Tag Archives: content creation

AI-powered synthesizer lets you create tailored music just by pressing buttons

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AI has become a powerful and controversial tool that’s being applied to the creation of many things in different industries. The most well-known are, of course, images and text, but these same technologies can also be applied to other fields, even ones that are considered to require more human creativity than others. Music, for example, is believed to be an art that’s hard to master and difficult to quantify in a way that would be of use to AI, but that’s exactly what’s happening here with this “artifact from the future.” That said, the suitcase-sized synthesizer doesn’t completely wrest the act of creation away from your hands but turns it into a creative collaboration between man and machine.

Designer: Arvind Sanjeev

Imagine having to only press a few buttons and you’ll have tunes that are specifically crafted to suit a given mood or genre. Most synthesizers simply give you the raw controls to mix and match to your heart’s content, but you’ll have to draw from your own creativity to actually come up with a pleasing harmony tailored to fit that situation. SPIN, the name for this AI-powered music synthesizer, actually helps you in this creative journey by serving ready-made ingredients to put into your mix without taking anything away from your freedom. It’s like the difference between buying a can of tomato sauce for a recipe versus making your own from scratch.

SPIN has buttons for different moods, genres, and sounds that you can mix and match to your heart’s content. How does happy death-metal disco sound? Why not try some dark jazz opera to really turn heads? Not every combination is going to work, of course, so you’ll still have to step in and fine-tune it to your tastes, no pun intended. And with sliders for BPM or duration and a turntable to scratch, you also have the tools to make your own style shine, with or without AI’s help.

The synth is just as much a work of art as it is a demonstration of the power of AI. A variety of off-the-shelf components are assembled to provide the brains and muscle behind the scenes, almost literally. You won’t see any of these while using SPIN, as all are hidden behind an interface and a design that’s meant to encourage playfulness and experimentation. Even the choice of bright yellow and white colors, unusual for most synth designs, emphasizes that rather jovial character.

Generative AI has been receiving a lot of flak, in no small part thanks to abuse and misuse of the technology rather than anything inherent. SPIN is an attempt to reverse that perception and present AI not only as something approachable but even fun to use. Given how it works, you won’t even have to worry about infringing on anyone’s copyright or intellectual property, leaving you free to explore that harmony between human creativity and machine learning.

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Acer Swift X16 is a sleek and powerful laptop for designers and creators

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There was a time when laptops had limited computing power because of their cramped spaces, but now we have notebooks strong enough to run games with decent quality. These more powerful laptops, however, are often bulky and too flashy with their RGB lights, making them less ideal for more formal work settings. It sometimes feels like buyers need to make a difficult choice between power and portability as if these two were mutually exclusive. That isn’t true, of course, and the new Acer Swift X16 is designed to go beyond expectations, providing a powerful laptop for creating all kinds of digital content while also looking stylish and elegant in a way that creators would be proud to flaunt.

Designer: Acer

While it’s true that you need plenty of space for powerful components inside a laptop, technology has reached a point where these parts have become significantly smaller and more efficient so that they can fit in slim and light bodies. The Acer Swift X16 SFX16-61G, for example, carries the latest-gen AMD Ryzen 9 7940H processor paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, delivering enough power not only for gaming but especially for graphics-heavy content creation tools like video rendering, 3D modeling, and the like.

The large 16-inch 3.2K panel makes enjoying and creating content even better with accurate colors, 500 nits of brightness, and a fast 120Hz refresh rate. Extra thin bezels help reduce the laptop’s overall size, leaving plenty of room for just the vibrant display. A 1080p camera also upgrades the video call experience, especially with Temporal Noise reduction and a suite of AI tools for making sure you have clear and crisp videos every time.

Even with all that power, the Acer Swift X16 maintains a slim 17.9mm profile and a portable 1.9kg weight that lets you easily take your work anywhere. An upgraded TwinAir cooling system makes sure that the laptop is running optimally even under heavy load, while discreet air vents hide under the laptop’s aluminum surface.

