it is actually both. A square, wall-mounted air conditioning unit has a large 27-inch LCD screen right in front of it, hiding a common house appliance behind beautiful art or family photos or even animated images to mesmerize your guests. Hiding in plain sight, this smart air conditioner, which can also function as a heater on cold days, offers a customizable and functional decoration for your home, something you’d wish were available for other home appliances as well.

LG Minimalist-Design Appliances

We see a lot of home appliances with sophisticated features and luxurious designs, especially here at CES 2023. Some even come with bespoke configurations, allowing the buyer to really integrate their refrigerators or washing machines into the rest of their house’s decor. That definitely bodes well for making homeowners more perceptive of the designs of their appliances, but it might also be overwhelming for others. Embracing the minimalist philosophy to the extreme, LG is launching a new line of unadorned, achromatic appliances that blend into their surroundings by becoming almost invisible. More importantly, however, his minimalist-design appliances also wholeheartedly embrace a sustainable mission to reduce their negative impact on the environment.

Designer: LG

By espousing simplicity, these LG appliances use fewer components and require fewer resources and energy to manufacture. Many parts are made from recyclable materials, and the appliances can be upgraded with new features through software, prolonging the life and usefulness of the appliance. With a simple design language and a sustainability focus, the LG Minimalist-Design Appliances bring an understated selection of home tools whose appearances belie their power, just like many minimalist designs you might have adorning your home.

LG XBOOM XL7S Party Speaker

Smart speakers are the rage these days, spurred by the success of products like the Amazon Echo, Apple AirPod, Sonos, and many more. While they come in many shapes and sizes, there seems to be an unspoken agreement that the standard design should be cylindrical or something similar. That might be fine for more portable designs, but it will definitely be lacking for those that need not only a bigger speaker but also a more eye-catching one. Whether you regularly hold parties or go busking often, the LG XBOOM XL7S speaker has you covered in a rather colorful and whimsical way.

Designer: LG

In addition to its larger soundstage, this “Party Speaker” also features pixel lighting on the front that can change its colors and intensity depending on the music, pretty much like an EQ visualizer. It goes well beyond that, though, offering a display that can be customized with emojis and text, anything to keep your guests and audiences captivated. The dust and waterproof speaker has a telescopic handle that helps you bring it anywhere you need to blast some music. While it’s targeted at college kids who love to party, anyone with a penchant for mixing music and visuals will definitely get a kick out of this quirky speaker.

Logitech G Cloud

The success of the Nintendo Switch ushered in a new age for handheld gaming devices, especially with many trying to recreate that magic formula for other platforms. The most natural candidate is, of course, Android, which has already been dabbling in this kind of market years before the Switch even came to be. Those pioneers might have unfortunately been far ahead of their time, and it’s only with the convergence of today’s hardware and software that Logitech is able to pull off a successful attempt like the G Cloud gaming handheld.

Designer: Logitech

Some might scoff at the idea of a dedicated Android handheld when there are plenty of smartphones to go around, but there is definitely a case for a device that boots directly into a gaming hub and is primarily used just for that, similar to consoles and, well, the Nintendo Switch. Fortunately, the Logitech G Cloud isn’t constrained to just Android games like those early devices. Thanks to cloud game streaming, which is probably where it takes its name, the device has access to a wider library of titles from different platforms. Too bad this is exactly when Google decided to pull the plug on its Stadia streaming service.

Microsoft Surface Studio 2+

The Microsoft Surface brand has definitely gone a long way from the game-changing detachable 2-in-1 tablet that finally broke the company’s string of bad luck when it comes to hardware. Although the name now covers a variety of products, including accessories, the Surface is still famed for its Pro tablet and its focus on creativity and productivity in whatever form. That mission is embodied in Microsoft’s surprisingly popular Surface Studio all-in-one PC, which takes a step and a half forward with the Surface Studio 2+.

Designer: Microsoft

Clearly designed for artists, designers, and all sorts of digital creatives, the Surface Studio’s reclining display has always been a work of both art and engineering. Its large, beautiful display is perfect not only for viewing videos and images but also for displaying accurate colors when working with digital assets. And with the Studio 2+, Microsoft finally gives the elegant desktop computer a much-deserved internal upgrade that delivers the processing and graphics power needed by its intended users.

Movano Evie Ring

Smartwatches have definitely gotten better, both in terms of battery life and especially in aesthetics. Some luxury brands have been able to successfully hide the techy nature of these gadgets, making them look like normal elegant timepieces. Not everyone is a fan of replacing their faithful companions, though, which is where smart rings come in. But like most gadgets, especially wearables, these devices seem to be designed primarily with a male audience in mind. Movano wants to change that status quo and is launching a beautiful smart ring that was made specifically for women.

Designer: Movano

Some will definitely argue about the dangers of associating designs with genders, and the Movano Evie’s elegant design will definitely appeal to all sexes and genders. That said, this smart health ring isn’t just made to appeal to women’s aesthetic tastes but also to provide them with features specific to their body’s needs. Period and ovulation tracking, menstrual symptom tracking, and the like are just some of the features that Evie offers right off the bat, offering women an all-in-one solution in a single wearable rather than having to look for yet another tracker in addition to a smartwatch.

MSI MEG Trident X2

Many gamers, especially PC gamers, love to flaunt their gear, which is why many gaming products come with almost outrageous designs and plenty of RGB lighting. It would be unfair, of course, to presume that all gamers’ tastes are the same, and there will always be those that prefer their computers to look a little less glamorous and a lot more stylish. Fortunately, there are a few such designs available, and the new MSI MEG Trident X2 definitely takes the crown when it comes to classy elegance.

Designer: MSI

Rather than the psychedelic affairs that most gaming desktops are, the MEG Trident X2 is more subdued and graceful in glossy black with LED highlights that contrast with that dark surface quite nicely. The tower still has an unusual geometry, sharp edges, and restrained lines that easily make it stand out from anything else you might have on your desk. Plus, it comes with a rather cool-looking HMI Dashboard that provides easy access to system information as well as important controls at a single touch.

