Top 10 Winter Essentials To Keep You Warm For The Remaining Chilly Days

Winter is by far my favorite season of the year, as the temperature drops, my excitement rises! Chilly nights followed by frosty mornings, cozy naps in bed with blankets wrapped around me, and cups of hot cocoa – it all sounds like heaven to me. As blissful and beautiful as winter can be, it can also be harsh on our bodies and our lifestyles, if we don’t equip ourselves for it. So, we’ve curated a bunch of super interesting and functional tech designs to get you through this winter season…in style! These innovative designs are the ultimate winter essentials for you.

1. Tornado

NextNova has designed something pretty awesome – a terracotta heater with a unique airflow pattern that creates an impressive tower of fire that heats your home, while also having the option to distribute a fragrance of your choice.

Why is it noteworthy?

Dubbed the Tornado, this terracotta-based heater merges the charm of a fireplace with the safety of a scented candle. It works based on airflow and the thermal properties of baked clay to produce radiating heat for the outdoors and the indoors. It burns bioethanol utilizing ceramic wool as a substrate.

What we like

  • Outputs 7000 BTU (British Thermal Units) of heat
  • Mimics the effect of a fireplace without the danger and hazards of smoke or a disaster

What we dislike

  • There is open space on the top, and on one side, so it could be dangerous for kids and pets when placed indoors

2. Bio Heater

Called the Bio Heater, this innovative appliance provides an ingenious and novel way to make excellent and judicious use of cooking oil that would otherwise be wasted after use. Designed by Unichest for their client Flint Lab, the Bio Heater is a unique solution that employs cooking oil as fuel.

Why is it noteworthy?

It uses cooking oil to produce an eco-friendly fuel for the Bio Heater. It is equipped with a combustion technology under its belly which transfers heat energy, which is then further radiated in the room.

What we like

  • Features a minimal and clean design that perfectly merges with modern homes
  • The rounded top can be used to hold items when not in use

What we dislike

  • Bulky and space-consuming design, not intended for smaller homes

3. Hotdog Hand Warmer

The Hotdog Hand Warmer is designed to warm your hand with the appearance of a cute dog’s face. Although it’s not easy to catch the resemblance easily, once you do, you really can’t unsee it. It is the kind of design that will be appreciated by people of all ages, including kids who have no idea about different breeds.

Why is it noteworthy?

The hand warmer isn’t just a “hot dog”, it is an easy-to-use hand warmer, that can be charged via USB from a power bank or even a smartphone, making the device pretty portable and usable almost anywhere. It features a simple slider to switch between off and two heat settings to suit your needs and comfort levels.

What we like

  • Delivers warmth while also providing an emotional and adorable experience

What we dislike

  • The dog’s ear or nose doesn’t function as buttons
  • It isn’t exactly a revolutionary design

4. Thermaphones

The Thermaphones are an innovative pair of cans created to alter the temperature to nullify the effect of both a super hot day or a super chilly winter. They’re designed by Kevin Chiam.

Why is it noteworthy?

The headphones have a unique hybrid design, and the temperature-changing earbuds offer unique thermal comfort. The earcups on the headphones are super cozy and comfy.

What we like

  • Eradicates any chances of vertigo induced by the extreme variation in temperature
  • It provides you comfort during the winter and summer

What we dislike

  • It’s a concept, so we don’t know how the final tangible product will turn out to be, and how effective it will be

5. POCO

Called POCO: Portable Capsule Coffee Machine, this compact and lightweight device can be slid easily into your backpack or bag along with coffee pods, making it a great coffee maker on the go for the winter.

Why is it noteworthy?

You can recharge POCO via a USB-C, charging it on the go using your laptop or a portable charger, making it an excellent device for those who are always on the move.

What we like

  • Features a built-in thermal insulation function
  • Allows you to enjoy a cup of coffee anytime anywhere

What we dislike

  • Since it’s a concept we don’t know how functional and credible it will be as an actual product

6. Breeze Desktop Hand Warmer

Named the Breez desktop hand warmer, this little device makes texting in the cold super easy and efficient. The desktop hand warmer makes using your keyboard a breeze!

Why is it noteworthy?

Designed to keep your fingers warm and toasty, the Breez desktop hand warmer lets you clack away on your keyboard without feeling cold. It features a horizontal form that uniformly warms your hand as you type.

What we like

  • The hand warmer covers the entire keyboard making sure there are no cold zones or spots

What we dislike

  • There aren’t any color options, besides pastel blue, so not a lot of variety

7. Fire Safe

The Fire Safe is an envelope-sized, portable fire and cooking companion that lets you create a warm and comfy fire wherever and whenever you like. It creates communal campfires and cooking experiences with friends and family.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Fire Safe builds quaint campfire and cooking experiences while minimizing the environmental footprints left behind by typical campfires. It features a hinged collapsible design.

What we like

  • Lightweight and slim design
  • Portable and easy-to-carry design

What we dislike

  • It is built from stainless steel, which cause a unique patina to form over time, which may not be preferred by all users and their myriad tastes

8. Hearth

Dubbed Hearth, this stylish but normal table with a black tabletop is designed to be a stunning centerpiece in its dormant state, but also as an electric fireplace in its activated state. It has a tapered and shuttered base to evoke images of a burning fire.

Why is it noteworthy?

The glow that comes from within the heater provides a warm and soft light that feels like an alluring and open invitation for families and friends to huddle together and spend some quality time together, much like what people did in ancient times.

What we like

  • Multifunctional design that works as a fireplace and a coffee table

What we dislike

  • It’s a concept so we don’t know how well it’ll translate into an actual product

9. UZE Heated Jacket

Called the UZE Heated Jacket, this unique and innovative jacket totally changes the jacket game, by letting you wear it in all four seasons, while also giving you the power to decide how warm you wanna get.

Why is it noteworthy?

It features four graphene heat zones and three heat settings of 120°F, 140°F, and 160°F, so you don’t have to search for the right jacket when it gets colder or warmer. By simply pressing a button, you can select the level of warmth that will make you feel comfy.

What we like

  • Can keep you warm for up to 10 hours and charges in 45 minutes

What we dislike

  • Aesthetics are quite dull, they could be worked upon

10. BioLite Firepit

Called the BioLite Firepit, this smoke-less wood burner lets users have a little glance into whatever is going on inside the fire. The pit doesn’t need any chemical fuel or gas to build a great fire.

Why is it noteworthy?

The firepit utilizes standard wood mixed with some clever engineering, which basically involves air being injected through 51 air jets, which maintains a uniform temperature throughout the firepit, providing improved combustion.

What we like

  •  It is equipped with a fan that controls the fire’s intensity

What we dislike

  • You need to have access to chopped wood at all times to use it, otherwise it is useless

The post Top 10 Winter Essentials To Keep You Warm For The Remaining Chilly Days first appeared on Yanko Design.

5 of the Best Tech Accessories To Prepare For A Cozy & Comfy Winter

Winter is by far my favorite season of the year, as the temperature drops, my excitement rises! Chilly nights followed by frosty mornings, cozy naps in bed with blankets wrapped around me, and cups of hot cocoa – it all sounds like heaven to me. As blissful and beautiful as winter can be, it can also be harsh on our bodies and our lifestyles, if we don’t equip ourselves for it. So, we’ve curated a bunch of super interesting and functional tech designs to get you through this winter season…in style! These innovative designs are the ultimate winter essentials for you.

1. Bio Heater

Designed by Unichest for their client Flint Lab, the Bio Heater is an ingenious and novel way to make judicious and good use of cooking oil that is otherwise considered waste after use. This cooking oil is used as fuel for the Bio Heater.

Why is it noteworthy?

Flint Lab utilizes the cooking oil to produce an eco-friendly fuel for the Bio Heater. The heater is equipped with a unique combustion technology under its belly which is used to transfer heat energy, which is then further radiated in the room.