On the outside, the Acer Swift X16 SFX16-61G carries a character of elegance with its minimalist aesthetic that belies the true power it bears inside. It doesn’t scream “power” yet still commands a presence with its stylish appearance, whether in the office, at home, in a studio, or in a coffee shop. Acer’s newest laptop for digital creatives starts at $1,249.99 and will be available in North America in July.

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This desktop microphone takes on the classic shape of a radio mic with a signature color scheme to up the whimsy

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Talkie is a desktop microphone concept defined by its primary color scheme and nostalgic silhouette.

Long Beach-based industrial designer Chris Granneberg is known for his delightful collection of product designs that strike the perfect balance between simplicity and whimsy. Characterized by primary color schemes and touchable shapes, it’s hard to not reach out and play with Granneberg’s designs. Designed for Render Weekly’s S6:W6 prompt, one of Granneberg’s latest designs is an adjustable desktop microphone called Talkie that maintains Granneberg’s playful spirit and integrates an intuitive control interface for optimal usability.

Designer: Chris Granneberg

In this era of content creation, the importance of having access to electrical devices for content like podcasts, photographs, and vlogs cannot be understated. Whether you’d like to start a podcast discussing your favorite canned foods or start vlogging your latest travels, access to a working microphone is crucial. Talkie is a microphone that provides the same functionality as standard, casual-use microphones, but its unique shape and color scheme set it apart from the rest. Amounting only to a single button, Talkie comes with an intuitive control interface that operates the power of the microphone.

Taking on the shape of a cardioid microphone, Granneberg’s desktop mic design exudes nostalgia and immediately defines its purpose. Hinged towards its bottom by a swivel ball joint, Talkie can tilt 360-degrees so that users can find their preferred position for the mic.

To operate the microphone, users can connect an included USB Type-C cable to the microphone and a desktop computer to then configure the output and input settings. From there the fun begins. Granneberg says it best when he explains, “I like to surround myself with color and happy objects that bring me joy to not only use but to look and surround myself with when not in use.”

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Best gadgets for content creators in 2022

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Now I’m no influencer (though I do churn out content as well), but I do know that their lives can be extremely chaotic and busy. Content creation, capturing engaging moments, creating proposals, attending meetings, and making themselves and their lives seem interesting and entertaining at all times seems like a handful! The pros have got these tasks underway, whereas the newbies are still stumbling through. But, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been in the social media game for long or you’re a novice, everyone needs a couple of handy and trusty product designs to help them through their influencer life! So, we’ve curated a collection of designs that influencers would swear by! From a collection of cameras that mimick each photography mode to an Apple-inspired action camera – These products will upgrade your content creation routine and even the quality of your content! Because when your process is smooth and hurdle-free, it reflects in your work.

1. The iCam Pro by Varun Anand

Inspired by living life on the edge and documenting travels along the way, the iCam Pro was conceptualized using top-grade technology fit for the adventure seeker who isn’t about to be held back by limiting camera setbacks. Equipped with Apple’s A12Z Bionic Chip, the concept of iCam Pro boasts lightning-fast feedback and the same power efficiency we’ve all come to expect from Apple. In addition to its ultra-fast microchip, the iCam Pro comes outfitted with LiDAR sensors, an advancement in camera technology that fills out Apple’s camera to take videography to another level. LiDAR sensors essentially use remote sensing to examine the Earth’s surface, and all of its nooks and crannies to deliver photos that are as close to the real thing as you can get from phone cameras.

2. All-in-One Live Broadcast device

Decluttering the experience of content creation, industrial designer DPP Da’Peng conceptualized an All-in-One Live Broadcast device that takes care of every aspect of content creation in one go. In designing their All-in-One device, DPP Da’Peng hoped to solve the issue of passive wheat dissipation present in broadcast equipment currently on the market. Finding an issue with the size of current heat sinks, Da’Peng notes, “Due to the limitation of volume and microphone recognition sound, a large area of [the] metal aluminum heat sink is required to assist the machine to dissipate heat and work normally. So balancing heat sinks and design criteria is the primary issue.”