Nanoleaf Sense Plus Control

Even before smart home products became a thing, Internet-connect or phone-controlled lights were already making their way into people’s homes. Today, smart lighting is still the easiest way to get started with this whole smart home trend, considering how easy they are to install and use. But if manually switching your smart light on or off was still too tedious, Nanoleaf’s newest smart light switches will do it all for you hands-free, at least after it learns from your routines and habits.

Designer: Nanoleaf

The Nanoleaf Sense+ Control switches have motion and ambient light sensors, and with learning algorithms from Nala’s AI learning assistant, these switches will be able to give you the right kind of light when and where you need it without having to even ask. Of course, it actually has to learn from you first, and you can still manually control the lights with a literal flick of the switch, but having smart lighting control that is truly intelligent and truly automated could help make people’s lives more convenient and less mechanical.

Nebula Capsule 3 Laser Portable Projector

Many people have already cut the cord, but most haven’t cut ties with their TVs. Of course, cord-cutters still want to watch videos and play games on a large screen, but there are those who have taken the freedom to the extreme by getting rid of the huge panel as well. Home projectors have become a sort of compromise that lets homeowners clear their walls and shelves but still have the opportunity to enjoy a good old-fashioned movie night with the family when they want to. Portable projectors take that one step further, delivering entertainment you can carry around with you anywhere, which is exactly what Anker sub-brand Nebula wants you to do with its latest laser projector.

Designer: Nebula (Anker)

Despite coming in the size of a large soda can, the Nebula Capsule 3 Laser packs quite a punch for a portable projector. You might scoff at its 1080p output, but the fact that you can watch a full movie almost anywhere without having to plug it in definitely makes up for it. It also has a built-in 8W speaker, which can be enough if you’re not too picky. Its minimalist aesthetic is also a plus, freeing you to focus on the content it projects and not on the projector itself.

Neutrogena 3D Printed Skin Supplements

You can print almost anything these days, from car parts to sculptures to even food. Yes, 3D-printed food is actually a thing, odd as it might sound, but it hasn’t completely caught on yet because of the logistics and costs involved. Some might not even be able to make sense of what the technology can be used for, but Neutrogena has come up with a creative way to use 3D-printed gummies to make skincare a little personal.

Designer: Neutrogena

Neutrogena and Nourished teamed up to create a rather unique skin care program that will probably have you addicted to gummies, whether or not you realize they’re not made the traditional way. Customers will need to send photos of their cleaned skin and answer a few questions, after which they will receive a recommendation for the best skin supplement “stack” for them. These stacks come as rainbow-colored 3D printed vegan sugar-free gummies that are promised to be good for your skin while also being good for the planet.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

Computer graphics play a critical role in our civilization today, and not just in the entertainment that we consume daily. From the designs on websites to the presentations for architectural projects to even visual models of mathematical or scientific theories, the need to create graphics has never been greater. Of course, these digital assets don’t just pop out of thin air, and someone has to make them, and NVIDIA is giving creators one of the most powerful tools to add to their belts.

Designer: NVIDIA

The GeForce RTX 4090 for laptops isn’t just for gaming, though that definitely is its primary use case. The raw power it delivers, plus AI-enabled functions, also make it perfect for actually creating the content that goes into those games. And with a laptop variant of this desktop-grade graphics card, creators don’t have to feel forced to stay at their desks just to work on their latest masterpiece. With both hardware and software tools at their disposal, NVIDIA frees artists and designers from having to worry about technical requirements and just let their creativity fly.

Panasonic MultiShape Ultimate Special Edition

Personal grooming has always been a chore, no matter the gender. There are plenty of gadgets that try to make that easier or at least more convenient, but you often have to look for and buy each tool that does a single thing only. It can be a waste not only of money but also of precious resources, adding to the waste that is killing the planet. Panasonic’s award-winning MultiShape grooming kit solves the problem of space, money, and waste by having a single battery-powered based unit with interchangeable heads for trimming or shaving all kinds of hair as well as brushing your teeth. It’s the ultimate modular grooming kit that’s not only extremely portable but also more sustainable overall as well.

Designer: Panasonic

With its Ultimate Special Edition Kit, Panasonic has partnered with another environmentally-conscious brand, British style icon Molton Brown. The three travel-sized Bath & Shower Gels from the marque included in the kit are made from fine and rare ingredients produced in a carbon-neutral factory. The refillable bottles themselves are also made of 50% recycled PET in line with Molton Brown’s strong commitment to sustainability. With the Panasonic MultiShape Ultimate Special Edition Kit, not only will you look good, you’ll also feel good that you’re doing your small part to help keep our planet alive.

Samsung Bespoke 4-Door Flex with Family Hub+

The kitchen is probably the last place you’d expect to see a screen as large as a TV, but Samsung has been pushing the envelope of what you can expect inside the kitchen, from its smart ovens to the smart refrigerators it has dubbed Family Hubs. With the Bespoke 4-Door Flex with Family Hub+, Samsung has revealed its biggest fridge with the biggest screen yet, a whopping 32 inches. Not only does this display have enough room for your family photos, sticky notes, weather warnings, and the like, it’s even spacious enough for comfortable watching of videos while you cook or clean the kitchen.

Designer: Samsung

Of course, the 4-Door Flex isn’t smart just because of that. The large screen does serve as a convenient dashboard for checking all your SmartThings and Smart Home devices. It has all the benefits of other smart Bespoke refrigerators, including smarter cooling and energy efficiency. Suffice it to say, your kitchen might indeed become the family’s new hub with this fridge, and you might even be able to rope your kids into doing chores with it.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 Monitor

If you thought you knew widescreen monitors, you clearly haven’t seen the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. Whether it’s a beauty or a monstrosity will depend on the eye of the beholder, but it’s hard to argue that it’s a head-turning design. With a 49-inch 1000R screen, the monitor offers the equivalent of two QHD 16:9 curved monitors side by side. If you wanted an extreme cinematic experience on your desk, this definitely fits the bill.

Designer: Samsung

It’s clearly made for gaming and enjoying video content, especially with quantum mini LED technology that delivers sharper contrasts and finer control over dimming zones. Content creators will also have a blast with how much space they have to work with, while the curved surface offers a more ergonomic view that conforms to how our eyes work naturally. You’ll definitely have to make room for this behemoth of a computer monitor, but you would be in the same boat anyway if you opted to buy two or more separate screens.

