Here’s what we looked at this week:

A remedial design object: Clicks is an elongated iPhone case featuring a physical keyboard.

LG Labs’ DukeBox is a vacuum tube amplifier behind a transparent, user-adjustable OLED display.

Woodshop Junkies designs and builds clever, transforming space-saving workshop furniture designs.

LG’s CineBeam Qube is a starkly modernist projector due to debut at next week’s CES.

Studio RAP, an architectural design firm, repurposed wooden offcuts to create robotically-assembled walls for a Dutch bank.

Here’s an incredible video of craftsman Mostopher Dnouch, who plies his trade on the streets of Marrakech, using an ancient lathe design to crank out chess pieces.

Moonwalkers X are robotic shoes for warehouse workers that allegedly double productivity.

This AR Interactive Vehicle Display is aimed at tour bus operators for now, but should find numerous applications in the future.

Lacking a bench vise, this craftsman built this simple jig for holding panels on edge. See how it works.

Clever package design: Mongolia’s Fusion beer comes in bottles designed with bottlecap openers in their bases. Click here to see a demonstration.

Image: Around the World and Back

These might seem strange to Americans: European roller shutters are a domestic version of rolldown gates.

Here’s a limousine made from a Lear jet, because America.

These fun, quirky concepts are by transportation designer Alan Derosier.

This concept for airplane seats that can rock and move is by industrial designer Subinay Malhotra.

Here’s a satisfying supercut of coping trim in tricky corners.

Ergonomic Partners makes custom ergonomic lifting devices, like this zero-gravity tool arm.

This NXTABL Coffee Table is actually a 43″ touchscreen monitor that runs Android. I’m not sold on the UX.

This unusual U-shaped power strip is by industrial design consultancy Kritzer.

Having a car that could do a zero-turn—that is, turn in place—would come in handy in certain situations, particularly if you have a narrow driveway. Zero-turn lawn mowers can easily accomplish the feat because they only have two drive wheels, so it’s a simple matter of having the wheels rotate in opposite directions:

Cars on the other hand have four wheels, so to accomplish a zero-turn would require all four wheels to pivot. The cost of engineering, manufacturing and maintaining such a system means it isn’t viable for commercial production. The closest we’ve seen is German auto supplier ZF developing this Easy Turn suspension modification system, which can turn the front wheels up to 80 degrees:

However, Mercedes has gotten around the zero-turn problem, albeit in a rather brutish way. At CES the carmaker showed off their forthcoming 2025 EQG, an electric version of the G-Wagen, pulling zero-turns (which they’ve re-branded “G-Turns”) on the Las Vegas strip:

As you can see, not even the front wheels turn during the maneuver. Because each of the four wheels has its own electric motor, they can have the wheels rotate in countering directions at different speeds, resulting in the spin–and if you have the sound on, you can hear what hell it must be on the tires.

I believe this means the feature is still not commercially viable; conventional tire treads are not designed to deal with lateral wear, and if zealous safety regulators come sniffing, it seems unlikely the feature would be approved. However, I’d be surprised if a G-Wagen pulling a “G-Turn” doesn’t pop up in a future James Bond, Fast & Furious or Mission: Impossible movie.

The tech blogosphere is abuzz with news of the Rabbit R1, a new AI-powered gizmo we’re all supposed to carry around in our pockets. Tellingly, the articles written gush about numbers—$199 price, 2.3GHz processor, 128GB of storage—but there’s a dearth of info on what this thing is actually supposed to do. What the hell is this thing, why would anyone need it?

Sitting through the 25-minute intro video, presented by tech entrepreneur Jesse Lyu, it appears the “problem” the device was created to solve is that we have too many apps on our smartphones. It is a hassle, apparently, to have to press one button to access a ride-hailing app, then have to press other buttons to order food from a delivery app. To see these things as tedious is perhaps a generational thing; those that grew up having to physically hail taxis in a rainstorm, or dig through a stack of takeout menus and call a phone number that might be busy, presumably see pushing buttons on a rectangle instead as magic.

