In case you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that CDs have made a comeback the past years, thanks in part to the Japanese and Korean music industry. A lot of fans have been buying CDs (sometimes multiple copies) of their favorite artists and Gen Z in particular has a particular fondness for something they actually weren’t alive yet when it was popular. The older generations buy it for the nostalgia. Both are benefitting from the audio quality of uncompressed music. However, the quality of CD players are not on par with what we were used to back in the day.
Designer: Anthony Chupp
Most of the big name audio brands have not been producing CD players but what if someone like Bang & Olufsen comes up with one? A designer came up with a concept for the Beosound Compact after studying the design and quality principles of the brand. What he came up with is a sleek and minimalist portable CD player that seems worthy of the brand that he created this concept for. It also brings back nostalgia feels for those who brought their Sony Walkman CD player around, although this is much more classy and shiny.
To reduce the need for an LED display, the player uses turntable styles for its volume controls and actual touchable buttons for its play controls. It is also textured to highlight the touchpoints that you need to access various controls. But the player can also be connected to the Bang & Olufsen app on your smart device in case you’re away from the CD player. There is Bluetooth connection as well to your headphones or wireless earbuds of choice as well as analog and optical output.
As someone who owns several CDs but still don’t have a CD player, I wouldn’t mind having something like this if Bang & Olufsen eventually decides to produce one. Having a quality CD player is just as important as having quality music from these CDs. Hopefully brands will catch on to this “trend” as it may be here to stay, for at least a few more years.
Gaming laptops are powerful beasts, sometimes almost as powerful as some desktops. Most of them, however, almost feel as heavy and as bulky as those towering computers because of how much technology they pack inside, including the required cooling systems. Thanks to the laws of physics and limitations in manufacturing, it almost seems like having a gaming laptop that’s as slim and sleek as a MacBook is just a pipe dream. Consider those dreams fulfilled, then, with the newest duo in the ASUS ROG Zephyrus line, bringing to the CES 2024 crowd the first glimpse of an all-aluminum CNC machined gaming laptop that maintains a mind-blowing thin and light body despite the power it crams inside.
Designer: ASUS Republic of Gamers
Although the typical laptop might have plenty of metal on the outside, the majority of gaming laptops use plenty of plastic or only plastic for the chassis. It’s more resilient to pressure and is cheaper to manufacture, helping to offset the costs of the expensive hardware. However, it also has poorer heat dissipation, is prone to deform from excessive heat, and makes the laptop feel less premium than its price would suggest. The Republic of Gamers is, fortunately, challenging the status quo with the 2024 ROG Zephyrus G16 and its slightly smaller sibling, the ROG Zephyrus G14, bringing a sleek and elegant look you won’t easily find on most of its kind.
With an all-new, all-aluminum CNC-machined chassis, the ROG Zephyrus G16 and G14 bring a touch of class to your gaming gear. It isn’t all just for show, of course, because the change in materials also improves the structural rigidity of the laptop, reduces its overall weight, and increases the space for components inside. That means more room for more things while still keeping the laptop thin and light. At only 1.49cm thick and 1.85kg light, the Zephyrus 16 is pretty much on par with the gold standard of lightweight pro notebooks, the MacBook Pro. For reference, the Zephyrus G14 stands at 1.59cm thick and 1.5kg heavy only.
Of course, Zephyrus laptops are heavy-duty gaming slash workstations, and ROG hasn’t forgotten the traits that truly mark this mobile PC as such. There’s a brand-new LED lighting array, one that runs diagonally across the lid. Appropriately called Slash Lighting, this lighting accent can display customized patterns and animations that quickly set the laptop apart from other premium-looking notebooks. This 2024 generation also welcomes a new colorway, Platinum White, with a matte finish that cements the Zephyrus G16 and G14 as luxury items for gamers.