Sony PlayStation VR2

There has been plenty of talk about VR or mixed reality headsets lately, but most of these revolve around gear that either connects to a PC or can function on its own. They also come with more ambitious goals for spreading the good word about mixed reality and the metaverse, whether or not they actually succeed at it. There’s definitely plenty of room for some good old-fashioned and more direct VR gaming, and the Sony PlayStation 5 is finally getting the VR accessory that it deserves.

Designer: Sony

The PlayStation VR2, or simply PSVR2, is the VR system that Sony should have released years ago. It does away with cumbersome external beacons with the addition of inside-out tracking. The headset also has eye-tracking for foveated rendering, focusing only on where your eyes are actually looking at. Plus, the headset and its controllers finally mesh with the PS5’s design, making it look and feel like a system designed for Sony’s strongest console yet.

Sony Project Leonardo PS5 accessibility controller

Gaming is an activity that everyone can enjoy, but most video games and gaming hardware are unfortunately designed to cater only to a certain majority of able-bodied players. Some games include accessibility settings, but these become moot and academic if the input methods for playing them are inaccessible by design. That’s how game controllers are, unfortunately, which leaves many people with physical disabilities out in the cold. Following Xbox’s lead, Sony has revealed Project Leonardo, an accessibility controller kit that opens the gaming doors wide open for all people while also looking quite peculiar and interesting.

Designer: Sony

Unlike the Xbox Adaptive Controller board, Project Leonard takes on a circular form with buttons around its edges and a smaller circle sticking out on one side that can sit a joystick. Every part of the controller can be customized with different parts and buttons, and accompanying software on the PS5 console will allow mapping these to traditional controls. It also works with other accessibility devices, which is a good thing considering Sony is coming late to the game. Project Leonardo is still in development, but it has definitely kicked up interest and buzz, especially thanks to its rather quirky looks.

Skyted Sound-absorbing Open Air Mask

Face masks have gotten a bad rep for various reasons, but sanitation isn’t the only use for things that cover our mouths. One French startup has come across a rather novel way to turn this accessory from an annoyance into a necessity, especially to support the growing number of hybrid workers out in the open these days. Skyted turns the voice-muffling property of face masks into a strength, providing the privacy you need to take a voice call in public.

Designer: Skyted

The Skyted sound-absorbing open air mask uses the same technologies used to silence the noise of jet engines. Ten embedded resonators absorb 80% of voice vibration and prevent external noise from being picked up by the internal mic, ensuring that you get a clear line of communication, whether you’re in a plane, in an open workspace, or traveling the metaverse at home while everyone’s sleeping. And unlike conventional face masks, it actually allows the smooth flow of air in and out of the mask, resolving one of the biggest comfort problems people have with these accessories.

TCL RayNeo X2 AR Glasses

The dream of Iron Man-like AR glasses hasn’t really died, but the high-profile failure of early implementations, including Google Glass, has made both consumers and manufacturers more cautious of this field. That never stopped display and TV maker TCL from trying, resulting in AR glasses that were almost ready for primetime. At this year’s CES, the company is again presenting its latest innovation, this time with a different name that comes along with a new design.

Designer: TCL

The TCL RayNeo X2 not only ditches the NXTWEAR branding but also adopts a design that looks more like a regular pair of untinted specs. Despite the clear glass, each lens actually embeds micro-LED displays that put a floating screen before your eyes without occluding your vision. The glasses have their own processor inside, as well as mics and cameras for seeing the world around you, perhaps raising red flags again when it comes to privacy concerns. The thick frame and rim aren’t exactly appealing, but such is the way of early prototypes.

Withings U-Scan

We have plenty of devices on our bodies and in our homes that try to give us a clue about our health, like the smartwatches on our wrists and smart weighing scales that tell us to lay off on the chips. These, however, only show a few parts of our overall health, mostly because they only focus on select parts of our body. In reality, our bodies have plenty of stories to tell, especially from the fluids that our bodies produce, some of which make people feel awkward. Withings doesn’t have qualms about getting its hands dirty, however, and its newest smart device is boldly going where few devices dare to go.

Designer: Withings

U-Scan is a simple white circle that hangs inside your toilet bowl to serve as your at-home urinalysis device. This helps avoid all the discomfort and inconvenience of the typical procedure at a clinic or hospital. It can even help women with their monthly hormonal fluctuations, giving them recommended actions to take based on biomarker analysis, cycle phases, and past data. While it won’t replace professional medical checkups, just like smartwatches, the Withings U-Scan can provide early warning signs before you need to actually see a doctor.

The post The Best of CES 2023: The Future of Better Living Today first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Best of Maison & Objet 2022: Celebrating Excellent Design

It’s almost too easy to produce things these days, with all the advancements in technology and manufacturing that we enjoy. 3D printing opened the doors even wider to people who wouldn’t have access to factory lines. That, however, doesn’t mean that product design has become easier, especially when talking about good product design. That still comes not through mass production but through thoughtful and creative processes. It’s admittedly easy to take product design for granted and even easier to simply equate it with “pretty things.” Form and function are two sides of the same coin, of course, and both have equal roles to play in good product design. And what better examples are there than the exquisite selection shown off at this year’s Maison & Objet, where we got the chance to pick out this year’s best-designed products for your home.

Aarke Water Purifier

Water is critical to human life, even more so clean drinking water. Not all water that goes into our homes, however, is safe to consume for humans and pets. There are plenty of ways to fix this, ranging from simple faucet filters to complex water tanks. Each has its own pros and cons, and there’s almost no solution that fits all, especially when it comes to tasteful design. Aarke’s new purifier is trying to change that by delivering a simple yet novel way to obtain drinking water in an elegant and sustainable carafe.

Designer: Aarke

Unlike your typical purifier in a pitcher, Aarke’s Purifier doesn’t use a plastic container that stains over time and becomes a bacteria magnet when not cleaned properly. The glass pitcher, along with the stainless steel filter, are not only durable but also dishwasher safe, allowing them to be easily and thoroughly cleaned for sanitation. Aside from the silicone bumpers that protect the glass carafe, almost everything about the Aarke Purifier is sustainable.

