How much do you pay for your iCloud+ or Google Drive storage to make sure your photos get backed up on the cloud? Imagine paying zero.

Remember a time when flagship phones came with memory card slots that let you expand storage and potentially even swap out old cards for new ones to get more storage? Sure, some phones still go as far as offering expandable storage, but for the most part, all companies have defaulted to the ‘cloud storage’ model where you pay a monthly subscription and your phone automatically backs data up without you needing to remember. It’s convenient, but it’s also costly, as you’re suddenly required to pay monthly cloud storage fees. It isn’t easy to ask phone makers to revert back to those good old MicroSD card days… but that’s where something as deviously simple as the PhotoCube PD+ comes in. Designed as a simple plug-and-play USB-C device, the PhotoCube automatically backs up your photos to an SD card for you, saving effort and money. A companion app makes the entire process as simple as clicking a button (instead of manually selecting all your images and copy-pasting them) and the PhotoCube does the rest, updating your old storage files with new ones so your photo backups are always up to date. It’ll also create separate file structures for multiple devices, letting you separately back up photos across different phones and even tablets. Your photos remain offline, so you don’t need the internet to access them – and as a result, they’re also hacker-resistant. Quite impressive for a device that just costs $55.

Designer: PhotoFast

Click Here to Buy Now: $55 $99 (45% off) Hurry! Only 4 left of 470.

The reason most people prefer cloud storage is because it’s designed to be the easiest option ever. The phone backs itself up without you needing to remember, the files get stored in a safe server somewhere else, and if you ever lose your device, you can easily restore your photos if you log into your cloud storage account. What users then ignore is the fact that they end up paying hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars each year to store their photos. The PhotoCube PD+ aims at breaking that dependency with a hardware solution that’s just as easy. Plug the PhotoCube in and it literally begins backing up your photos in an instant. Photos get stored on a MicroSD card, so you can choose how much storage you want (you get 2 terabyte MicroSD cards nowadays), and it all happens offline without eating data transfer fees.

The PhotoCube device can easily be configured using an app

The fact that your data gets stored on a MicroSD card allows the PhotoCube to be such a ridiculously compact device. It’s no bigger than an AirTag, albeit square in shape (hence its name). A card slot on one end lets you add a MicroSD card in, while a male USB-C pin on the other end lets you plug your PhotoCube into any Android phone/tablet, any iPad with USB-C, and the latest iPhone 15 series. There’s also a female USB-C port on the opposite end (right under the card slot) that allows you to charge your phone THROUGH the PhotoCube, so you can run long backups while juicing your battery – a feature so wildly convenient it deserves a special mention.

Measuring just 30mm wide and 38mm long, the PhotoCube is smaller than even an AirPods case, but it can store up to 2TB

The PhotoCube’s brilliance lies in the fact that it isn’t a one-trick pony. When it isn’t backing up photos from your phone, it works as a card reader with all your devices (especially with your laptop), allowing you to read photos from your phone, drone, or DSLR on any machine. With USB 3.2 Gen 1, the PhotoCube PD+ can transfer files as rapidly as 5Gb/s, letting you swiftly back up or even access media without waiting for stuff to load.

Speaking of swift, the tiny gadget does a remarkable job of power delivery too, allowing you to charge your phone at an impressive 60W for fast-charging. The PowerCube PD+ supports pass-through fast-charging which means your backups and your charging can happen simultaneously… and rapidly.

Photo transfers happen in tandem with the PhotoFast app, which has a few impressive features. You can do more than just backing up photos and videos – the app lets you back up contacts, calendars, documents, even music (if you still believe in listening to MP3 files)… and if you’ve already paid for cloud storage, the PhotoFast app lets you download your backups from the cloud server onto the PhotoCube so you can cancel that pesky subscription and keep your files safe locally, and access them without needing to connect to the internet. The app intelligently also allows the PhotoCube to create and maintain separate backups for separate devices, so one PhotoCube could potentially store your entire family’s data, getting you off that expensive family cloud storage plan.

This isn’t maker PhotoFast’s first rodeo. Last year’s PhotoCube PD had a similar design, but didn’t support OTG plug-and-play storage (it needed a separate power source), and it wasn’t configured to work with iPhones (because iPhones didn’t have USB-C ports until September last year). The new PD+ comes with all those improvements under the hood, and now with two color options too – a simple white and grey, and a slightly jazzed up white and sky blue. The PhotoCube PD+ starts at $55 for Kickstarter backers (the original price after the crowdfunding campaign goes up to $99) and ships starting June 2024. It doesn’t come with a MicroSD card, so you have the liberty of choosing what brand/capacity of storage card you want to pair with your gadget. That’s quite a lot of flexibility for a device that fits in your pocket and also saves you money every month!