In terms of hardware, the two aren’t lacking in any department either, sporting the latest Intel and AMD processors paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 or 4090 laptop graphics. In fact, these two boast the first ROG laptops to carry an OLED monitor under the ROG Nebula Display branding, offering rich blacks that truly make graphics pop. They both possess the latest cooling solutions, but the ROG Zephyrus G16 additionally carries a custom vapor chamber to make up for the more powerful hardware. These two stylish and powerful laptops are scheduled to land in markets in the first quarter of the year, though exact dates and pricing have yet to be announced.
It’s frightening to think that it will not be a surprise to all of us if one of these days, we’ll wake up to the fact that our new robot overlords have taken over the planet. We’re seeing advances in robotics that will not make that an impossibility. We’re still far away from robots becoming sentient beings that will enslave us though so for now we can enjoy how these humanoid devices are still being created to help us rather than replace us.
Designer: Tesla
It’s also not a surprise that Elon Musk and Tesla are at the forefront of trying to make these robots better. The latest version of their humanoid robot, the Optimus Gen 2, brings many improvements from their first one, the Bumblebee back in 2022, and the Optimus Gen 1 from just earlier this year. It received a lot of hardware upgrades for this version, specifically the Tesla-designed actuators and sensors that are now more precise and accurate and now has integrated electronics into it. You get articulated toe sections based on human foot geometry so it can walk a bit more naturally.
It now also has a 2-DoF actuated neck so it’s able to move its head in a more human way, which can be amazing or terrifying. Its hands now has 11-DoF and tactile sensing in all of its digits so it will be able to handle eggs and other delicate things without dropping them. It is also now lighter by 10kg and gets a 30% walk speed boost so it can easily move around better than its predecessors, although you can still outrun it if needed. Because of these improvements, it has improved balance and full body control that it can do things like squats.
The Optimus humanoid robot is envisioned to be a helper for humans, taking over some of the monotonous tasks that we would like to escape from. The Gen 2 is still in the prototype phase though and there is no news yet if they will eventually manufacture and sell it. It gives us time to think about whether we will risk an eventual robot uprising just to take away tedious tasks from our every day life.
Taking a bath is a functional experience that we all have almost every day. There are of course people who get bored when in the shower or in the bath tub so they do something else like singing in the shower, listening to music or podcasts, or even having a mini dance party just to relieve the routine. If you have a bathtub, adding a bath bomb every once in a while can make you feel like you’re at a bubble party. What if you could have all of these experiences using just one device?
Designer: Lush
Lush is a brand that you wouldn’t normally associate with gadgets or devices but it is closely co-related with taking a bath. They are set to release their very own “digital bath bomb” called Bath Bot which will be able to give you a “custom light, sound, and colour experience” whenever you take a bath. Basically it’s the same size and shape of their bath bombs but is actually a water-proof speaker that you can put in the bathtub with you or on the sink near your shower if you don’t have a bathtub.
The Bath Bot will give you a 180-degree sound show so you can play your favorite music or audio book or podcast while enjoying a bath. If you want more of a colorful mode, you can also get full-spectrum multi-directional lights so you can have your very own spa or rave experience, whichever end of the spectrum you want. There are several colors available including lavender, pink, red, green, blue, etc. You can also have tiny bubbles fizzing across the speaker if you want even more of a multi-sensory experience.
The devices themselves are just available in two colorways: white or black. But you have several modes available like Rave Mode, Fun Mode, and Sleepy Mode, all of which you can adjust in the Lush app which also has podcasts and playlists. I don’t get bored when taking a bath but this just take my bathing experience to a whole new level.
There are very few things that can make your heart stop with their speed, and motorsport race cars are one of those. The suspense, tension, and adrenaline you feel as these four-wheeled demons pass by is enough to put people on the edge of their seats, literally. There seems to be an innate human fascination for speed and power, and race cars have long been the symbol of those aspirations. Of course, such qualities can also be found in other things, like the impressive pieces of technology that we call smartphones. It’s not surprising, then, that these two very different worlds would eventually meet, such as in the iQOO 12 Legend Edition that embodies the BMW M Motorsport spirit through its power and style.