That is true even for the filters used to clean the water. Instead of a disposable plastic cartridge that you have to replace over and over again, Aarake’s system uses refillable granules that you simply put inside the stainless steel filter. Pure granules clean the water and enhance its taste, while Enhanced granules also add magnesium to turn it into alkaline water. All of these are packed in a stylish design that won’t look out of place among your fine glasses and silverware.

ALUVY Jean Barbecue Furniture

After being cooped up indoors for such long periods of time, it’s not surprising that outdoor activities like camping and barbecues have started trending this past year or so. Some have even evolved to a new level, like the oh-so-convenient glamping. Barbecues are also becoming more convenient and easier to do, but their designs haven’t exactly changed that drastically. ALUVY is challenging those conventions with a set of barbecue products designed to appeal to everyone, not just the males of the species.

Designer: ALUVY

Make no mistake, there are plenty of good-looking barbecues around, but almost all of them share a common ancestral DNA. It’s hard to deny they are meant to weather the great outdoors, exuding industrial and functional personalities more than anything else. In contrast, the ALUVY Jean is charming and colorful, almost as if you took a part of your indoor kitchen outside.

Jean is actually a companion to the gas barbecue Lulu or the charcoal barbecue Marcel. All three can have matching colors and look like part of a set with grid-like patterns on their exteriors. Jean functions as spacious storage for all your barbecue equipment, as well as a table to prepare your ingredients. Just because you’re cooking outdoors doesn’t mean you have to stop showing off your bold and colorful furniture.

Atmosfera Boomerang Interactive Furniture

Most of the furniture we buy already has a fixed design, including the flat-packed DIY ones you can get from the likes of IKEA. Even modular furniture still has to stick to a basic form if only to ensure that it can at least offer some basic functionality. It is possible, of course, to have something like LEGO blocks to build your own furniture, but that would also limit you to certain blocky forms. Atmosfera went back to the drawing board and took to nature to find the most basic and most usable building block for furniture, and the answer it got back was a boomerang.

Designer: Atmosfera

Imagine over a dozen boomerang-shaped pieces of wood stacked together in different ways to create different forms. What you get is a system where you can build different furniture depending on the combination or which hole you use to connect the parts together. It doesn’t have to be a fixed thing either, and you can change a composition the moment your circumstances change as well. One day, you might need a low table, but half a year later, you might want to turn that into a chain instead.

Unlike simple blocks, you end up with furniture that flaunts gorgeous and natural curves that are pleasing to look at. The unique arrangement of interlacing boomerangs also produces interesting visual patterns that almost hypnotize you if you look long enough. In addition to making a visual statement, the use of 100% recyclable wood also makes a sustainability statement that tries to challenge the conventions of standard furniture-making.

Evavaara Design sshhh 1 Phone Booth

Phone booths have been around for decades, but the rise of mobile phones and, later, smartphones have almost made them obsolete. Those very same devices, however, are also making the concepts of private space almost obsolete, whether outdoors or even indoors. When you need to take a call, whether personal or business, you often just do it right then and there, regardless of the people around you. In the future, that may no longer be the case if specialized “phone booths” like this from Evavaara Design become ubiquitous.

Designer: Antti Evavaara (Evavaara Design)

Rather than going inside a box to use a public phone, the “sshhh” is more like a soundproof booth where you can use your own phone or tablet privately. The box is designed to be comfortable, safe, and transportable, creating a space for one or two people to use their gadgets, be it a phone or laptop, in peace. It offers an oasis of privacy when you need to take a personal call or have an impromptu work meeting that should be nobody else’s business.

Gingko Velvet Accordion Lamp

Who said lamps need to come in traditional shapes or sizes? There has recently been an explosion in unusual and creative designs that literally bring light and awe to spaces, both indoor and outdoor. Most of these lamps, however, tend to stay in the same form they were made in, which isn’t exactly a bad thing. For those who want some literal and figurative flexibility, Gingko’s Velvet Accordion Lamp might be a better choice.

Designer: Ginko

Inspired by the musical instrument of the same name, this lamp’s flexible yet durable Tyvek paper covering can curve and bend to your heart’s content and aesthetic tastes. Lay it horizontally flat on a surface as a traditional table lamp, or stand it on both ends to create an arching display. Hanging it loosely like a traditional Chinese lantern, or make both ends meet to form a circular lamp. And, of course, it can fold flat as well, making it easy to slip inside a suitcase to carry with you on your travels. Delightful and beautiful, the Velvet Accordion Lamp puts a playful twist on how lamps should be.

O-LYFE SCREW Corkscrew

It’s almost too easy to take for granted how mundane objects can suddenly become precious items with a little touch of class. A tea set can become an heirloom, and cutlery can become collector’s items. A corkscrew always stays hidden in a drawer until it’s time to be used. O-LYFE SCREW, however, is something that can stand on its own, quite literally even, and it’s something you’ll want to always be on display, even when you have no intention of opening a bottle of wine.

Designer: O-LYFE

The bespoke, hand-finished corkscrew is quite stunning in its alien-like form, like an otherworldly jellyfish draping its limbs over an elegantly twirling tentacle in the middle. It’s not all just looks, though, and every part of the tool is designed not only to be beautiful but also functional. Those three legs, for example, give a better grip, and the scalloped head design also makes it easier to twist. It’s a rather tasteful example of form and function blending so well together that you almost can’t see where one stops, and the other begins.

Orbitkey Nest Desk Organizer

We have come to depend on so many gadgets and accessories in our lives in addition to the other stuff we usually have scattered around our desks. There are tons of desk accessories out there that offer plenty of compartments, but those can get pretty inconvenient, too, especially when it comes to actually taking out items from them. Orbitkey’s Nest is going the extra mile to make a difference, and it has a few tricks up its sleeves to make that happen.