So what the R1 does, as far as I can tell, is take verbal instructions from you, and then it deals with the apps (which you still need to be signed into, through the company’s web portal) unseen, acting as your proxy. Visual feedback, provided for confirmation’s sake, is provided on a small 2.88″ screen. It also takes a SIM card, but it’s not clear what the plan is here—are you meant to sign up and pay for a second phone number? And what is the camera for, or more specifically, where do the photos go once you take them, and how do you access them?

I will say the physical object (designed “in collaboration” with Teenage Engineering) is handsome. Lefties may be displeased, however, that the two physical controls—a physical scroll wheel and a button—are located on the right.

The company has been taking individual pre-orders, in batches of 10,000 units, and says the first three batches are sold out. They expect to begin shipping this March.

Here’s a somewhat-condensed version of the introductory video, if you’re curious:

With plenty of focus being lavished on cameras, optics, and image sensors, you’d almost think that all we have on our heads are eyes. While the visual quality of content is definitely important, it’s also easy to demonstrate how poor or even no audio can completely ruin an experience. Audio recording equipment, particularly microphones, sometimes comes as an afterthought, a decision that filmmakers and creators often immediately regret. Finding the right mic can be a daunting experience, especially when you’re forced to choose between small lavaliers with discrete designs but barely passable recording and large mics with studio quality but distracting sizes. The Saramonic BlinkMe B2 promises to save you from that dilemma with the promise of a small yet distinctive design and unbeatable audio recording, so we naturally had to put it through the test to see how it measures up to real-world use.

Designer: Saramonic

Aesthetics

If you were expecting a small clip or some small rectangular box, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that it isn’t the case at all. The entire Saramonic BlinkMe B2 system comes in a rather unique package that is closer to some hi-tech gadget than what you’d normally see in wireless microphones. When joined together, the three parts look like a short square box with two smaller discs at the top and the bottom. You’ll probably be too focused on production to actually appreciate how distinctive the BlinkMe B2 looks, but it definitely puts the product a level higher than its peers.

The wireless mic’s personality, however, really shines the moment you use it, particularly when you separate these three pieces. You’ll immediately discover that they aren’t held down by flimsy locking mechanisms that get in the way but only by the sheer power of very strong magnets. These make it easy to remove the transmitters from the receiver base while still holding them securely when not in use or when charging. Once you pull off the transmitters, however, you immediately see the most visible feature that makes the BlinkMe B2 extra special.

Both transmitters have circular touch screens covering their faces, making them look like smartwatches without straps. In fact, you operate them exactly like smartwatches, swiping and tapping through controls and options. There are, of course, also physical buttons on the side that, unsurprisingly, might also remind you of smartwatch buttons. This is more than just an embellishment, though. While it’s definitely dandy to see the mic’s gain levels from a distance as you record an interview, its real value shines when you realize that you can actually customize what’s shown on the screen.

In essence, you can upload your studio’s logo or any other graphic (that fits a circle area) from the Saramonic mobile app to the transmitters and have it always on display while shooting. Considering how conspicuous this disc-shaped mic will be on your chest, it’s a great opportunity to do some subtle advertising. Conversely, that also means that the BlinkMe B2 transmitter will always be visible, though not everyone will actually realize that it’s a mic and presume it’s just some sort of fancy LCD badge.

Ergonomics

Saramonic’s use of magnets and touch screens isn’t just for show. They actually make the BlinkMe B2 one of the easiest wireless microphones to use. Need to start recording almost immediately? Simply pop off the transmitters. Need to charge one of the little pucks? Just have them snap back onto the top of the receiver. And since the transmitters can record audio on their own, you don’t even have to worry if you accidentally left the cables that would connect the receiver to a camera. It’s as simple as that.