Designer: iQOO x BMW M Motorsport
This isn’t the first time you might have heard of an automotive brand lending its clout to a smartphone, whether in name or in design. In fact, the partnership between iQOO and BMW M started way back in 2019, resulting in the gaming-oriented iQOO 7 BMW M edition as well as an iQOO-branded BMW DTM car during the 24 Hours of Nürburgring race. This year, that partnership was again witnessed at the 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship, and 2024 will see iQOO’s presence on a BMW M Hybrid V8 Hypercar at the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Of course, BMW M Motorsport is also leaving its own mark on the iQOO 12, specifically the special Legend Edition that will bear that exclusive branding. This year’s design, however, is a bit different and actually a little more subtle. The overall motif is still predominantly white, of course, just like many race cars. But instead of tall stripes in BMW M’s iconic blue, black, and red colors, the tiny stripes are actually embossed in a Clous de Paris pattern and located off the right side instead. In a way, the BMW M Motorsport is less in-your-face, subtler, and more elegant, allowing viewers to draw the associations between the two brands through the smartphone’s own prowess.
The iQOO 12, after all, is definitely a speedster, being one of the first phones to be powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. It has a large and powerful camera system that is designed in the likeness of ship portholes, conveying the spirit of exploration. It isn’t just for show either, boasting a team that includes an Astrography Camera with an ultra-large main sensor, a periscope telephoto lens, and a wide-angle shooter. Despite the power it holds inside, the iQOO 12 Legend Edition still exudes beauty, grace, and comfort with its ergonomic contoured glass and nano-textured finishes. The flat edges and flat display perfectly complement each other, giving the phone a contemporary aesthetic that belies its nature a smartphone equivalent of a performance car.
With first-class features and a striking design, the iQOO 12 Legend Edition perfectly embodies BMW M Motorsport’s mantra of “Fascination Meets Innovation.” It delivers the performance to satisfy users’ need for speed while subtly capturing the visual and spiritual essence of a roaring race car. Already available in China, the iQOO 12 Legend Edition is slated to launch globally by the end of this year.
An architectural icon from the years 1950 to 1975, the A-Frame cabin still remains one of the most eye-catching and visually memorable home styles. Characterized by an A-shaped design, the frame eschews a ceiling, instead opting for tapering walls that create a unique space to inhabit, with the option of high ceilings or even multi-level living that feels dynamic yet rustic at the same time. This cabin designed in LEGO bricks by LEGO user Norton74, captures the trend of the A-Frame heyday. In ways it also challenges the very nature of the LEGO Brick, which was itself designed to make traditional cuboidal structures back when it was invented in the 1930s.
Designer: Norton74
The beauty of Norton74’s A-Frame cabin is just how remarkably real it is. Whether observed from the outside or even its immaculately detailed insides, every corner of this build has something new to reveal. The cabin itself sits on a stone brick plinth, with colorful larch trees in the background. It’s mildly decrepit, with crooked staircases and boarded-up doors, but that adds to its charm.
The inside of the cabin shows exactly how charmingly rustic and cozy it is. A multi-level design gives you a recreational area at the bottom (with a fireplace), and a bedroom on the top that features two single beds and even some cobwebs on the wall for that forest charm. To access the insides of the cabin, all you need to do is ‘open’ its slanting walls outwards. Hinges on the bottom of the walls make it easy to access the interiors during play-time, and close it back once you’re done.
The inside is just filled with all sorts of details, from tools to trinkets, and even a tiny kitchen of sorts with a dining table. Norton74’s rather mindfully used discolored wooden bricks (including even some with shingle detailing) to mimic the variety often found in wooden cabins – especially ones that have been repaired and restored.