What we like

  • Neat and minimal design that blends perfectly with modern homes
  • The rounded top can be used to place things when not in use

What we dislike

  • Bulky and space-consuming design, not intended for smaller homes

2. Thermaphones

Designed by Kevin Chiam, the Thermaphones are a pair of unique cans designed to alter the temperature to nullify the effect of an extremely hot temperature or the cool chill of winter.

Why is it noteworthy?

The innovative headphones feature a hybrid design, where the temperature-changing earbuds provide unique thermal comfort. The earcups on the headphones are quite compact and comfy.

What we like

  • Eliminates any chances of vertigo induced by the extreme variation in temperature
  • It provides you comfort during the winter and summer

What we dislike

  • It’s a concept, so we don’t know how the final tangible product will turn out to be

3. Harmony Flame Lamp Fireplace

You can now enjoy a beautiful and safe fire indoors with this stunning brass lamp. It utilizes eco-friendly bioethanol to spread illumination and warmth in your home. The fireplace is made using the same technique that is adopted to build musical instruments.

Click Here to Buy Now: Harmony Flame Fireplace ($239)

Why is it noteworthy?

This beautiful brass fireplace is designed to enhance and uplift the mood of all indoor spaces. Both the reflective surfaces and flames play around with light and shadows to create an aesthetically appealing decorative piece that is excellent for your dining table or patio.

What we like

  • Lets you enjoy and experience a safe and pretty fire inside the comfort of your home

What we dislike

  • The lamp utilizes bioethanol which is eco-friendly, but will need to be purchased and refilled, creating a fuel dependency
  • The fuel capacity and compact size of the lamp may not support extended use, which some people need for longer-lasting illumination

4. POCO

Dubbed POCO: Portable capsule coffee machine, this compact and lightweight device can slide easily into your backpack or bag along with coffee pods, making it an exceptional coffee maker on the go for the winter.

Why is it noteworthy?

You can recharge POCO via a USB-C, charging it on the go using your laptop or a portable charger. It is an excellent device for people who are always on the move.

What we like

  • Equipped with a built-in thermal insulation function
    It enables you to enjoy a cup of coffee anytime anywhere

What we dislike

  • Since it’s a concept we don’t know how functional and credible it will be as an actual product

5. Breez Desktop Hand Warmer

You know how difficult texting in the cold can be, so imagine how tough it is to type on a keyboard in the cold. This is where the Breez desktop hand warmer swoops in!

Why is it noteworthy?

Designed to keep your fingers warm and toasty, the Breez desktop hand warmer lets you clack away on your keyboard without feeling cold. It features a horizontal form that uniformly warms your hand as you type.

What we like

  • It covers the entire keyboard leaving no cold zones or spots

What we dislike

  • There aren’t any color options, besides pastel blue, so not a lot of variety

The post 5 of the Best Tech Accessories To Prepare For A Cozy & Comfy Winter first appeared on Yanko Design.

Top 10 futuristic tech designs to inspire you from the YD x KeyShot Inspiration Hub

At Yanko Design, we believe in constantly innovating, creating, and evolving. It’s a philosophy that serves as a lifeline for us, and one of the results of this lifeline is the YD x KeyShot Inspiration Hub! The Inspiration Hub is our ‘ever-expanding encyclopedia’ of design work for you to participate in, to inspire designers, and to get inspired by. Created in collaboration with KeyShot, the Inspiration Hub is your one-stop space for inspiration where designers like you can submit your impressive designs and be awarded to stand out in the crowd and to inspire other like-minded designers.

To kickstart your journey and send some motivation your way, we’ve curated some of our favorite futuristic tech designs from the Inspiration Hub. These unique and uber-cool tech designs will motivate you to create something spectacular and submit the design, as a gateway to sharing it with the best of the design world. Additionally, we will also be picking our favorite Design of the Week, Design of the Month, and Design of the Year – every week, month, and year from the submissions on the Inspiration Hub. Keep an eye on our Instagram page and the Inspiration Hub to see if your design gets picked. Fingers crossed!

Click here to Download KeyShot Pro (Use Code ‘KSYANKOHUB’ during installation for a full Pro + KeyShotWeb trial) to take your sketch from concept to render!

1. Smart Prosthetic Arm

Xander Lihovski designed this wearable design called the ‘Smart Prosthetic Arm’. It is his own interpretation of an AI-controlled prosthesis design, and effortlessly merges AI and smart technology. Lihovski adopted a rather techy or robotic look for the arm, in an attempt to normalize the use of prosthetic limbs in common spaces. A digital interface wraps around the prosthetic arm’s elbow crease that operates as the prosthetic limb’s smart hub. It has been conceptualized in a black variant and a white variant.

2. The Samsung Action Camera

Designed by Isaac Lee, the Samsung Action Camera is a nifty and compact contraption featuring a wide-angle lens, record button, control knob, digital viewfinder, and an LCD screen on the top – much like the ones you see on retro-style cameras. The side of the camera has been equipped with two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm aux for an external microphone. It’s a unique transparent camera that is a refreshing change from the mainstream GoPros and other action cameras we see today.

3. Eco

The electrolarynx is an essential device to help those who had a laryngectomy to be able to speak again. However, it can be inconvenient to use one, hence Luca Persico designed ‘Eco’ – a simplified and more efficient version of an electrolarynx. All the buttons have been reduced to one, and there are only three simple steps required to operate it. The lightweight and ergonomic design can adapt to the diversity and multiplicity of users’ bodies, therefore transforming the complex electrolarynx into an easy-to-use and intuitive device.

4. Focus

This stunning watch designed by Samuel Beaney and Ed Burgess is defined by interesting bezels! While manufacturers are trying to banish bezels, Focus embraces them wholeheartedly. Taking inspiration from traffic signs, particularly the circular ones, the smartwatch uses thick bezels to increase the visual focus of the small screen in the middle. There are no other extra markings around that screen, be it a rotating bezel or even a crown.

5. The Stingray Headphones

Designed by Junhyeok “Hugo” Oh, the Stingray Headphones have been created to adapt to the back of human heads, hence making them quite an ergonomic pair of headphones. They cover the back of our heads, preventing migraines and helping users to focus completely on the music. The headphones are designed to be portable, and they can be swiftly clipped onto or put into bags and pockets, making the headphones extremely easy to carry around with you.

6. The Air Boost

Designed by ByungJun Lee, the Air Boost is a sports mask concept with the branding of Nike. It’s designed to be an electronic mark concept that replenishes oxygen and supports you in breathing while you conduct aerobic exercises. It ensures the circulation of clean air and provides oxygen supply from oxygen capsules as and when needed. This helps to speed up and improve your post-workout recovery since it prevents oxygen deficiency and debt that can take place during physical activities.

7. Husqvarna Charging Modules

Designed by Anshuman Kumar, these solar charging modules were designed for mountain bikes, and branded under Husqvarna. The conceptual design was created to enable riders to ride to remote locations, without the fear of their EVs dying down, and being unable to find charging sources. The module is powered by solar energy and would make an excellent design if brought to life, especially for adventure seekers who love road trips to offbeat locations.

8. The Huawei Watch GT Cyber

Say hello to Huawei’s most ambitious and innovative smartwatch! The watch features a circular face and a detachable dial that pops out of the strap. This allows you to swap the outer body designs in no time. The majestic smartwatch comes with a wide range of straps, that you can switch between, giving your smartwatch the look you’re in the mood for – classy, minimalist, sports, or premium. The Huawei Watch GT Cyber allows you to log your workout with a variety of 100+ sports modes, and GPS tracking lets you keep tabs on your route.

9. Pavy’s Earbuds Design

Designed by Simon Pavy, this innovative earbuds concept is a unique audio device that can be used while traveling, playing sports, or during any activity where we have limited or no access to our smartphones. The nifty device combines AirPods and an AirPods case with a new and improved iPod Nano screen, hence creating a hybrid of the AirPods and the iPod, resulting in a gadget that has no need for a smartphone, since it does it all!