Designer: Orbitkey

Nest is a home (get it?) for your everyday tools and accessories, but rather than just being a tenant, it makes you the landlord. Customizable dividers let you split up the space the way you need rather than being confined to what was designed beforehand. A dual-function hinge lets you easily remove the top lid, which also has inside pockets for cards and flat items. That lid also functions as a wireless charging mat, so you aren’t losing functionality even when the Nest is closed. Simple yet effective design tricks like these help turn an ordinary product into a “wow” product.

Schaffengott Tritona AI Home Safety System

Despite the number of smart devices in our homes, safety still remains a problem today. Sure, there are smart locks and smart security cameras, but those mostly only record what has already happened. When it comes to emergencies, many homes are still unprepared, even with smart smoke detectors. Schaffengot is trying to inspire hope in the future of home safety with a system that involves simply pressing an SOS button, at the very least.

Designer: Schaffengott

Tritona AI almost looks like a smart speaker, but its intelligence lies elsewhere. It is pretty much the modern equivalent of a distress beacon, allowing homeowners to simply press a button to alert emergency services of a dangerous situation. The device also contains a throw-type liquid fire extinguisher as well as a window breaker that can work even on tempered glass. Of course, such a smart emergency device really only works when there’s a proper system in place, but its existence paves the way for developing the smart cities of the future.

Stella Foosball Stella Toi & Moi

Sports fans would love to play their games at any opportunity, but almost all these activities can only happen outdoors. That’s why many of these turn to video games that let them live those experiences from couches, but there is one sport that can also be played indoors without a computer involved. For football (or soccer) fans, there is also the football table or “foosball,” and the name that started it all has an eye-catching 1V1 table to show off at M&O.

Designer: Stella

The blue and pink motif of this “Toi & Moi” table, not to mention the big “Palm” emblazoned on its side, gives a more laid-back atmosphere that would probably fit the 80s Palm Springs culture. It’s a bit of a deviation from the traditional color schemes of most football tables from the brand’s catalog, which makes it stand out even more. The raised glass tabletop also gives it a different character, allowing it to be used as a more traditional table when you’re not trying to beat each other out in a spinning and kicking match.

WaterRower Exercise Machine

Home exercise equipment has become extremely popular in the past few years as more people have become conscious of their lifestyles. Of course, there has been a rise in smart equipment, offering the latest and greatest technologies for keeping fit and staying healthy. Most of these look like machines from the future, but WaterRower is instead taking inspiration from nature in a way that’s reflected even in its design.

Designer: WaterRower

As the name clearly suggests, WaterRower is a rowing machine, but that’s where its similarity with other rowing machines ends. It uses a unique invention that it calls the Water Flywheel that reproduces the physics and dynamics of rowing a boat. And unlike almost all exercise machines, WaterRower makes use of wood, which not only looks exquisite but also absorbs sound and vibration for a quieter and smoother operation. It’s definitely not what you’d expect from an advanced machine, but it’s definitely something you’d want to put on display, even if you’re not faithfully sticking to your exercise schedule.

The post The Best of Maison & Objet 2022: Celebrating Excellent Design first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Best of IFA 2022: Technology for Better Living

It’s that time of year again when big brands try to make a big splash in upgrading your home with the latest and greatest in consumer electronics and home appliances. The past two years were filled with devices that tried to fill the needs of the times, offering different ways to sanitize and protect your home against harmful microorganisms. Things have fortunately settled down, and industries have started to recover, putting their attention and resources into products that help make life less stressful and more enjoyable. There are plenty of such products up for show at IFA 2022 in Berlin, and so we distilled the lineup into our top picks for products to keep an eye on this year.

Zendure Superbase V Portable Home Battery

Thanks to natural calamities and resource shortages, power blackouts have become more common these past few years than ever before. Power banks might be enough for phones and even some laptops, but they are useless to power anything else, especially for extended periods of time. Gasoline-chugging generators do exist, of course, but the dangers they pose both to people and the environment make them inefficient and costly in the long run. Clean Energy Tech startup Zendure is putting its best foot forward this year with a new energy system that can power your house or even your car in a sustainable way.

Designer: Zendure

With a capacity that can reach up to 64kWh thanks to its expandable design, the Zendure Superbase V Portable Energy System has enough juice to give power to a house in an emergency. It even has a power outlet for charging EVs. Despite its large capacity and size, it can still be moved around like a cart on wheels. More importantly, the semi-solid state battery inside can be charged using solar power, offering a more sustainable solution to electricity problems. It’s a win-win solution for both humans and the planet.

Leica Cine 1 Projector

Along with cutting cables, some homeowners have also started getting rid of TVs that take up space even when not in use. While still waiting for the perfect rollable TV, home projectors have become more attractive and more practical solutions, especially when you want a bigger screen without losing wall space. Famed camera maker Leica is jumping into this market, and its first attempt is as classy as anything that bears its signature “Coke” logo.

Designer: Leica

The Leica Cine 1 short-throw projector utilizes triple RGB lasers to deliver picture-quality 4K images and videos on an area equivalent to a 100-inch TV. Despite all that power, the projector manages to keep a compact size that will fit in any room arrangement. Even better, it also bears Leica’s design language, with a sleek aluminum body with an automatic dust cover to protect the lens. Stylish and functional, this home projector promises to add life to a space, both through its design and through the videos it will play.

LG OLED Flex Bendable TV

TV innovation hasn’t been standing still, especially if you’ve been keeping track of recent buzzwords. While curved TVs haven’t exactly become the norm, they’ve become a force to reckon with in the market. Not everyone is convinced that they need a curved TV, though, or at least not all the time. LG’s latest trick is to give people the ability to choose between the two whenever they want.

Designer: LG

Utilizing its expertise in flexible OLED panels, the brand’s new 42-inch TV can lay flat or bend to a curve with a push of a button. Designed primarily with gaming in mind, the LG OLED Flex LX3 has plenty of features that benefit even non-interactive content like movies and TV shows. Now you no longer have to make an upfront decision to go flat or curved, freeing you to enjoy content in the best way possible.

LG MoodUp Color-Changing Fridge

Once upon a time, appliances were simply functional pieces of equipment and nothing more. These days, they have not only become smarter but have also become an expression of the owner’s personality and interests. Bespoke home appliances are becoming a little bit more common, but they can also be a little bit too specific to a certain style or theme. LG’s new fridge, however, tries to shake things up a bit by letting people choose the doors’ colors on a whim.