There’s even a backstory to Norton74’s cabin design. “Two brothers, Dan and Ethan, burned out on modern working believed that stripping away modern comforts and living more simply in nature would lead to a more spiritually a creatively fulfilling life. They looked for a cabin in the woods and finally found out this old wooden A-Frame Cabin. They fixed it up, and now they live there happily,” he mentions.
Dan and Ethan aren’t the only occupants of the cabin. Aside from the spiders on the first floor, the cabin is also accompanied by chickens, rodents, a skunk, and even a bear lurking around in the back.
Norton74’s LEGO A-Frame Cabin started its journey as a submission on the LEGO Ideas forum, where it received overwhelming support from the LEGO fanbase. Earlier this year, LEGO turned Norton74’s submission into a retail box kit (you can buy the LEGO A-Frame Cabin right now), although the design went through multiple rounds of changes to make it smaller and simpler for younger users to build. If you ask me, I prefer Norton74’s MOC (My Own Creation) overwhelmingly. It’s charmingly crude, has a son-of-the-soil appeal to it, and certainly possesses much more character if you ask me!
Lamps are not an uncommon sight in homes, ranging from big chandeliers to small desk lamps. Regardless of their size or design, they all serve the same purpose of not only bringing light but also adding to an area’s ambiance. Given the setting for most of these lamps, it’s really no surprise that the majority of them use electricity for safety and efficiency. There is, however, a certain charm to watching a dancing fire that can brighten up your surroundings while also offering warmth and comfort. Lighting a fire indoors is, of course, an unwise and dangerous thing to do for many reasons, unless you have this one-of-a-kind brass box that lets enjoy a small yet enchanting flame, whether outdoors or indoors, and never have to worry about the dangerous fumes you might inhale.
Designer: BRASSCENE
Click Here to Buy Now: $203$239 (15% off at checkout). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!
Although there’s no getting away from the fact that fire burns, fireplaces that use gas or fuel bring their own set of risks, mostly from the smoke, odors, and fumes they produce. Fortunately, there is such a fuel called bioethanol, which is ethanol or ethyl alcohol made from plant-based raw materials, so it doesn’t produce dangerous monoxide while it fuels the flame. That’s exactly the kind of fuel this distinctive fireplace uses, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. While the fuel is a marvel of science, the fireplace itself is a work of art.
Brasscene, a portmanteau of “brass” and “scene,” brings a beautiful bioethanol fireplace whose origin sounds so far removed from the rest of its kind. More than just metalwork, the craftsmanship that goes into forming this eye-catching vessel is the same expertise that’s used in making musical instruments like trumpets and horns. The same precision machining, brazing, and polishing techniques that make these beautiful products are employed to create an equally enchanting accessory for your home.
The brass bioethanol fireplace’s luxurious exterior adds glamour anywhere you put the box-shaped lamp, whether on a dining table or on a patio. Its stainless steel tank in the middle provides a safe receptacle for the bioethanol fuel that you simply pour inside and light up. It’s as simple as that, no complicated setup required. Glass barriers keep the flame from dancing too wildly, always making it go up, while a matching brass lid is all you need to extinguish the fire by covering the tank. It doesn’t get any simpler than this.
The choice of brass material is genius and creative, as it develops its own unique appearance as it ages, giving it a character that grows old with you. The end result is a beautifully hand-crafted design that can already bring joy and delight just from its presence. And, once the flames start to dance, you will be dazzled by the natural play of light, shadows, and reflections, creating a unique atmosphere that no electric lamp or LED bulb can ever reproduce.
Click Here to Buy Now: $203$239 (15% off at checkout). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!
In a world driven by innovation and sustainability, Nike, the global athletic powerhouse, is pushing the boundaries of eco-conscious design with its latest creation: the Nike Forward Cargo Tote. Crafted from Nike’s groundbreaking sustainable material, Nike Forward, this tote combines functionality with minimalism to create a unique accessory that mirrors your individuality.
Designer: Brent Radewald
Click Here to Buy Now!