10. FLAG

Designed by Mk Jeon, FLAG is designed to be a rollable display for travelers. Most journeys end with the symbolic act of flagging, for example, when astronauts land on the moon, or mountain climbers reach the top of Mt. Everest, they strike a flag into the ground as a symbol of their victory and the end of their long journey. In a similar fashion, FLAG is designed to share your entire travel journey, and help you finish it up with a techy ‘FLAG’, that commemorates your arduous process.

Click here to Download KeyShot Pro (Use Code ‘KSYANKOHUB’ during installation for a full Pro + KeyShotWeb trial) to take your sketch from concept to render!

The post Top 10 futuristic tech designs to inspire you from the YD x KeyShot Inspiration Hub first appeared on Yanko Design.

Kitchen Appliances designed to unleash your inner chef and achieve your MasterChef dreams

Before the pandemic took place, cooking was a chore I completely avoided! But now, I honestly find it quite therapeutic! The pandemic, and all the free time that came along with it, somehow awakened my inner chef! I’m sure a lot of other inner chefs were brought to life as well. And with the third wave slowly encroaching upon the world, it may be time to deep dive into cooking once again! Especially with the right kitchen tools and appliances, cooking can be a fun and effortless process. The right products can reduce your prep time in half, make the little cooking tasks much easier, and help you with tedious and complicated techniques. From a kitchen appliance that turns a This collection of kitchen appliances promises to transform cooking from a Herculean feat to an approachable and enjoyable process! Let your inner chef take over with the help of these innovative and nifty designs!

1. The Reencle

Designed to effectively compost and break down food waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer, the Reencle is a compact, quiet, odor-free kitchen appliance that puts your food waste to good use; although that shouldn’t give you an excuse to waste more food! Hoping to put that waste into good use so it doesn’t end up in a landfill creating tonnes of CO2 and Methane as it decomposes, the Reencle is an at-home solution that helps efficiently break down food in a way that turns it into a rich compost that benefits the planet instead of harming it. Microorganisms inside the Reencle’s inner chamber break the food down in roughly 24 hours, creating a compost that can be used in gardens, backyards, indoor planters, or even be disposed of, so it doesn’t harm the environment.

2. CASO’s Kitchen Ecostyle

Kitchen scales come in all shapes, sizes, and designs, both the analog kind as well as more modern digital ones. In almost all cases, they take the same rectangular or circular plates that can take up precious shelf space. Digital scales, of course, also require power to function, mostly from batteries. CASO’s Kitchen Ecostyle throws all that down the drain, so to speak. You might not even recognize it as a kitchen scale because of its unconventional design. It looks almost like a fat rectangular compass or protractor, with one leg that fans out to the side. This creates a gap where you can securely place a bowl that is too big to balance on the scale’s closed-form safely.

3. Smeg-inspired Toaster

A piece of home decor and a kitchen appliance, Smeg products tend to give kitchens a whole lot of personality. Gutiérrez Rincón’s toaster design maintains a simple control panel in a similar fashion to related Smeg products and gleams with a polished finish reminiscent of 50s household appliances. From its base, Gutiérrez Rincón’s toaster is conceptualized with stainless steel legs that slightly raise the toaster from the kitchen counter. Rounding out its short-legged base, a reflective red aluminum finish gives the toaster a bright, energetic profile. Along the side, users can find the toaster’s control panel that features a sliding knob that allows users to change the timing of the toaster, while small buttons give users options to heat, defrost, power off, or toast.

4. On2Cook

The idea behind On2Cook sounds so simple that you’d probably be left wondering why no one has thought of it before. It basically combines two of the most common methods of cooking, namely stove or induction stove, and microwave, to cut down on the time that food needs to cook. It offers the best of both worlds with almost no drawbacks, or at least that’s the premise. Conventional flame or induction cooking cooks the food from the bottom and outside, which leads to the familiar brown color that stove-cooked foods have. The microwave part, on the other hand, cooks from the top and starts from the inside, yielding in a more evenly cooked and often moist dish.

5. Carnerie

Turner designed Carnerie – a conceptual device that will let you grow your own meat in the future! Cultured meat is the process of growing meat from cells extracted from animals. Many experts believe that cultured meat offers us the opportunity to produce meat with significantly reduced environmental impacts and without slaughtering animals. The technology is being rapidly developed across the world and is beginning to be introduced to some high-end restaurants but there has been discussion about whether one day we may be able to grow our own meat from animal cells in our own kitchens. Carnerie is a ‘grow your own meat’ device for around twenty years in the future. It is controlled by an app, whereby the user is able to order cell capsules from local farms in order to grow a variety of different types of meat. This conceptual, speculative project is designed to help us visualize what this future scenario could be like and whether it’s a future that we would buy into.

6. The JIA Inc. Rolling Mortar

Inspired by the Chinese ceramic tea mortars from the Tang Dynasty, this pestle + mortar combo brings modernity and sensibility to a century-old practice. The mortar comes in the form of an elegant, U-shaped porcelain bowl, whereas the pestle is a solid wooden oak wheel. Instead of punching and grinding the spices or tea herbs, you simply place them in the oblong bowl and roll over them with the wheel. The wheel possesses an extremely ergonomic form, making it easy to grip, and allowing you to grind your herbs via an effortless rolling motion. The process was formulated to ensure that none of the spices fly out of the mortar while you grind them… with the added benefit of being an extremely quiet one too! No annoyed neighbors because you decided to make some pesto for lunch!

7. The Gevi

A 2021 winner of the Red Dot Design Award, the Gevi rubbishes the notion that a coffee machine needs to look like a large, bulky, boxy appliance. The 2-in-1 coffee grinder and brewer are visually separated into their two parts. The appliance comes with a base platform that has its own dedicated weighing scale to help you weigh the beans before you add them to the grinder. The grinder comes with a bean hopper on the top to feed the beans in, while commercial-level 60mm flat steel burrs help create a consistent grind of your beans (while anti-static measures help prevent particles from sticking/clumping). The dose consistency from beans to powder of the appliance is around 0.2g.

8. Kara Pure

Meet Kara Pure, a water dispenser that basically turns air into drinking water. Designed by Cody Soodeen, Kara Pure wasn’t created in a void — Soodeen grew up in a town where the drinking water was contaminated by a strain of bacteria that had health implications for the people who consumed it. Unfit drinking water isn’t particularly rare nowadays, with groundwater tables either being infected/polluted or being entirely depleted due to overconsumption and a lack of accounting for climate change. While Kara Pure is clearly built keeping a pretty inevitable future in mind, it’s important that Soodeen and other people like him perfect the technology now, rather than later.

9. Bev

To create different cocktails, Bev works on a disposable pod system quite similar to Keurig and Nespresso. Created in partnership with Bartesian, Black + Decker plans on releasing as many as 40 different beverage pods with pre-mixed juices, bitters, and syrups that just need to be popped into the appliance. Once a pod is loaded, you can select how intense you want your cocktail, and Bev does the rest, mixing the ingredients together and dispensing your final cocktail directly into a glass. The entire process takes all of 30 seconds, and yes, Bev even comes with a mocktail setting for people who don’t drink.

10. GoodHome’s Trash Bins

GoodHome’s trash bins are comprised of three different sections that help make sorting trash simple. While each household can assign different types of waste for each bin, a typical household would allot one for recyclables, regular trash, and then food waste for compost. To provide enough storage capacity while maintaining a compact size, GoodHome merged those three different compartments to create a one-stop shop for all of your trash needs. The different modules can also be configured to meet your spatial needs. Each trash bin is made from stainless steel for a simple, modern look that’s also impact-resistant to maximize the product’s shelf life. Then, when it’s time to take out the trash, users can lift the bin’s internal container to gain access to the garbage bag’s liner.

The post Kitchen Appliances designed to unleash your inner chef and achieve your MasterChef dreams first appeared on Yanko Design.