3. Logitech StreamMic Concept

Take your live streaming and podcasting to a new high with Logitech StreamMic Concept, which is conceived specifically for gamers, podcasters, and streamers in search of a professional-quality desktop microphone that Logitech would approve of. As the appearance gives out, the StreamMic is truly inspired by the aesthetics of the Logitech StreamCam and fits its design language through form, material, and simplicity. The microphone here is dressed in a similar monochrome theme with inviting fabric covering the sensitive innards. Fascinatingly, the conceptual design, in addition to sounding great would provide versatility so you can concentrate more on your content or gameplay, and leave the rest for the StreamMic to handle.

4. The Elgato Key Light Air professional camera light

The Elgato Key Light Air professional camera light helps you achieve the perfect lighting for live streaming and photoshoots! Equipped with LEDs, the gadget utilizes multilayer diffusion technology to create a lighting effect that is both soft and indirect. It’s all the illumination you require for your at-home professional shoots, while also ensuring that you stay cool throughout the entire process. It is also quite gentle on your eyes! An ultra-reflective aluminum film scatters light outwards, while a translucent grid panel breaks the light into millions of different beams. The gadget is also accompanied by a 3D head mount, allowing you to position it at the perfect angle. It’s the ultimate accessory for the desk setup of a content creator!

5. The Gimbal Griptok

Fountain Studio seems to have struck the right notes with their proposed concept for a smartphone gimbal for solo content creators who longed for such an accessory. The Gimbal Griptok doesn’t come with the baggage of bulkiness and boasts an ergonomic design. The actuation of movement is done with the onboard inertial measurement device (IMU) and the brushless motor which provides the subtle corrections for resulting stable footage. Another problem the gimbal addresses is the extension of the cradle to the left or right to hold the phone in position. The design studio went ahead with testing and verifying the size and usability of the gimbal design. Finally, the 3D printing technique was used to create the prototype. This prototype (and hopefully the final product) uses MagSafe technology to keep the gimbal secured to the phone at all times.

6. The Now Exposed collection

The cameras featured in the Now Exposed collection each have a unique purpose. They use different lenses and exposure techniques to force the photographer to think differently about image composition. The series consists of three distinct cameras, each one mimicking a photography ‘mode’ – the Burst Camera, the Long Exposure Camera, and the Slitscan Camera. The Now Exposed Cameras, as a whole, manages to make film photography, an intimidating art medium, accessible to new users while presenting new creative challenges for experts. Each camera comes with instructions imprinted directly onto the device.

7. The Focusrite Scarlett 3rd Gen

The Focusrite Scarlett 3rd Gen is the perfect addition to your home recording studio. The Scarlett range includes two recording bundles – Solo Studio and 2i2 Studio. It also consists of six individual products for recording music – Solo, 2i2, 4i4, 8i6, 18i8, and 18i20. An inbuilt mic preamplifier heightens and improves sound quality, while free plug-ins offer synths, preamps, drum machines, and effects. The Air features also brighten and liven up your vocals! The Scarlett 3rd Gen is compatible with your PC, MacBook, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

8. The Huion Kamvas Pro 24K display

The Huion Kamvas Pro 24K display gives your professional studio the ultimate elevation! Equipped with QLED, HDR, and Pen Technology, this display helps you notch up your productivity. The UHD 3,840 by 2,160 screen lets you immerse into every detail of your work, eliminating the need for zooming in and out. The Quantum Dot technology gives you an amazing 140% sRGB color gamut as well as a 1,200:1 contrast ratio. The 4K display is compatible with your PC, MacBook, Android, and other devices as well.