What sets the Nike Forward Cargo Tote apart is its remarkable material, Nike Forward. This is not your typical fabric; it’s a sustainable game-changer that embodies Nike’s commitment to environmental responsibility. Unlike traditional textiles that are either knit or woven, Nike Forward is engineered from multiple thin layers of carefully selected fibers. The result is a lightweight material that dramatically reduces its carbon footprint by an astonishing 75%. It’s not just a tote; it’s a symbol of Nike’s journey toward a zero-waste and zero-carbon future.
The Nike Forward Cargo Tote isn’t just about sustainability; it’s also highly functional. It features a unique Forward insert that snaps into a cargo net cage. This ingenious design allows you to clip on smaller items securely, while still providing room for more oversized items externally in the cargo net. Whether it’s your water bottle, umbrella, or a pair of running shoes, the cargo net cage makes it easy to keep your essentials at your fingertips.
One of the most significant advantages of the Nike Forward Cargo Tote is its large main compartment, providing ample space for all your gear. Whether you’re heading to the gym, running errands, or off to work, this tote can handle it all. The magnetic envelope closure ensures easy access to your belongings while you’re on the move, giving you a hassle-free experience during your busy day.
For those who appreciate a well-organized bag, the Nike Forward Cargo Tote has you covered. It features an internal slip pocket, which is perfect for keeping smaller items in check. Your keys, phone, wallet, or any other small essentials are easily within reach, ensuring you don’t have to dig through your bag in a frenzy.
While the Nike Forward Cargo Tote offers a well-thought-out design, it’s essential to mention a minor quirk. The cargo net cage, though incredibly versatile, may pose a challenge if you’re not careful. It’s easy to mistake it for a solid compartment and hastily place smaller items within it. Once these items are in, they can be somewhat challenging to retrieve. So, a word to the wise – keep an eye on where you place your smaller belongings in the tote to avoid any frustration.
In conclusion, the Nike Forward Cargo Tote is a prime example of fashion and functionality meeting sustainability. Nike’s innovative use of the eco-friendly Forward material, combined with a smart cargo net cage and ample storage space, makes this tote an ideal choice for those who are both fashion-conscious and eco-conscious. Just remember to be mindful of how you use the cargo net, and you’ll find that this tote is a stylish and practical companion for your everyday adventures. Embrace the future of fashion with Nike’s Forward Cargo Tote, and take a step towards a more sustainable, environmentally responsible lifestyle.
3D printing might be wonderful and all that, but their usefulness pretty much depends on the designs that you feed them. Of course, some of these can be created using 3D modeling software, but when it comes to reproducing objects from the real world, nothing beats 3D scanning. That technology, however, has traditionally been out of reach of creatives, makers, and hobbyists because of its expensive price tags, bulky forms, and complicated controls. Thanks to advancements in technology and the rise of the maker culture, however, there has been an increased interest in the democratization of these tools to empower more people and help them make their creative dreams come true. That’s the kind of power that the new Revopoint MIRACO 3D scanner brings to the table, delivering pro-level features in a portable and accessible design.
Designer: Revopoint
Click Here to Sign Up Now: Save 40%. Launching on Kickstarter Oct 25.
There is a growing number of 3D scanners available for hobbyists and prosumers, but most of them seem to fall on two extremes. On the one hand, you have powerful but bulky and expensive equipment that you can’t take out of studios. On the other hand, there are small portable devices that have limited applications, particularly for scanning smaller objects only. Building on the 3D vision technologies that brought the successful pocketable INSPIRE 3D scanner to the market, Revopoint is unleashing the new MIRACO 3D scanner to redefine what 3D scanners can offer.