Operating the three pieces themselves is a piece of cake thanks to the touch screens, though there are also physical buttons for the most important actions you need to have quick access to. What actions would those be? Actually, you get to decide that since you can customize what each button does through the Saramonic mobile app. The distinctive yellow button on the transmitters, however, has a single function, and that’s to toggle Noise Reduction on or off. That color might seem garish, but you won’t miss it even in a dark environment.

The magnets on the transmitters aren’t just a one-trick pony. Thanks to this design, you can easily stick the transmitters anywhere on a shirt, not just the edges. The package comes with four magnetic attachments that let you sandwich clothing between these two discs, though there’s also a magnetic clip in case you do need to go old school. You can even stick it to doors, posts, and any other metallic surface if you want to keep it out of the way. One word of caution, though. The magnets are so strong that you risk pinching the skin of your finger or, worse, certain body parts if you’re not careful how you connect two pieces together.

For all its ease of use, this magnet-based design does have one drawback. To charge the transmitters, you have to attach them to the receiver, which functions as the charging station. You can’t charge them independently using some accessory, so you’ll probably want to keep tabs on their battery levels. Given how the receiver is usually mounted on top of a camera, it also means you can charge only one transmitter at a time. Then again, if you do need to charge both, you’ve probably stopped recording anyway.

Performance

If we stopped at the BlinkMe B2’s unique aesthetic, people would simply pass it off as a pretty face. Fortunately, that is definitely not the case, because Saramonic’s smartest wireless definitely punches above its weight. You get clear and usable audio recordings even when there’s some busy activity around you, as we ourselves experienced on the hectic CES 2024 floor.

Even more impressive is that neither the signal nor the quality actually drops from a distance, even with some obstacle between the transmitter and the receiver, making it an excellent tool for sports or action footage. With the transmitter’s built-in recording functionality and 8GB of storage each, you don’t even have to worry when the stream does get cut off. As a bonus, the transmitter also has a “Safety Track” that’s recording at -6dB that’s meant to buffer against clipping and distortion, ensuring you will always have usable audio no matter the condition.

With wireless mics, battery life becomes just as important as audio quality, and fortunately, the BlinkMe B2 doesn’t skimp in that area either. Of course, Saramonic’s advertised 24 hours for the receiver and 8 hours for the transmitter are a tad too generous, but even hitting 22 hours and 6 hours, respectively is already quite an accomplishment. They charge fast, too, so you can be up and running for an additional hour with just a few minutes charge.

As mentioned earlier, controlling all the pieces of the BlinkMe B2 system is as easy as pie thanks to the sensitive touch screen. The transmitters, in particular, operate almost like smartwatches, with a swipe from the top revealing quick toggles and a swipe from the bottom going back to the main screen. The only slight complication is the smaller screen on the receiver, which is better used for displaying information rather than controlling the device. All in all, the BlinkMe B2 offers an unbeatable experience, not just in the quality of audio it produces but especially in the unique features it offers.

Sustainability

Saramonic introduced many features in the BlinkMe B2 that you won’t find in other wireless microphone systems, and thankfully, they’re all useful and essential to delivering an excellent audio recording experience. Unfortunately, that also makes the design of the device a little bit more complicated, which also means that repairs are going to require more specialized skills and components.

Although a wireless mic such as this is expected to be able to weather different environments, the presence of screens actually puts their durability at more risk. And the use of plastics and less eco-friendly materials are present all around, though not surprising considering it’s still the status quo in consumer electronics. Hopefully, the day will come when Saramonic puts sustainability as a major bullet point on its marketing material, allowing creators to make great content while also feeling good about their positive impact on the planet’s future.

Value

The Saramonic BlinkMe B2 is hardly a cheap kit, setting you back at about $249. There are definitely more accessible streaming mics in the market right now, with some of the popular ones just under $200. That said, those also have plenty of flaws of their own, like taking the form of a traditional mic that you need to place on a table. If you need something that can go the distance, literally, there are few that can outdo the BlinkMe B2.