9. The iCam Pro by Diego Valdés

The iCam Pro conceptualized by Diego Valdés (aka. Diego Valoro Design) is a miniaturized version of the iPhone 13 – of course with a slightly different utility of documenting extreme experiences. The triple-camera module setup is a detour from the convention of a single potent camera on such sports cameras. This could be a USP for a brand like Apple who’ll foray into a very competitive space dominated mostly by GoPro. The slimmer, more rectangular shape of the action camera will give prospect users the freedom to carry it in the pocket of their jeans without getting uncomfortable. The choice of colors and materials will also play a part in the success of iCam Pro, if we happen to ever see one in real life.

10. Miko

Miko has cardioid microphones to pick up the voice in real-time and amplify the sound. This means we can use the cheeky little gadget for anything from small rallies, office meetings, live performances to even karaoke nights with buddies. Don’t mistake Miko for any ordinary mic, as it can address a room filled with 60 people in crystal clear vocals or audio. Even better, the gadget can be used in one of the two modes – either as a handheld mic or as a detachable lavalier clip mic. There’s a pin on the base mic that keeps it charged, and this base mic is further amped via the main dock. So as soon as we pick up the mic from the dock, it sets into action the voice amplification. This function makes the little gadget perfect for podcast creators or video content makers. Plus, the attractive design is well thought out to appeal to the next-gen crowd.

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This all-in-one broadcast device is the wire-free mess content creators need

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Industrial designer DPP Da’Peng conceptualized an all-in-one broadcast device for content creators to have a one-stop shop for quality production.

With content creation becoming one of the most sought-after fields to work in these days, broadcast equipment is getting some major buzz. Whether you have a podcast or are an aspiring influencer, access to quality broadcast equipment is the first step towards making it viral.

Designer: DPP Da’Peng

Depending on the type of content you create, the necessary equipment will vary, which means content creators typically own all kinds of different equipment. Keeping that many wires and devices in one space can get messy.

Decluttering the experience of content creation, industrial designer DPP Da’Peng conceptualized an All-in-One Live Broadcast device that takes care of every aspect of content creation in one go.

In designing their All-in-One device, DPP Da’Peng hoped to solve the issue of passive wheat dissipation present in broadcast equipment currently on the market. Finding an issue with the size of current heat sinks, Da’Peng notes,

“Due to the limitation of volume and microphone recognition sound, a large area of [the] metal aluminum heat sink is required to assist the machine to dissipate heat and work normally. So balancing heat sinks and design criteria is the primary issue.”

In finding the equipment’s final form, DPP Da’Peng conceptualized their all-in-one broadcast device in two different iterations. In its first version, Da’Peng visualizes the device supported by a tripod. Propped upright, the multi-functional camera is envisioned in a cubic form with an integrated heat sink sandwiched between the camera’s lens and body.

The second iteration, also situated atop a tripod, appears more like a compact projector. Unlike the first rendering, Da’Peng’s second camera’s lens module is oval-shaped while the body takes on a rectangular silhouette.

Both cameras feature intuitive record buttons and the lens rotates 90-degrees to switch between landscape and portrait modes. In addition, the heat sinks of both iterations are kept to a minimum and a wireless design takes care of the mess that comes with current broadcast devices on the market. The tripod is also optional, so when creators want to use the cameras like they would a webcam, both devices can easily mount computer screens.

Both iterations of Da’Peng’s broadcast device feature rotating lenses. 

The first iteration’s heat sink is wedged right between the lens and the camera’s body. 

The lens rotates 90-degrees to offer landscape and portrait capture modes.

The post This all-in-one broadcast device is the wire-free mess content creators need first appeared on Yanko Design.

Influencer-friendly product designs that content creators will swear by!