Click Here to Buy Now: $55 $99 (45% off) Hurry! Only 4 left of 470.

Click Here to Buy Now: $55 $99 (45% off) Hurry! Only 4 left of 470.

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MagSafe – magnetic charging and accessory attachment technology- is arguably a big transition for smartphones. It’s an Apple prerogative and has been part of every gadget the Cupertino giant has rolled out since 2020. It is no surprise then, that there’s been an unrelenting outflow of accessories for the MagSafe-compatible iPhones, Apple Watch, and AirPods. Doing this very attractively is Leon’s Electric Trout Co., which has been designing MagSafe charger stands that are a total game changer.

In the list of metallic and plasticky MagSafe accessories, David Stychno’s Electric Trout charging docks made from acrylic are confident newcomers. They outshine the old-school docks for all things Apple with productive and sleek silhouettes that are bound to redefine convenience and efficacy. Since Electric Trout wishes to tap a large spectrum of users, it has MagSafe-compatible charging solutions for one, two, or an entire range of Apple’s handheld and wearables.

Designer: Electric Trout

As mentioned, the stands are designed to add more character than the traditional iterations. Case in point, the $39 Expo Apple Watch charging stand with watch band storage that arrives in an ‘X’ shape. The charging dock comes flat-packed and can assemble in seconds, without the use of tools or gum. You can set the watch to charge on this acrylic stand while the extra watch bands can hang by the elastic strap, so you don’t need additional place to keep your watch accessory.

If you want a more productive accessory that does more than hold and charge your Apple Watch, David’s design house has you covered with the interestingly styled upright clip NS-3 that charges a watch and iPhone and stores a pair of AirPods for you in the base. NS-3 Clip, and the previous options in the category, can be used on the nightstand or kitchen counter. It is handmade from a single piece of laser-cut acrylic.

In line with the idea is the MagSafe 3-in-1 charging stand that can help charge your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods on a seamless sheet of acrylic. It comes flat-packed for travel, and can become your nightstand essentially with the assembly of a kickstand. The latter allows this charging stand to be used in portrait or landscape orientations to browse or take calls while charging.

The most intriguing yet is the 3D-printed Ezl-02. It is an all-in-one dock created to let you juice up your devices with the chargers you already own. Shipped with a black Mophie wireless charging pad in the box, the Ezl-02 charges and helps organize your iPhone, Apple Watch, Airpods, and extra watch bands in one place. If you have been waiting to get home a sleep charging stand for your Apple device, which won’t add clutter, but instead would look fancy, the buck stops at the Electric Trout shop!

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With 25 submissions to the LEGO Ideas forum (5 of which crossed the 10,000 vote mark), LEGO builder Dimexart is somewhat of a veteran when it comes to putting plastic bricks together. The brick aficionado’s latest creation combines LEGOs with the real-world in the form of a vintage radio that actually plays music. Made from over a thousand LEGO bricks, this vintage radio has a secret flap on the back that lets you slide your smartphone in. Switch on Spotify or YouTube, select your favorite track, and hit play as you pop your phone into the LEGO Vintage Radio and it recreates the feeling of having an antique radio playing your favorite tracks! The best part, Dimexart’s build comes with functional knobs and buttons that you can twist and press, moving sliders inside the gizmo just like you would with an authentic AM/FM radio.

Designer: Dimexart

Strangely enough, Dimexart made a radio back in 2021 out of LEGO bricks, and it did cross the 10,000 vote mark too, but was rejected by LEGO’s internal team. Unfazed by this, Dimexart went back to the drawing board and decided to tweak the radio to make it even better. The new MOC (My Own Creation, as it’s called in LEGO parlance) now features a flap on the back that let’s you slide any smartphone in, using the phone’s speakers and the acoustic chamber of the empty LEGO radio to create that warm, slightly twangy audio associated with radios of the past.

In Dimexart’s demo, he even uses the phone screen to mimic the warm backlight seen in most radio control panels. Given that they were sometimes used at night too, radios came with lights in their gauges so you could see which station you were on. Dimexart’s build uses light from your smartphone’s screen to create a similar experience.

The dials on the left and right are both functional and cause sliders inside to move left or right to indicate the station/frequency or the volume. There are dials/knobs and buttons on the bottom too, which are functional in that they can be interacted with – but that’s about all they do. It’s a fun interaction, however, and recreates the real tactile joy of the radio, which firmly belonged in a much more hands-on era long before touchscreens dominated our lives. The radio comes with a wood-inspired aesthetic, a rather realistic set of grills, and that gorgeous control panel on the bottom that I’m sure you won’t be able to get enough of.