The audio clarity and volume are just impressive, especially considering how crazy it always is at CES in Las Vegas. The fact that it can deliver more than just decent recordings at great distances is a huge boon for those who want to record more dramatic footage from a safe distance. Magnets make using and placing the transmitter easier and more hassle-free, and the ability to turn these recording devices into advertisements is definitely a great help for creators and studios. Even better, that price includes an entire kit, from four magnetic attachments to two magnetic clips to even a handy carrying case that lets you bring your precious equipment with security and convenience.

Verdict

It’s almost too easy to take the importance of quality audio for granted until that dreaded moment when you realize you barely recorded anything intelligible. Reliable audio that you can use is even more critical for those moments that will never come to pass again, including interviews you might not be able to retake. It’s in those moments that you’ll wish you had an audio recorder you could also rely on, just like your camera or smartphone.

The Saramonic BlinkMe B2 smart wireless microphone system is definitely ready to step up to the challenge. It breaks away from mic design conventions to deliver a product that has just enough tech to deliver convenience and a unique aesthetic without overburdening the user with inessential details and options. It’s powerful, a little bit quirky, and, most importantly, reliable, delivering quality audio recordings even in the most trying conditions. Yes, it’s also a bit pricey, but it’s an investment that will pay for itself throughout the coming years of creating high-quality audiovisual content.

The post Saramonic BlinkMe B2 Wireless Mic Review: A Creator’s Dream Partner first appeared on Yanko Design.

Gone are the days when lighting designs were boring and typically designed objects that did nothing but add light to a living space. A well-designed lighting fixture should not only have the ability to illuminate any living space but also add that extra oomph factor! I mean, of course, we need them to see in the dark, but as highly functional as they should be, a lighting fixture also needs to be aesthetically pleasing, adding an attractive and visually soothing element to your home or office space. From a ghost-like chandelier to a unique book-mounted reading light– these innovative lighting designs are what you need to elevate your living or working space!

1. Sunne Light

Called the Sunne Light, this innovative solar light is self-powered and it harvests sunlight during the day to ensure your home is lit up throughout the night. The extraordinary sunlight-mimicking lamp collects solar energy, while also powering itself using that energy.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Sunne light features photovoltaic cells that are designed to be hung in front of a window. It is a suspended lighting fixture that collects solar energy through the day and then uses that energy at night to illuminate your home. It has an integrated battery that stores the solar energy it collects.

What we like

• Collects solar energy and uses it to power itself
• Remains suspended in air, not occupying any precious real estate in your home

What we dislike

• Heavy price tag
• Since the lamp is suspended, it could be difficult to clean and maintain

2. Chapeaux Table Lamp

The stunning Chapeaux Table Lamp is considered worthy to be part of a magic show. It is an enchanting and mesmerizing lighting fixture that will instantly grab your attention owing to its super unique design.

Why is it noteworthy?

One of the focal features of the lamp is the transparent pyrex body which is accentuated with a cylindrical steam that widens up at both ends. The bottom section supports and stabilizes the lamp while the top embraces the hat diffuser. Once the lamp is switched on, the entire body is highlighted with pretty subtle reflections.

What we like

• Features a floating light source, that subtly conceals all the technical bits

What we dislike

• Since it is transparent, it needs to be cleaned regularly, to ensure it doesn’t have a dirty/murky appearance

3. Amber Crystal Light

Gingko’s Amber Crystal Light looks like a fortune-telling orb that rests on a wooden base, with intricate designs etched into the center of the glass orb. Once you switch the light on, the art scatters light in different directions, producing a stunning glowing effect that borders on visual magic.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Crystal Light features five different artworks within the crystal orb – dandelion, galaxy, the solar system, Saturn, and a motif of Earth as a globe. The different motifs represent different emotions such as hope, serenity, curiosity, and a genuine love for space, science, and nature.

What we like

• Offers up to 16 hours of stunning illumination with gorgeous designs

What we dislike

• The lamp seems quite fragile and breakable, so should be kept away from kids and pets

4. Soft Serve Lamp

The Soft Serve Lamp is an adorable lighting design by Stockholm design studio Crème Atelier, and mimics a “swirly ice cream”. It is available in a range of delicious sorbet colors!