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Now I’m no influencer (though I do churn out content as well), but I do know that their lives can be extremely chaotic and busy. Content creation, capturing engaging moments, proposals, meetings, and making themselves and their lives seem interesting and entertaining at all times, seems like a handful! The pros have got these tasks underway, whereas the newbies are still stumbling through. But, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been in the social media game for long or you’re a novice, everyone needs a couple of handy and trusty product designs to help them through their influencer life! So, we’ve curated a collection of designs that influencers would swear by – from a collection of cameras that mimick each photography mode, to a 2-in-1 appliance that helps you prep up for your shoots in minutes, these products will upgrade your content creation routine and even the quality of your content! Because when your process is smooth and hurdle-free, it reflects in your work!

The cameras featured in the Now Exposed collection each have a unique purpose. They use different lenses and exposure techniques to force the photographer to think differently about image composition. The series consists of three distinct cameras, each one mimicking a photography ‘mode’ – the Burst Camera, the Long Exposure Camera, and the Slitscan Camera. The Now Exposed Cameras, as a whole, manages to make film photography, an intimidating art medium, accessible to new users while presenting new creative challenges for experts. Each camera comes with instructions imprinted directly onto the device. These snippets explain how each camera operates and what film cartridges you need to buy. The Now Exposed set gives photographers the framework to create dynamic, abstract works of art. In an age with high-resolution phone cameras, flattering Instagram filters, and photo-editing apps, anyone can create beautiful images with ease. The Now Exposed Cameras, on the other hand, invites users to create innovative artwork through experimentation.

This conceptual Apple-esque iCamera perfectly fits that gap! DSLR cameras can be daunting if you are just starting out but if you want to learn beyond the simple point-and-shoot then this camera is the perfect stepping stone into your visual art journey. Get those professional shots without having to study the manual and watch several YouTube videos, the iCamera aims at breaking down the complexity of advanced cameras to make people comfortable with the idea of shooting with a gadget that is not their phone. “It increases your ability and easily leads you to the world of cameras,” says the designer about the gap he wants to bridge with this concept design. The designer wanted to simplify the existing advanced cameras’ user experience by making the body more compact and lighter. The bulk of the lens is reduced but it still includes the revolving functionality to zoom. However, now you can do it comfortably with just a finger. It also aims to make transferring your files easier through cloud-based technologies – that one tedious task every photographer hates to do but has to do. So say goodbye to HD cards, setting up Bluetooth, and keeping a track of multiple accessories that one usually needs to transfer. It charges wirelessly and has a handy flash that attaches magnetically to the body!

When it comes to vlogging or capturing memories whilst on the go, the key to successful equipment is convenience and usability, and so it’s only right that a tripod must also meet these criteria! That’s just what the SwitchPod was designed to do, as it puts versatility and simplicity first. SwitchPod allows you to shift between handheld and tripod mode in one smooth, and extremely satisfying, motion; the speed at which this can be carried-out lends itself to the fast pace of a vlogger, ensuring that it can keep up with their busy lifestyle! Aside from speed, this ingenious method of opening and closing also makes SwitchPod extremely compact; when folded, the thin and lightweight design slips into the user’s bag with ease… or if that’s not quite your style, then it can be attached to the side with the addition of a carabiner.

Edge is a compact 2-in-1 appliance that gives you more than your toiletries. It consists of three parts: ‘Multi Handle’, ‘Edge Hairdryer Module’, ‘Edge Iron Module’. ‘Multi Handle’ has a button to control the product for using and both modules work with ‘Multi Handle’. Specifically made for those who have meetings on-the-go, the hairdryer and iron help to wash away the weariness of travel and smoothen the wrinkles so you look fresh (or should I say profesh?). “We have adopted a slide structure for intuitive and easy combination of each module. This not only allows the user to easily combine the modules but also reduces the risk of the module being easily detached while using the product” says the team.