Dimexart’s entry currently has 3,228 supporters as of writing this article. If you want to vote for the entry (and hopefully see it turn into a retail box set), vote for it on the LEGO Ideas website here.

The post This LEGO Vintage Radio lets you actually play music through your smartphone… first appeared on Yanko Design.

Post-pandemic, the return of the workforce to offices means the environment is stressful and tensions are high. The tolerance levels are at a new low for most, and the smallest things like an inconsistent Wi-Fi or unannounced email from the boss can get the blood pressure rising. Stress ball with its form factor helps in physical and emotional relief therapy, and now a designer believes a wireless mouse can take over and help the working professional ease their anger with a mouse press.

Negativity is not a post-pandemic symptom anyway. Amid negative emotions and intolerance, anger has always reigned supreme in humans. Anger is closely related to the development of illness and only a few remedies can help. One over-the-counter option is a stress ball that doctors and therapists advise for easy and quick anger release, and borrowing an idea from it, the Vent wireless mouse is a functional option for stressed and enraged employees.

Designer: Jeong Kim and Weekend-Works

If I remember correctly, research a few years back disclosed that a mouse (through the way a person moves the cursor at different speeds) can predict anger and frustration. But what do you do when you know you’re angry? Of course, you don’t need a mouse to predict that for you, but a wireless mouse to help you release that without breaking the screen down is a handy option.

To that end, the Vent wireless mouse has been made from a silicone cover, that is made thick on the sides and back. These are parts that one holds in the palm when working. The designers believe, that when angry, the user can clinch the palm around the mouse and its soft touch can absorb the anger like the stress ball. Definitely not so much softly, but almost enough to calm you down.

With the use of silicone as its construction material, the Vent wireless mouse should be waterproof and hygienic peripheral. It can – like some previously made silicone mice – be cleaned without the risk of damaging the innards. This makes it a viable option in two ways (as an anger manager and hygienic peripheral) in this post-COVID lifestyle that we are embracing.

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Just like smartphones, laptops are undergoing a bit of change and experimentation with foldable, dual-screen, or even transparent laptops coming out of the woodwork. It’s only a matter of time before that trend makes its way to other devices, though there are signs of that happening in the e-book reader industry already. E-readers, as they are called, are breaking out of their shell, and some are even Android tablets that just happen to use e-paper displays. Compared to this unexpected design, however, those Android-powered E Ink readers sound almost unambitious, because this particular device actually puts together two E Ink displays to offer an almost literal book reader, a notebook, and a laptop all rolled into one.

Designer: LCFC (Hefei) (a Lenovo subsidiary)

Dual-screen laptops might not be new to our ears after the aborted Microsoft Surface Duo, the ASUS ZenBook Duo, and the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i. The idea behind this design is to bring the same dual-screen experience some users enjoy on desktops to the laptop without completely losing the advantage of portability. That use case might make perfect sense for a laptop that runs a conventional operating system with plenty of applications, but it isn’t as straightforward for e-book readers, even the ones running Android.

And yet, that’s exactly what the Gemini “Dual Screens Wisdom E-Ink Book” is trying to do, albeit with a slightly different focus. It connects two 7.8-inch E Inks screens using a 360-degree hinge that lets you fold it close like a book or fold it in the opposite direction completely to transform it into a tablet. In addition to reading, the device is designed to make it more natural to write down notes, possibly on what you’re reading. Note-taking is so central to the Gemini’s purpose that other features are framed in that perspective.

You can, for example, fold it half upright like a laptop for typing out notes. Of course, you’ll have to make do with an on-screen keyboard, but typing on an E Ink screen is notoriously awkward, uncomfortable, and inefficient, far worse than typing on a regular LCD or OLED display. You could potentially connect a Bluetooth keyboard, though that does lose the charm of being able to use this as a laptop. The Gemini also has a stylus you can write with, but the more interesting aspect of the pen is the detachable microphone module that you can use to record voice notes or even lectures.

The design of the Gemini is actually a bit peculiar thanks to an extended edge that’s thicker than the rest of the device. Not only is this where most of the electronics are housed, but it also seems to have controls like a dial and buttons, almost reminiscent of those display tablets for drawing. When using the Gemini like a laptop, you will be resting your wrist on this “bump,” but that will actually force you to reach further down to actually type on the E Ink screen, not to mention you risk triggering those buttons. There is no definite word yet on when and where the Gemini will launch, but it will happen sometime this year, though it remains to be seen whether it will elicit the same interest as dual-screen laptops.

