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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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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At the Geneva Auto Show FIAT has revealed its plans to launch a Panda-based vehicle every year until the year 2027. The initiative kicked off at the show with the reveal of five concept cars in line with this vision of a next-generation Panda family that’ll grow bigger with time.

For those who don’t know, the Panda is FIAT’s minicar that’s been in production ever since 2011. The vehicle comes in a basic hatchback form and a much tougher Panda Cross version that’s called the Panda Cross. For the future, FIAT wants to expand the basic body styles to the pickup, campervan, SUV and coupe crossover with the Panda concepts that’ll eventually take shape as production cars. The concepts in question for the global market here are all based on the platform by Stellantis, the parent company.

Designer: FIAT

At the time of writing, FIAT hasn’t given any insight into the technical details but has confirmed that all these variants will be bigger than the original Panda. Also, they’ve confirmed that the production version (sometime in the future) of these concepts will come with the option of gas, hybrid or electric powertrain. Other than that, around 80 percent of the components will be common to all the versions. So let’s have a look at all of them in detail right away.

City Car Concept

As clear from the name, the City Car will be a glimpse into the general direction of the brand in the future. This one is similar to the Panda in more ways than not. There are eye-candy square doors and peculiar pink tires (inspired by the Barbie, maybe). The car is inspired by the iconic Lingotto building in Turin known for its rooftop test track. Reminiscences of the structure are apparent in the design of the concept including things like the structural lightness, overall bright theme and the space optimization on the inside. Talking of the interiors, they are made from sustainable materials including bamboo and recycled plastics.

Pick-Up Concept

FIAT already has a foothold in the Brazilian pickup market in the form of the Strada. The second concept wants to build on the success by inculcating fun and functionality with this concept. The perfect amalgam of a pick-up with the functionality of an LCV and the comfort of an SUV, the vehicle is fit for urban lifestyle. For people who like an outdoorsy lifestyle, the FIAT pickup concept sets the tone for the future.

Fastback Concept

This concept is an ode to the success of FIAT Fastback in Brazil and the FIAT Tipo in the Middle East and Africa. Created on the same modular platform and bearing a very sporty look, the Fastback concept builds on the sustainable commitment of the brand without compromising on the performance quotient. This comes courtesy of the aerodynamic performance for lower fuel consumption.

SUV Concept

This is a more muscular version of the Panda resulting in a more spacious interior for a family to ride in comfort. On those lines, the car is loaded with all that a family would desire in a performance SUV. Top that off with the safety, versatility and attractive design of the concept and FIAT lovers will have enough reason not to go elsewhere.

Camper Concept

Lastly, FIAT has created the ultimate all-terrain vehicle that brings adventure seekers close to nature without much fuzz. According to FIAT, the concept pays homage to “Fun-ctionality” of the 80s Panda. It has the versatility of a regular car for urban commutes and the toughness of an SUV to go adventuring anytime, anywhere.

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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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Portable speakers come in all types, sizes and themes but never before have I laid my eyes on one that looks like a front-loading washing machine. Only possible in the concept design world realm, this Bose branded portable speaker concept is a true conversation starter in any geeky den.

The intriguing design of this compact sound blaster tickles my fancy for its ingenuity in the placement of the different elements. Most definitely, you’ll start to see all those front-loading washing machines as a huge speaker once you lay your eyes on this concept. However, in reality, all the button placements and speaker components are designed in a way that they seem like the perfect amalgam of portable audio equipment and a miniature washer for your undergarments.

Designer: Hari 3D

Although there is no detailed information about this concept’s development stage, there’s a picture at the end suggesting a prototype or a display model is indeed crafted by the designer. Dressed in a cool titanium grey finish, the portable speaker is a treat to watch if you are an audiophile who appreciates modern product design. The front of this cool gadget has all the audio telemetry to show the player controls on the touchscreen display along with the volume rocker knob, power button and play/pause buttons. On the left bottom side, there’s the Bass actualizer knob.

To the front lies the subwoofer and on each side are the stereo speakers to beam quality sound. Wireless connectivity should be a given on this one since no one in 2024 would buy a portable speaker without that option. Frankly speaking, this portable speaker concept would rock your desk setup as well. Folks over at Bose would also be keenly viewing this design language if they want to add something on these lines to their existing line-up.

Disclaimer: Please note that this concept design is not affiliated with the Bose brand in any manner and is solely intended for conceptualization purposes.