The Manouvre looks less like a camera and more like a fashion accessory, as it should. Designed for people who want to capture the wondrous world around them, the gimbal-camera looks like a part of the set, rather than a behind-the-scenes gizmo. The gimbal can be operated via a button near the grip, and you can toggle recording on/off using a red button on the camera’s body. The Manouvre even comes with its own circular display on the back, allowing you to cycle through features, get updates on your recording format, and even preview recordings by using the screen as a viewfinder. The lens features a knurled grip, which makes me wonder whether the gimbal camera has manual focus control (sounds like a very interesting feature), but alas, the Manouvre exists only as a concept, so there’s no real way of finding out. I’ve got to say though, the form language and that deadly color-combo is DEFINITELY working in this handheld gimbal camera’s favor, don’t you think?

There are things that seem so logical and so right when you see them for the first time that you wonder why they weren’t there all the time. The SPINN camera carrying system is just like that. Designed for all professional DSLRs – and for DSLM cameras that are becoming increasingly popular – this system offers the comfort and handling benefit, that standard eyelets on every camera simply do not offer. The strap is usually attached at the top of the camera so that it swings, rotates, and moves. Carrying the camera becomes a real pain, especially if you’re using a larger zoom lens. Not to mention, how the strap gets in the way of your face every time you look into the camera’s viewfinder – a problem with a high annoyance factor, as it permanently disrupts a fluid and creative working subliminally.

Perfectly tailored for outdoor life – for people who don’t want to be restricted by the battery charging woes, the Bronine AI Volkit Charger is the solution to all your predicaments. It uses free voltage charging technology (ranging from 1V-20V) that automatically detects the current and voltage requirements of the battery, thanks to its smart algorithm. The icing on the cake is the fact that it can juice up your drone batteries, or even Li-ion dry cell batteries. This universal charger is capable of energizing four different camera batteries from different brands simultaneously – be it Canon, Sony, Nikon, Olympus, GoPro, DJI, Fujifilm, Panasonic, or any other battery that falls in the voltage range. The nifty gadget covers most of the battery-operated DSRL or mirrorless cameras – now that’ll surely bring a smile to the face of a creative photographer or witty influencer!

Inspired by a recent viewing of a solar eclipse, Goodrich designed Eclipse Booths to offer a photo-visual experience for Instagram users to immerse their grids in the cosmos. Describing the booths in her own words, Goodrich says, “Lit from behind, the round portion of the booth emits a soft, indirect light. The mirrors on the ceiling extend the graphic steps throughout the booth’s interior to allude to… steps leading into eternity.” While one of the booths embodies the night sky with a darker color palette of twilight purple and midnight blue, a cooler, icy light emanates from behind the round plate – mimicking the Moon moving into the Earth’s shadow. The Eclipse Booth’s solar counterpart echoes the day we all spent cutting up old cereal boxes to watch as the Moon, Sun, and Earth aligned. With peach-rose suede curtains and tangerine-yellow accents, the brighter of the two Eclipse Booths pours warmer, golden light from behind the round plate.

Edelkrone’s FlexTILT Head 2 is a small intermediate connector that sits between your camera and your tripod, giving your camera the stability of three legs, and the flexibility of two knees. It’s a simple idea with powerful applications, really. The FlexTILT Head 2 comes with a CNC machined aluminum body and friction hinges that allow you to position your camera in multiple ways. You can lift the camera up, set it down, face it at any angle without messing with your tripod’s settings, or even face it downwards. The FlexTILT Head 2 supports a load of up to 5 kilograms, allowing you to work even with those big, heavy lenses. The friction hinges only work when you operate them (much like a laptop’s screen), and there’s even a spirit level as well as an angle-adjuster so you can tilt and even rotate the camera with relative ease. Moreover, the FlexTILT Head 2 even lets you swap your camera’s batteries without needing you to unscrew it off the tripod.