Top 10 Apple product we hope they launch in 2022

Since its foundation in 1976, Apple has been always been at the peak of modern innovation! And let’s take a moment to appreciate all the awesome products and inspiration Apple has provided us with. The groundbreaking tech giant never fails to surprise us, we always find ourselves biting our nails and squirming with curiosity, whenever Apple announces a new product launch! Their ingenious and mesmerizing designs and design philosophy have inspired and influenced designers all over the world, resulting in some pretty unique Apple concepts! These Apple-inspired designs are the best of the lot and a dream for every Apple lover. And, we’ve curated a collection of designs that are hands down the best Apple concepts we saw in 2021! From an intriguing iPhone 14 slider concept to an Apple Ring concept that mimics the Apple Watch Design – these designs were the best of what 2021 had to offer. Enjoy!

1. The iPhone 14 Slider Concept

The renders and video of the iPhone 14 slider concept shared by ConceptsiPhone show the iPhone 14 in new and beautiful colors and revives the Touch ID biometric system under the display. In addition to the sliding design, the idea of a notch-less iPhone is what fans have been longing for Apple to adopt. That didn’t stand to change in the iPhone 13 – where the notch has been slimed slightly though – but if Apple can do away with it in the coming models, this concept shows how the phone could appear. While the sliding XDR display concept is a deal for some, it’s the triple camera on the back that we would definitely want Apple to take a leaf from. The camera array is extremely sleek, with no camera bump to show. Apple has a slight camera bulge in iPhone 13, in iPhone 14 we would love to see that go flat along the phone’s back.

2. Apple Ring and Apple Ring Pro

The designer’s conception – Apple Ring and Apple Ring Pro – are the adaptation of Apple’s long-time vision of a smart ring and the Apple Watch as a ring. The Ring, in particular, is just about the same smart ring concept that Apple patented in 2015 while the Ring Pro is a nice recreation of the Apple Watch for a ring. The Ring band has a touchscreen running around it while the Ring Pro has a chiseled form factor and a display that matches the Apple Watch. The rings are both designed in solid metal for durability and owing to their free-flowing design should be pretty comfortable to wear. The Ring Pro may be on the bulkier side given its layout, but the sleek Ring should be a good device to check vital stats while workout or making or receiving calls on the go.

3. The Apple Magic Mushroom Mouse

This design upgrade makes Apple’s Magic Mouse more comfortable to use, and also gives it a new, highly-needed feature in the form of a wireless charging mousepad! Created by designer Kevin Clarridge who spent a good 3 months just reviewing the shapes and forms of various ergonomic mice, the Apple Magic Mushroom Mouse (I honestly just love the name) fixes two of the most nagging problems with the mouse’s current design – firstly, the horrendously ill-designed charging system, and secondly, its poor ergonomics. With elongated wrist support and a base that allows you to wirelessly charge the mouse, the Magic Mushroom Mouse positions itself as the ‘Pro’ in the mouse category.

4. The “Self-Actuating Hinge Mechanism for Electronic Device”

Titled the “Self-Actuating Hinge Mechanism for Electronic Device”, the new patent filed by Apple at the USPTO discusses how the Cupertino giant is potentially working on a line of notebooks that have motorized lids that open and close on their own. Designed so you never have to fiddle with a laptop lid again, constantly adjusting it to suit your angle needs, this potential new device would simply use the machine’s onboard webcam to track your face and angle the screen appropriately, so the display’s facing you at the right angle, and the webcam’s PoV has your face right in the center of its frame. I can just imagine Craig Federighi recreating his 2020 meme to show this new hands-free feature!

5. Apple Drone Design

This quadcopter has the classic Apple vibe to it – the curves reminiscent of the long-forgotten 2001 iMac G3 are a cheeky addition. Very poetically Huisman defines the creation as a combination of glossy white contrasted with “dark blacks that lend the drone a very noble and high-quality character.” The powerful rotors lift the drone in the air and keep it stable even in windy conditions. Of course, I’m expecting the flying machine to have next-gen collision avoidance tech too if it has to come anywhere near the market leader DJI.

6. Apple Car Concept

This surreal Apple Car concept by Vanarama is thoughtfully modeled based on the individual Apple patents and their practical viability in real-life. On their web portal, the concept car can be rotated 360 degrees for a comprehensive look of the front, side, and back sections! The concept renderings looking a tad inspired by the Cybertruck and Model 3 are quite detailed as they showcase the Apple Car in all its glory from the exterior as well as the interior. The pillarless design of the glass cover (with the sunroof and windshields) stems from the US10384519B1 patent that revolves around the philosophy of creating a vehicle sans the need to extend the chassis above the doors. The adaptive doors come courtesy of the patent US10384519B1.

7. Apple AirCam Concept

In coming up with the design concept for an Apple camera, designer Andrea Copellino tried to stick to known Apple design principles like simplicity and compactness. The squarish camera definitely hits those marks almost to an extreme degree. It has no display of its own, for example, requiring the use of an iPhone or an iPad as a separate viewfinder. Such a design isn’t exactly unheard of, though more often employed on 360-degree cameras than action cams. The designer’s justification for the existence of something like an AirCam would be to offer a higher-quality camera not just for content creators but for future users of Apple’s future AR glasses.

8. Apple Car Concept

This 360-degree movable autonomous car has a door that flings open to reveal a cocoon-like cockpit with two comfortable seats. Since it is designed from Apple’s perspective, it has a nice sheen and a clean finish. The renders suggest the nice reclining structure of the pod will house occupants comfortably whether on the city street or on the expressway.

9. The iPod Nano Concept

Apple iPod Nano Circular Concept by Andrea Copellino

Apple iPod Nano Circular Concept by Andrea Copellino

The iPod Nano concept has a bunch in common with the iPhone (although its drastic design change really sets it apart)- it runs Apple Music, Podcasts, Siri, among a bunch of other apps. It’s entirely portless too, working seamlessly with the AirPods, Pro, and Max, and charges wirelessly. Ingeniously enough, the iPod Nano is exactly the same width as Apple’s MagSafe charger, allowing it to line up perfectly while charging. Magnets on the back of the iPod let it snap to the charger perfectly, ensuring alignment every time.

The post Top 10 Apple product we hope they launch in 2022 first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sleek and innovative MacBook accessories that are the best upgrades for your laptop in 2022

I honestly cannot do without my MacBook, probably because it is one of my most prized possessions! It contains basically everything I hold important in my life – from work documents to memorable pictures from even ten years ago. And not to mention, I do end up spending most of my day, typing away and working on my MacBook. Since it is such an integral part of my daily and work routine, I’m always looking for ways to elevate my MacBook. I love innovative and nifty gadgets that function as the perfect sidekick to my MacBook, helping me boost up my daily productivity and efficiency. Here, we’ve curated a few of our favorite MacBook accessories that’ll promise to level up your already awesome and beloved MacBook. From a tiny 20W power bank that can recharge your iPhone, iPad, and MacBook to a laptop sleeve that doubles up as a sleeve – these are must-have accompaniments to your MacBook, and the best investments of 2022 for Apple lovers!

1. Magic Bar

Extending the Cupertino company’s idea of selling various accessories separate from the primary product, a designer has introduced us to the idea of a Magic Bar, which is nothing but a portable Touch Bar that can be used externally with any Apple (presumably) peripheral. As the renders suggest, this portable toolbar with significantly similar features as the ill-fated Touch Bar, complies with a recognizable design that would align horizontally as the keyboard. And when combined with the new iPhone may be, it could allow smart home shortcuts always in reach.

2. The Pixy Mini

Touted as the most powerful power bank for its size, the Pixy Mini is this pocket-friendly, granola bar-shaped power bank with a capacity of 5,000mAh and a 20W power delivery, making it capable of recharging practically any portable gadget you’ve got on hand… even your laptop. What’s so impressive about the Pixy Mini is its deceptively small size. Tinier than a credit card, and hardly bulkier than a Zippo lighter, the Pixy Mini was designed to be carried around… but not even in your backpack, rather in your pocket. Outwardly, it looks like any other power bank, with a USB-A port and a USB-C port on either side, and 4 LED indicators that tell you how much power the Pixy Mini’s battery has.