At first glance, you might mistake the Revopoint MIRACO 3D for an extra-large camera, an intentional design decision that sparks familiarity and confidence in how to use the device. Its compact and lightweight (only 750g) body makes it portable and easy to use, while still cramming enough power, including a 2.4GHz octa-core processor and a 5,000 mAh battery, to handle any scanning use case, anywhere. Its all-in-one design means you don’t need to connect it to a phone or PC to use the MIRACO 3D scanner. It even has its own bright 6-inch 2K AMOLED display that can be flipped to 180 degrees, allowing you to scan from any angle, including selfies.
Single Shot – Make tracking loss and difficult-to-scan contrasting surfaces a thing of the past with MIRACO’s single-shot capture mode, making it a breeze to capture any object with ultra-accuracy.
Continuous Shot – When speed is a priority, continuous capture mode is ready to make light work of most small and big objects at up to 15 fps scanning speeds for fast 3D model creation.
Dynamic Accuracy – Get in close to capture fine details with a surgical accuracy of up to 0.05mm at 150mm, or take a step back to scan big objects fast with an accuracy of up to 0.5mm at 600mm.
Jaw-Dropping Color – Experience 3D model color vibrancy like never before with MIRACO’s 48-mega pixel RGB Camera, providing photorealistic single-shot and continuous color scans.
The MIRACO 3D scanner, however, isn’t just convenient. It is also oozing with features and capabilities you’d only encounter in larger and more expensive machines. At the very top of that list are the quad depth cameras that let you scan both large and small objects alike. The scanner also offers excellent single-frame precision of up to 0.02mm at a distance of 150mm and 0.2mm at a 600mm distance, as well as single-frame accuracy of up to 0.05 mm at a distance of 150mm and up to 0.5mm at 600mm distance. With its 48MP RGB camera and LED flash, you can capture not only the shape of the objects but also reproduce their colors and textures with impressive details.
With its convenient, portable design, easy-to-use controls, flexible modes, and powerful features, scanning any object of any size is a breeze. Whether you’re scanning car parts for reproduction, scanning art and designs for virtual worlds, or capturing objects for animation and games, the Revopoint MIRACO all-in-one 3D Scanner brings all the accuracy and power that you need to bring your creative vision to life, whenever and wherever the muses strike.
Click Here to Sign Up Now: Save 40%. Launching on Kickstarter Oct 25.
If the future is already not upon us, it will be in a decade’s time. An era dominated by AI-driven robots, intimidating Gundams and biological warfare. While the latter one we all don’t want at any cost, walking around in a drivable mech will still be cooler.
A Japanese robot manufacturer wants to make owning a ‘Transformable Mecha Suit’ highly feasible if you can spare $3 million. The wait time of 12 – 18 months from the time of order sounds agonizing, but having it eventually is any day better than not having one if you are filthy rich!
Designer: Tsubame Industries
Meet the 4.5-meter tall, four-wheeled gargantuan robot dubbed “ARCHAX” that looks like the Gundam from the popular Japanese animated series. This 3.5 tons robot set to make its official debut at the Japan Mobility Show later this month is making the news for all the right reasons.
As per Ryo Yoshida, Chief Executive of Tsubame Industries, “Japan is very good at animation, games, robots and automobiles so I thought it would be great if I could create a product that compressed all these elements into one.” Ryo who has been building robots and prosthetics since an early age, believes his creations will ultimately help in disaster relief or the space industry.
The agile mecha can move forward on two wheels and turn into a vehicle depending on the terrain it’s commanded to scout on. The robot is loaded with sensors and nine cameras so that the pilot can maneuver it from inside the cockpit loaded with four display screens and an air conditioner too.
In the vehicle mode, it can reach speeds of up to 6 miles per hour. The real-life mecha has movable arms and legs that can be controlled via a joystick and foot pedals – now how cool is that? For those who can afford the towering sum of money to walk around like no other soul in the city, the ARCHAX is going to be available in six color options – Sapphire Blue, Pearl White, Spark Red, Atlantis Green, and Midnight Purple. Only five of these are going to be made, according to Tsubame, and they could ultimately be real-life crime fighters if put to good use. Does that remind you of the Transformers already?