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There are many hugely popular campervan base models around the world, but one that essentially overshadows them all, and has camping enthusiasts styling their own creations around it, is the Volkswagen van. VW-inspired campers have their takers in plenty thereof Type 2 founders, Hearth Gardella and Ryan Schassen, have created a VW-themed pop-up camping trailer from aircraft steel construction in a compact form factor that is faster to build.

The RV builders based in Woodburn, Oregon, Type 2, is hoping to create a sizable inroad in the expensive and heavier tow-campers with their T2.3 which thrives on its “lightweight, affordable, and timeless design.” Currently available for preorder for a non-refundable $1,000 deposit, T2.3 comes in three different variants with one classic pop-up roof that enhances the internal standing headroom to 6 feet 4 inches.

Designer: Type 2

Modeled after the 1940s Volkswagen bus, the T2.3’s design replaces fiberglass construction with aero-grade steel panels. This keeps the camper lightweight and adds to its durability. With the use of steel panels, the camper with its pop-up roof is faster to manufacture and fairly easy to tow behind a small electric vehicle.

Measuring 9 feet 6 inches long and 5 feet wide, the camper weighs under 980 lbs in all three options (detailed below). Outfitted with three windows on each side, and a single door toward the back half, the camper has a liftgate hatch. For more space inside comprising a convertible U-shaped sofa, an expandable kitchen counter, and a rear window seat (in the entry-level Sleeper model), the T2.3’s entire roof rises above.

Adding an outdoor shower system and 1-gallon electric hot water heater to the Sleeper and we have the T2.3 Sleeper Plus. The most exciting option is the Kitchenette model. The rear window seat here is removed to accommodate a full L-shaped kitchen complete with a dining table, induction cooktop, and stainless-steel sink. Of course, the change in features makes for a change in the pricing structure as well. The Sleeper model starts at $29,950, the Sleeper Plus scales the figure to $35,000, while the one with a kitchenette will set you back $39,000.

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Harry Potter fans will have their mouths wide open for the next big set revealed by the LEGO Group. Yes, the Sorting Hat for choosing out of the four Hogwarts Houses (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff) that each of the students will go to, now gets a dedicated LEGO version.

This detailed set slated for a March 1, 2024 release consists of 561 pieces in total, each one coming together to create the intricate build. It’s going to be the first time in more than a decade that LEGO has incorporated a sound box in one of its Harry Potter sets. The Talking Sorting Hat will carry a price tag of $100 when it is finally available to pick off the shelf. Eager Harry Potter fans can also pre-book it right away!

Designer: LEGO Group

The hidden sound box says out loud randomized phrases in English, that we all are familiar with. Of course, these are from among one of the magical verses that assign the person (holding the tip or placing it on top of the head) to one of the four Hogwarts houses. When the 9.5 inches tall and 7.5 diameter LEGO set is fully assembled it can be adorned on a stand that has the Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw house symbols all around. The tip of the hat and the eyebrows are both movable – in fact, pressing the hat’s tip opens the mouth, sways the eyebrows and plays the random phrase from the 31 available options.

As a generous bonus, the Talking Sorting Hat comes with an exclusive Harry Potter minifigure wearing the Sorting Hat miniature version and looking ever so cute. As already mentioned the set consists of printed bricks depicting each of the houses, the other patches are realized with the stickers.

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Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming movie Dune: Part Two is creating quite a buzz before its March 1 release in the US. Hamilton Watch with its stint of creating watches for more than 500 movies since 1930, wasn’t going to let this opportunity go. The result is a collaboration with Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros to create a duo of exclusive Ventura timepieces inspired by the epic space opera movie’s prop watch. One of them is the Desert Watch carrying a minimalist charm while the Edge Dune Edition has a sci-fi character to it.

We found a fancy for the latter, so we’ll be talking about this sci-fi timepiece here. However, some things are common to both these watches including the commemorative ellipsoid packaging that represents the psychedelic drug in Melange and the water depicted by the blue section. On special request of Denis to create the timepiece in close association with the film’s prop master, Doug Harlocker, the watch turned out to be as unique as it gets. It defies the traditional watch norms resulting in a hardwearing wrist gadget well-suited for the Fremen.

Designer: Hamilton Watch

The Hamilton Ventura Edge Dune Limited Edition has a case made out of black PVD coating and measures 51mm x 47.2mm. The 100-meter water-resistant watch mimics the 3D relief elements present in the original timepiece depicted in the movie. I particularly like the intricate circuit board effect and the amazing texture complementing it.  On the face, it displays the time in cool blue digits and gets the quartz movement on the inside.