3. The FLIKK Laptop Stand and Sleeve

FLIKK Laptop Stand by Jexter Lim

The designer came up with this idea after observing the irking drawbacks of traditional laptop stands. Most of them don’t provide the desired elevation and the right viewing angles. Also, they are very complicated to deploy which mars the whole purpose. This prompted Jexter Lim to plug all the gaps that spoil the user experience and function of the accessory. The laptop stand gives you the desired viewing angle for a comfortable working regime anytime, anywhere. The goodness doesn’t end there, as it seamlessly transforms into a laptop sleeve to head to your next destination without all the bulk of a traditional laptop stand.

4. The HybridDrive

The HybridDrive is a lot like if your external hard drive and your USB hub had a love-child. Think of it as the one, true, all-powerful accessory to your MacBook or your iPad Pro, or even your Android phone. Armed with a two-piece design that can plug into each other, the HybridDrive is like the Yin and the Yang of computing accessories… the Yin being extra ports, and the Yang being extra storage. Compatible with most USB-C devices, the HybridDrive offsets your need for multiple hubs, dongles, and drives. With a multiport on one end, an SSD on another, and a USB-C interface connecting the two, the HybridDrive bridges the gap between your portable devices (laptop/tablet/phone) and your desktop – in the sense that it gives you extra ports and expandable storage… something most desktops have in common.

5. HUB-OX

Designed to be portable and compact, HUB–OX initially comes as a lightweight, palm-sized USB-C hub, which splits into two halves, both equipped with plenty of charging slots, HDMI connections, and ethernet ports. HUB–OX is compatible with MacBook Pro models that have four USB-C ports, generally any MacBook Pro from 2016 or any of its succeeding generations. When HUB–OX is split in two, users can plug the USB-C chargers into all four of their MacBook Pro’s ports, lifting their laptops to an angle of 7.7° to keep them charged and at eye level for the rest of the day.

6. The SuperTank

Sixty minutes is all that it takes for the SuperTank to power-up and be ready for deployment. This 27,000 mAh portable charger with dual USB-C PD (100W + 60W) and dual USB-A ports, has the potential to quickly charge MacBook Pros and many other devices. What this means to people on the go, is that they don’t have to worry about carrying excess wires, multiple power plugs and compatible sockets, when they are out of home or office. One super charge, and this battery pack will last you for seven whole days, making you wish that your lover could last that long!

7. The Nano II

The new Nano II chargers use what Anker calls its “GaN II” technology, the company’s second-generation version of the gallium nitride-based components. The Nano II offers a 20% increase in working efficiency, which loosely translates to smaller chargers and lesser heat generation. Their compact size is made even more portable and convenient thanks to the folding pins (on the 45W and 65W models), allowing you to chuck the charger in your backpack or even put it in your pocket.

8. The RLDH Alto Standing Desk

The RLDH Alto Standing Desk is a thoughtful flat-pack accessory designed keeping in mind your multiple needs if you can’t invest in a height-adjustable desk. It is simple to carry and disassemble, with the option to adjust the height of your keyboard and mouse tray, giving it the flexibility of use with your laptop. Yes, this stylish yet functional standing desk is tailored for use with your laptop – virtually transforming your table into a standing desk when the need arises. Its flat-pack and lightweight (weighing just 6.5 lbs) nature give you the freedom to tuck it away when not needed or even to take it along during travel for remote work regimes.

9. Multi-purpose Dongle

This Dongle truly empowers iPad Pro users into connecting pretty much anything to their iPad Pros. With one USB-C port at one end, and a WIDE variety of possibilities at the other, the latest dongle lets you connect everything from a LAN cable, to a pair of headphones, to memory cards, to even iPods (Hallelujah!) “With the dongle’s multi-purpose design, there’s something for everyone”, says Jonathan Ive, to which CEO Tim Cook adds, “We believe this is truly the best iPad Pro and MacBook accessory we’ve ever built. We can’t wait to see how the dongle helps users in their day to day tasks”. The dongle even comes with a proprietary cable technology that ensures that the dongle’s multitude of wires don’t get entangled, and is available in a wide variety of colors.

10. The MOFT Z

The MOFT Z was designed keeping the original MOFT brief in mind but was made to push limits. It does come with the ability to prop your laptop at three angles, but that’s not all. The MOFT Z even transforms your sitting setup into a standing one, elevating your laptop up by as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters). The MOFT Z does this using an innovative Z-shaped folding system along with its signature PU and fiberglass material which allows the laptop stand to have a high strength to weight ratio while being thin enough to slide right into a Manila envelope. The MOFT Z was designed to be used independently, without being stuck to the back of your laptop (like the original MOFT). Slightly larger than a sheet of A4 paper, and at nearly half an inch thick, the MOFT Z can be kept on your desk, stored in a drawer, or a shelf, among folders.

The post Sleek and innovative MacBook accessories that are the best upgrades for your laptop in 2022 first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sleek USB-C hubs to perfectly upgrade your WFH setup’s productivity

We spend most of our day working on laptops and PCs, and maintaining a consistently high level of productivity and efficiency is extremely integral for our work routines. Hence, adopting and making use of nifty gadgets that amp up our productivity can be quite helpful. A USB-C Hub is one such accessory that promises to function as the ultimate sidekick to your laptop or any other monitor setup of choice! However, hubs aren’t what they used to be! Designers have elevated and innovated hubs to a whole new level altogether. From a LED USB Christmas tree to a sleek iPad USB-C hub featuring six different media ports– we have curated a whole collection of unique, innovative, and highly functional designs that are a far cry from the traditional hubs we’d grown so accustomed to. These handy tech gadgets are a game-changer for our work-from-home productivity!

1. The Save USB SSD Hub

Industrial designer Cheon Ryong Choi has the simplest and smart solution in the form of the Save USB SSD Hub. The hybrid accessory slots in most M.2 SSD in the given slot while leaving enough room for a USB hub with USB-C-type, MagSafe connecter, and two USB ports. That’s enough meat to satiate geeky users’ requirements for a port-starved laptop. Drawing inspiration presumably from the design philosophy of Nothing, the hybrid hard drive gets a transparent back panel that exposes all the hardware components which personally I find too cool.

2. HyperDrive 6-in-1 USB-C Hub for iMac 24”

HyperDrive 6-in-1 USB-C Hub for iMac 24” is the savior with five front-facing ports for the easiest access to memory cards, USB storage, and charging of gadgets. It even has a 4K monitor compatible HDMI port on the back to keep away the thick cords from view. Keeping up with the modern data transfer requirements the accessory has 3 USB (two USB-C and one USB-A) ports capable of 10Gbps transfer speed. For added advantage, the hub has a universally compatible microSD UHS-I reader and SD UHS-I card slot. Charging your gadgets is also going to be a breeze with 7.5W speed compatibility from the USB-A port.

3. The ‘PSB Xmas Tree’

The ‘PSB Xmas Tree’, as it’s labeled on Github, is a clever little PCB hack that plugs into your computer’s USB port and lights up like a tiny decorated tree. It’s incredibly DIY, but that’s precisely what I love so much about this tiny gizmo – the fact that it has this handmade personal touch! The tree features a custom fabricated PCB with concentric circles that pop out to give the ‘tree’ its conical shape. These circular boards are connected via LEDs, that get supplied with power from your laptop’s USB port.

4. The HyperDrive GEN2 USB-C docking station

The HyperDrive GEN2 USB-C docking station transforms a USB port on any device into a high-powered docking station with 18 ports. Two HDMI 4K60Hz, a VGA, two USB-A 10 Gbps, a USB-C 10 GBPS, an Ethernet, a UHS-II MicroSD/SD, and more are included. A sleek minimal aesthetic is augmented further by the fact, that the device has two times the speed and power of any first-generation hub.