Designer: LG

The LG MoodUp refrigerator’s doors are covered with LED panels that can change their color depending on your, well, mood. You can select different colors for each door or you can set it to follow a motif based on seasons, locations, and moods. These panels can also serve as visual notifications, like when you left a door open. The refrigerator also has a built-in speaker that you can use to play music from your smartphone via Bluetooth. Of course, the colors of the doors can sync to that music as well, truly pushing the mood up on any occasion.

JBL Tour Pro 2 Earbuds

Truly Wireless Stereo or TWS earbuds have come a long way over the past years. Spurred by the retirement of the headphone jack on smartphones, these tiny audio devices have seen plenty of innovation in terms of features and designs. In contrast, the cases that hold these earbuds have remained practically the same, mostly changing only in shape. The JBL Tour Pro 2 tries to change that and make the earbuds case as smart as what it holds inside.

Designer: JBL

Portrait Of Young Caucasian Stylish Man On Sunny Day In The City.

The earbuds themselves are what you would expect from the brand, featuring features like adaptive noise canceling and spatial sound. What truly sets it apart is its smart charging case, which has its own 1.45-inch touch screen that lets you control the earbuds without having to take out your phone. It’s not an earth-shattering new feature, but it does level up the experience for the first time.

Philips Hue Lightguide Bulbs

Lighting can make or break the mood in a room, not to mention affect people’s productivity in that space. Since the smart home explosion a few years back, lighting was the first to be connected to the Internet, giving people better control over the hues in their homes or offices. As one of the pioneers of that smart lighting market, Philips Hue has to constantly innovate and mix things up to fend off the competition, and its new statement lighting collection tries to step up to that challenge.

Designer: Philips Hue

The new Philips Hue Lightguide Bulbs mix the old and the new with large glass bulbs in modern shapes like ellipses and triangles. Diffused light comes from an inner tube that you can, of course, control with your smartphone. Whether hanging from pendants or sticking up on stands, these bulbs give some character to a space, even when they’re turned off.

Electrolux AEG Kitchen Innovations

Electrolux is one of the most trusted names in the home appliance market, and it continues to push the envelope to meet the changing needs and trends of the times. Sometimes that means jumping on the smart home appliance bandwagon. Other times, it means making a commitment to sustainability and resource efficiency.

Designer: Electrolux

The AEG 7000 GreenZone refrigerator, for example, boasts using 70% recycled plastic for its inner liner walls, while the AEG 8000 series has new cooling technology that tries to preserve food longer so that they don’t go to waste. For those who love cooking at home, the AEG 800 Bridge/FlexiBridge with eXTractor sucks up vapor and recycles the air back into the kitchen, removing the stress of lingering odors while preparing your favorite meals.

Tineco Toasty One smart toaster

Everything’s becoming smarter these days, from the lights to washing machines to even toothbrushes. There’s always room to add a little intelligence to consumer electronics, especially when it means relieving our brains from having to fret over mundane stuff. It might sound excessive at first, but a smart bread toaster with a touch screen can be pretty convenient.

Designer: Tineco

The Tineco Toasty One can toast two slices of bread like other toasters, but it can have different settings for each of them. It can even detect the condition of the bread to automatically set the right heat for the desired crispiness. Of course, you can input your own preference, and it can remember different settings for up to eight people. OK, it might be overboard for some, but the toaster’s somewhat cute design definitely fits the kitchen of the future.

Bluetti Green Power Generators

Portable power generators that replace fuel generators are becoming more popular these days. Having emergency power that is clean, green, and safe is almost critical in this day and age, whether it’s for spending the weekend outdoors or living through a power outage. Bluetti is one of the most trusted brands in that growing market, and it’s showing off its latest solution to keep the lights on in the darkness.

Designer: Bluetti

The new Bluetti AC500 modular portable power generator steps up the game with a larger inverter that can dish out 5000W. When paired with B300 or B300S battery modules, it can provide an astounding 18,432Wh of power for the whole house. What makes it different from most battery-powred generators is that you can decide just how many modules you want to bring along, simplifying its portability. Plus, you can also charge it using solar power, creating a more sustainable solution to your electricity problems.

ASUS ZenBook 17 Fold OLED

Smartphones aren’t the only ones that are getting a foldable treatment. Although it’s happening more slowly, even tablets and laptops are getting foldable screens as well. There might still be some hesitation and doubt on whether it’s a fad or the next wave in computing, but devices that can change their forms will definitely become more common in the near future.

Designer: ASUS

The ASUS ZenBook 17 Fold OLED is one of the pioneers of this still nascent market. A 17.3-inch 2.5K screen that can fold into two 12.5-inch Full HD screens gives a whole new meaning to multitasking. Whether it will survive the test of time and hard work remains to be seen, but its launch marks the start of something new.

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold (16-inch)

Credit where credit is due, Lenovo is actually one of the first to demonstrate that it really believed in the foldable laptop hype. The first Thinkpad X1 Fold, while functional, didn’t exactly meet the hype and imagination of the PC market. Its next-gen iteration, however, inches closer to that ideal.

Designer: Lenovo

The new 16-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold refines the design of its predecessor, making the body thinner while also increasing the screen size. It also comes with a new cover stand and an improved Bluetooth keyboard that should make the device more usable. No longer will you feel like you’re carrying around a prototype device and are instead using the computer of the future.

Bang & Olufsen Beosound Theater Soundbar

As TVs become thinner, the need to relocate speakers has also become greater. You can, of course, cram smaller speakers inside those thin frames, but that often comes at the expense of sound quality. Soundbars have become one of the solutions to this problem, offering a way to have an elegant speaker near an equally elegant TV. And when it comes to elegance, there are few names you can trust more than Bang & Olufsen.

Designer: Bang & Olufsen

The marque’s new Beosound Theater is unsurprisingly another proof of its expertise in blending audio quality and aesthetics. Whether standing alone or paired with a TV, the soundbar looks stylish and attractive, unlike common boxy soundbars. Inspired by sailboats, the Beosund Theather’s curved body looks like it’s floating on air, giving it a sense of grandeur and adventure that matches the heart-racing sounds that come from it.