The LOOKSTAND adheres to the back of your device using a slim plastic mount that sticks on with 3M adhesive. Designed to work universally with smartphones as well as with tablets, the LOOKSTAND weighs between 1.6 to 2.9 ounces (depending on the size variant you pick) and can easily support devices as heavy as 28 ounces. Its AL6061 Aluminum Alloy construction makes it robust yet deceptively light and thin, and the stand comes with a 360° hinge that lets you rotate and tilt your phone/tablet in landscape, portrait, or even in any intermediary angle. In the tripod mode, the LOOKSTAND can elevate your device to more than 7-inches off the ground using an adjustable telescopic system, turning your phone or tablet into an elevated hands-free device that’s ideal for whether you’re watching movies, attending a video call, using your device for work, or for making TikTok videos. Fold the tripod’s legs back into LOOKSTAND and it turns into a selfie stick that you can use to make dynamic videos or take group photos where everyone’s in the frame. A third mode allows you to use the LOOKSTAND as a regular kickstand, allowing it to prop your tablet or phone up like a standing photo frame.

Circular saw blades replace the tires of this classic road bike to help it ride on ice!

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Across the globe, it seems a cold front has a lot of us in its grips and cooped up indoors. No longer are we riding bikes in the sun or enjoying the outdoors, instead, we’re suffering through the double whammy of a cold winter and this endless quarantine. But for some of us, the frozen lake left in the wake of a winter storm’s rage only coaxes us from hibernation, offering more territory for us to play. For The Q, a video-content creation channel known for its quirky science videos that solve engineering problems, a frozen lake provided the ideal conditions to test out their latest project, Icyclycle  – a road bike whose tires were replaced with giant, circular saw blades.

In order to get their bike, a Corso Number One Spirit, primed for the ice, The Q entirely disassembled the bike’s 26-inch wheel systems. The tires were deflated, the spokes were removed, and the cog was soldered. The road bike’s rear cassette was first broken down into its individual components in order to then be welded and fitted for the incoming circular saw blades. Placing the round saw blades between the bike’s rear chainstays, the bike’s original chains accommodated the new saw-tires with help from a welded disc wheel. As shown in the video, once the new circular saw blades were put in place and ready to hit the ice, The Q’s initial test run didn’t go as planned.

The bike moved too deep along the y-axis, digging deeper into the ice instead of moving forward. Noticing this mechanical issue, The Q returned to the metal shop for some acute fixes that required welding small horizontal metal fixtures to the ends of each tooth around the circular saw-blade-tires. The smart fix eventually led to the success of Icyclycle since it allowed the saw-blade to simultaneously pick up and collect the ice it moved on, allowing for less force to be applied to the ground as the bike moved forward.

Quarantine is turning a lot of us into self-proclaimed DIY-buffs and this winter isn’t helping, but The Q is in a league of its own. I’d go so far as to say that when it comes to surviving this winter, The Q came, saw, and conquered.

Designer: The Q

Replacing the road bike’s tires with circular saw blades, The Q set out to create a hybrid bike that runs on ice.

Deconstructing the road bike’s original wheel system meant completely disassembling the rear wheel cassette.

The spokes were removed from both of the wheel’s hubs so that they could be adjusted to accommodate the bike’s new ice-wheels.

The disc wheel worked to help fasten and protect the steel saw blades while also providing positive friction for the bike wheels to properly rotate.

Once the road bike’s hubs were fit for the saw-blades, the new ice-wheels were easily inserted between the bike’s chainstays.

Without any means to move past the ice, the circular saw-blades’ teeth only dug further into the ice as the bike’s wheels rotated.

The design behind this wheel turns it into a type of track wheel that is commonly seen on construction sites or during the early morning hours following a bad snowstorm, as track wheels make it harder for vehicles to sink into the ground.

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR review: A big, bright content creation machine

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With its Aero lineup, Gigabyte has developed a reputation for powerful, slim, long-lasting laptops with low-key designs that don’t scream “gaming.” The $2,800 Aero 17 HDR XB is a great example of that philosophy -- it has plenty of power but is more...