5. HyperDrive

Compact enough to fit in your palm, HyperDrive is small but mighty. Equipped with a 4K60Hz HDMI port, USB-C 5Gbps 60W Power Delivery port, MicroSD UHS-I port, SD UHS-I port, USB-A 5Gbps port, and a 3.5mm Audio Jack, HyperDrive can handle any of your cables at any time. While you’re all plugged in and working, the built-in shortcut key allows you to “play, pause, fast-forward or rewind your favorite songs, videos, or podcasts without interrupting your workflow.”

6. The Hubble USB-C Hub and Case

The Hubble USB-C hub and case is a side-mounted hub that provides you with all the ports you could need. It consists of two USB-C ports, a USB-A port, an SD and microSD card reader, and an audio jack. The integrated case keeps your iPad upright while you use it, while a magnetic closure ensures that your iPad is stored safely inside. The hub even has a magnetic spot to charge your Apple pencil!

7. The Satechi USB-C clamp hub

At a price of $54.99 (which shouldn’t seem much if you already shelled out the cash for an M1 iMac), Satechi’s USB-C clamp hub puts all the essential ports at your fingertips. It plugs into one of the USB-C ports at the back and grips onto the iMac using a rotating clamp. The hub comes with 3 USB-A ports, 2 card readers, and one USB-C port on the front, and has data transfer speeds of up to 5Gb/s for the USB ports and 104Mb/s for the card readers.

8. HUB-OX

Designed to be portable and compact, HUB–OX initially comes as a lightweight, palm-sized USB-C hub, which splits into two halves, both equipped with plenty of charging slots, HDMI connections, and ethernet ports. HUB–OX is compatible with MacBook Pro models that have four USB-C ports, generally any MacBook Pro from 2016 or any of its succeeding generations. When HUB–OX is split in two, users can plug the USB-C chargers into all four of their MacBook Pro’s ports, lifting their laptops to an angle of 7.7° to keep them charged and at eye level for the rest of the day. Working at our laptops for long periods of time often makes us want to crane our necks and spines to meet our screens. The small hoist HUB–OX gives our MacBook Pros is just enough to keep our necks straight and spines against our chairs.

9. The Satechi Stand & Hub

The silver lining with the Satechi Stand & Hub for Mac mini with SSD enclosure is the matching design and silver finish – reminiscent of the 2020 M1 Mac mini. However, it is sized exactly like the Mac mini and looks a natural extension for Apple’s smallest desktop computer. This useful accessory for your Apple ecosystem increases the Mac mini’s storage without the need to depend on an external hard drive courtesy of the M.2 SATA SSD enclosure. Plug it into the USB-C port, and you get additional ports in one simplified hub. This accessory has three USB-C 3.0 ports (5Gbps), USB-C data port (5Gbps), SD and microSD card readers (104Mbps), and a 3.5mm headphone jack too.

10. The USB-C iPhone

Meet the world’s only USB-C iPhone (that we know of), hacked together by Ken Pillonel, a master’s degree student in robotics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. The USB-C iPhone has been on Ken’s mind for a while. In fact, he embarked on this journey 5 months ago with a video explaining how he planned on modifying an existing iPhone, and even demonstrating a work-in-progress. Now, Ken’s work is pretty much complete as he debuted his first working prototype of the iPhone USB-C. The modified iPhone doesn’t just sport a USB-C for kicks… the port actually works, and lets you charge your phone as well as transfer data.

The post Sleek USB-C hubs to perfectly upgrade your WFH setup’s productivity first appeared on Yanko Design.

Top 10 kitchen appliance trends of 2022

Before the pandemic took place, cooking was a chore I completely avoided! But now, I honestly find it quite therapeutic! The pandemic, and all the free time that came along with it, somehow awakened my inner chef! I’m sure a lot of other inner chefs were brought to life as well. And with the third wave slowly encroaching upon the world, it may be time to deep dive into cooking once again! Especially with the right kitchen tools and appliances, cooking can be a fun and effortless process. The right products can reduce your prep time in half, make the little cooking tasks much easier, and help you with tedious and complicated techniques. This collection of kitchen appliances promises to transform cooking from a Herculean feat to an approachable and enjoyable process! Let your inner chef take over with the help of these innovative and nifty designs!

1. The Reencle

Designed to effectively compost and break down food waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer, the Reencle is a compact, quiet, odor-free kitchen appliance that puts your food waste to good use; although that shouldn’t give you an excuse to waste more food! Hoping to put that waste into good use so it doesn’t end up in a landfill creating tonnes of CO2 and Methane as it decomposes, the Reencle is an at-home solution that helps efficiently break down food in a way that turns it into a rich compost that benefits the planet instead of harming it. Microorganisms inside the Reencle’s inner chamber break the food down in roughly 24 hours, creating a compost that can be used in gardens, backyards, indoor planters, or even be disposed of, so it doesn’t harm the environment.

2. Carnerie

Turner designed Carnerie – a conceptual device that will let you grow your own meat in the future! Cultured meat is the process of growing meat from cells extracted from animals. Many experts believe that cultured meat offers us the opportunity to produce meat with significantly reduced environmental impacts and without slaughtering animals. The technology is being rapidly developed across the world and is beginning to be introduced to some high-end restaurants but there has been discussion about whether one day we may be able to grow our own meat from animal cells in our own kitchens. Carnerie is a ‘grow your own meat’ device for around twenty years in the future. It is controlled by an app, whereby the user is able to order cell capsules from local farms in order to grow a variety of different types of meat. This conceptual, speculative project is designed to help us visualize what this future scenario could be like and whether it’s a future that we would buy into.

3. GoodHome’s Trash Bins

GoodHome’s trash bins are comprised of three different sections that help make sorting trash simple. While each household can assign different types of waste for each bin, a typical household would allot one for recyclables, regular trash, and then food waste for compost. To provide enough storage capacity while maintaining a compact size, GoodHome merged those three different compartments to create a one-stop-shop for all of your trash needs. The different modules can also be configured to meet your spatial needs. Each trash bin is made from stainless steel for a simple, modern look that’s also impact-resistant to maximize the product’s shelf life. Then, when it’s time to take out the trash, users can lift the bin’s internal container to gain access to the garbage bag’s liner.

4. Balance

Balance, a plant cultivator designed by Designer Dot, is designed for those of us who’d like access to a personal supply of fresh produce at home without the hassle of tending to a garden day-in, day-out. When creating Balance, the team at Designer Dot sought to conceptualize an at-home plant cultivator that’s compact enough to fit into any modern kitchen and inconspicuous in its minimalist design to adapt to any interior design scheme. Balance comes with pull-out drawers that contain pods and sprout cavities for produce and crops to germinate from and grow. The drawers themselves can be removed to allow ceiling height for taller plants to grow, which users can swap in and out for different plants accordingly.

5. Cook Nook

Non-electric toaster and oven combos have struck their brilliance with the outdoorsy, the gas-powered Cook Nook presents an added advantage with a stove. There is so much one can do with the non-electric toaster, stove, and oven combo. It can be used for making toasts, roasting chicken, baking cake and even preparing a meal when electricity isn’t a luxury. So, when stepping into the wilderness, a portable and lightweight gas-operated toaster, oven, the stove is the icing on the cake since it opens up possibilities for a great treat for a large family or friends gathering with the choice of pizzas, cookies, and other delicious.

6. Hoto

Zheng’s smart kitchen scale, Hoto, is minimal by design, adorned with not much more than stainless steel controls and a polished, reflective sheen. The scale scales back on the number of controls and buttons, consolidating every control into one interactive knob that functions as the scale’s, power sensor, weight dial, and net-zero button. In addition to the appliance’s interactive control switch, Hoto comes with an accompanying social media app that allows other Hoto users to share their recipes and pre-measured weight parameters.