Why is it noteworthy?

The Soft Serve lamp is 3D-printed and is inspired by pastries and desserts, which in my opinion makes a great source of inspiration for lighting designs.

What we like

• Made to order, which makes the entire production method pretty swift and sustainable according to the agency

What we dislike

• Seems more decorative than functional to be honest

5. Emotional Lab Light

Dubbed the Emotional Lab Light, this unique and ethereal-looking lighting design was created by interior designer Hania Jneid. Jneid was inspired by chemistry sets, and she drew influence from them to create her eclectic and elaborate floor lamp.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Emotional Lab floor lamp includes a tall and slender metal lamp that provides support to multiple beaker-like glass vessels that illuminate any space they’re placed into with a warm and inviting flow.

What we like

• Influenced by the designer’s childhood memories of chemistry lab

What we dislike

• Looks easily breakable and fragile, and not very moveable

6. Skyview

Dubbed Skyview, these lamps can be utilized for light therapy, but they also manage to be quite aesthetically pleasing. They are designed by Bios by “documented scientific research”, which means they can simulate exposure to sunlight in the comfort of your home.

Why is it noteworthy?

The lamps can simulate sunlight even when the sun is not out. They’re also well-designed, allowing them to naturally merge with your home, ensuring they don’t look out of place in your living room, bedroom, or home office.

What we like

• Can be programmed to adjust to the time of day and the natural light outside

What we dislike

• Hefty price tag, which may not be accessible to everyone

7. Bowie 2.0

The Bowie 2.0 is a genius reading light that illuminates not only the pages of your book but also your entire room. The light is designed like a leather fashion accessory that can be clipped onto the left and right sides of your book cover.

Why is it noteworthy?

The LEDs are built into the light’s strap, casting a soft and lovely glow that is still strong enough to let you read in the pitch dark. It casts warm LED light on your pages, letting you read with ease, turn pages, and move around without the light causing any discomfort,

What we like

• Features touch-sensitive brightness settings built in that let you adjust the LED brightness to suit your needs and requirements

What we dislike

8. Ghost Chandelier

As its name suggests, the Ghost Chandelier is ghostly and ghoulish yet quite graceful. It is a simple and alluring lighting design, that instantly captures your attention, and has you completely mesmerized.

Why is it noteworthy?

Created by Kristian Sofus Hansen and Tommy Hyldahl of NORR11 for the Danish design studio, the artistic lighting design intends to cast a myriad range of shapes and patterns in your home. The stunning piece is inspired by minimalist art.

What we like

• The chandelier looks different from different viewpoints
• Builds a moody and seductive ambiance in your home

What we dislike

• Looks difficult to clean and maintain

9. Matin Lamp

Designed by Inga Hempe, the Matin Lamp is a contemporary and modern interpretation of a common lighting fixture that uses a steel wire frame to condense the form to its most basic.

Why is it noteworthy?

Its unique pleated lampshade gives a distinctive character to the product, creating a play of shapes and shadows that contrast with its plain block of color.

What we like

• The lamp is a harmonious contrast of order and chaos with repeating patterns of flowers, petals, and leaves

What we dislike

• The lamp may be too quirky and eclectic for some

10. Nebula Desk Lamp

Designed by COG Design Studio, the Nebula Desk Lamp is a basic yet defined form of lighting built via repetition, transformation, and an innovative and unique combination of distinctive geometric shapes.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Nebula Desk Lamp was designed by giving a subtle and formative beauty to flat shapes using three-dimensional changes in direction and bending. This creates a refreshed and interesting form for a lighting design.

What we like

• The innovative design gives the impression of a nebula in space, which lends the design its name

What we dislike

• There is no option to change/customize the design as needed

The post Top 10 Chique Lighting Designs To Illuminate Your Home With Style + Practicality first appeared on Yanko Design.