The Polar Vantage V3 smartwatch combines Nordic functionality, size, and athletic appeal

Polar just announced its newest Vantage V3 smartwatch lineup, which is the far classier-looking follow-up to its 2020 Vantage V2. It’s immediately targeted to athletes with a slew of new features like the Polar Elixir biosensing tech and a larger aluminum bezel with support for 22mm wristbands. Thanks to increased thickness and a sportier, almost Nordic look to the exterior – including those sleek red and chrome-colored buttons on the side – it may be Polar’s fanciest smart sports watch yet.

Designer: Polar

The Polar Vantage V3 is an advanced (but not quite futuristic) smart sports watch that looks like it can easily compete against other smart sports watches – like the Fitbit Sense 2 – thanks to its durable and elegant build, array of quality-of-life and GPS features, and purported 140-hour battery life in power-saving mode. Much like the Vantage V2 before it, it also stands completely apart from regular smartwatches like the Apple Watch Series 9 and Google Pixel Watch 2 for users who specifically want the most accurate fitness measurements and most interactive fitness training programs built directly into their smartwatch.

It’s targeted directly to athletes, and it already looks primed to be one of the best sports watches on the market for the near future. The new Polar Elixir biosensing suite includes an improved OHR (Optical Heart Rate) tracking sensor, wrist-ECG, skin temperature sensor to track body temperature throughout the day, and oxygen saturation monitor. All of these components are meant to combine in order to deliver pristine biometric reads, giving you the most up-to-date information about how your body and your fitness plan interact with one another.

Boosted biometrics and swanky casing aren’t the only improvements the Vantage V3 brings to the table over its predecessor; the new watch features an AMOLED touch display with 462 ppi resolution protected by Gorilla Glass 3. The V3’s internal CPU, which is rated for a 129% speed boost over the CPU that shipped in the Vantage V2, is now able to power a large collection of apps, including built-in GPS apps that utilize the new smartwatch’s dual-frequency L1/L5 satellite GPS chip.

The whole thing is also better suited for swimmers. It’s rated for WR50 water resistance, meaning you can dive about 50 meters underwater with it on your wrist before there’s any danger of it breaking. Better underwater biometric tracking make it a competitive diving and swimming watch.

You can now pre-order the Polar Vantage V3 in Sky Blue, Night Black, or (the appropriately fruity-colored) Sunrise Apricot directly from the Polar store for $599.95. Deliveries are set to begin on October 25.

Logitech Wave Keys Wireless Keyboard Hands-On: Comfortable and Compact, both in Size and Price

The average human makes roughly 1 million keystrokes each year… marking a major area for an ergonomic intervention. Unveiled today, the Logitech Wave Keys wireless keyboard joins the company’s Ergo line-up as a budget-friendly ergonomic keyboard to create a comfortable, reliable, and tactile typing experience. Designed to pair perfectly with the Lift Vertical mouse, the $59.99 Wave Keys offers a budget-friendly alternative Logitech’s $119.99 Ergo K860 split ergonomic keyboard launched back in 2020. Adopting a similar form factor, the Wave Keys gets its name from the unique wave-shaped form factor that’s a cross between traditional flat keyboards and those ergonomic spherical keyboards from the 1970s. This unique curved shape, along with the padded palm rest allows your hands to rest more naturally on the keyboard, enabling a comfortable experience for your fingers, wrists, and your palms… and I say this with a certain degree of confidence as I type this article out on the Wave Keys myself!

Designer: Logitech

The first impression you get with the Wave Keys is how comfortably petite it is. The keyboard measures less than 13 inches across (375.97mm), occupying the same horizontal space as a conventional 15.6″ laptop, but has a 96% layout, putting it in compact full-sized territory. That means the keyboard sports a num-pad along with a function row, giving you every key you could need. The function row is also feature-optimized to do useful things like take screenshots, toggle the emoji menu, mute/unmute your microphone during audio/video calls, and even play-pause actively playing content.