7. The ONE BRUSH

Designed to look less like something you’d pick up from Target and more like a design-driven object from Alessi, the ONE BRUSH conveniently combines modern aesthetics with research-driven functionality and adds a dash of sustainable thinking. The brush sports a thick, well-weighted design that looks less plastic and more premium, as it sits magnetically attached to the side of your kitchen sink. The ergonomic grip makes it comfortable to hold, while the tilted bristles give you the right gripping angle to easily soap and scrub your dishes.

8. OXO’s Cookie Press

Much better than any cookie-cutter you’ll ever use, OXO’s Cookie Press doesn’t cut cookies, it pumps or extrudes them. The Cookie Press is a hand-operated cookie-pumping machine that relies on a stainless-steel die to push out intricately formed cookies with speed and consistency. Just load the die-disc of your choice into the Cookie Press’s base and fill the cylinder with cookie dough (your dough needs to be neither too wet nor too dry) and attach the pumping handle on top and you’re ready to go!

9. Lapitec Chef

The induction cooking system is seamless and very easy to operate. All you have to do is place the Lapitec Chef silicone mat on your worktop to activate the touch controls and switch on the system. The mat is key, without it the induction unit and controls will be inactive and the worktop is like any other kitchen counter only distinguished only by small engravings that align with the mat’s controls. Lapitec Chef allows for easy cleaning and storage so the counter can be used for other activities like preparing food, plating dishes, and hosting social occasions. Interestingly, Lapitec is a 100% sintered stone and it is also non-porous, non-absorbent as well as resistant to chemicals which makes it ideal for both indoor and outdoor kitchens. You can choose to have either two or four cooking rings for your induction system.

10. MY Idra bottle

The bottle’s clever design focuses on three really important elements/innovations. For starters, the MY Idra bottle is entirely plastics-free and is designed to last forever even with constant use. On the outside, the MY Idra comes with a double-layered stainless steel and glass construction. The 18/8 stainless steel enclosure houses the unpurified water, which trickles through the MY Idra’s filter, dripping gradually into and filling up the transparent glass cup below. The second and most noteworthy bit of innovation lies in MY Idra’s filter, a unique, everlasting little porous ceramic puck that can both filter as well as mineralize the water.

The post Top 10 kitchen appliance trends of 2022 first appeared on Yanko Design.

Top 10 earbuds designs of 2022 that are even better than the Apple AirPods 3

I love a good pair of earbuds! In fact, I really can’t function without my personal earbuds. Once my earbuds are in, the rest of the world is out! I deep dive into the world of my favorite tunes, away from real-world problems, happy in my own little audio bubble! Hence, owning a pair of innovative and perfect earbuds is an absolute necessity for me, and I’m sure that’s the case for most of the music lovers out there as well! Quite a few of us are Team AirPods all the way. But hey! Let’s remember that great earbuds go beyond Apple as well. And this nifty list includes all of them! This collection of exciting designs has a pair of earbuds for everyone! From earbuds that magnetically hang like a necklace to the world’s first TWS earbuds that actually protect your hearing – these earbuds provide unique design solutions and are a must-have for audiophiles!

1. Koishi

Named Koishi, after the Japanese word for Pebble, the TWS Earphones come with a soft, pebble-inspired form that’s beautiful to look at, comfortable to store in pockets, and can even be stacked one above another as Zen Stones. They come in three stone-inspired colors and even sport a slightly mottled stone texture. Running right through the case is a light strip that helps let you know when the earbuds are charging, or when they’re low on charge. However, it also visually guides you to instinctively know where the earphones are, so you can glance at the case and pull the earbuds out without fiddling to find them.

2. The Porsche Design PDT60 TWS Earphones

With a sleek aluminum exterior that offers a stunning visual upgrade to most plastic-body earbuds, the Porsche Design PDT60 TWS Earphones aim at creating an experience that’s as good in the visual department as it is at handling audio. Porsche Design’s repertoire features a whole host of hi-end audio gear, although the PDT60 is easily the smallest in that bunch, fitting snugly into your ear to deliver immersive, balanced audio directly into your head. The earphones come with the Porsche Design logo emblazoned on their front and sit in a case that’s partly matte metal too, with the same PD monogram embossed on the case’s sliding leather lid.

3. The dBuds U

Coming from the folks at EarLabs, the dBud U builds on their catalog of products designed to protect hearing. Its mission is a pretty strong and unique one – to give you the TWS experience while focusing on ear health – something I’ve personally been quite passionate about since I developed tinnitus. Sure, they’re like most TWS earbuds in the way they work, but they also provide an extra blanket of features that ensure that you can block out unwanted sounds that may affect your focus, your listening experience, or your hearing abilities in the long run. Additionally, they’re also designed to augment certain sounds like voices of those around you – perhaps a coworker informing you of a meeting, a barista calling your name, or your partner asking you where to order takeout from.

4. The Hakii Ice

Meet the Hakii Ice. You’ve probably never heard of them, although once you see them, chances are you won’t ever forget them. With perhaps the most memorable design in the earbuds category, the Hakii Ice sport a double shot molded case design that looks almost like the earphones are preserved in a block of ice. The outer transparent layer and the textured inner layer create an interplay of light and shade, with a touch of refraction, that makes the Ice earphones look incredibly awe-striking. In a world filled with TWS earbud cases that look like floss cases, the Hakii Ice looks like an ornament.

5. The Logitech Zone Truly Wireless

Meet the Logitech Zone Truly Wireless – earbuds designed and calibrated for work and business. The earbuds can be paired with your laptop as well as your smartphone so you can go about your day from either device, whether it’s watching training videos or listening to music while you work, answering calls, or even attending online meetings. They’re designed to work seamlessly with common calling applications across most platforms and operating systems and are certified by Microsoft for Teams and Skype for Business, by Google for Meet, and by Zoom.

6. The Edifier NeoBuds Pro

What’s really ironic is that the Edifier NeoBuds Pro are the first TWS earphones to come Hi-Res certified, a standard developed by Sony itself – a brand that’s very much in the TWS earbud race! Edifier’s own TWS earphones really push the boundaries with the adoption of the LHDC codec (to rival Sony’s LDAC codec), offering higher-quality streaming over a Bluetooth connection, even compared to Apple’s own AAC. Simply put, the NeoBuds Pro makes a pretty remarkable claim, although the LHDC codec is currently adopted by a number of brands in Asia, but isn’t entirely widespread.

7. The Timekettle M2

There are two main components to any conversation – talking to a person, and listening to the person talk to you. It’s only natural that earphones designed to facilitate conversation would embrace those two parts, right? The Timekettle M2, in that regard, isn’t your standard pair of TWS earbuds. Sure, they’re meant for listening to music and podcasts or giving commands to your phone’s voice AI, but their prime feature is the ability to foster a multi-lingual two-way conversation by allowing two people to wear one earphone each as the M2’s onboard translation engine seamlessly fills in the gaps. The earphone case’s design revolves around that very aspect, with a design that splits right in two, so you can hand one half over to someone you’re talking to, almost like you’re breaking bread with them.

8. Klipur

Designing an earbuds concept that eliminates the need for a charging carry case, Chris Thursfield conceptualized Klipur, a pair of earbuds that attach to one another when not in use. Conceptualized with an overnight charging method, Klipur can recharge during the night alongside our smartphones. When ready to leave, users can detach the earbuds from their charging case and attach them to one another for a compact carrying method, or throw them in their ears without worrying about where they left the charging case.

9. The Sirius Pro

The fact that these earbuds are designed to look like a prop out of Ghost in the Shell or Fallout isn’t entirely accidental… GravaStar’s known to make some absurdly futuristic products – you should check out their Mars and Venus Bluetooth speakers! The Sirius Pro follows that brand ethos by being unconventionally sci-fi while serving as pretty great earbuds too. They come with enhanced bass response, boast Environmental Noise Canceling, and actually have an incredibly low latency of 65ms that’s perfect for gaming. When not in use, they sit inside a rather unconventionally designed case, with a cutout running right through the middle and a bare-basics cage-like lid that secures the earbuds in place without concealing them.