Yaber Pico T1 portable projector

While short-throw home projectors are gaining popularity as alternatives to traditional TVs, another kind of projector is making its way into people’s travel bags or even pockets. Pico projectors offer the opportunity to enjoy videos or make presentations anywhere, as long as you have the right light conditions. Given how projectors work, it’s hard to find the right balance between portability and performance, something that Yaber gets mostly correct.

Designer: Yaber

The Yaber Pico T1 itself is like a shorter but thicker smartphone, and it can easily fit into your jeans’ pocket. It does output at a resolution of 960×540, but it can do so at a screen size of up to 100 inches. The downside is that it doesn’t have an internal battery, so you’ll have to connect it to a compatible power bank. That said, all its accessories still fit nicely in a pouch that you can conveniently carry around if you want a cinema on the go.

Huawei

In spite of and despite all odds, Huawei continues to bring quality products to meet the needs and demands of today’s consumers. From powerful smartphones to professional laptops, Huawei brings a plethora of choices across different markets and tiers. The Huawei nova 10 and nova 10 Pro, for example, bring a 60MP front-facing camera that’s sure to excite selfie lovers with limited budgets.

For those more focused on productivity, the Huawei MatePad Pro brings a tablet to rival the iPad Pro with a 120Hz OLED screen and a Huawei M Pencil stylus. The new MateBook X Pro, on the other hand, packs a 3.1K 14.2-inch screen into a Windows-powered laptop powered by the latest 12th-gen Intel Core processors. Whether it’s for lifestyle, entertainment, or productivity, Huawei has a product that has one of the best bang-for-buck offers in designs that make you feel you’re really getting more for less.

The post The Best of IFA 2022: Technology for Better Living first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Best of Salone del Mobile 2022 – Smarter and Greener Living

Caring for ourselves and our families also means caring for the planet we all live on.

Recent events, including but not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic, have made us more acutely aware of the quality of our lives, whether we’re living well, comfortably, or, more importantly, healthily. It has also made many people more of the state of our planet, the only habitable planet that we know of, and how the way we live affects the Earth, no matter how seemingly insignificant it is. Salone del Mobile in Milan has always gathered the best designs and ideas in furniture and lifestyle products, and this year has showcased yet another wonderful selection of products from creative minds and innovative companies. This year’s exhibition has also shown a more positive bent towards not just the physical but also the mental well-being of people, not to mention a more conscientious effort to leave a positive impact on the environment. At Yanko Design, we recognize and highlight the best product designs not just for their beauty but also for their positive impact, and here are our Top 12 picks for Salone del Mobile 2022.

Antoniolupi Ofuro

We sometimes take inspiration from the past to inform today’s designs, and sometimes we even look to other cultures for ideas. When it comes to bathing and cleansing, the Japanese are both famous and notorious for their relaxing areas and strict rules. Antoniolupi tries to capture the spirit and the feeling of a traditional Japanese soak without the rigid norms, resulting in a bathtub that is distinctive and unique in its appearance.

A circular basin with a notch, the Ofuro‘s lowered front edge tries to invite you to step into its relaxing waters and soak for a while to let your worries wash away. Optional LED lights at the base call to mind outdoor tubs that would be heated by firewood underneath, creating an almost otherworldly glow meant to take your mind to a higher plane. Made of the designer’s patented and eco-friendly Flumood, the Ofuro tub looks like it was sculpted from a single block completing the perception of wholeness and integrity that your mind needs while your body soaks and relaxes inside.

Artemide Integralis

The COVID-19 novel coronavirus gave birth to plenty of new products that focused on cleaning the air in our homes and killing dangers that we can’t see with the naked eye. You don’t, however, have to stick some odd-looking contraption in the middle of your home just to benefit from these technologies, especially when all you need is to shine a better light on the problem. Artemide’s Integralis line of lighting products delivers both safety and beauty to create a safer space for the whole family, as well as the occasional visitors.

Homeowners can choose from a variety of designs and colors that fit their needs and their sense of style. The Discovery lamps, for example, employ geometric shapes like circles and rectangles to provide low-impact designs inside your home. In contrast, The Veil puts a canopy draped over 11 arms arranged like spokes in a wheel, diffusing the light to create a gentler and more comforting atmosphere while using ethically-sourced and sustainable materials to put your conscience at ease.

BORA X BO

Part of living a healthy lifestyle means eating healthy, and the best way to do that is to decide what you eat and how you cook your food. Cooking, however, sometimes feels more like a chore with very low ROI, especially when $you think of the cleanup afterward. The BORA X BO tries to do most of the work for you by employing some of the same technologies you have on your smartphone. You probably never expected you could even search on your oven!

The smart steam oven offers a large touch screen that lets you choose how simple or how complex your cooking activity needs to be, allowing you to customize the interface to fit your habits and needs. Steam extraction and odor elimination prevent your kitchen from looking and smelling like a warzone, and self-cleaning means you won’t have to get your hands dirty from both cooking and cleaning. And if you’re at a loss on what to do, the oven even has its manual installed on the touch screen, so all you need to do is to search like Google.

Electrolux GRO

There is, of course, another aspect to our eating habits, and it probably shouldn’t be a shock to learn that feeding the planet is, unfortunately, killing it as well. Our over-reliance on meat and broken food systems contribute to the sad state our planet is in. Just because we’re eating the right things doesn’t make it easier for the planet, so Electrolux’s Better Living Initiative is envisioning a complete revamp of the kitchen, which doesn’t mean completely giving up meat.

GRO, from the Swedish word “to sprout,” is a kitchen concept that tries to highlight and encourage better habits, both in eating and in sourcing ingredients for food. Naturally, plant-forward diets are the main focus, but a “Jewelry Box” storage is also part of the system, encouraging people to eat less but better meats. The modular compartments not only preserve veggies but also showcase their green beauty, while different containers and displays encourage experimentation with different ingredients, flavors, and scents. Eating green doesn’t have to be boring, and it should also help keep the Earth green as well.