The keyboard’s biggest highlight is its wave-shaped design, a feature it borrows (and refines) from its predecessor, the Ergo K860. Unlike the K860’s split-key format, the Wave Keys has a continuous key layout and features larger mechanical keycaps that offer a comfortably tactile experience. It’s not as quiet as the K860’s chiclet-style keycap, but it isn’t as noisy as some other mechanical keyboards either.

The wave-shaped hump at the center of the keyboard is something the Logitech design team arrived at after years of designing, prototyping, and refining. The keyboard was carefully crafted with multiple rounds of user testing including at Logitech’s Ergo Lab and has a stamp of approval from US Ergonomics.

Other ergonomic considerations are the padded palm-rest along with height-adjustable tilt-legs that give the keyboard up to 4° of elevation for easier typing over longer periods of time. The palm rest (yet another feature extended from the K860 line) does make the keyboard wider than most, measuring 8.6 inches (218.9 mm) from top to bottom, but it vastly enhances the keyboard’s comfort levels, allowing it to live up to its ergonomic character.

The Wave Keys runs on Bluetooth as well as Logitech’s Bolt receiver, which additionally supports the Lift Vertical mouse.

The Wave Keys supports connections to up to 3 devices at the same time, allowing you to switch between them using the first three buttons on the function row. The keyboard connects to different devices using BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), supporting operating systems like Windows, MacOS, iPadOS, Chrome OS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Alternatively, it ships with the Logi Bolt USB receiver that plugs into a USB-A port, letting you connect using Logitech’s more secure wireless protocol. Additionally, the free Logi Options+ app lets you customize your keyboard experience by changing what the function buttons do, adding software/program-specific shortcuts, or even enabling Smart Actions that allow you to automate multiple tasks with a single keystroke so you can streamline your workflow. The Wave Keys runs on two AAA batteries, and Logitech touts an impressive 3-year lifespan before the batteries need to be replaced.

Sustainability also forms a core part of Logitech’s design and innovation approach. The company has touted using PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastics in their products and the Wave Keys is no different, with up to 61% of recycled plastic in its Graphite version, and 46% in its off-white version. The Wave Keys are also certified carbon-neutral and ship with zero-plastic packaging.

The Logitech Wave Keys launches today in two colorways – Graphite and Off White, with a third option named Rose launching in the spring of 2024. The Wave Keys starts at a retail price of $59.99 in North America and €79.99 in Europe, making it a perfect budget pick for individuals as well as for businesses. Visit the Logitech website to learn more.

Meet The World’s Smartest Tiny Home That Expands To 3 Times Its Size

Tiny homes gained popularity a couple of years ago, and since then they’ve cemented their place in the world of architecture. What started off as a cute little trend is now turning into a serious option for home spaces. They are a space-saving and eco-friendly living solution that reduces the load on Mother Earth. They’re simple and minimal alternatives to the imposing and materialistic homes that seem to have taken over. And if you love exploring tiny homes, as much as I do, then you’ve reached the right spot. Podform’s newly launched Pod Studio might just be the tiny home you’ve been looking for!

Designer: Podform

California-based Podform just created the world’s smartest tiny home called Pod Studio. The unique tiny home can expand up to 3 times its original size! The Pod Studio’s original size is 161 square feet, however, it can transform to 454 square feet within 15 minutes! The tiny home is portable and easily transportable and requires no foundation owing to its built-in hydraulic legs. This enables effortless and efficient loading and unloading. It features solar panels and smart technology, which can be controlled via an app, and battery storage systems, and a built-in water and septic tank as well.

The Pod Studio is extremely durable! It is built using steel and aluminum and features a solar awning energy system, which provides protection against 100 mph winds and fire for up to 90 minutes. Security was also given priority for the Pod Studio since tiny homes can be moved around quite easily. The home is equipped with four built-in lens cameras and doors that are locked with Touch-ID technology. AI was utilized to analyze water, electricity, and weather data, providing residents with inputs such as “open the shades” and “turn on the heater”. A projection glass is also incorporated in the house which transforms the cozy home into a scenic haven.

If you want to experience the Pod Studio,  you can book a stay in the Pod Studio prototype situated near the Joshua Tree National Park in California. Guests can book their spot with a $50 deposit, for one night at a rate of $250, instead of the original price of $350.