10. Jade Culture Earphone Jue 20

Designed by Yibai Science & Technology from Shenzen, these are called the “Jade Culture Earphone Jue 20.” That’s a bit odd name but everything else about these conceptual wireless earbuds listed on iF Design Award 2020 is super cool. When not in use, the earbuds magnetically lock together to take the form of a necklace pendant that’s suspended by the tethering wire. Then again, when you want to listen to your favorite tunes, simply separate the pendant and get groovy. Picture this scenario – your buddy compliments, “This pendant looks so cool, bud”, and you’ll detach them and plug into your ears to their amazement, “It’s my pair of earbuds, mate!” Added bonus – you surely won’t lose one of the earbuds as there is no accidentally falling down- speaking to you AirPods!

The post Top 10 earbuds designs of 2022 that are even better than the Apple AirPods 3 first appeared on Yanko Design.

Top 10 gadgets – from projectors to TVs you need to keep yourself entertained in case of a lockdown

Just when we thought life was reaching a semblance of normalcy, the Omnicron variant slowly crept into our lives. It’s been slowly driving us back into the comforts of our home…although I don’t think the homebodies are really complaining. Could another lockdown be a possibility in the near future? We don’t know, but it’s better to always be prepared. Hence, we’ve curated a collection of innovative tech designs that’ll keep you thoroughly entertained as the pandemic moves on to the next level. From an FHD projector that lets you watch Netflix on a massive 200-inch display to a shapeshifting TV that turns into a virtual fireplace – these product designs are the futuristic and techy additions you need in your home to completely master any upcoming lockdown. Enjoy!

1. The Freestyle

In stark contrast to most projectors, the Freestyle comes in a sleek cylindrical form that looks like a mix of a spotlight and a smart speaker. In reality, that is almost exactly what it is, though it substitutes the spotlight for an LED projector. The Freestyle’s body can swing 180 degrees, making it trivial to place the projector anywhere and still get a good view. The projected image can go from 30 to up to 100 inches with a Full HD resolution. Despite the more compact size, the Samsung Freestyle is actually packed with features you’d see in bigger projectors. Those include autofocus and automatic keystone correction, both of which give the projector its advertised freedom.

2. The N1

The N1 can project sound waves at a certain amplitude or loudness, but it can also decide how loud the audio remains over a certain distance. By doing this, it can make the sound waves traveling to your ear loud, but make them soft the minute they cross your ear. Mounted on the top of the N1 are two cameras that track your face, locating the placement of your ears. It doesn’t matter if you have long hair, a thick beard, glasses, or even a face mask… the device can beam audio to your ears in real-time.

3. The 77W

The 77W’s display unit sits on a stone-textured base and comes with a wooden sleeve that can move up or down (as can the display itself). This allows the TV to assume 3 modes – a TV mode, a concealed mode, and a fireplace mode. The concealed mode allows the display to descend downwards into the wooden sleeve, hiding most of that black box behind a textured wooden panel… but the other two modes allow the 77W to truly shine… either as a high-definition television for watching the news, videos, sports, and entertainment content or as a fireplace that peeks from below the wooden panel, playing a looped high-definition video of burning logs and crackling flames.

4. The Jireno CUBE4

For under two Benjamins, the Jireno CUBE4 makes pretty lofty promises. Sure, it isn’t a 4K multimedia device, but then again, it delivers an absolute bang for its buck. The projector comes with a compact design that’s reminiscent of the Anker Nebula Mars 2, with its handle on top that lets you carry it around the place, so you can bring the party to your friends’ houses. Although it’s marketed as a portable projector, the one thing it lacks is an internal battery, so having a power-source nearby is a must. On the design front, the Cube4 has an all-aluminum body that, aside from giving the projector its premium aesthetic, also helps with heat dispersion, allowing the projector to stay cool at all times – a feature further reinforced by the CUBE4’s potent inner cooling system.

5. Iván Antón’s Apple TV 2021 Concept

Designer, Iván Antón has come up with an Apple TV 2021 concept, which comes with a wall plug built-in. Now that’s full marks for the compact build, but the practicality is debatable until we have something like this to use. Taking nothing away from the vision, I’m impressed with the concept of Apple TV’s ability to interact with Siri without the need for a remote. Furthermore, the new concept also integrates the MagSafe charger into the Apple TV unit, so the compatible remote can now be charged conveniently by sticking it to the back of the set-top box.

6. The Light Speaker

Designed with a multisensorial experience, the Light Speaker from Transparent appeals to your eyes as much as it does to your ears. Styled to look less like your conventional speaker with front-firing drivers or like the ubiquitous smart speaker with a cylindrical fabric clad, the Light Speaker champions a lantern-inspired design… and in true lantern fashion, also comes with a light on the inside that flickers as the speaker’s drivers vibrate, creating a hauntingly beautiful audiovisual allure. In its lamp-shaped avatar, the Light Speaker rubbishes the notion of what a Bluetooth speaker should look like. Taking on an appearance that looks aesthetic even when the lamp isn’t on, the Light Speaker is a compact little number that comes with a handle that can be detached if needed.

7. The HiBed

Equipped with a built-in 4K projector that can be synced with a series of devices to binge-watch movies/TV shows on a 70-inch retractable screen, the HiBed is the epitome of in-bed relaxation. A built-in surround sound system with invisible speakers makes the bed feel more like a movie theatre. For lazy bums like me actually traveling to a multiplex to watch a movie is totally out of the question now! Its intelligence makes it more than a bed, serving as a space you can escape to with music from any of your favorite sources! Oh, and did I forget to mention it comes along with Wifi?

8. The Chroma

VAVA makes a few really compelling arguments on behalf of its cutting-edge projector. For its compact size, the VAVA Chroma can project a display that measures anywhere between 80 inches to 150 inches diagonally. While most projectors require a dedicated spot and careful placement and orientation, the Chroma is an ultra-short-throw projector and can directly be placed against a blank wall, while it projects an image upwards onto the wall. As far as the image itself goes, the Chroma uses the world’s most advanced ALPD® 4.0 laser technology and a Red, Green, Blue Plus triple laser light source to produce a sharper 4K UHD image with HDR10, up to 106% Rec. 2020 color range, exceeding the color range of top movie theater projectors.

9. The Harman Kardon Turntable

The Harman Kardon turntable designed by URUSS Design carries a distinct retro-futuristic flair and unique form factor to keep music lovers more than interested. Just look at those internals inside a crystal-clear housing that encapsulates the mechanics of the record player in the most majestic manner. It’s like a celebration of the timeless record player era and the untouchable art of creating music. This piece of rare beauty stands in a corner on an equally impressive tripod – instantly attracting onlookers with a profound magnetism. For an instance, I too got drawn to the charismatic design of this record player that is in a league of its own. As the music plays, the record spinning inside is visible as elegantly as one could ever imagine!

10. The Collector

Codenamed the ‘Collector’, this futuristic vision from the mind of Liu Tianchen aims at bridging the worlds of electronic music and actual instrument-playing together. The rather slick-looking electronic drum kit features six adjustable pads and two pedals mounted on a folding frame. The kit comes with a folding stool too, and two drumsticks, giving you a near-authentic drumming experience. The difference, however, is in the fact that the Collector doesn’t rely on a pre-existing bank of drum sounds, but instead, gives the artist the flexibility to collect and build their own banks, either by purchasing samples online or making samples of their own. Then, working just like any good MIDI controller, the Collector lets you create beats using these samples in a way that closes the gap between actually jamming on a real-life drum kit, and just simply pressing buttons on a MIDI controller.

The post Top 10 gadgets – from projectors to TVs you need to keep yourself entertained in case of a lockdown first appeared on Yanko Design.