The time reading is done in a vertical formation, looking like a faint blue text that lights up at the push of a button. Also, the blue ring on the watch illuminates to complete the look. When the lights go out they go out with a slight brightness peak and fade into the dark, just like the original prop timepiece. The Hamilton Ventura Edge Dune watch will be limited to just 2,000 units and comes at a price tag of $2,500.

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Not all watches are meant to have intriguing complications. A minimalistic watch with a black and white interface, accompanied by a briefcase is proving that right. Designed to let you navigate the world with time to your advantage, The Time Traveler Watch in discussion is created by Nik Bentel, a design-forward studio in New York City.

Nik Bentel Studio is a goal-oriented team of designers that thrives on releasing limited-edition performative objects, often through collaborative efforts. The Time Traveler is a watch that journeys from the wrist to a briefcase, as you travel between countries, has been created in close collaboration with Trio of Time (TTT) Watches by Anicorn.

Designer: Nik Bentel Studio and TTT Watches

Time zone wall clocks found a pace after the global trade kicked off post-World War II. These clocks with a simple typeface, clean white aesthetics, and a straightforward design became a staple with travelers who trotted between time zones. The Time Traveler Watch revives this timeless design with a combination bag, creating a no-nonsense time-telling narrative for modern globe trotters.

Rethinking how modern-day watches perceive global time; the Time Traveler, as previously iterated, is a two-part time teller. One part is a 39mm diameter wristwatch paired with a removable leather strap. The design language is black, white, and straightforward. The second part is the briefcase that is wearable without the watch. Its true potential is however realized when the wristwatch is defragmented (the strap removed from the dial) and it is placed inside the designated section on the bag.

The bag with crossbody woven strap has interchangeable city plates – for London, New York, Tokyo, and Hong Kong – made of chromed silver right below the watch slot. You can interchange the plates (that hold up to the bag using a magnet) to match the time zone your watch is following at a given point in time.

For the inquisitive, the Time Traveler has a stainless steel casing and a Japanese Miyota 2035 Quartz movement powers it. The straightforward dial is protected under mineral glass, and the watch itself is 50 meters water resistant. Aiming to simplify time telling in global locations, The Time Traveler intends to reinterpret the perception of global time zones, and I think it has pulled that off well. The watch is available for $349 right away!

The post A NYC studio reinterprets the perception of global time zones with a wristwatch that has its own travel-carry first appeared on Yanko Design.

When mobile phones began scaling up, they used physical buttons for navigation. Steadily touchscreen smartphones took over more rapidly than mobile phones to reach our pockets in the first place. This was because of two considerable reasons: larger display real estate and lighter and slimmer design. But what we had to forgo in this barter was the tactile feedback on the press of a button that good old mobiles offered.

It has been seen that mobile gamers and camera enthusiasts prefer the tactile feel of the phone and this has given surge to a new league of accessories that make this possible from an everyday smartphone. Now a designer believes there is a scope of adaptation for a smartphone with tactile buttons for camera and gaming mode, in addition to physical volume rockers and power button of the touchscreen phone.

Designer: Wayne Lu

Appropriately christened the Phone One, this as the tagline suggests, is a multi-mode smartphone that revives the physical buttons for a tactile feel. The interesting aspect here is that these buttons do not take up the screen space but are provided in a uniquely designed three-pivot side panel of this smartphone.

The pivot allows the right-side panel of the phone to rotate within the phone frame itself, transitioning from normal phone mode to gaming mode and further into camera mode and back to the phone mode. The normal mode with volume and power buttons ensures the Phone One looks as close to normal as possible for daily usage.

The magic starts on the first twist of the side panel that reveals the game mode. This shows up a speaker grill in the center and D pa- style four buttons in as many colors. Taking things further into the optics arena is the camera mode that appears on the next pivot of the side panel. This mode with all the physical buttons for recording, clicking, flash and more has a very camcorder-like appearance.

Besides the bespoke pivoting side panel, Phone One is a run-of-the-mill smartphone with an edge-to-edge HD display and a slim profile. It has a single camera cutout on the back and a plasticky white body with the Phone One branding on the pivoting side that protrudes slightly from the main body. Of course, we do not have details about the possible innards of the Phone One, but it is an interesting concept worthy of seeing the light of day.

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