Kartell TEA Lamp

Many homes are filled with products that bring delight to the senses, especially the eyes. These range from expensive art decorations to designer lamps to stylish aroma diffusers. In most cases, many of these lifestyle items were mass-produced, often using common materials that may not exactly be friendly to the environment. Fortunately, designers and companies have become more conscious of their role in nudging people towards more sustainable practices, particularly by presenting them with sustainable options that are as good or even better than the common lamp or furniture.

Kartell’s TEA lamps, for example, are made from recycled thermoplastics, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from the way they look. Shaped like abstract hands, the lamps’ external cover creates a chiaroscuro effect that makes light and shadow mingle in a visually interesting way. It is a shining example of how beauty can be created and molded from the things we throw away, giving credence to the saying that one’s trash can be another’s treasure.

Kohler Statement and Stillness

For many people, the bedroom is often the first room in the house they consider when thinking of a place of solitude and peace. For others, however, soaking in the tub or standing underneath the shower is their idea of a calming and relaxing moment. While some might be content with your run-of-the-mill furnishings, introducing some Zen into your bathroom will require things that will remind you to take a break using your eyes and your other senses. It’s for that exact purpose that Kohler launched its Statement shower and Stillness bath to offer a small oasis of well-being inside your home.

The Stillness bathtub uses water, light, fog, and aromas to set the mood for a relaxing soak. The Statement shower line, on the other hand, mixes beauty and functionality, creating an experience where you don’t have to worry about water not flowing smoothly out of the shower heads or taps. Both products create an inviting atmosphere for people to not only clean their bodies but to also wash away their worries and anxieties, even for a short while.

Kreoo Pave Stones

We have been witnesses to many creative and inspired artists throughout human history, but the greatest artist of them all is none other than Mother Nature herself. Through the flowing river and blowing winds, she’s able to create smooth pebbles that represent both the gentleness and power of natural forces that shape the Earth. The smooth pebbles are often used in Zen gardens as decorative and meditative pieces for that very reason, but Kreoo’s Pave Collection turns their design into something you can use and even sit on.

The Pave Stones, in particular, combine marble and wood shaped like these natural pebbles and turn it into an outdoor or even indoor seat. Thanks to modern manufacturing and processes, you don’t have to worry about this structure falling over from your weight. In fact, Kreoo stepped things up literally by combining two pieces of marble and one wooden “pebble” to create a piece of furniture that is just as thought-provoking as their miniature originals.

Megius Sauna and Shower

Many people are familiar with saunas, and most of them will imagine big public spaces filled with steam and awkwardness. What should be a relaxing activity can produce anxiety in people not used to being exposed inside an enclosed space. A lot more people would probably enjoy a short sauna experience if it were more private and more personal. Fortunately, shower expert Megius agrees too.

The Exen Sauna mixes glass and wood to create a more confined and intimate space for a single person to use, probably inside a private bathroom. This personal sauna is complemented by the Zen shower that puts a minimalist touch on the typical shower stall. Taking a shower shouldn’t just be for cleansing your body but could give you a psychological wash as well, especially when what you see before you exemplify clarity and simplicity.

pmstudio Progetto HUG

Wood is a more sustainable material for creating products and furniture, but that doesn’t mean it has no negative impact on the environment, especially when we don’t plant enough trees to replace the ones that we cut down. Recycling scrap wood, then, becomes an important step in completing a circular economy of wooden furniture, which is the kind of love the Progetto HUG is trying to give the environment.

Designers Medeot Barbara and Piovesan Giulia created a multifunctional object made of recycled scrap wood that you can assemble into different pieces of furniture. It doesn’t use nails or glue to put together, so you can potentially reassemble the pieces into something else when your needs change. HUG creates an even more sustainable system, ensuring that these pieces won’t need to be recycled themselves anytime soon.

Pre/Use Guillotine

We often take a lot of everyday objects in our homes for granted. On the one hand, that’s necessary for survival because our brains would be overloaded if they took note of every object it encounters at every turn. On the other hand, we sometimes miss out on the interesting nuances of our own furniture, at least until it shocks us out of our stupor.

Named after a rather undesirable tool of punishment, Per/Use’ new Guillotine Mirrors use the metaphor of slicing through objects to create a rather thought-provoking design. It isn’t completely just visual, though, as the wooden block that the mirror cuts through actually hides a drawer that rolls out at the touch of a hidden button. It’s definitely a curious execution of a design, pun totally intended.

Samsung Infinite Line

It might be better known for its smartphones, TVs, and computer monitors, but its area of expertise extends to almost all major appliances inside the house, from refrigerators to ovens to washing machines. Its Bespoke line of smart home appliances, in particular, has become its flagship brand to push Internet-connected and interconnected products to homes today. At Salone del Mobile 2022, it is expanding that vision with the Bespoke Infinite, a line specifically designed to deliver the kitchen of the future today.

The fridge, for example, can automatically open when you swipe or tap your hand over the handle’s sensor, no more struggling with tight doors. The Family Hub smart refrigerator becomes an even better entertainment center in the kitchen to distract kids while you cook. And, of course, this new line is designed to look luxurious in any kitchen setting while also keeping one foot in sustainability through eco-conscious packaging and more efficient energy consumption.

Tubes Radiotori

Heating is an essential part of the home in many regions, but the sources of heat haven’t exactly evolved with contemporary home designs. Many still look as industrial and unappealing as pipes hidden behind walls or underneath sinks, but they don’t have to be. Tubes Radiatori has been making radiators beautiful and stylish, almost disappearing into the background as part of the room’s decor.

The Radiatori Trame, for example, hardly resembles a typical radiator, looking almost like a wall decor that just happens to give off warmth. The new Radiatori I Ching takes inspiration from the iconic writing, providing heated bars of steel where you can hang towels, bathrobes, and any other thing that you need to get dried quickly. Tubes Radiatori, like many on this year’s Best of Salone del Mobile, is proof that mundane things can be designed well, not just to look good but to also feel great for one’s self as well as the environment.

The post The Best of Salone del Mobile 2022 – Smarter and Greener Living first appeared on Yanko Design.