The post Dual-screen E Ink reader doubles as a laptop for double productivity first appeared on Yanko Design.

Dubbed the Paperang Q1, this portable ‘vocabulary card’ works better than Duolingo, allowing you to take quizzes, access flash cards, and quickly pick up new phrases. It’s smaller than a Kindle, and does a much better job of teaching you a new language than those translator apps that only focus on short-term gains. And unlike other e-ink readers, this comes with a speaker too, enabling audio-based learning.

Designer: Zuoyebang Education Technology (Beijing) Limited

The Paperang Q1 comes with a 3.9-inch e-ink display with touch input, along with a home button on the side and a record button on the top. Its staggered design gives it a distinct aesthetic that makes it instantly recognizable, with its quadrilateral forms intersecting each other to give you an overall rectangle that still feels different. Except, what you’d expect to be a camera bump is, in fact, the speaker unit that pumps out rich audio. The bump also gives your fingers a place to rest as you’re holding the device.

The Paperang Q1’s simplistic design opens it up to a lot of visual exploration. The two forms can be paired in distinct colors, creating a fun and funky palette.  The device itself comes in black and white variants, although it does feature replaceable metal backplates that add a touch of color to the overall gadget, allowing users to choose between classic or vibrant color schemes.

The post Handheld e-ink reader helps you pick up and practice new languages first appeared on Yanko Design.

Honda introduced the UNI-ONE personal mobility chair for people with lower limb immobilization at the end of 2022. The Segway-like version for people who want an advanced electric wheelchair contraption with flexible movement capabilities will officially debut at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, next month, with a VR application twist.

The Japanese automaker will leverage the self-balancing personal mobility device (mostly intended for the disabled) for a seamless virtual reality world, which they are calling the “Honda Extended Reality (XR)” experience. The idea of fusing the real-world riding on the UNI-ONE with the virtual world environment sounds like a winning proposition, and Honda doesn’t want to let go of the opportunity.

Designer: Honda

The SXSW attendees will get the opportunity to get first-hand exposure to this unique VR experience from 10-13 March at Honda’s booth #729 at the SXSW Creative Industries Expo at the Austin Convention Center. This amalgam of two different technologies is directed towards solving the hardware limitation of a comprehensive metaverse reality that is otherwise only limited to the visual input and confined to a limited space. According to Hirokazu Hara, vice president of New Business Development, at American Honda Motor this will expand the “joy and freedom of personal mobility into entertainment applications.”

Hirokazu further added that the never-before thought of combination will elevate the multimodal immersive experience three-fold. The self-balancing tech dubbed Honda Omni Traction Drive System (HOT Drive System) and the advanced sensors on the 154 pounds UNI-ONE (permitting movement and tilt in any direction) will leverage a new VR and AR entertainment. This will shoot the extended reality technology and application development possibilities to another level, inducing the interest of early adopters more than ever before.

For instance, racing through a track on a virtual planet with lesser gravity than on Earth will be possible on a hands-free device capable of going at a top speed of 3.7 mph. The rig will combine the visual input from a VR headset and the freedom of movement to make the user feel as if racing on a real track in an alien landscape. The fact that Honda is vesting so much interest in this possibility with the UNI-ONE speaks a lot about how the future is going to pan out in the Metaverse world. According to Honda the extended reality (XR) technology will be perfect for malls, theme parks, or any other indoor or outdoor entertainment hubs with a lot of open space to move around.

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Some of the most popular (not necessarily best) memes are of people who seem to be brave on the outside but are reduced to screaming messes when faced with a cockroach. We’re talking both men and women here and seeing them freak out over these insects is apparently funny to some people. So this concept for a robotic cockroach may be the stuff of nightmares for some or a fascinating experiment for those who are curious.

Designer: Luis Lopez

Baby X-Roach is a concept or experiment into creating a robotic creature that is usually a source of disgust or fright. In his description of this creature he created, he says that she has a huge and kind heart with her curiosity keeping her alive even if most people don’t see it. It is designed to have a high tech aesthetic even though it is a low poly creation (small number of polygons in 3D computer graphics).

Based on the animations the designer included, the structure of the Baby X-Roach seems to be based on the actual cockroach’s look but with a high tech aesthetic. It may actually look right at home in a Tesla facility as per the creator. It can also be part of the Into the Spiderverse animated universe as it looks like it may be insect cousins with the spider that bit Miles Morales, with its red and black colors and mechanical movements.

This insect doesn’t seem to have any other function except to be a cute, mechanical pet. Well, that is, if you’re not afraid of roaches. If you are, you just might squish it if you see it scurrying across to you, which would be a shame for this baby roach.

The post Baby roach mechanical experiment may be your next cute pet (or nightmare) first appeared on Yanko Design.

Most if not all of us may have dreamed of writing some form of literature like a book or even a novel. It may be an adventure inspired by the latest bestseller that you read, a tear-jerking drama drawn from personal experiences, or even a technical matter intended to pass down knowledge to future generations. Although we still call it “writing,” the fact is that books today are all typed on some kind of machine or another, be it a computer or even an old-school typewriter, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. A computer, of course, delivers plenty of flexibility and convenience, but those also come at the cost of complexity and, more importantly, distractions. Distraction-free typing devices have been popping up here and there to cater to the needs of writers, but this particular design lets you create your own solution and, if necessary, even repair the digital typewriter yourself.

Designer: Vicente Cruz

There are quite a few distraction-free typewriter designs, but almost all of them have one important feature in common: they all use an e-paper display like E Ink. This usually monochrome screen is not just eye-friendly, it is also not that conducive to the colorful images and animations on the Web that distract us from our writing task. The technology is starting to catch up, though, but the advantages of E Ink still make it the perfect screen for such a purpose.

The Tapico Typer is a design that leverages that technology but also goes to the extreme when it comes to offering a distraction-free environment. You basically just have a keyboard with a somewhat small 4.2-inch E Ink screen centered on top. It doesn’t even have a battery, at least in this iteration of the design, so you’ll have to rely on an external power source like a power bank. It does have an SD card slot, however, which is the only way to get your files off the device since it has no network connectivity or even a USB data connection.

If that sounds extreme, it’s because it really is by design. The Tapico Typer is, interestingly, inspired more by a calculator than the old mechanical typewriter. It’s a single-function device that does only one thing but does it to perfection. It also means you have complete ownership of your content, free from subscription services and cloud storage. And, of course, there’s nothing to distract you on the screen, though the phone you place beside it could still steal your focus.

The digital typewriter is mostly 3D-printed and self-made, so it would be possible to follow the original’s design to make your own. Many of the components are available off shelves and there isn’t much soldering involved, so most of the work boils down to designing the chassis. A future plan is to include some internal power source or at least a way to use AA batteries that could last for months thanks to how little power E Ink displays consume. This also means that The Tapico Typerc can also be easily repaired, ensuring it will be your writing partner for a very long time.

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MWC 2024 has seen several foldable phones that have either already launched or are still yet to come, showing that this growing market is, in fact, still growing. But even with the number of new players or new models popping up regularly, there’s no denying that one brand stands at the top in terms of both market share as well as mind share. That’s the advantage of being one of the first and one of the most aggressive to market foldable phones, but it’s an advantage that won’t last long if Samsung chooses to rest on its laurels. Previous rumors about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 hint at a very mixed bag, and fresh 3D renders of Samsung’s next foldable seem to prove that it is indeed going after iterative refinement over sensational new features.

Designer: Samsung (via Smartprix and Steve Hemmerstoffer/@OnLeaks)

Depending on how you look at it, the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s design pictured in these unofficial renders could either be sleek or boring. It admittedly shares much in common with its predecessor, save for one detail. The corners are now more angular, which gives it a sharper appearance, literally and figuratively. In a sense, it resembles the boxy Galaxy S24 Ultra now more than ever, putting it in the same category as that “pro” smartphone.

The more interesting details, however, aren’t exactly apparent in these renders. The illustrations were based on unofficial sources which claim that when unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will have a dimension of 153.5 x 132.5 x 6.1 mm. While that does “confirm” that the phone is shorter and wider, it also indicates that the thickness hasn’t changed at all. That, in turn, could raise hopes that there might still be some room for an S Pen inside after all.

Other than that, there aren’t many changes expected for the next big Samsung foldable, especially when it comes to the cameras. That said, there are now whispers of an “Ultra” model apparently in the works, one that could have those much-awaited features like a built-in S Pen and upgraded cameras. This goes in the completely opposite direction of earlier rumors of a more affordable Galaxy Z Fold model. Then again, Samsung could also opt to lower the price of a “base” Galaxy Z Fold 6 ever so slightly in order to position the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra better.

Regardless of how its actual design will come out, it will be an interesting and critical time for Samsung’s foldables. While it’s still popular, it is no longer the only game in town and its competitors are gaining ground quickly. Sooner or later, it will need to take bigger and bolder changes, especially ones that people have come to expect from one of the biggest smartphone makers in the world.

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